OUR STORY

After earning a Masters in International Business, I moved back to New York City where I was fortunate to be a part of a leadership development program at one of my first employers. My first exposure to Daniel Goleman's emotional intelligence (EI) framework and its role in leadership happened at one of our first training sessions. I was surprised to learn that emotions could be useful in business. Before this "aha" moment, I had been taught to believe that emotions and personal life were best left at home. 

Through that experience, I realized that my approach of cultivating human-centered connection at work had always been a part of my leadership approach. In every role I held: internal audit, management reporting, product management, product development, customer service and CRM data analytics, I learned to develop empathy for the challenges different people face in their jobs.

Listening and communicating with empathy helped me grow into a compassionate and inspiring leader. Once I moved into cross-functional leadership, empathy was the key skill that helped me to bridge differences during conflict and build trusting relationships to lead these teams.

I discovered that I enjoyed the people side of my work so much that I eventually decided to pursue my passion of helping other professionals realize their full leadership potential. I also discovered with the help of neuroscience research that emotional intelligence can be developed through mindfulness.

Now, I coach others using the same fundamental EI skills that helped me to become an inspiring business leader through compassion, connection and courage. Being of service with my experience and skills is an important part of what drives me everyday.

Times have changed since I first arrived onto the business world scene. Artificial intelligence is transforming almost every part of our lives. Information flows freely at great scale and high speeds. Distraction abounds in the always-on world.

Emotional intelligence skills are even more essential in a world led with AI. Leaders with EI skills help to create a safe space for the human experience of emotion, allowing teams to express themselves, be heard, respected and valued, all while ethically pushing the envelope for innovation while sustaining performance excellence. 

Outside of work, I continue to expand my skills around self-care, which I see as an essential leadership skill. A leader's potential is only fully realized when they know themselves and their needs intimately, taking action to safeguard their wellbeing. This enables them to be at the best each day and set an example for their teams to do the same.

My mantra: Authentic self-care drives performance excellence.

What does self-care looks like for me? Breathwork, exercise, eating well, a healthy spiritual practice, communicating with both self-awareness and compassion, meditation, mindfulness, adequate rest, and finding joy in both the everyday and the extraordinary. 

This has been my path to BLISS(TM), the self-care framework that is the foundation of my coaching practice. These are the tools that supported me as a married working mom of four through the most difficult times in my life - personally, professionally and at the collision/collapse of all three during a deep family crisis that coincided with my own burnout.

When I am not with clients or volunteering, I work hard at self-care so I can be at my best for my husband, our children, family, friends, and work. What I once considered a luxury, I now prioritize through activities that nurture me physically, mentally, and emotionally. Meditation, yoga, HIIT training, home decor, cooking, time with nature, travel, and dancing are all currently part of my self care portfolio.

If you're interested in any of these topics, I'd love to connect with you.