My Story…
When I was a kid and thought about what I wanted to be when I grew up, all I really knew was I wanted to make a difference and leave my mark somehow on the world. And I learned at a very early age that I loved making people laugh and smile because when they felt good, I felt amazing. I wasn’t an extraordinary child but like all kids, I had areas where my talents shined brighter than others. I was (and still am) a real people person—a true extrovert who loves to be surrounded by others—and I’m highly musical. In fact, for the first 20 years of my life, everything I did revolved around music, first as a performer and later as a concert promoter and event producer.
Fast forward twenty years to the boardroom of a financial institution where I served on the Senior Leadership Team as Corporate Secretary & Head of Corporate Affairs. I will never forget the day I looked around and wondered “how the hell did I get here?” Not in a pinch me kind of way, but more like the quick slap across the face you see in movies when someone is trying to break through another’s hysteria. The irony here is that I had worked my ass off to get there, thinking that when I finally had a seat at the senior leadership table, everything I had sacrificed while I climbed the corporate ladder would be worth it.
It wasn’t.
I didn’t feel successful. I felt tired, overworked, frustrated, and completely out of alignment with what made me, ME.
For a while I settled and went through the motions just to get the job done, but eventually I recognized that in the process, the sacrifices were getting too big and too frequent. My wellbeing was in the tank, my confidence was shot, my self-respect was questionable, and my happy disposition was long gone.
So, I left.
I don’t say that casually or callously, because it wasn’t an easy decision. I was making good money and I had worked so hard for so long to get to where I was. From the outside looking in, my focus and determination had paid off. But to me, it felt like it had bitten me in the ass because in all my effort and enthusiasm to climb higher…and higher…and higher, I realized I had left my true self on the bottom rung of the ladder, looking up at someone she didn’t recognize anymore.
I know I’m not alone in this.
Creative women are taught
that they can be one of two things:
Artistic OR Successful.
Because the ones that are successful AND artistic are freaking unicorns.
I’m here to tell you that’s not true.
You don’t have to stifle your creativity in order to have a thriving career.
You can, in fact, have both.
My Style…
I am who I am unapologetically. I spent too much of my past life trying to be someone I thought I should be instead of someone I wanted to be.
I am empathetic. I am smart. I am driven. I am decisive. I am insightful. I am candid. I am sincere. I am supportive. I am determined. I am happy.
My style has been described as:
Coach-sultant. Communicator. Authentic. Straightforward. Informed. Creative. Passionate. Honest. Caring. Empowering. Focused.
When I’m not coaching, I’m likely in one of three places:
- Lakeside with a glass of wine to my right and my dog to my left.
- On my Peloton bike spinning my heart out with my girlfriends and our Boo.
(If you know, you know…) - Chasing my twin boys to make sure they’ve showered and brushed their teeth.
The biggest difference between imagination and innovation,
is dreaming and doing.