Hi! I'm Heather — a teacher, 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 its 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: spaghetti
- Pastime: reading
- Cocktail: French 75
- TV Series: M*A*S*H
First Principles
As you browse the pages and posts on this site, here are a few of the beliefs and principles that shape my writing.
- To be alive is to be growing and evolving: mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and culturally.
- The purpose of a company is to create jobs. There are more than 8 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.
- Companies can be vibrant and engaging places to earn a livelihood.
- Infinite growth on a finite planet is not possible. Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.
- The purpose of an economy is to create the frameworks, policies, and institutions that enable companies of all kinds and sizes to thrive.
- 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.
- 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 Assets
Credentials
Certifications & Training
Coaching Specialities
Individual contributor through senior leader
Team coaching | Early leader transition | High-potential leader
Career coaching | Returning to work | Leaving the organization
Speaking, Facilitation, Coaching
My expertise is in building cohesive leadership teams and helping leaders create vibrant organizations.