Meet the team

I help build effective, fun, and successful workplaces by investing in the development and care of leaders and teams at all levels.

It's all about impact for me. Seeing the lights come on for a leader, hearing that a team is doing things differently, watching the trajectory of a company change after a reorganization. Impact for me comes through genuine partnership with people and teams, balancing a coaching approach to help them find their own solutions, with a consulting approach to offer experience, learning, and advice. And sometimes, joining in on the work with companies to put new ideas into practice.

My favourite work happens in five core areas: developing leaders, building successful teams, creating strong communication cultures for hybrid workforces, raising company-wide performance, and helping teams work smarter.

I'm also passionate about simplifying HR and returning to a People focus.

I've always been an explorer, a curious person - persistently asking "why?" questions led me into science, into academia and ultimately to a PhD.  In my first career I explored for new oil & gas fields in remote areas around the world. For the last 10 years I've been exploring workplaces, leadership styles, and testing assumptions that we all make about work.  I became a PCC-level credentialed executive coach, and created (and continually refine & update) an 85-module MBA-level leader development program.

Losing my Dad in his 60s before he could enjoy his long-saved for retirement. What if I could love what I do right now, and not just wait it out until retirement? Especially if retirement never happens. That influenced my career change, and continues to influence all my work to help others enjoy, thrive, and flourish in their 9 to 5.

I create content that is impactful on people's lives.

Spending time with my family, whether that is around the dinner table sharing laughs and stories. I am lucky to have most of my family here in Calgary and getting to spend time with them!

Back in 2016, I graduated from Mount Royal University in their Broadcasting program. I jumped right into the field with Ride Guide TV helping them catalogue and splice all of their content in the past 15 years.

Shortly after, I got a position with a small startup, Bootkik, as an assistant video editor, and this opportunity was incredible as I was mentored in developing my video editing skills. I created content that was posted on their social media platforms and I knew that this was the field for me.

I have done some freelance work over time, which eventually led me to Virtual Gurus! I have been a part of Virtual Gurus for over a year now and they have put me in touch with incredible organizations such as The Ally Co.!

My life-changing moment was when I joined the Calgary Power Hockey League in 2005. The CPHL is a competitive hockey league for people with disabilities and uses a power chair for daily living. The CPHL introduced me to a world I didn't know was possible for me - meeting like-minded individuals who compete week after week. It has also given me the chance to travel across North America and Europe to compete against the best our sport has to offer!

It's incredibly rewarding to see the sport continue to grow as more players join to compete - allowing me to be a mentor like those before me when I originally joined!

I help people connect with their power, align with what’s most meaningful, and take positive action towards it.

I love all things teaching, facilitating, speaking and consulting. My sweet spot is helping leaders and teams engage in meaningful dialogue, identifying challenges and opportunities and creating the conditions for high levels of trust and engagement. This often looks like:

• Core Values, Purpose, and Vision Exploration
• At-Risk vs. At-Stake Understanding + Direction
• Alignment with Corporate and/or Board Expectations
• Clear Strategies (choices), Ownership, and Action Plans
• Effective Communication for Engagement and Action

Having spent many of my earlier years leading teams and helping to build world-class addiction treatment programs, I’ve developed a skill set and approach to change that is grounded in the human experience and a deep understanding of power and motivation.

I’ve worked with a wide range of leaders (and their teams) over the years, on a single mission - to help build world-class, human-centred organizations that create the kind of impact that we usually only dream about.

In my late 20s, halfway through our first pregnancy, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. This event kicked off a series of life-changing moments, including a TEDx talk, quitting a senior leadership role to pursue life as an entrepreneur, and a deeper focus on living (and helping others live) a meaningful life.

I help leaders and teams reconnect with the magic of what they do, and build strategies that invite others to rally behind it.

My happy place is the moment when I’ve just asked you a question, and the answer you give makes your eyes light up. It’s from there that I have the privilege of building powerful and authentic brand strategies – both for individual leaders and teams.

Here are a few of the things I offer:

• Personal and leadership brand development
• Strategy facilitation
• Persona development
• Social media strategy and management

My love of storytelling began at family gatherings growing up. Before the wine was opened, the atmosphere came alive with boisterously shared memories and anecdotes, each of which revealed a part of our larger family story. But beyond the laughs, tears, and happy memories, these stories imbued us with a sense of comfort, belonging and identity. We found our place inside them.

Whether leading a team or growing a brand, I know the most powerful tools we have as brand marketers are the stories we tell. Crafting stories people want to be part of is how we break through the clutter and inspire engagement.

