I’m honoured to work with amazing clients who are committed, open, hungry for change, willing to be uncomfortable, courageous and ready to take inspired action. Here’s what they have to say about our work together….
After searching for a certified executive coach for about six months, I ran into Kristen’s website on social media and decided to follow her for three consecutive months before initiating a formal connection. Her uplifting messages, tone of voice, authenticity and heart-warming smile convinced me that it was worth taking a chance…
We engaged in a yearlong 1:1 executive coaching arrangement over technology, given we are located in different geographies of the world.
Kristen has been instrumental in my professional development through her eloquent skills of inquiry and of reflection. Throughout our engagement, I found just the right balance of guidance and space needed in gaining personal insight and I felt a great amount of safety, support and unconditional acceptance.
I am and will always be truly thankful for our connection.
Sesil Pir
Founder, SESIL PIR Consulting GmbH
Zürich, Switzerland
Kristen has changed my life and my way of thinking. She makes it easy for you to open up to her. She helps you with the skills and confidence to go in directions that you may have never gone. My life has many new roads that I may have never taken. I feel like a child seeing things for the first time. I went through life thinking my life is good. Now I want it to be great. Kristen is a great person with a pure heart. I have learned a lot about myself because of her. I’m excited again and feel alive.
Vince Andreana
Superintendent, ENGIE MultiTech
Burlington, Ontario
Kristen employs a holistic framework to her coaching. She thoughtfully incorporates work and personal life into the sessions. She has an upbeat manner and is very positive. She attentively leads sessions while appropriately checking in with me. Our work together allowed me to look at my whole life and then to focus on the areas that I really wanted to improve. Each session left me energized. Kristen is an excellent coach and will help you to be the best you that you can be.
Andrea Swinton, CFRE
Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health Research Canada
Toronto, Ontario
I was extremely fortunate to have found Kristen. I did not know her prior to our Coaching relationship nor was I referred to her. I simply searched the web seeking for that person I could trust as I was very intrigued with the idea of how I could possibly benefit from a personal/career coach.
As a mother of three with a busy career trying to find my way through the ups and downs of life, Kristen was that sounding board for me as she provided perspective that I would have never been able to find on my own. Her approach made me feel comfortable in my own skin to allow myself to be vulnerable to unravel many onion layers of my life.
I am thankful to Kristen for the tools that I now have in my tool box. I have a better sense of calmness and confidence that is truly invaluable.
Cheryl Eleftheriou
District Manager, TJX Canada
Ancaster, Ontario
I had the opportunity to listen to Kristen deliver a speech on Emotional Intelligence at the Breakfast PD event for the HRPA in Halton. The topic as well as her understanding of the topic and delivery of material spoke to me and something I had been searching for answers to in my own personal and professional life. I approached Kristen at the end of the speech and immediately began working with her.
I found the experience of working with Kristen to be rewarding and transformational. Kristen provided an ideal balance of trust, respect, time, patience and what I will call “tough love” which allowed me to work towards finding my own answers. I was able to better understand myself, others and the way I relate to others in my family and company which has allowed me to grow better relationships with the important people in my life.
I do not make many recommendations in my life but I am thankful for the time I have spent with Kristen and would recommend her to anyone looking for an Executive Coach.
Adam Walsh
President, Elby Professional Recruitment
Burlington, Ontario
Working with Kristen has been a great joy of my professional career. She brings a wonderful mix of structure and space to her coaching sessions. I always feel seen, supported, and challenged on my journey to lead as my most authentic self. No challenge is too big or achievement too small – Kristen is there for all of it, as a sounding board and with a toolbox of suggestions that have helped me grow personally and professionally. Kristen is an excellent listener, she asks thoughtful questions and her comments are always exactly what I need to hear. She cares about her work and brings an infectious curiosity that energizes me to be the best version of myself. I feel grateful to have crossed paths with Kristen. She’s a wonderful human being and a terrific coach.
Heather Northrop
Vice President Development, Child Mind Institute
New York, New York
I had the opportunity to have Kristen as a coach as I was launching a new business. Kristen was able to help me become more aware of what I would need both for my company and personally to be successful through the opening of the new business. She helped me to find balance between work and personal. Kristen didn’t give me the answers, she asked me questions to help me get to my own answers. The work I did between sessions was another way to reinforce the lessons we discussed. I learned a lot about myself through the process and I’m grateful for our work together.
Katee Van Horn
Founder & CEO, VH Included
Scottsdale, Arizona
Kristen is the epitome of coaching presence. Her ability to hear what is not said, give voice to your deepest wants and cultivate the most important intentions was invaluable to me. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Kristen as an executive or personal coach!
