About Us

The Leaning Institute of America, Inc., founded by James Sarvis, provides life coaching services and self-help awareness programs based on a philosophy of goal setting and moving forward toward your goals with positive thinking. We teach, foster and promote those who illustrate the Leaner philosophy of giving and receiving.

Leaners are the individuals we can count on for guidance and strength. Leaners know where they are going and produce positive change in their own lives and the lives of others. A Leaner might be a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, a relative, a friend, a coach, a minister, a teacher, a barber, or anyone who has a giving spirit and wants to be helpful. A Leaner is someone held in high esteem for their ability to achieve goals that help other people. Leaners are the individuals who move humanity forward and make the world a better place.

Leaning Institute Mission

• Recognize Leaners
• Preserve the Leaners We Have
• Foster New Leaners

Leaning Institute Company Summary

The Leaning Institute™ is a Life Coaching center that helps people create more harmony and success in their life.

Simply stated,

• We help individuals move forward when they feel stuck;
• We teach individuals how to turn their dreams into goals; and
• We provide one-on-one coaching, as well as workshops and training programs.

In short, we help ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things.

James Sarvis

From the time he was a young man, James Sarvis sought ways to help better the lives of others. Whether serving as a young insurance agent, a contractor, restaurateur, entrepreneur, or as a successful attorney, his passion has always been talking with others about their goals, personal or professional challenges, and examining how obstacles one faces often prepares an individual for the next successful life experience. Believing that individual personal successes contribute to collaborative successes and greater joy, James has dedicated himself to full-time life coaching. In 2007, he founded the Leaning Institute of America with the goals of providing a place for individuals from all walks of life to come to find their inner strength as "Leaners" and to help them learn strategies to more effectively and efficiently make "Leaning" a central part of their life experience.

A graduate of Coastal Carolina University and the University of South Carolina School of Law, James holds a Bachelor of Science degree in History and a Juris Doctorate of Laws. He established and managed a successful law practice in South Carolina, achieving his goal of early retirement within ten years in order to make the Leaning Institute of America a reality and to share the "Leaning" philosophy and its strategies with others. He remains in good standing with the South Carolina Bar Association.

The joy James experiences in his life and his understanding of the challenging yet, ultimately, rewarding power of "Leaning" emanates through the songs, poems, one-act plays, and stories for narration he has written.

Corey Zink

Corey Zink is the Music Director of the Leaning Institute of America, Inc. He coined the term "Leaning Music" from his song writing sessions with founder James Sarvis. He plays a variety of instruments including guitar, bass, mandolin, piano, and drums while also producing a large library of original in-house music.

Corey comes from a long line of family musicians who have influenced his background in classic country and bluegrass music. He has his own country music group called County Line and in 2003 he formed a bluegrass group, Acoustic Blue, and began writing original material which is currently playing on the radio up and down the east coast. Acoustic Blue continues to be in high demand on the northeast bluegrass circuit and has released two projects entitled Workin' Man and Empty House. Corey has been a finalist in singing and songwriting competitions and continues to grow in popularity.