Hi! I'm Heather — a speaker, writer, and coach on a mission to make the world a better place to work.
I arrived at this place via a rich career path that started with teaching math and physics to high school students and wove it's way through a wide variety of companies, cultures, and environments. I've thrived amidst the technological intensity of Silicon Valley and the urban density of London, England. These days I make my home amongst the trees, not far from the lake, in Northern Michigan. (Check out my full CV on my LinkedIn Profile.)
I draw upon a broad range of experiences as a seasoned leader, teacher, coach, and change-agent across multiple disciplines — including IT, HR, consulting, and volunteer organizations; across industries — such as health insurance, high tech, consulting, and the public sector; and spanning such companies as Cisco Systems, United Healthcare, Research in Motion, and the Pensions Department of the British Government.
On a personal level, I have lived amidst — and learned from — a diverse spectrum of cities, cultures, climates, geographies, and socio-economic classes. I have moved 29 times since graduating from college and lived in more than ten distinct regional/cultural areas — from the Bible Belt of the midwest to the sacred Indian lands of New Mexico; from the pastoral farmlands of Southern Ontario, Canada to the rural backroads of Northern Michigan; from the heart of Silicon Valley to the bustling city-center of London, England. I have lived big, and I have lived small: in apartments renting for more than $5,000 a month to humble dwellings costing a mere $50 a month.
As an INTJ, my interests are broad, often revolving around my fascination with organizational behavior and complex systems. I have a Masters in Applied Mathematics from Purdue University and an MBA from UC Berkeley. Regardless of my academic status, I never stop learning.
A Few of My Favorite Things
- Movie: Benny and Joon
- Book, Fiction: The Prince of Tides
- Book, Non-Fiction: Democracy in Chains
- Musician: Lyle Lovett
- Food: spagetti
- Pastime: reading
- Cocktail: French 75
- TV Series: M*A*S*H
First Principles
As you peruse the pages and posts on this site, here are a few of the beliefs and principles that shape my writing.
- I am unapologetically progressive. To be alive is to be growing and evolving: mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and culturally.
- We are all interconnected. We experience a sense of purpose when we tune into what the universe needs us to be doing in relation to one another.
- Place matters. Where we live and work is as important as the work that we do.
- Culture is something that you create deliberately and with intention.
- One of the keys to happiness is to provide more value than you take in return. This makes us feel valued by the communities in which we serve.
- There are more than 7 billion people on the planet. We all need to eat and have a safe place to sleep. Most of us will earn our livelihoods by joining companies. Those companies can be vibrant and engaging places to earn a livelihood.
- No job, company, or even career, can leverage all of the potential that a person has to offer. This is especially true in the second half of our careers. The key is to find a satisfying way to earn a livelihood while finding connection and fulfillment in relationships and other areas of your life.
Values and Personal Assetts
Speaking, Facilitation, Coaching
My expertise is in building cohesive leadership teams and helping leaders create vibrant organizations.
Coaching Specialities
Individual contributor through senior leader
Team coaching | Early leader transition | High-potential leader
Career coaching | Returning to work | Leaving the organization