Professional
Part of knowing who I am – and how I show up as a coach and educator – is understanding my own journey to coaching.
I’ve always believed deeply in personal growth and development. Over the years, I became more curious about my own continued pursuit of learning and education. Why am I always looking for the next thing to learn? Is it because I genuinely love learning? Or is there also a part of me that believes another degree, certificate, or credential will somehow make me more capable, credible, or worthy?
When I look back, I can see a little of both.
I completed my Business degree because I knew it would help me get a job. Later, I earned a certificate in Adult Training and Development, and then went on to complete a Master’s Certificate in Organizational Development and Change. Both supported work I was already doing, but if I’m truthful, there was something about the recognition that came with them that mattered to me too.
Then, in 2020, that familiar pull toward further education showed up again. This time, I began exploring master’s degree programs. At the same time, though, I had become curious about coaching. With limited time and money, I felt like I had to choose. The master’s degree seemed like the sensible choice. I worked in an academic institution where education and credentials were highly valued. It felt practical, and it made sense on paper. But coaching kept pulling at me.
As I wrestled with the decision, I met with a colleague and shared everything I was thinking. She listened. And then she asked me one question.
There, in that question, was my answer.
In 2020, I began my coaching certification and, eight months later, became a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), an ICF-accredited coach training program. I later earned my Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential through the International Coaching Federation.
Then, in 2022, I started my Master of Education. Walking across the stage to receive my degree, with my partner and children there watching, became one of my proudest moments. But what made me proud wasn’t simply having another credential. It was knowing what it had taken to get there and showing my children what it looks like to commit to something that matters to you.
Today, in my work as an Educational Developer, I feel fortunate to have found a space where so many parts of me come together. I get to learn, explore, write, create, collaborate, and help other people grow. And increasingly, I get to bring coaching into that work too. I’m especially excited by the possibilities that exist where coaching and education meet – and I think those possibilities are huge.
Looking back, I can see that my path hasn’t really been about collecting credentials or figuring out the one thing I’m supposed to be. It has been about continuing to discover what matters to me, following my curiosity, and becoming more of who I already am. And, in many ways, that is what coaching has come to mean to me too.
If you’re interested in learning more about my professional background, education, and experience, please visit my LinkedIn account.
Why am I sharing this?
At the end of the day, I decided I could have various degrees and certificates, but if there was no power or passion behind them, then why do them?
I truly believe we are each here to learn as much as we can. Not to be experts in particular areas or disciplines, but to evolve our conscious selves – the parts of us that know deep down we are all connected, and that we each offer unique gifts to the world that deserve to be released and valued. You can’t fully share them if you’re doing things and being someone for other people.
Sometimes, life and other things get in the way. We lose sight of who we are and what we value. We struggle to be who we are in a world that wants us to be a certain way. I know how this feels because I’ve lived my whole life following the “rules” – the beliefs, expectations and ideas of other people, every day forgetting who I am and what makes me come alive.
Not anymore though! By being coached by professional coaches, using coaching practices and being more aware of how I am showing up every day, I have found new power in every day. Each day I wake up with renewed energy and purpose. I’m aligned with my values, doing what I love and excited about what’s next.
I know it can be the same for you too and I’m exited about what you will discover in connecting better with yourself and those around you.
I believe being coached, using coaching skills and having an awareness of how we show up every day is the recipe for discovering, using and sharing our gifts freely. The foundation to all of this is connection within ourselves and with others.
This is what I am passionate about and I want to share it with you because it’s my GIFT and PURPOSE.
Coaching Credentials
