1970
Minnesota

Born in Minnesota. Immediately set out to greet everyone in the room.

1979
Music

Started learning to play the trumpet. After wrestling with it for a year and considering the impracticality of the cello, settled on learning to play the oboe.

1983
Horses

Learned how to ride a horse, and spent summers riding across the prairie of Western Wisconsin.

1988
Early Success

Before age 18, was an oboist with the Youth Symphony, page to the Minnesota State Senate, and regional math team competitor graduating near the top of the class.

1989
Purdue

Went to Purdue for two years of college. Discovered sociology and marched on Washington.

1990
U of MN

Carved out the first program in Environmental Education at the U of MN. Was the co-chair of MPRIG and was involved in the outdoor leadership program. Spent time rock climbing and kayaking.

1993
Alaska

After graduation from college, traveled solo across the country by train to Southeast Alaska where I spent the summer. Worked in a fish hatchery and nearly drowned in a rafting accident.

1994
Peace Corps

Was sent to the rainforest of Central America, where I lived in a small house with no electricity and only cold running water an hour and a half walk from the nearest bus stop. Gathered a team and produced the curriculum for training teachers nationwide. Started meditating and learned how to salsa.

1996
Andes

Went on walkabout in the Colombian Andes, meeting gypsies, thieves, and shamans.

1998
Life as an Artist

Lived and traveled as an artist, bringing my work to juried art shows throughout the upper Midwest. Realized that people were asking me for coaching, so I started a coaching practice.

2007
FEMA

Coached for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help communities recover in national disaster areas of Southwestern Wisconsin.

2010
Walkabout 2

Took my 8th grade son on a year long sabbatical to Latin America, where I could be found coaching from the deck of a sailboat floating in the Caribbean.

2011
California

Moved to the Bay Area of California, where I enjoy making music, doing yoga, and walking on the beach.

2016
Santa Cruz Coaches

Founded Santa Cruz Coaches, a 501(c)6 nonprofit which promotes professional and lifestyle coaching as a valuable resource in the region.

2018
Forbes Coaches Council

Inducted into Forbes Coaches Council, an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches.

2018
ICF Award

Completed more than 3500 coaching hours and 200+ training hours as a coach. Received the International Coach Federation Master Certified Coach credential, an elite award given to the top 1% of coaches worldwide.

2019
MA Psychology

Earned my Master’s degree in transformational and depth psychology with a specialization in Organizational Development. Wrote my thesis on the science of intuition.

2020
Silicon Valley Corporate

Started delivering well-being and resiliency coaching at Facebook, and trained teams and leaders at Apple in next-level conversational tools.

2021
California Coaches

Took Santa Cruz Coaches statewide, rebranding the organization as California Coaches, and began the process of facilitating a merger with a sister nonprofit, the Professional Coaches Alliance. After five years as founder and executive director, stepped down from the board.

2022
US Department of Energy

Joined the US Department of Energy to develop the exceptional talent necessary to achieve meaningful science and innovation that matters to the nation — and the world.