sprezzatura Entrepreneura!

(a.k.a. business coach extraordinaire )

about my work:  I started my practice in 2001, and over the past two decades, I have helped hundreds of clients have fun, make money, and build inspired teams while living their creative purpose. I would love to help you, too! I am a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach through the Coaches Training Institute, the world's largest and oldest coach training school. I trained in Organizational Relationships and Systems Coaching at The Center for Right Relationship. And, I’m a certified yoga teacher through the Yoga Alliance.

relevant notes and qualifications: Before opening my own coaching and consulting practice, I spent 15 years being a part of – and sometimes leading! – teams in creative agencies, nonprofits, and startups. My restlessness (more on that below, if you are curious) had a surprising bright side: it drove me to see organizations from all angles, and to notice where opportunities to make work both fun and profitable were being missed. (Spoiler: all over the place.)

so then what?

I got curious about how to build better businesses, and found coaching. After completing my coaching certification and opening my practice, I

  • Co-founded the nonprofit Bay Area Business Advisors Consortium — BABAC — pulling together a volunteer corps of top-notch advisors to support creative entrepreneurs in San Francisco. (This was a total kick!)

  • Served for two years on the Board of the SF Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth. (Frankly, this was a bit too buttoned-up for me, but I learned quite a bit about big biz that translates to my entrepreneurial clients.)

  • Currently act as Community Development and Volunteer Chair at my children’s public elementary school. (An often overwhelming job — and yet, so worth it to help San Francisco public school kiddos.)

    In short, I’m good at helping organizations grow.

curious to know more? Here’s a bit of the history on how I got here. Back to that restlessness: I majored in literature in college because I loved to read, and I trusted books would lead to something good. But I never had any sort of career plan. Launched into the working world, I followed my nose, assuming that because I was a quick learner and hard worker with a can-do attitude, I’d find my way. I worked in hospitality, supported member programs for professional associations, led donor development in the nonprofit fundraising world (working in truly inspiring organizations, including the National Wildlife Federation, Habitat for Humanity, and Amnesty International), and mastered marketing at startups. My favorite startup experience was as a Retention Specialist (essentially, saving faltering client relationships) at CareerBuilder.com in the late 90s; I would have been employee number 21 if I’d accepted the offer they made me, and my story might have been very different. But as much as I enjoyed my role helping members maximize ROI using agile recruiting tools — oh my gosh, this sounds so dated now! — something still wasn’t right.

I loved elements of all these experiences – namely, I had some thoughtful bosses who acted as mentors, and the opportunity to be a part of a handful of inspiring teams where folks led with a learning mindset and collaborative spirit.

But I also slogged through painful stretches with inconsistent managers whose approach tamped down innovation and morale, and team cultures where reactivity and gossip left me worn thin and less than proud of how I was showing up. Looking back on my path, and the restlessness I felt, I realize I fiercely believed in two things, and I was desperate for work to prove me right:

  • I believed work could tie you to your life purpose, creating meaning and fulfillment while having a powerful impact; and,

  • I believed teams could be both productive and fun.

I dedicate my coaching practice to these deeply held values, and to date, I have helped hundreds of clients bring them to life in their creative endeavors — guiding them to follow their purpose while building profitable businesses, with measurable impact and whip-smart teams.

On the personal side: I live in San Francisco with my dear husband Jeremy (we met in coaching school two decades ago), our two comical and energetic kiddos, Ellory (7th grade) and Soren (4th grade), and our adopted pit bull, Lola. When I’m not creating cool stuff with clients, Momming-it, or volunteering for the kids’ school (which, ya know, accounts for most of my time), I’m happiest sautéing up farmer’s market fare, hiking the Bay Area hills, searching the stacks at the public library, or poking around vintage shops for interesting finds.