My career has led me through many different industries - from banking and post-secondary, to hockey and clothing and apparel. And while my education and early experience is in public relations, I eventually evolved my practice to include digital marketing, marketing technology, and brand development.

Because, as I heard on a podcast once: good stories, well told, will change the world.

In May 2021, my dad was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. In the 15 months that followed, I experienced professional highs and lows, while watching my dad’s health deteriorate.

Eventually, my mental and physical health began to suffer – as it turns out, that was a blessing.

In March 2023, I quit my corporate job, took on some contract work and incorporated my own company not long after that. It meant I was able to rest, to grieve, to get my body healthy again, reinvest in my relationships, and find work with teams I believe in – like The Ally Co.

I harness co-design to support people and groups through complicated or complex scenarios, while keeping projects on track.

My fundamental goal is to steer projects through the process by making a plan and seeing them through to a positive solution. By employing a variety of human-centred facilitation and project management tools, I help people and groups get from uh-oh, oh no, and huh!? to aha!

Here's a few ways you might encounter my contributions:

• Action-oriented, thoughtful, co-designed project plans
• Ongoing project management and coordination
• Adjusting and adapting plans to accommodate team insights and needs
• Human-centred meeting design and facilitation

I say I'm originally a facilitator, project manager, and designer by accident, but a professional partner, problem solver, and organized human by choice. At its core, my work has always been in pursuit of enabling the right people, with the right tools, to tackle the challenges in front of them.

My educational background is in business and public policy, which has enabled me to work in the private, non-profit, and public sectors. My work has taken me from the arts and culture sectors in Calgary and Toronto, to social impact analytics, alumni relations, and strategy consulting. I am constantly on a journey to find the next project, place, or team I can help next.

My life changing moment is an ongoing one. As the older sister of a brother with cerebral palsy, I've consistently had the privilege of looking at the world as a really fascinating obstacle course to be navigated. I'm inspired by his determination to participate in and contribute to his world. My brother has taught me to look at the world with a curious, compassionate, problem-solving lens that isn't about "can't or won't", and always about "how". There's nothing you can't do without a little ingenuity, the right team, the right tools, a great plan...and a back-up plan.

I am, and always have been, a builder. I build brands, teams, products, organizations, and communities.

I love being at the edge of my comfort zone, I enjoy challenging my own thoughts and actions to find and build solutions. I love to collaborate and innovate with business owners and leaders to support growth through experiences, impact, and revenue.

I love being outdoors with my wife and two children – skiing, hiking, biking, and camping or playing hockey, basketball, volleyball, and baseball. In the mix of it all, I spend as many moments as I can in my workshop or planning my next home renovation.

Driven by curiosity and joy, I’ve navigated diverse roles and industries. Starting at age 17 and helping to grow an apiary (bee) farm to a 250+ hive with over a tonne of honey production per year, to building the brand, operations, and marketing of an international investment firm that today manages over $2.5 billion in real estate and music royalty assets.

My passions align within entrepreneurial environments, where limited resources fuel creativity and collaboration. I build high-impact and joyful sales and marketing teams and love to help develop and be a part of thriving and supportive communities.

Internalizing my joy. For most of my life I looked externally for the next validation of my worth and satisfaction – and not wanting that for my own children. I live a fuller life driven by my passions and filling my days with things that bring me joy.

I help serviced-based businesses solve problems by aligning their people, processes, and technology.

I thrive when exploring 'what ifs' and 'why nots', challenging outdated systems, and navigating beyond conventional norms.

As a fixer and builder, I enjoy colouring outside the lines, redesigning processes, and transforming chaos into organized brilliance.

On weekends, you can catch me exploring pathways, finding peace in yoga, and enjoying nature with my husband. I also enjoy savouring a good latte with good company!

I am a wife, a mother, a project manager, and a purpose-driven leader. My passion lies in serving and empowering others to focus on what matters most. I thrive in dynamic situations where I can think on my toes, resulting in a diverse career portfolio rather than a linear path.

From Oil & Gas to raising three kids, to Interior Design, and Operations Management, my journey has been anything but conventional, accumulating a wealth of diverse experiences along the way.

Eight months ago, while shopping for a fall jacket, I found myself drawn to a bright yellow coat - a departure from my usual blacks, navies, and greys. This surprising choice made me reflect on my life. I realized I had been hiding in plain sight, blending into the background, shaped by years of being told I was "too much" - too loud, too talkative, too silly, too smart, too trusting.

