The longer version of how I got here...

Losing my job in IT was the catalyst.

In 2020, my 18-year corporate career in IT ended during COVID layoffs. Losing that job was disorienting—it had been a big part of my identity for nearly 20 years. I freelanced to get by, gave up my apartment, and moved back home. Without my career to stand on, I felt like I'd lost my foundation.

For a long time, I didn’t know who I was becoming. Eventually, I remembered my unfinished goal of becoming a life coach, something I’d started in 2018. Unfortunately, before anything could really come of it, my full-time job took over most of my energy and it fell by the wayside. I thought back to that first certification and how meaningful it felt to listen to people’s stories and be part of their moments of change. That experience stayed with me, so I decided to return to it, update my training, and get certified again. 

Getting certified again didn’t solve everything, but it gave me direction. From there, I started building a life shaped less by who I thought I should be and more by curiosity, compassion, and a willingness to meet myself where I am, just as I hope to help others do for themselves. 

My interest in how people cope with uncertainty and change stems from personal experience.

I've lived with anxiety since my twenties. For me, it tends to escalate during periods of uncertainty and major life changes. I've experienced severe anxiety (frequent panic attacks, agoraphobia) at several points in my life, most recently during the pandemic and its aftermath. Losing my job and moving back home brought a deep sense of loss and disorientation. For a while afterward, my sense of security and identity felt unsettled until I gradually began to find my way again.

Having gone through those experiences, I know how hard change can be. I empathize with people facing major turning points in their lives, whether brought about by circumstances beyond their control or by choices they’ve made themselves.