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 years old, we didn’t get married until a few days before my 30^th birthday.  We learned how to grow up together.  We celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary later this year, and we are still learning.

We have three children – Ryan and Mimi (twin girls, age 15) and Myles (age 13).  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 see their friends and at some point I yell at everyone to get off their screens.  I get waves of fear that I am 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 chatting and I am fine. We are doing just fine. Practicing grace and compassion in the midst of everyday marriage and parenting has been a heart-expanding lesson for me. 

Professional Life

My career path has been a winding one but paved with my service to family. I have 12+ years experience working as a college guidance counselor.  I have helped hundreds of high school students and their parents through every step of 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 (often too stressful) kindergarten admissions process.  In between, I have worked as a reading instructor, creative writing teacher, and career counselor.

I have appreciated my time in schools and the reward that comes from being a part of an organization devoted to education.  I am so grateful for the formal curriculum I had to develop to meet the greater mission of a school and/or organization – it is a foundation I stand upon in creating my own curriculum now.  My professional experience has given me the gift of structure, the experience of working in a group, and the opportunity to learn about parenting and family life from the perspective of an educator and counselor.

Creative Entrepreneurial Life

When I was a child, I told people I would be a teacher one day.  I didn’t tell people I also intended to be a writer.  And no one told me that I would need to be an entrepreneur.   Once I learned how to approach my career as an entrepreneur, my life changed.  I learned to claim my creativity and live from a place of deeper self-worth.  As a writer, I am more sure of what I am saying.  As a speaker, I am more vulnerable in my sharing.  As a coach, I understand the value of creative expression in another’s person’s life – because it is the heart of mine.

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.