This yellow jacket marked a turning point, a bold statement that I am done with blending in. Not everyone will like it, and that is okay. I have embraced that I am here to be authentically me.

Making meaningful change that impacts the bottom line and leaves organizations in a better place than when I started.

My happy place is making gains/improvements that push individuals and organizations to the next level. This is frequently demonstrated by aligning the strategy to a goal, and executing the plan to make it a reality, often with a focus on people, processes, systems, and technology. When people and teams have an “a-ha” moment, it is rewarding for me.

My professional journey has been far from linear or traditional. With roots in forestry that branched into oil & gas, government, utilities, coaching, and consulting, what has been clear to me is the importance of people.

People are the cornerstone of any thriving business.

I have experienced numerous pivotal moments in my life.  I've realized that many of these moments have had a profound impact on me, shaping who I am today. These experiences have taught me that every interaction we have with others, no matter how small, carries significance and can leave a lasting impression. One such moment for me was the pandemic which solidified my “why” of better leadership and motivated me to complete my organizational coaching certificate.

I help courageous, human-centred leaders to take responsibility for themselves, their teams, and their world.

I love collaborating, innovating, and creating with others in the People and Workplace Culture space, helping leaders and teams to design meaningful and impactful experiences, services, and relationships. Here's what that can look like:

• Leading with Human-Centred Design
• Transforming Culture and Experiences
• Re-imagining the Employee Journey
• Building Adaptive Capacity with Autonomous Teams
• Designing meaningful careers
• Developing conscious and effective communication skills
• Learning how to use conflict/tension to innovate and connect

Self-expression, autonomy, and change have always been leading values of mine, so over the last 20+ years I've had the opportunity to experience a diverse mix of industries, organizations, and roles.

From managing a sales and marketing practice at age 20 in the consumer products industry for global brands like Pepsi, Unilever, Shiseido and Coty Prestige, to leading large and dispersed teams in customer and employee experience and operations for a global investment firm, to helping human-centred leaders and some of North America's best places to work to design and implement impactful workplace experiences - it's all been an incredible journey so far!

After years of not listening to my body, and at the age of 30, I got really sick…and my marriage was in jeopardy, we were expecting our first kiddo, I’d resigned from my high-paying job in beautiful SE Asia, and we were heading back to Canada with no home or employment.

I made the decision to use what I’d learned, and put my energy into humanizing the workplace - a structure and collective that holds the power to enrich the lives of its people and community.

What's one of your life-changing moments?

I help advocate for vulnerable audiences and visible minorities by designing and implementing meaningful DEIB practices.

I have two happy places! The first is the ocean (preferably the Caribbean), as it has always brought me peace and reminds me of home and roots.

My second happy place is my home, where and when I'm with my son, and surrounded by people that love, respect, and see me as I am. I love the feeling of safety and family.

Academically, I have a Bachelor's in psychology. From there, my career journey has included various roles in the Human Resources and People + Culture space - from being a Partner, to specializing in areas such as recruitment, learning and development, DEI, and more recently facilitating and consulting.

Two come to mind.

The first being my son - from dealing with infertility, unsuccessful IVF treatments, and being pregnant during Covid.

The second was moving to Canada, after having lived in South America - experiencing extreme cold winters, getting used to the diversity of people and cultures, the language, finding employment, and situating myself in a new country without my family.

Navigating my cultural and personal programming has been a hard process, but one I'm truly grateful for.

I help create organizations where everyone belongs.

My 'Happy Place' is a space where I see eyes light up, whether it's in a classroom, a session I'm facilitating, or during a one-on-one client interaction. I find immense joy in those moments when someone feels a sense of belonging right there in that moment. I believe that when we work together, we create significant change in our organizations, teams, and even the world.

Here is what I offer;

• Working with senior executives and boards to improve effectiveness
• Executive and leadership coach working with individuals and teams to ignite potential
• Facilitating powerful sessions that bring meaningful change
• Blowing up the status quo and designing new ways of being
• Building deep authenticity in organizations to help catalyze change
• Cross-cultural competencies and leveraging diversity

Over the course of my career journey, I have worked in various sectors and held multiple positions, including President and CEO, reporting to an elected board of directors.  At the heart of my work is igniting the potential in others to shine brightly and live aligned to their values.

In 2008, I got a call from my doctor. "You have cancer," were the words I heard. When I heard these words I asked myself - is this the life I want? This launched me into focusing on purposeful and meaningful work. I knew then that my life needed to change, and so began the pursuit of aligning my work with my passion for developing others.