I light up when I see people changing for the better. I can’t help it. It is the best. thing. ever. In fact, I am a sucker for a transformation story. (alà Beauty and the Beast: well-read, adventurous, brunette changes the world with her capacity for unconditional love? Yes, please!) This propensity for transformation started in childhood. Number one, my mother named me “Flame.” (I swear to you, it’s on my birth certificate.) Number two, I’m partially deaf and visually challenged. My circumstances challenged me to be resilient and work with the brain and body that I was given, so that’s just how I am. I figure things out. I look past what’s obvious. I’m deep and I don’t go about things the “normal” way. I joke that my family motto is (forgive my Latin) “Defectum non est optio,” or, in English, “Failure is not an option.” We have high standards and we expect to be able to meet them. The journey for me hasn’t been so much about learning to do more, achieve higher and keep clearing the bar—that was innate. Instead, it’s been about learning to know my true self, let the brilliance of others shape me and accept the universal nature (read: suffering and limitations) of being a human. In short, I am a “recovering perfectionist.” I’m a Type One on the Enneagram, if you know what I mean. The quality of my work is excellent, but the goal is to do that without it exacting a harsh price on my well-being or those around me.In 2018, the International Coaching Federation chose me as the first-ever North American Young Coach Leader for my leadership in the field of coaching. Supporting the growing community of professional coaches in Nebraska and the entire US Midwest is another one of those things that lights me up! (I’m kind of a coach’s coach, which is what drew me to mentor coaching.) Our local ICF Chapter has grown from 20 members to over 60 members in the 12 years I’ve been involved and I’ve mentored at least a dozen of them. In 2020, I earned my Master Certified Coach credential from ICF. There are only about 3,500 of us on the entire planet because it’s rigorous and transformational (surprise!) to master this way of being in the world. I’ve coached in organizations as large as PayPal and TD Ameritrade, but my first love is individual coaching. So, if you’re in the middle of your career and you need some resilience or you know something needs to change, let’s meet for a 30-minute chat (no-obligation, I promise). A conversation with me could literally change your life. http://coachflame.coachesconsole.com/v3/calendar/complimentary30