Step 1: Take an honest look at the last month
Open your calendar and scroll back four weeks. Mark the days you worked past ten hours, the weekends you checked messages, and the times you cancelled something personal for work. If you manage a property, a club or a restaurant on the island, note which of those days lined up with guest arrivals, events or staffing gaps. You are not judging yourself; you are collecting evidence for a conversation with a coach.
Step 2: Name what you want to change
Write three short sentences that start with "I want." For example: I want to stop answering staff texts after nine. I want one full day off a week in season. I want to hand off the weekly owner report. Clear goals help a coach help you, and they help you notice when things improve.
Step 3: Decide on a format
Think about how you would actually show up:
- Video sessions fit early mornings before a shift or a midweek day off.
- In-person sessions may suit you if you need a reason to leave the property.
- A short intensive followed by monthly check-ins can work for someone who travels between the island and another home.
There is no correct answer, only the one you will keep.
Step 4: Contact two or three coaches
Use the directory to reach a few independent coaches. Ask each one about the leaders they usually work with, how an engagement is structured, the fee and the terms, and what happens between sessions. Ask how they recognise when someone needs support beyond coaching. This directory does not check credentials, so ask about training and experience and decide whether the answers satisfy you.
Step 5: Plan around the season
Island work has a rhythm. If your busiest months are late spring through summer, consider starting in the quieter part of the year so new habits are in place before demand climbs. If you are already in the thick of it, ask the coach for a lighter cadence, such as short weekly calls focused on one change at a time.
Step 6: Put recovery on the calendar
Coaching conversations stick when rest is scheduled, not left to chance. Two public places close to home are easy to plan around.
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge has its vehicle entrance on U.S. 278, between the two bridges that link Hilton Head Island to the mainland. It is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Beyond the parking area you walk or bike, and you need to bring water because there are no buildings, restrooms or drinking water. It is roughly a fifteen-minute drive from mid-island, so an early-morning walk before work is realistic.
Hunting Island State Park, at 2555 Sea Island Parkway, has five miles of beach, marsh and maritime forest, and a lighthouse first built in 1859 and rebuilt in 1875. Expect roughly an hour and a quarter or more each way, which makes it a good full-day reset on a true day off. Drive times are approximate and change with traffic and season.
Step 7: Bring your team into it
Burnout among leaders often reflects how work is distributed. If your property or business hires graduates from local hospitality programs, such as the Hospitality Management degree housed at USCB's Hilton Head Island campus on Sand Shark Drive, think about how you train and trust newer managers so decisions do not all route back to you. A coach can help you plan that handoff step by step.
Step 8: Review after six weeks
Check your three "I want" sentences. Which moved? Which did not? Share that with your coach and adjust. If coaching is not helping, it is fine to change coaches or to stop.
Step 9: Protect the off-season
When demand drops, it is tempting to fill the space with catch-up projects. Instead, block a few days for rest before you plan next year. Schedule a morning walk at the refuge or a beach day at the state park the same way you would schedule a vendor meeting, and keep that calendar entry fixed. Ask your coach to hold you to it.
About this directory
Executive Burnout Pros lists independent coaches. It does not provide coaching, does not check credentials and does not endorse any coach.