About Me
How We Got Here
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We all grow up with diverse experiences, I grew up in a religious cult in the piney woods of East Texas. I developed an early passion for speaking by emulating sermons. This path led me to Toastmasters and a role as a summer camp instructor during my teenage years. This is where I discovered my love for helping others find their "a-ha!" moments.
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At 18, I left the cult and began a journey of unlearning and discovery, realizing just how little I knew. This curiosity has driven me to explore various careers, resulting in over 36 job titles and unique experiences.
Know thyself.
- Socrates
Early Career
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I landed my first corporate role at Disney Store HQ, where I discovered my passion for HR. The President of Disney Stores was a great mentor. He highlighted the importance of networking, leading to the concept of "who knows you." Later, I returned to Disney Stores under the leadership of a new business unit president, again showcasing the value of how a strong network enables opportunities.
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Between stints at Disney, I became a career coach and this further fueled my fascination with career management and helping people move to their next opportunity.
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So, why did I leave Disney and career coaching? Layoffs. I've been laid off five times, with three occurring in the first decade of my corporate career. And this, my friend, created resiliency!
Middle Career
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At Westinghouse, I transitioned from individual contributor to management, expanding a 2-person personnel function into a 6-person HR department. I honed my leadership, management, and coaching skills, applying them across numerous HR functions. In later roles running call centers, leading Customer Experience and experiential marketing teams was where I learned my operations skills and problem-management.
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Westinghouse also let me pursue my dream of being a game show host! I was sent to the “Home Shopping Network” to talk about our TVs live on air. This led to other hosting roles, including winning Hyundai’s “Host For a Day” contest. This contest and a subsequent job as a product specialist on the auto show circuit marked the next shift in my career.
Never Stop Exploring.
The Leadership Years
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I left Westinghouse due to another layoff, my fourth. Once again, I returned to career coaching—helping others find opportunities has always been more fulfilling than searching for one myself!​
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My role as a Hyundai Product Specialist and game show host, combined with two decades in HR, led to my leadership of the Product Specialist programs for both Hyundai and Genesis automotive brands. Leading an experienced team that welcomed me to the auto show world just 3.5 years earlier gave me a significant confidence boost.
Next, I advanced my career with a move to Colorado, where The North Face hired me to head Learning & Development for North American retail. Two major accomplishments at TNF included deepening my commitment to underserved communities and gaining exposure to the Gallup StrengthFinders assessment, both of which solidified my career management philosophies.
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Layoff number five arrived, but this time, something different clicked! While I returned to career coaching due to this layoff, it marked the beginning of my creative career using all my experiences and ideas! This is where it gets exciting!
When you change, all things change.
- Dr. Carlton Green
Now and Next
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NOW: I celebrated my 5th layoff by packing up my downtown Denver apartment and moving to Costa Rica for 3 months. Time and Reflection produce GREAT things! I've been working on 3 books, achieving Global StrengthsFinders Coach certification, and started a company that propels me toward my ultimate career goals. All while allowing me the freedom to engage with and enjoy life and the journey!
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NEXT: I am leveraging everything in my backpack, from my speaking and coaching skills, to my leadership and layoff experience, which makes for a wonderful professional work experience. Allowing my WOO to be on full display!
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Whether you're looking to better manage your own career or designing a workplace where your people thrive, let's connect and elevate the employee experience!
BRANDS I'VE WORKED WITH
