Here are my big lessons –

every single one of them led me to here…

Family life

I married my “college crush,” Boyd. Although I met him when I was 19, we didn’t get married until a few days before my 30th birthday. We have grown up together. My lessons in love have been about communication, forgiveness, generosity and teamwork. In our most disconnected times, the thing that has kept us together is our friendship. We celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary later this year – we are still learning.

Boyd and I have three children together – Ryan and Mimi (twin girls, age 17) and Myles (age 15).  We also have two rescue dogs, Lou and Riggs.  Our home life revolves around cooking together (the kids + Boyd do most of the cooking), watching TV shows, and obsessively loving the dogs.  On the weekends, Boyd plays piano and I sit in the backyard and write in my journal. The kids play sports and hang out with their friends and at some point, I yell at everyone to get off of their screens.  I get waves of fear that I’m not doing the family life thing in a way that is “best” for the kids and then everyone is in the kitchen eating chips and salsa and making fun of each other and I’m flooded with gratitude. Family life has taught me the power of grace and compassion and helped me to understand that the best way to enjoy one’s life to the fullest is to be fully present to the moment – and that is best for the family.

Professional Life

While I’ve held different job titles, I’ve learned that my life’s work is to help a person move from Point A to Point B. Being a part of someone’s growth and  development, helping that person to expand, learn and improve in some or all areas of life has been, and is, the most gratifying career path for me.

Although I can point back to my childhood interests to see the earliest signs that I would follow this path, it was my work as a high school college guidance counselor, a job I found at age 23, that gave me clear direction. For a decade, I worked for privately owned educational companies, a private high school in Atlanta and on my own as a consultant to guide hundreds of high school students and their parents through the college admissions process.

The birth of my own children led me to 6 years of teaching preschool, including three years of teaching Transitional Kindergarten where I helped families through the kindergarten admissions process. I didn’t expect this chapter of my career path, but I enjoyed my students and their parents so much – and my children thrived in this preschool environment.

In between and alongside these professional experiences, I have worked as a reading instructor, creative writing teacher, and career counselor for college students.

I appreciate the years I spent working for schools and educational organizations – this time offered me lessons in leadership, parenting, building trust with students of all ages, program + curriculum development, organization, and the value of working as a team.

My Coaching Practice

I didn’t plan to start my own business – it emerged naturally from my desire to be of service to parents. My coaching practice started with a small group of moms in my living room talking about raising young children and/or letting go of teenagers. I loved these conversations so much, I began to facilitate parent discussion groups at the preschool where I worked – and I offered support groups for mothers on my own. My work as a facilitator inspired me to leave the traditional classroom setting and start my own business.

In 2014, I officially launched my coaching practice with the Live What Matters Workshop offering. My first individual coaching clients were the women who appreciated the workshop and wanted to take the work deeper. Following the enthusiasm for the Live What Matters experience, I traveled the United States and sat in circle with thousands of women who shared their stories and struggles with each other. I learned how to hold space for people and create environments that promote harmony, healing, reflection and focus. I saw firsthand how people can change their lives with awareness, clarity and intention.

Today, the phrase “Live What Matters” has become the foundation for my business and encapsulates what I hope to achieve when I partner with an individual client, a group, a couple, a family, a start-up business or a corporate organization. The truth of Live What Matters is this: when you are clear about what is important to you and you prioritize your life around those values – you enjoy your life more, and that makes this world a better place…for everyone.

Being a part of making this world a better place is my way of, personally, living what matters.

Lifelong Learning

I attended Vanderbilt University (Nashville) where I studied Human and Organizational Development with an emphasis on Leadership Studies.  After a few years of work experience, I pursued my Masters in Organizational Psychology at Columbia University (New York City) where my research focused on Women, Work and Family.  I am passionate about personal development and spiritual growth.  My learning is a lifelong pursuit and it is the force behind my drive to serve others.  Whether it is attending a women’s conference, a workshop, retreat, or working with a coach, I show up fully and seek self-awareness in the same way I ask my clients to do.  It is a privilege to meet the people I meet in my classes, workshops, and one-on-one journeys.  Their lives become the syllabus for my next life lessons; our exchange becomes the sacred experience of earning our wisdom – together.