Valorie Burton Trains the World’s Coaches — from Right Here

When Valorie Burton stood before the Peachtree City Rotary Club earlier this month, she wasn’t there to talk about book sales, credentials, or global reach. She was there to talk about resilience — what it takes to endure disappointment, adapt to change, and keep moving forward when life refuses to cooperate.

For many in the room, Burton was a compelling speaker with a practical message. What some may not have realized is that the woman speaking so personally about resilience is also one of the most influential coaches in the world — a best‑selling author whose work reaches tens of thousands of leaders globally, and who lives locally after moving to Peachtree City 11 years ago.

A global voice with local roots

Burton has written 14 books, sold roughly 800,000 copies worldwide, and seen her work translated into 10 languages. Her most recent book, Rules of Resilience, released in September, became a USA Today bestseller. Over a career spanning more than 25 years, her writing and speaking have focused on helping people live what she describes as “more fulfilling lives.”

Alongside her work as an author, Burton leads coaching education for Maxwell Leadership, directing the development and delivery of its global coaching program serving nearly 60,000 coaches worldwide. The role places her at the center of how one of the world’s largest leadership organizations trains and certifies coaches.

Burton is also the founder and CEO of the CAPP Institute (Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute), a coaching education and training company she built to professionalize coaching through evidence-based methods grounded in psychology and leadership research.

Despite that reach, Burton’s decision to move to the area 11 years ago was intentional — and personal.

“We wanted to be near family, near a big city but not in it, and in a place where life felt grounded,” Burton said in a recent interview.

From journalism to purpose

Burton’s career did not begin in coaching. She earned a master’s degree in journalism and worked in public relations, a field she says she was good at — but not fulfilled by. She later earned a second master’s degree in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League institution. There, she studied under leading researchers in the field.

“I really believe all of us has a purpose that’s rooted in our gifts,” she told the Rotary Club. “Some of you are clear about what it is, and some of you are still scratching your head.”

That clarity came to Burton in the late 1990s. She began writing her first book in 1999, self‑publishing it with the goal of eventually landing a major publisher. Within months, that book opened doors that led to a long‑term publishing career — one that continues today.

Her mission statement, which she says has not changed in 26 years, is simple and specific: “To create and enjoy a fulfilling, prosperous, and generous life — and to inspire others to do the same.”

Resilience, tested in real life

While Burton’s work is rooted in research, it is also deeply personal. In her Rotary talk, she shared how her understanding of resilience was tested during one of the most difficult seasons of her life — a divorce that forced her to confront fear, disappointment, and uncertainty.

“I don’t think anybody gets married expecting it to end in divorce,” she said. “But there I was.”

Rather than retreat, Burton leaned into the principles of positive psychology, a field that examines what helps people thrive rather than focusing only on what’s broken. Her academic training in the discipline would later deepen through graduate study at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied applied positive psychology under some of the field’s foremost researchers.

“I realized I could test this in real time on myself,” she said. “And that’s exactly what I did.”

That experience — paired with years of coaching leaders and organizations — shaped Rules of Resilience, a book Burton describes as both practical and accessible.

“Resilience is not just for hardship,” she said. “It’s also required for success, because life doesn’t go as planned.”

Coaching the coaches

Burton is a Master Certified Coach, a designation held by fewer than 5 percent of credentialed coaches worldwide. Early in her career, she worked one‑on‑one with clients, but eventually stepped back from individual coaching to focus on training others.

“I love that I get to multiply the impact,” she said. “If I can train people who then help dozens or hundreds of others, that matters.”

Through the CAPP Institute, Burton and her team have trained coaches in 39 countries, across every U.S. state and Puerto Rico. Programs that were once held in person are now offered virtually, making them accessible worldwide. For those interested in becoming coaches themselves, Burton said CAPP’s training programs are designed both for people seeking a professional coaching credential and for leaders who want to use coaching skills within their existing roles. The institute offers live, virtual training intensives throughout the year, followed by longer certification programs that combine positive psychology research with practical coaching application.

Her work with Maxwell Leadership expands that reach even further. Burton created the organization’s coach‑training curriculum and teaches within the network several times a month. John Maxwell himself wrote the foreword to Rules of Resilience.

“It’s an incredible organization,” Burton said. “And it’s an honor to be part of work that helps leaders think differently about how they lead and grow.”

When life doesn’t go as planned

Burton believes resilience is more relevant than ever — not just in business, but in everyday life.

“People are dealing with uncertainty everywhere,” she said. “Economically, politically, within families. Jobs require more with fewer resources. There’s more isolation and loneliness. Resilience is the skill that helps people navigate all of that.”

At the heart of Burton’s work is helping people navigate moments they did not choose — job loss, divorce, illness, disappointment, or sudden change.

One of the core principles she teaches is what she calls controlling the controllable.

“The most resilient people focus on what they can control — their thoughts, their attitudes, their next step,” she said. “Accepting the rest doesn’t mean approving of it. It means acknowledging reality so you can move forward.”

Burton encourages people facing difficult seasons to slow their thinking and ask practical questions: What can I influence right now? What support do I need? What would taking one healthy next step look like?

“That shift can restore a sense of agency at a time when people often feel powerless,” she said.

A quiet life, by choice

While her work takes her across industries and continents, Burton’s home life is intentionally simple. Living locally allows her to stay close to family and enjoy a sense of normalcy.

“I love that we’re near a big city, but not in it,” she said. “There’s space here. People are friendly. It’s a place where you can breathe.”

That balance — between global influence and local life — appears to be part of what sustains her.

Looking ahead

Burton is already working on what comes next, including new organizational resilience programs developed in partnership with Maxwell Leadership, and another book focused specifically on coaching.

“I feel like I’ve barely started,” she said. “I listen for what I’m being guided to do next, and then I move in that direction.”

For now, her words continue to reach readers and audiences around the world — including right here at home.Locally, Rules of Resilience is available at Scholar & Scribe bookstore in Trilith, Books-A-Million, and through every major online book retailer.