ABOUT

My Story

“A good life is not a place at which you arrive, it is a lens through which you see and create your world.”

– How To Live A Good Life, by Jonathan Fields (creator of the Sparketype® framework)

WORK. LIFE. FLOW.

WORK. LIFE. FLOW.

For some people, life is a clear and (more or less) straight path.

Mine's been messier, more meandering, more ebb and flow with the odd tidal wave crashing in.

And for a long time, I thought that was the problem.

Two hands holding up two puzzle pieces, fitting them together against a blurred outdoor background with trees and sky.

The Missing Piece 

A line graph showing a fluctuating wave pattern with peaks and valleys in a bright blue color on a black background.

I've always done puzzles. Always created order for my family. So when I stepped into the business world, that's what I did there too: solve the puzzle, create order, fix the system.

With almost 30 years in finance and accounting, I got really good at it –not only the financial side but the people side too. I led teams, sat in on hiring and promotion decisions, and coached people through their own career crossroads long before I called it "coaching."

But here's what took me way too long to realize: I was solving everyone else's puzzles while my own pieces were scattered all over the floor.

There were times when work felt energizing—like my years at a growing online bank, where I had a team to lead, input into decisions, and the ability to guide through change.

And times when the same type of work felt draining—like working for the government, where even though the commute was shorter and benefits better, I was compiling information but never guiding anyone. Running the machine instead of steering it.

On paper, it looked great. In my body? I was slowly burning out.

Truth is, we can become really good (even experts) at things that don't actually fulfill us. And when we invest time and money into them, they are hard to let go, but sometimes those are the very things that lead us to burnout.

But I didn't know that yet. I just knew something was missing.

Sunset over a calm lake with mountains in the background, a T-shaped wooden post, and two shorter posts in the water, with a sandy beach in the foreground.

Learning to Surf

A stylized logo of a turquoise wave with a curved line representing ocean waves, and the word 'Sea' written underneath.

I've always been an "A-type" person: push through, get it done, make it work.

But in my late 30’s, my body and my life said: not anymore.

My second son had health issues, my marriage had ended, and I'd been in a minor car accident. I pushed through—determined to get back to my old life. Then came a more serious car accident that left me unable to work and in chronic pain.

There I was: no income, daily headaches, living with my parents in one bedroom with two kids, wondering "What now?"

It was scary and lonely...until I met amazing people in nervous system healing and mind-body work, and finally found hope and recovery.

I returned to full-time work, was active with my kids again, and learned a new definition of "healthy." Life was good again.

To bring in my "Wave Plans" analogy: I had fallen off the board a few times but by 2017 I was surfing pretty well.

Until another tidal wave: a third car accident. Little did I know that this would be my first career realignment—not a strategic choice, but one born from necessity.

Snow-capped mountain range with ski slopes and skiers, rocky ledge in foreground, cloudy sky with the sun overhead.

Surviving the Undertow

A simple blue neon outline of a surfing wave on a black background.

If you look up how to survive an undertow, one of the most important things is to stay calm because if you struggle you'll wear yourself out. They also say to swim along the edge of it, not directly away from it.

So I learned to stay calm, surrender a bit, and get comfortable swimming with the tides.

I decided to start my own business, which gave me freedom to explore what actually lit me up.

That's when I discovered Sparketype®.

The first time I took the assessment, I didn't quite get it. The second time, working with a life coach, it made more sense. The third time, during my certification training and seeing the life threads, it was a game changer.

[Curious about your Sparketype? Check it out here]

Figuring out those life threads allowed me to find my own career alignment.

My Primary Sparketype is Advisor. My Shadow is Essentialist.

I come in, help you get organized (finances, people, systems), give you insights, watch you grow—and I'm here as a resource when you need me.

But when I get stuck just running the machine, just creating order without guiding anyone? That's when I burn out.

That's why I thrived at the bank and felt drained working for the government. I understood why I almost went back to school for interior design (my Essentialist wanting to create order!), and why I enjoyed parenting more as my kids got older and needed more guidance than management.

Advising, guiding, helping people see what they can't see on their own—that's what Sparks me.

Person standing on a rock ledge overlooking the Grand Canyon on a cloudy day.

The Work I Do Now

Neon sign of the word "surf" in cursive, illuminated in blue against a black background.

Over time, my work evolved from solving puzzles in systems to solving puzzles in people: helping mid-career professionals find real alignment in their work and life before a “tidal” wave forces a career shift on them

Almost three decades of managing people taught me how differently the same career can land on two different people — and how rarely "good on paper" means "good for you. I've experienced body pain and unfulfilling career choices, so I deeply understand when you need to respect what your body is telling you before you hit serious burnout.

I’ve realigned my career twice so I know it can be done, and I also can tell you both the cost and reward of doing so. I bring a realistic, practical perspective married with an intuitive sense that helps people find insights into what's really going on for them.

I've had to walk paths that weren't the norm. I've been on the outside. Transitions—that's what so much of my life has been about.

And it's taught me how to get very clear on who I am and what's most important to me.

Life is good again. Not because I've "arrived", but I’ve gotten clear on what alignment means for me. I'm seeing and creating my world through a new lens that fits me best. That's what Sparketype® has given me, and it's what I want to help you find too— with someone who has actually ridden the waves, not just read about it. 

If something's not quite right even though things look fine on the outside—I see you.

And I'd love to help you find your missing pieces.

Ready to start reimagining your own “good life”?

Credentials & Training

  • Sparketype Certified Advisor (2025)

  • Exquisite Embodiment (2025)

  • Up & Down - Nervous System Healing Through Movement (2024)

  • Soul's Calling Academy (2023)

  • Mind Body Coaching Certification (2020)

  • Journey to Self - The Satir Model (2017)

  • SmartBodySmartMind™ - Nervous System Health (2015)

  • CPA, CA (1999)