I’m passionate about reconnecting people with their courageous, generous nature.
When I graduated, I got a job at a nonprofit with a mission for social change. I quickly noticed that my colleagues were burning (or already burnt) out, with little support to reclaim their energy. What I saw made me distressed about the future of our social movements and fearful for my career path.
Now I support young people and changemakers whose paths are unclear or unsustainable to connect with their purpose so they can live courageous, fulfilling lives.
“You don’t choose the times you live in, but you do choose who you want to be.”
— Grace Lee Boggs
Given the network of crises we face at this moment, choosing who we want to be takes courage. For me, being coached made this choice clear and irresistible.
My mission is to support people to make these courageous choices. They bring us closer together and create new possibilities that we desperately need.
MY VALUES
You can count on me to bring these into our work together:
COURAGE
Anything worth doing will bring doubts and fears to the surface. By tapping into our courageous nature, we can move through discomfort to, nevertheless, take action.
GENEROSITY
The most fulfilling moments of my life have come from contributing to other people. We are at our best when we’re being generous—and it’s highly contagious.
CURIOSITY
“The illusion of a quick answer leads to burnout.”
- Grace Lee Boggs
By being curious and delighting in question-asking, we make countless discoveries along the path to success.
PLAY + HUMOR
Whatever we enjoy doing, we do productively. By bringing a light, playful spirit to our work we not only make it feel better, we also make it easier to be successful.
INTERDEPENDENCE
To paraphrase Emergent Strategy, our quality of life and our survival are tied to how authentic and generous the connections are between us and our communities (including fellow people + other beings).
CELEBRATION
This is not self-indulgent. When we celebrate what’s working we give ourselves more energy to keep going. We also notice what’s been effective and find new chances to use that.
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As I entered the workforce after college, my top priority was finding a job aligning with my radical lefty politics. My first job post-grad fit the bill: communications for a nonprofit with a social change-oriented mission. I immediately encountered issues that I now see are tragically common in the nonprofit world. Mainly: dedicated, passionate people being overworked, under-supported, and put on the fast track toward burnout, resignation, and cynicism.
Two years later the organization was no more and I had to figure out what to do next. I returned to my summer job waiting tables while I wrote (what felt like) hundreds of cover letters for positions at social change nonprofits. I’d been in a long-distance relationship for several years and I determined it was time to move across the country to close that distance.
Six months after I relocated, my partner and I decided to split up. I had no real employment leads and felt deeply frustrated by the nonprofit track I had been pursuing. We had some frank and vulnerable conversations about what I loved doing, what I didn't, and how I wanted to contribute to the world. I took myself on a few cross-country road trips to heal my heartbreak, visit my friends, and reconnect with myself.
I made peace with the idea that I won't find a job that I love—most people don't. I decided to shift my focus onto building a life I love and find a job that allows me to live that.
As soon as I accepted this truth, I found coaching. Which I love. And I found it in an unexpected place: a suggestion from a friend of my brother's whose brain I was picking about jobs in climate justice. When he first planted the seed, "Have you ever thought about coaching?" my initial reaction ("That's crazy lol... what even is that?") sat on top of recognition that my personality, skills, and passions fit well with this work. I love connecting with people. I'm gifted at building relationships. I'm growth-minded and I love envisioning possibilities. In hindsight, I also see that my love of learning suited me well for coaching. Every session unearths some wisdom that my clients hold and I get to be right alongside them for that discovery.
Once I was willing to hear the call of coaching, I couldn't ignore it.
Through this work, I feel transformed—not into a new person, but I’ve become more fully myself. I believe people are innately courageous and generous. Each of us has unique wisdom and contributions to make—all we have to do is listen deeply enough to uncover them and then get out of our own way. Getting to support others with these breakthroughs is a tremendous joy and a privilege I do not take for granted.
MY QUALIFICATIONS
Associate Certified Coach — International Coaching Federation
Licensed Academy Trainer — Academy for Coaching Excellence
Life & Wellness Coach — Spring Health
Certified Associate in Project Management - Project Management Institute
BA in Sociology — Vassar College
Outside of my work you can find me:
Playing, watching, and talking about basketball
Camping + chasing watering holes with my friends
Practicing Yoga
Doing amateur carpentry
Making, eating, and talking about sandwiches.
