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Creating a Strengths-Based Career
When people ask me what I do, I simply say “I help people find or create jobs they like and will be good at.” To me, that means creating a career based on your natural talents and learning to communicate those effectively to people who you work with or want to work with.
I call that “Creating a Strengths-Based Career.”
I’ve made it my life’s mission to support, encourage, and inspire people to live more meaningful lives. That’s what makes my life meaningful.
My Background
For over 20 years, I’ve worked in higher education as a college career counselor, advisor, and faculty member teaching career management and learning strategy courses.
I’ve taught MBA students, first-year undergraduate students, and everything in between at the University of Alaska Anchorage and Colorado State University.
Today, I expanded my reach by providing contracted career coaching to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and consult with universities across the United States on executive coaching and integrating CliftonStrengths into Career Development, Employee Development, and Student Services.
Now I spend most of my time as a private career and executive coach and workplace trainer serving leaders and jobseekers across industries who want to work from their strengths.
Who I Work With
A strengths-based career isn’t about finding a perfect job title. It’s about understanding how you naturally think, influence, build relationships, and execute, and then designing work that allows those strengths to be used intentionally.
My approach focuses on helping you gain clarity about who you are, communicate your value effectively, and make confident decisions about where and how to work.
EARLY AND MID-CAREER PROFESSIONALS
I coach early and mid-career professionals who are seeking career change or searching for new roles. Together, we'll clarify what your strengths are, identify opportunities in the current market to use those strengths, and I help you communicate your value effectively to hiring managers and decision makers.
EXECUTIVE LEADERS AND MID-LEVEL MANAGERS
I coach executive leaders and mid-level managers to lead from your strengths and develop strengths-based teams.
WORKPLACE TEAMS
When each member of your team understands their strengths and has hope for their career development, you and your employees will be more productive, happier, and especially in a changing technology and evolving economic environment, each person wants to stay and grow together.
COACHES AND ENTREPRENEURS
For coaches and entrepreneurs who want to integrate a strengths-based approach into your coaching or business practices, I offer mentor coaching to help you incorporate strengths-based coaching strategies and business practices based on your strengths.
I meet with clients across the world by Zoom.
My Approach
I’ve developed a unique way of looking at a career — combining my training in strengths with my knowledge of career development.
Using the Gallup CliftonStrengths framework, I help individuals and organizations identify natural talents, apply them intentionally, and find, create, and build work environments where strengths.
Because I believe in this work deeply, I don’t just teach strengths — I use mine every day. The way I coach, communicate, build relationships, and guide you as my client is shaped by my own Top CliftonStrengths.
BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW I COMMUNICATE AND APPLY MY STRENGTHS IN MY WORK
COMMUNICATION
Working with me as a client means we’ll stay in touch regularly through regular one on one weekly video coaching conversations, through messaging in our shared online file-sharing portal, and through completing customized worksheets and action items that move you forward toward your goal. It also means I can put thoughts into words easily, which means I’ll help you communicate your strengths well as a leader with your teams or as a professional seeking career advancement or as a jobseeker in the resume we’ll create, in the cover letters you’ll send, in your LinkedIn Profile you’ll learn to leverage, and in your clearly stated interview answers.
CONNECTEDNESS
I help you discover the big picture of what’s important to you and help you connect to your own mission and purpose. I see connections between ideas and people and maintain a huge professional network I’m happy to share with you.
MAXIMIZER
I strive to take everyone from good to great by leveraging your strengths in the maximum way possible. I’ll help you understand your strengths and know the value of them and then share that effectively with people in a position to open doors for you. Maximizing is about making the most of what you have to work with and helping you see where and how you can best leverage your strengths.
WOO
I can “win others over” and be influential in convincing you of your value and helping you believe in yourself. I’m easy to relate to. And I’ll make you feel at ease as you navigate new waters. I’ll convince you to try some new strategies. And I’ll reach out to anyone in my network for you if it helps you on your journey.
RELATOR
I develop strong supportive relationships with people and am looking for clients who want to walk this journey of job search and career change with support and encouragement from me. I’m in the game with you and I’ll walk with you as long as you want support until you reach your destination.
POSITIVITY
I’m here to cheer you on, offer a note of encouragement when you reach the “Messy Middle” of career change or managing teams, and give you the confidence to persevere in your leadership journey or job search to negotiate a great job offer that leverages your strengths. I’m here to cheer you on and remind you that you can do this.
BELIEF
I have very strong core values that drive me. I believe everyone is valuable. I see possibilities where others see barriers. I have faith and hope that change is always possible. And I believe we were all meant to live in a way that leverages our strengths and reinforces our own values and ethics. I’ll help you listen to yourself and make leadership and career decisions that align with your values.
INDIVIDUALIZATION
Every person is unique. And I have a way of helping you see that about yourself. And though I’ve walked this journey with thousands of people over the years, when I work with you, it’s personal. It’s your journey and you define what success looks like. I’ll help you recognize and communicate what’s unique and valuable about you and develop the confidence to communicate it in your leadership and throughout your career, especially in times of transition. I support clients with strategies based on your own unique strengths so coaching is uniquely customized to you.
STRATEGIC
Career and leadership coaching is forward focused. It’s all about setting goals, breaking them down into their component parts, and taking action step by step to reach those goals. I’ve developed processes and worksheets and action steps in the hundreds of times I’ve helped people through this process, and I can make what feels overwhelming actually possible.
IDEATION
Ideation is about having a new perspective on a familiar challenge. And it’s about looking at things from different frameworks that makes complex things understandable. I always have ideas if you get stuck. I love to both brainstorm and build actionable structure from wild ideas. There’s always more that can be done. Brainstorming ideas with you is my passion.
Professional Associations
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Connect, Learn, Share Strengths Coaches Community
Colorado Career
Development Association
Career Thought Leaders Associate
Awaken Coaches Community
Leadership Northern Colorado
CERTIFICATES
Meaning and Purpose in Life Trainer
Professional Certified Coach, International Coaching Federation (ICF-PCC)
Gallup Certified Strengths Coach
Instructor Certificate in Strengths-Based Education
Global Career Development Facilitator
EDUCATION
Global Purpose School, Brazil
Awaken Coach Institute, Europe
M.Ed. Adult Education, Curriculum and Instruction,
University of Alaska Anchorage, Phi Kappa Phi
B.A. Theatre
College of Liberal Arts,
University of Colorado Boulder,
Phi Beta Kappa