Sarah McVanel
Chief Recognition Officer, Greatness Magnified
St. Catharines, Ontario
I worked with Kristen for over two years and it changed my life and my perspective. Before I get into all the wonderful ways Kristen has helped me I should give you a couple of caveats about working with any good coach (and Kristen is a good coach):
- A coach won’t “fix”you. We are people, we have flaws and we have pieces of perfection. Working with Kristen, I’ve come to realize that I can’t “fix” everything about me and that…NEWSFLASH…it doesn’t need to be fixed. I used to strongly dislike parts of my personality but Kristen has helped me see those in a different light and manage them for positive ends both at work and in my personal life.
- You have to be ready. If you are not ready to speak openly, if you aren’t ready to truly question yourself you won’t get much out of coaching. If you are ready…it’s the best tool to help discover who you are without all the negative self-talk about what you “should” or should not be doing.
So, what is it about Kristen that makes her such a great coach?
- She gives you space…too often when we’re talking the other person is waiting to rush in and fill the space. Kristen doesn’t do that. She is a great listener.
- She is very accepting and warm. I’m not sure how she does it but over the phone you get this impression from her that she is there, open and listening.
- She challenges me in good ways. We all need to be challenged but sometimes the way we “challenge” can be confrontational and put us on the defense, Kristen challenges in a thoughtful manner and you know that her only intention is to help you grow.
Finally, I think it’s important to note that Kristen doesn’t ever tell me what to do. Instead we explore solutions that I’m comfortable with. It’s very much trial and error, sometimes stuff works and sometimes it doesn’t. I recently went through a difficult time at work which 6 months ago would have caused me to melt down, thanks to the tools Kristen and I developed together I made it through with grace and perspective.
Thank You Kristen.
Melissa Fairman
Senior Manager Human Resources, Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels
Cleveland, Ohio
I engaged Kristen to work with a high potential management employee for 6 months. Kristen’s engagement with my direct report worked wonders for the employee’s confidence and engagement. The employee came out of the sessions energized, more self-aware and having solid ideas to engage and motivate our teams. I saw significant improvements with assertiveness, ownership, responsiveness and accountability. The employee praised Kristen’s coaching frequently throughout the engagement; noting that she helped with both personal and business effectiveness. I would highly recommend Kristen as a leadership coach.
Rhonda Fairweather
Senior Vice President Operations, First Advantage
Toronto and UK
Kristen possesses every quality you’d want in a great coach. She is kind, intuitive, honest, inspiring, energetic and naturally instills these same qualities in her clients. More importantly, she creates a safe space where you are allowed to be vulnerable and get curious around what is really important to you and how to pursue it.
She helped me quiet my inner critic which in turn allowed me to listen to my own voice and that’s a powerful thing to discover. The tools and strategies we developed together always came in handy, especially during other transitional moments in my life. They allowed me to stay true to myself.
If I had to summarize our journey together in one word, it would be “EMPOWERING”, without a doubt!
Alejandra Guel
Project Designer, Magna International
Toronto, Ontario
I have had the opportunity to work with Kristen for over two years now. Admittedly, I was at first a little skeptical as to what Kristen could do for me, but on the urging of my wife, I took the plunge to embark on participating in some initial coaching sessions. Considering that we are still working together two years later, I would say that I was pleasantly surprised.
Like most of us today, I was feeling the pressure from many angles in life. Business and personal challenges seemed to be omni-present. Having had an opportunity to work through those challenges with someone who is not emotionally attached to the issues, allows for open and non-bias conversation and guidance. More often than not, the answers are already there, they simply need to be brought to the forefront, and addressed accordingly.
Through the work that Kristen and I have done, I have found myself living in the present much more often. I have made life altering changes, having in the past, been fearful to make the changes primarily concerned about what the fall-out would be or how I would be perceived by others. I also now find myself much more patient and accepting of others that may not share the same values that I have.
In simple terms, I have made immense progress working with Kristen, and the domino effect of this positive growth has filtered into all areas of my life. I would highly recommend Kristen irrespective of your own reservations. I had mine, and they are now nothing more than an afterthought that almost sabotaged what has been tremendous personal growth.
Brad Amlin, CFP
Financial Advisor, Manulife Securities Investment Services Inc.
Cornwall Wealth Management
Kitchener, Ontario
I met Kristen years ago and, as luck would have it, our paths crossed again at a time when I was struggling. I had recently stopped working and been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, and I needed support to get back on track. Kristen had exactly the right skillset: she was compassionate, patient, focused, and unrelenting. She challenged me to recognize my inner strengths and how to put them to use to pursue my career goals. During our time together I suffered a personal setback, and Kristen helped me to work through those difficult emotions as well. Her support was not limited to our one-on-one coaching sessions; she regularly checked in on me and emailed me relevant resources to gently push me towards my goal. I am so grateful to Kristen, not only is she an extremely talented coach but she is also kind, intelligent, and genuine. I would not hesitate to work with her again or recommend her to anyone who is looking for help and guidance.
