Let me tell you a little about myself and why I love to help women with career issues! 

Serious Facts

I have a LOT of experience, and that helps me tremendously when working with job seekers: 

• I've been working since I was 14. 
• I've worked in many industries: for a research non-profit, an advocacy non-profit, a marketing research company, several large companies (Pepperidge Farm, Frito-Lay, and Johnson & Johnson), and for myself as a freelancer. And that was all BEFORE I started as a career coach. 
• I've had many different jobs: after college, I've been an administrative assistant, a fundraiser, a marketing research analyst, a project manager, and a career coach. The combination of all those experiences built on my natural talents and made me more organized, more creative, more analytical, and more empathic.
• My top work value: making a difference. Like many women, this is incredibly important to me, and it motivated me to switch careers.
• I made a career pivot about 10 years ago, went back to school to get a Master's degree in Career Counseling, and have been working with a diverse array of clients across almost all disciplines since then. 

I have a LOT of education, which helps me to assist clients across a wide range of industries and disciplines: 

• BA in Economics | MBA in Marketing | MA in Career Counseling | + continuous professional development in career coaching

I have worked with many different types of clients:

• My focus is on women and their needs, especially those that are seeking more mission-driven careers.
• A privilege of my work is being able to hear the stories of a very diverse group of clients. Everyone has a unique story to tell. 
• I have worked with many clients who face barriers in their job searches: those with visible and invisible disabilities, those who have experienced racism and sexism, LGBTQA clients, military veterans, women returning after career breaks, and many others. 

I have had a messy life, like most people.

• I understand what it's like to have career conflicts within a family.
• I understand what it's like to live through multiple job losses. 
• I understand what it's like to be conflicted about work/life balance. 

Fun Facts 

• First job? House cleaner. The homeowner's teenage kids would watch me as I cleaned their bathroom. Ugh. 
• Favorite job? Definitely this one! There is nothing more gratifying than seeing a light bulb go off when someone recognizes that they can do a better job telling their own story and highlighting their strengths. 
• Fantasy job? I love to cook, and people always said I should become a caterer or chef, but who wants to work every weekend? So I just cook for my friends and family. My real fantasy job would be to be an architect and design cool buildings.
• I have been around: I grew up outside Detroit, MI, but since then have lived in 7 other states: Hawaii, New York, Connecticut, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, and now Oregon. 
• I'm the one organizing your weekend plans 😊: Having moved so much, I've run Newcomers groups and started multiple Meetup groups to help connect people with new friends. Life can be lonely, and looking for a job can be lonely too. No one succeeds in either all by themselves! 

I created this infographic that shows the circuitous journey of my career, which all makes sense in retrospect now that I see how all the threads enabled me to be here, helping you, right now! If you think there is something odd about you because your career is non-linear, you are TOTALLY NORMAL.