What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? Vincent Van Gogh
My story
I’ve never followed a perfectly straight line and I’ve come to believe that’s often where the most interesting parts of life happen.
I grew up in a small town and have since lived in four countries, built a career across the private sector, international education, and international development and humanitarian work, and changed careers more than once. Along the way, I’ve experienced my own seasons of burnout, questioning relocation, questioning what I wanted from life, navigating work-life balance, and figuring out what a meaningful life looks like when the path you thought you were on no longer feels quite right.
I also know that life transitions don’t happen in isolation. I’ve seen firsthand the impact that caregiving can have not only on the person receiving care, but on the person giving it, and on the relationships and life surrounding them.
Today, I live overseas, continue to embrace an active life of running, tennis, hiking, and adventures with my furbabies, and after years of professional and personal exploration, I’ve found a life that feels much more aligned with who I am and what matters to me.
Becoming a coach is a natural extension of that journey. I’m building on professional training aligned with ICF and NBHWC standards, alongside the experiences and perspectives I’ve gained along the way. But I don’t see myself as the expert on your life. You are.
My role is to bring curiosity, perspective, thoughtful questions, and a little structure to the process, so you can step back from the noise, recognize what’s really going on, connect the dots, and decide what comes next for you.
Because sometimes, you don’t need someone to tell you where to go.
You just need someone to help you see the picture more clearly.
Always find the glimmer in the day
Baila is one of my three Chief Morale Officers (CMOs), although, if you ask her, she’s probably the CEO.
Some know her as Baila Shark from her boat days, where she can usually be found soaking up the sun and supervising everyone from her favorite spot in her pink shark life vest. When she’s not on the water, she’s a professional hiker. Though truth be told her preferred hiking technique is being carried.
Baila takes her CMO responsibilities very seriously. She is the ultimate timekeeper, making sure nobody loses track of when it’s time for a break, a walk, or, presumably, something more important to her. She’s also an occasional interruption specialist, particularly when she decides that whatever is happening on the other side of the screen is simply not as important as she is.
She loves her summer ice cream, has an impressive talent for the zoomies, and considers wrestling a perfectly reasonable way to spend an afternoon. Her cat siblings would probably describe her relationship with them differently, especially when she’s chasing them around or pulling their tails just to remind them who’s really in charge.
And if her siblings are up to something without including her? She will tattle. Immediately. She believes strongly in transparency and accountability. Apparently, some of my compliance habits have rubbed off on her.
She's playful, bossy, curious, occasionally chaotic, and very good at making sure there is never a dull moment.
In other words, she's exactly the kind of CMO every coaching practice needs.