WHO AM I? MORE THAN A CV

Born and raised in the United States I was brought up with a "can do" philosophy where anything is possible if I am willing to put in the required effort; where there is always something to learn and while we’re at it we might as well enjoy ourselves. It included the notion of choosing a career which responds to my natural talents and which I enjoy doing. A career that makes getting up in the morning something I can look forward to.

These principles led me to my first career as a nurse, specialized in surgical technology. Working in an operating room requires precision, team work, and great tolerance to stress. It is a job which demands being alert and totally present; keeping one’s wits about one.

Combined with a natural curiosity and sense of adventure, my skills allowed me to travel and work around the world including Holland, Switzerland, Israel, Sudan, India, Germany and France.

It’s been a journey rich in cultures and learning experiences. Whether I was running an orthopedic clinic during the Tigrien war or consulting on maternal child health clinics in the slums of Bombay each day brought its lessons.

The impact of language and communication, which goes beyond just the words to nuances and connotations, taught me the importance of expressing and deciphering intention. The influence of non-verbal communication became crystal clear and has since served me well in guiding my interactions with others. And finally the notion of “active listening” has improved my ability to connect with others and helped me to avoid misunderstandings.

The projects I worked on in Africa and India were conditioned by existing constraints and outright obstacles. Obstacles which were often undefined and related to strong cultural differences. Learning to decipher those differences and put them to work has been a corner stone of my coaching practice. I have learned to do my best with the situation as it is, not to expect to understand everything, not to be able to explain everything, nor to be able to control everything. In short I have learned to take things as they are while moving forward towards my goal.

My next project was my family as we moved to Germany with two small children in tow. Learning how to help them adapt to new customs, traditions and interpretations while doing so myself proved quite a challenge. I began to understand and use the notion of a cultural framework. It was a real pleasure to live in a culture where stay at home moms were not only tolerated but were the norm. In today’s world not all women have it so easy!

Our last transfer brought us back to France and new opportunities. As the children acquired their autonomy I headed back to work. After studying oenology I launched a Wine Club and enjoyed 4 years of plunging into a fascinating world.  From the mechanics of wine tasting through a ’tour de France’ covering all of France’s wine regions, I taught everything you might want to learn about wine in France, including visits to some of the regions' most interesting wine makers.

But serious introspection and feedback from friends and professionals led me to recognize that it was the human factor which motivated me. This led to a solid coaching program which confirmed that this was the career for me. Accompanying people through their own transitions to help them define clear objectives, realize their own potential and direct their energy towards their goals is what I do best. It allows me to put my natural skills to work:

• Active listening to get to the root of the issue
• The ability to define and structure objectives
• Open-mindedness to new ideas and alternative options
• Emotional intelligence to help build self-confidence and resistance to stress
• Pragmatism to lead my clients to effective action plans which bring results

These skills, my coaching training and my own experience with continual change are the key elements I use to contribute to my clients success as they navigate the challenges life brings them.