I have always loved to work, from my earliest memories until today. My dad was my sports coach and gave me a love for working in the shop. My mom was a businesswoman managing an elite apartment complex for the “newlywed and nearly dead” of Seattle aristocracy. She managed a large staff, and they all revered her. I worked for her summers starting at about eight years old doing accounting, showing apartments, and, later, as the pool lifeguard. While I didn’t realize it at the time, it was an immersion course in management. I learned so much just being with her as she interacted with others. My bias for collaboration was likely born then. 

My first real job was for the Bell System, as it was called in the day. I chose it because they provided partial funding for college. I began just short of my eighteenth birthday running an electronic mailing machine on the third shift (from midnight to 8:00am). The “beast”, as the mailer was called, was prone to breakdowns, but the bills had to go out, so the service representative was often called in the dead of night. I learned from him how to fix many of the smaller, frequent issues. This allowed me to fill the feeders and also do a little college homework while the machine was running well. My success with the mailer got me a promotion to the Computer Room. Machines were huge and noisy. My “mechanical mind,” as it was termed, allowed me to correct many of the frequent machine issues and I had the best results of the computer room team. I was offered the Third Shift Supervisor job. Two of the longest tenured staff pulled me aside to say that they would support me being supervisor, because I was good at the work… IF I promised to listen to them and let them help me learn to be a good supervisor. I agreed and learned so much from them. This era further cemented my love of collaboration. 

AT&T at that time was the place to be, given their strong ties with IBM. I got extensive technology training without cost. My work included various roles as a trainer, doing technology work, and ultimately as a member of the first competitive subsidiary when AT&T underwent divestiture. I’ve been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. 

Ultimately, I moved on, ultimately landing as an exec in a public technology company. While the work was fascinating, I also met my life partner who taught me that there was more to life than work. At the same time, a new type of consulting was emerging. My first coaching job was working in concert with a high-end boutique recruiter who staffed the tech companies of the day: Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and others. I helped prepare mature candidates on how to work with young leaders and helped the young leaders learn to work with more mature new hires. It was called consulting, but it was really coaching, and I loved it. 

I’ve always loved learning, and when I heard about a school teaching this new process of coaching I knew I wanted to sign up. I enrolled in the preparatory program (LifeLaunch) at The Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara and then continued into the Coach Certification program. This gave a name to what I had been doing and significantly grew my skillset. As it turned out, I had more experience in coaching than was typical and was offered the opportunity to work with Hudson as a contractor. I have been engaged with Hudson for over twenty years teaching, supporting program development, and mentoring coaches.

My current practice is fueled exclusively by referral. This is very useful because potential clients arrive with a sense of what it would be like to work with me from the referral source who has real experience. Over half of my clients hold the top job in their organizations, CEO or Executive Director titles. In the past few years, I’ve doubled down on supporting “do-gooder” leaders and organizations – environmental, climate change, global health, etc. I feel privileged to work with gifted and inspiring people. I am also inspired by the coaches I mentor – they are wise and give so much.

I hold a Master Coach Credential from ICF and am certified in Team Coaching from the Team Coaching Studio. I’ve studied Coach Supervision at the Ashridge Institute and the Coach Supervision Academy. Coaching suits me. It fits my personality and love of collaboration. It has gifted me with intimate interactions with many truly stunning humans doing critical work in our world. There is no better way to learn and grow than to serve others while they are learning and growing.