The credentials:

I hold an MFA in Contemporary Performance from Naropa University, a BFA in Theater and Filmmaking from The Evergreen State College, and am an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher with thousands of hours of teaching experience and two decades of continued education in Yoga asana and philosophy. I have completed over 500 hours of training in coaching skill and methodology, and am currently completing a master’s in counseling psychology at Lewis and Clark College. I have been the founder or co-founder of multiple companies, including Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble and Yoga Refuge, and I was the creator and lead instructor for Yoga Conservatory, a 200-hour YTT that trained 6 cohorts of amazing yoga instructors from 2015-2021.

The vibe:

I am a secular critical-thinker who values the scientific process, evidence-based practices, and institutional knowledge while also valuing the role that mythology, spirituality and storytelling play in our development.

This means I own ALL the oracle card decks and check in with my favorite astrology app on the regular, I can talk to you all day about the Chakra system and my favorite wisdom from Ayurveda, but I am also caught up on politics, scientific advancements and my vaccination schedule.

A long-time fan of Joseph Campbell, Clarissa Pinkola Estés and Michael Meade, I explore “woo” from the perspective that it helps us develop our skill at personal meaning making, and is not meant to be a literal interpretation that conflicts with objective knowledge.

The philosophy:

I approach entrepreneurship as a creative practice: I love supporting other small business owners in creating their own path to financial liberation, creative expression, visionary leadership, shaping and deepening the cultural conversation, and personal growth. I have a feminist and existentialist lens that informs how I work with clients, emphasizing strengths, meaning-making and empowerment in the change process.

The personal:

I am the mother of two boys. Motherhood has helped me develop strengths in taking imperfect action and providing fierce, unconditional love that will not rest until I help others achieve their potential.

I was diagnosed with ADHD late in life and have LOTS of practice creating strengths-based adaptations that leverage my ADHD brain to thrive to the fullest extent possible. I love working with other neurodiverse adults who are also creating their own unique paths.

Likes include: sunsets, bodies of water, singing, dollhouse miniatures, dinner parties and doing arty things in the woods. Dislikes include: abusive power dynamics, trivial conversations, corporate greed and reality shows that exploit human vulnerability.

The values:

My core values are integrity, hope and courage, which are the foundation of how I strive to show up in my work and in the world.

I believe that in order to change the world, we must change the culture, and that in order to change the culture, we have to start with the places where we have internalized and repeated its harm within ourselves. However, the work cannot end with us. We must also show up as activists, advocates and defenders of democracy.

I am committed to reducing unnecessary trauma and suffering and I am part of the human movement that is working towards social, racial, environmental and economic justice for all.

My lineages and teachers:

Depth-Centered Business and Coaching:

-4 years of study in relational business with Andrea Leda, became certified coach via “Awaken Your Life” 200-hr training

-6 months of coaching in mindfulness-based business with Ashley Dahl

-1 year of coaching in values-driven leadership, hiring and management with Michelle Gay

-2 years of coaching, study & mastermind participation with Michael Knouse and the Council of Visionary Business Builders

-Feminist copywriting & feminist social media marketing courses with Kelly Diels

-Building a Brilliant Brand/Visionary Syndicate course with Amy Walsh

-Multiple courses with justice-centered money & business coach, Rachel Rodgers

-Completed business foundations training at Mercycorps NW

Theater and Expressive Arts:

-BFA in theater and media studies from The Evergreen State College

-MFA in Contemporary Performance from Naropa University.

My teachers included Stepan Simek, Wendell Beavers, Leeny Sack, Ethie Friend and members of the Roy Hart Theater, Barbara Dilley, Leigh Fondokowski, Anne Bogart and members of the SITI Company, The Bread and Puppet Theater, to name a few. My theater training involved studying and mastering the skills of emotional intelligence, self-expression, freeing the voice, improvising, problem-solving and creative collaboration under pressure. I apply these skills in my coaching work, and in the trainings and workshops I offer for leaders and teams who want to build healthier group dynamics and learn to create together from a fresh perspective.

Eastern Philosophy, Yoga and Ayurveda:

-200-hr Yoga and Meditation training from the Movement Center.

-300-hr Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda training with Sarahjoy Marsh

I am an ERYT-500, which, in the yoga world, means I have trained for over 500 hours and taught thousands of hours of content. My official course of study was in yoga therapy, where I learned to apply yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, embodied practices, pranayama and mindfulness to creating customized healing approaches for my clients and students in a variety of settings. In 2015, I launched my own 200-hour yoga teacher training program, Yoga Conservatory, an immersion into my framework of “The Skills of Self-Love”. My teachers have included Bill Counter, Ruth Knight, Laura Washington, Paul Grilley, Max Strom, Ada Lusardi, Sarahjoy Marsh, Todd Jackson and more. I also offer thanks to my meditation and Buddhist philosophy teachers at Naropa, including Barbara Dilley and Erica Berland.