+ More on my background

Broadcast journalism was my first career. From celebrities, to politicians, entrepreneurs and people dedicated to helping others, I truly loved interviewing leaders in their field. I was always curious about what made them successful and where their passion came from.

I transitioned into the corporate world and spent 10 years on a steep learning curve, which eventually positioned me in an executive role overseeing HR and Communications. I saw first-hand how leaders impact their employees’ lives, in both positive and negative ways. Looking back, I realized the influence my leaders had on me since the early days of my career, but it wasn’t until I was leading people myself that it hit home. I made mistakes as a leader and it was humbling to learn how my actions impacted others. **That sparked my passion to help leaders understand the power and responsibility that comes with that title. **

I poured through books on leadership and left my corporate job to do what I love full-time, which is working with high performance leaders. I’d had years of experience coaching leaders through difficult employee and business situations and decided to pump up that education by taking a certification course on brain-based coaching from the NeuroLeadership Institute as well as other coaching courses. The connection between great leadership and compassion has become increasingly clear to me as I study the science of compassion and mindfulness.** I believe there will be a compassion movement over the next 5 years, as leaders, shareholders and employees recognize the positive impacts compassion and kindness have on the culture of a company. It’s going to evolve how companies are run. **

I became a certified facilitator for the 5 Behaviours of a Cohesive team, based on Patrick Lencioni’s book “The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team,” which aligned very much with the models I found to be effective in the corporate world. I find Lencioni’s models on how to achieve organizational health to be deeply based in compassion.

I also started to receive coaching myself, which was an eye-opener; I wasn’t lacking in ideas or the personal drive to succeed, but I typically kept it all to myself and worked quietly to get there. I realized that being challenged to think bigger or differently was missing – and the coaching evolved my perspectives.

I was offered a role focused mostly in the United States as a Chief People Officer and took a break from my consulting to help leaders in the automotive industry. That's when the Compassionate Hard-Ass™ method was born. I was challenged with finding a way for compassionate leadership to resonate ... and adding the accountability portion through "Hard-ass" did the trick. The CHA™ method helps all leaders, from those who hear feedback that they're "too nice" to those who lose people because haven't yet found the balance of holding people accountable in a way that feels supportive. I am committed to helping leaders find that balance,so their standards are met, everyone feels valued, and their businesses thrive.

I want leaders to know that they impact every aspect of their employees' lives. I've had many people, at all levels, come to me at their breaking point, feeling unecessary stress in their lives because of how they are treated at work. Most leaders are great people and want the best for their employees - but some lack the self-awareness to know the impact of their actions or inactions. I want leaders to understand how compassion will help them connect with their employees and ultimately help their business.

+ More on My Why

I thrive in the company of big thinkers who care about how their actions impact the people around them. High performers inspire me to challenge my own thinking and that’s my goal as a lifelong learner. I love the moment leaders I’m working with have an insight that transforms not only their lives, but the lives of the people they work with.

Sometimes high performers feel alone or isolated because they think at a pace that others don’t understand, or they don’t have someone they trust to share their thoughts or challenges with. Coaching provides you with a partner to help move through the ups and downs of leadership.

I’m able to tap into my executive and c-suite experience with leadership coaching, communications, employee engagement, and culture development to help leaders make immediate and impactful changes.

If you’re a leader who wants to create change through the power of compassion, I am here to support you.