"I'm Giving My Gift!"

One of the great joys of my professional life has been my absolute conviction that every person (including me!) has a gift to give the world. As a Career, Life and Mentor Coach, it's been my distinct honor to work with hundreds of people to discover that unique gift and strategize how to give it.

I found the life coaching profession in 1998 when I heard about the incomparable training program at Coach University. When I read about their program, I knew instantly I'd found exactly what I was looking for and signed up without even knowing how I would pay for it! Ten years later, I can say it was the best choice of my professional career. Today, not only am I a certified graduate of Coach U, but I am also a member of the trainer team. In 2003, I became a Professional Mentor Coach, which means I not only train people to be great coaches, but also coach them to build thriving businesses.

In 2001, I earned the Professional Certified Coach designation from the International Coach Federation.

I've also had the pleasure of being a part-time instructor for Portland Community College, serving in the Community Education Department for the last 10 years.

"Midwest Practicality meets West Coast Possibility"

It's true, I'm a Jayhawk! I attended the University of Kansas from 1981 to 1985, where I received my Bachelor of Science in Magazine Journalism and Public Relations.

After graduation and a fruitless job search in Kansas City, my amazing sister Theresa offered to share her house in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thus my professional adventures began. After a brief (and unremarkable) stint with Manpower Temporary Services, I began a 12-year career in high tech, starting out as a temporary receptionist and ending that part of my career as Vice President of Operations for a high tech recruiting firm. In-between, I worked at Wang Laboratories, Oracle Corp., and various start-ups, primarily in sales and sales management positions.

"Speaking of Talent"

My flair for public speaking first surfaced when I came in second in speech contests in both seventh and eighth grade. It's no accident that on almost every report card in grade school my teachers wrote, "talks too much in class."

Well, I can have the last laugh now! In addition to coaching, I frequently speak for groups in higher education, corporations and not-for-profit organizations.

I am an avid Toastmaster, having achieved Advanced Communicator Gold with aspirations of achieving Distinguished Toastmaster sometime in 2008. Not familiar with Toastmasters? Click here for information about the international organization, click here for information about my home club, or click here for information about the club I am currently coaching.

I'm fortunate to be the founding host of the Coach U Public Speaking Special Interest Group (SIG). The mission of our SIG is to support coaches in building their business through public speaking. I can honestly say that we are the best SIG at Coach U...there's just some kind of magic with this group. The speakers are all amazing and the members of the SIG contribute their enthusiasm and brilliance month after month. Click here for more information about the SIG.

"Give Me a Break!"

As if this wonderful professional life isn't enough, I am also blessed with an amazing personal life.

I married my husband Pete in 1988 (yep - 20 years - and as my father-in-law used to say, "It's a triumph of endurance over good sense!") Pete is a commercial sales rep for a large pest control company. He could quite possibly be the only person I've ever met who not only enjoys cold-calling, but manages to close a lot of business this way!

A little more than a year after we married, our free-spirited daughter, Laura, arrived and was followed four years later by her enterprising younger brother Trevor. They are the center of our life and if there's one thing I always knew I wanted to do, it was to be their mother.

We love living in the Portland, OR area. Free time is often spent hiking and camping in the scenic Columbia River Gorge. We're also fortunate enough to visit the Lake Tahoe region every year and stay in Pete's family cabin. And no year would be complete without at least one trip back to visit my Dad, who was the best life coach in the world far before life coaching was even a profession! There's nothing better than toasting the memory of my Mom with as many of my siblings (6, but who's counting) as possible.