About

challenging. fulfilling. useful.

Work

any activity — paid or unpaid — that serves you + others.

I am an executive turned coach. The journey was unplanned, opportunistic, and could never have happened without a lot of help. Now I get to help others on theirs. Linkedin

My Wayfinding Journey

01 Grocery checker. Food server. Assembly line. Bank teller. Sandwich maker. Babysitter. Tutor. Receptionist. I did it for spending money and school. I learned I liked to work, and the people I worked with mattered. A lot.

02 Fresh out of an MBA, I fell into finance — ultimately treasurer of Amgen, CFO of several small biotechs. Heady and exciting, with generous mentors. I did it because I was supposed to. It never felt quite right. It exhausted rather than energized me.

03 A mid-career break led me to teaching elementary school. I did it because I was curious. It changed my life. If a great classroom has solid management, high standards, and is a safe place to learn — wouldn't that translate to our workplaces?

04 On re-entry, I found my way to the people side. My shoulders dropped about ten inches. I headed up the people function at a few organizations and, with a great business partner built a consulting practice serving small mission-driven companies and nonprofits. I did it because it pulled me in. I've never tired of it.

05 Coaching and connecting organizations to their solid core — vision, mission, values — became the focus. Teaching at Portland State, including in their Higher Education in Prison program, topped it all off.

I’m doing it because it’s G O O D W O R K.

And the journey continues…

Wayfinding takes a village, and a village I did have — of generous mentors, fully human leaders, a great business partner and teacher, and before all that, a character on a TV show that changed my life.