What my clients have said after working with me:

“I wish everyone would do this.” “I wish I had done this sooner.”

What I say to you:

Change is possible. I can help. And no, it’s not too late. Listen to that calling. Let’s discover the right alignment between you and your career.

It starts with an integrated self-assessment process to elevate your self-awareness and identify your unique value to an organization. Really what’s important is understanding not just what your value to an organization is, but identifying your unique strengths and where you derive the most satisfaction. Regardless of where you are in your career progression, it’s never too late to go back and get in touch with your strengths, your preferences, your individual goals, and then see how that aligns with what you’re currently doing. In discovering the disconnects, we figure out what would be a better fit for you. Sometimes it means tweaking the way you’re approaching your current work or identifying another opportunity within your current organization and navigating to that, and sometimes it means exiting the organization for a different opportunity.

Who I’ve helped:

I’ve been a catalyst for people who feel stuck, like there’s no way out, and who feel it’s just been that way for so long. I show the way out, with options on how to get there, and how to do it. 

The results don’t always necessarily have to lead to a different career entirely. It can even be staying within the same company or a lateral move. I’ve worked with folks through acquisitions, mergers, promotions, and contracts, with an expansion in their scope of responsibilities, and a significant salary increase. Some had originally planned to leave the organization, and still do, but their timeline has evolved because they are feeling better about their value in the organization. The career vision we created has also informed their volunteering, networking, and next stage in life.

Most of my clients are planners and thoughtful decision makers. They anticipate their next stage in life to get a jumpstart, so they can move in a proactive way.

I’ve worked across the generations with students as young as 15 and all the way through late-career professionals. While I’ll always have a place for young people to help them get started on the right track, my real emphasis is in working with mid- to late-career professionals who are not fully satisfied in their careers or don’t feel like they’re reaching their full potential. 

You will discover how values and interests are relevant to career decisions. For me, I prioritize my family, friendships, and health. I’m the go-to organizer for social gatherings, and pickleball is my obsession!

I started out in big corporate, consulting with Deloitte and then sales with IBM, later moving to California and working in a couple of startups in the technology sector, a K-12 education software company, and a mainframe graphics and project management software provider. I interacted with an eclectic mix of functional roles across many different industries.

At mid-career, I redefined my career direction as a result of an in-depth assessment program offered by the Highlands Company. I shifted into career coaching in the outplacement industry. I contracted with several firms to deliver their programs in workshops and one-on-one with individual clients. It was through this experience I acquired the knowledge and skills to effectively advice clients in the job search process.

Ten years ago, I began the second stage of my career with DefiningNEXT. I became certified with the Highlands company because I wanted to share with others the illuminating results I had experienced through their process. I derive the most satisfaction in empowering individuals with a vision for their next career chapter and then executing against that vision to their highest potential.

My collective insight sets me apart from the typical career coach who usually comes out of a HR role. Rather than thinking as an administrator within an organization, I have the experience of being on the front lines. 

The outcome of the integrated assessment I offer is a career vision that identifies what you want to do, what environment you want to work in, how you are most productive and effective in your work, and most importantly, your “why” — your motivators for working. Once we have that information, it really simplifies the process of identifying what kind of career paths or options align with those metrics. 

With the assessment results and our interactions in multiple sessions during the assessment process, I will reflect back to you observations and insights about your soft skills or intangibles that you have to offer. In the second phase of the process, it’s all about executing against the combined vision of your assessment results. We develop your narrative to then populate your LinkedIn profile, resume, and cover letters for potential employers.