Steph Potratz Email and Phone Number

I specialize in two styles: introductory yoga for beginners / returning practitioners and yoga flow for athletes and stressed-out humans. I teach two weekly hybrid classes - Essentials which emphasizes the fundamentals, and Flow which provides more vigor and challenge to a mixed level group. This is a one-room studio in which I make students feel welcome from the moment they come through the door or enter the zoom room - checking folks in, supporting a safe practice environment, and solving technical challenges. My classes focus on building alignment, strength, flexibility, balance, and resiliency both in body and mind with asana, pranayama, meditation, and mudra. I always offer creative modifications with props and variations to suit all who attend. I designed and teach a 4-week Intro to Yoga series, an experience that gets anyone of any fitness level started on the path to greater health and well-being. I have offered both Level1 and Level2 of this series by popular demand and have many repeat clients. Also skilled at subbing any class across the spectrum, from Gentle to Vinyasa to Restorative.

Set 5-7 commercial boulder problems each week that are fun, consider diverse bodies, and integrate unique and challenging body movement - sometimes even yoga poses on the wall. Also sets competition boulders, partner climbs, special event climbs. As Assistant Head Setter, led team in setting 18-25 boulders per week, fixed spinners, planned setting weeks, and liased with other departments and owners. Taught and subbed weekly all-levels yoga flow classes that cater to both beginners (gentle flow) and advanced practitioners (ascendant flow) through embodied movement, creative use of props, breathwork practices, mindfulness, and yoga philosophy. Led and built out team of 5 instructors, expanded studio props, and introduced pilot yin workshop. Taught and designed a 4-week hybrid yoga & climbing program which provided a framework to develop members' training, practices, and general well-being.

I helped design, run, and facilitate international leadership development programs for high-level Amazon leaders in the Consumer business with teams of up to 500 people. Programs covered themes like business leading at scale, innovation, managing product leaders, and leading diverse and inclusive teams and could have up to 60 participants, sometimes across eight time zones. I simultaneously managed work on up to 4 multi-day or multi-month programs, balancing the needs of program owners, customers, technical limitations, and leadership. I spearheaded the effort to transition and reimagine our programs from in-person to online in 2020 and solve complex issues across virtual platforming, culture, time zone differences, and scope. With each program lead, I managed all sides of the experience, including participant communication, program resources, logistics, feedback, calendaring, and training subject matter experts on virtual facilitation best practices. I worked with data and wrote white papers to help make decisions and communicate feedback and needs to leadership. I co-led the team's DEI committee, both facilitating experiences and bringing in experts to gather and learn around topics like racial caucusing, giving and receiving feedback, and unconscious bias.

I wrote HR policies, completed weekly payroll audits, conducted associate exit interviews, and introduced new processes to improve employee experience and store-to-corporate communications for all nationwide Amazon Physical Stores, including Amazon Books, Go, 4-Star, and Pop-Ups. I interviewed and helped make hiring decisions for new store associates.

I ensured an excellent candidate and interviewer experience for both in-person and virtual interviews, working with complex calendars to schedule interviews for retail and corporate positions with Amazon Physical Stores. I executed all logistics (including scheduling, travel, communications, etc) for monthly store launch hiring events with up to daily 28 candidate interviews and 5 interviewers. In 2017 I traveled to and coordinated 8 hiring events and was selected as Bookstore CX subject matter expert, partnering with corporate tech, UX, marketing, and training teams. I drove recruiting projects like Diversity & Inclusion, community volunteer workshops, and virtual interviewing best practices. I launched & managed a 6-month group mentoring initiative for HR professionals across the company.

As Amazon Books' first ever Learning Lead, I trained and provided launch plans to all new hires at the bookstores, including associates, leads, managers, and launch teams preparing to open stores across the country. I facilitated and audited more than 50 training modules and weekly learning initiatives while partnering with store leadership and corporate teams like Learning, Tech, & HR. I contributed to scalable troubleshooting solutions and process improvement using robust feedback, weekly learning calls, and strategic data collection and analysis. At any given time, I opened or closed the store and led up to 12 associates on sales floor with positive coaching and exemplary customer interactions.

I embodied best-in-class customer service as part of small operational launch team for Amazon’s first brick-and-mortar bookstore, seamlessly flowing between store zones based on customer and associate needs. I provided book recommendations and device demos, managed inventory, and merchandised the store. I maintained commercial awareness of new books and Amazon products while focused on daily problem solving, weekly changeovers and artistic undertakings in fast-paced and ambiguous retail environment

Ensured service-focused administrative and technical support for corporate clients like Space Needle Corporation, Mahlum Architects, and Blink UX Research and Design. I prioritized office management functions and managed multi-line telephone systems while directing clients and visitors, service requests, expense tracking, meeting scheduling, and mailings. I quickly learned and utilized new computer programs, databases and organizational processes with minimal training and maintained a reputation for dependability and enthusiasm over diverse job placements.

Lincoln Literacy is a non-profit organization that annually serves over 1,000 learners and their children in language and literacy skills, workforce readiness, citizenship, and intercultural understanding. Here I worked directly with refugees and immigrants, completing intakes and assessments, tutoring adult ELL students, and serving visitor needs at reception. I was often sought out by Executive and Associate Directors as go-to person for project needs. I wrote and edited client correspondence, annual newsletter, and training materials, and furthered LL's mission through event planning, public education, and fundraising.

I trained dozens of new employees while providing exceptional customer fine dining service in consistently top-rated modern, locally sourced restaurant. I sustained ongoing supervision of serving, hosting, bussing and bar staff of 15, and was regularly responsible for opening & closing of operations, guest satisfaction and maître d' duties.

Greenpeace New Zealand (GPNZ) is a nongovernmental, independent global campaigning organization that promotes environmental conservation and nonviolence. Through intimate face-to-face conversations, I engaged and inspired the public to become regular, long-term financial contributors to the 60,000-member strong organization. I met and exceeded weekly target goals while advocating for campaigns around deep sea oil drilling, deforestation, and arctic ice cap preservation. I worked within multiple outreach teams throughout New Zealand, as well as in national projects like the 2014 restoration of the Rainbow Warrior memorial site.

Through intensive cross-cultural mentoring program, I spent 2 years coaching university students in hands-on work with minority, refugee and immigrant high school students; mentored two immigrant students from Mexico through their high school graduation; and provided over 200 hours of research for academic essay regarding mentor-mentee relationships. Collaborating directly with the lead professor, I supported mentors in their work helping mentees transition culturally, engage in and complete high school, learn problem-solving techniques unique to the U.S., and access community resources. I also read and supplied feedback for all students’ weekly journal entries and assisted in planning and marketing of university-sponsored class events.