Charise Jewell
Writer and Robotics Engineer
Toronto, Ontario
I was introduced to Kristen through my boss who was actively splitting her time between our UK and Toronto offices. Due to this, I was provided with additional responsibility, but no formal management training. As my boss was here 50 percent of the time, she felt that being coached by Kristen would benefit me. We had an introductory call to see if this would be the right fit. Kristen informed me of how this would work, she communicated her expectations with me and asked me for mine. Agreeing to being coached can be outside one’s comfort zone; however, “all progress takes place outside the comfort zone.” At the end of our 6 months together, doing all sorts of things outside of my comfort zone, I feel I am a better manager and a better person overall.
Kristen helped me to look inside myself and discover the root cause of traits that were detracting from my management skills as well as encouraged me to focus on those traits that made me an effective manager. You do not have to act as a manager like you are playing a role on television, you can be an effective manager and still be yourself. The timing of our sessions were very unfortunate due to the global pandemic and civil unrest towards the end; however, I look at this as fate. The challenges presented by these circumstances helped me to come up with out of the box ideas to keep my team’s spirits high during these difficult times. Almost everyone will make a good first impression, but only a few will make a good lasting impression. Working with Kristen has changed how I show up in my work environment, as a friend and as a loving family member for the better. I will never forgot what I have learned and look forward to working with her in the future.
Kevin Ricketts
Operations Manager, First Advantage
Toronto, Ontario
Kristen has the kind of personality that immediately forms a genuine connection and makes you feel comfortable around getting uncomfortable. There’s no judgement, just compassion, empathy, and a space for growth and awareness both within yourself and beyond your current line of sight.
The focus on defining one’s values – although inherently known – provides a solid foundation for setting current priorities and lays a framework for progression that will serve well into the future (both professionally and personally). I had a wonderful experience working with Kristen and feel very fortunate I had the opportunity. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to partner with a leadership coach.
Andrea Labelle
Director – Regional Liquidity Management, Scotiabank
Singapore
I was in a challenging time when I felt I could not make the “right” career decision. After scouring for a leadership coach, I ran into Kristen’s website and felt her philosophies on being authentic and compassionate aligned closely with me. It was a good fit! We worked together for 6 months, and I gained more than expected. I learnt to be more confident in my judgement, and it helped me see the value in what I already do. It opened my eyes to seeing the beauty of my current situation and re-evaluating my life priorities. I am thankful for our time together.
Dr. S. R. Abd Halim MD FRCPC
Psychiatrist
Mississauga, Ontario
The past year partnering with Kristen has been wonderful!
I heard Kristen speak for an International Women’s Day event in March 2022 and took a chance reaching out to her. We had a great connection in our introductory call that followed us through to our last session a year later.
I had never invested in myself with something like a career coach, but I had reached a crossroads professionally and was dealing with some difficult work issues, so I decided I was worth it. Kristen guided me through many professional hurdles and a major life event in our one-year partnership. We dug into work to understand my values, redefine what success means at this new point in my life, and reclaim my power. Kristen helped me see so many things from new angles and challenged my thoughts and behaviors that were negative or lacking self-compassion.
Kristen is a wonderful leader who shows up for you as her authentic self. She listens, reflects, and empowers you to transform the things in your life that you want to change.
If you are looking for someone with whom you can completely be yourself without judgment, look no further than Kristen. She accepted me as I was and supported me through tremendous growth and transformation over our one-year partnership. I don’t know how I would have made it through the harrowing year without her on my side.
Kim Jackson
Strategic Program Leader, University of South Florida
Tarpon Springs, Florida
I want to extend a very heartfelt thank you to Kristen. As I have faced the many challenges this past year, I would not be where I am without her support, guidance, and wisdom. She has helped me gain immense courage, powerful growth, and incredible insight that I have struggled to unlock for many years. If you have ever wondered if working with a leadership coach will make a difference, I can unequivocally answer that with an exuberant YES. Kristen, thank you from the bottom of my heart. My world is a better place with you in it!
Carol Brooksbank
Director of Human Resources
Cincinnati, Ohio
In life we have choice; choice to continue as we live or choice to change. In my heart and soul I was ready for change but my physical and mental selves stood in my way. While working with Kristen she helped me to see that the permission to move forward with my authentic self was mine to give. She helped me celebrate my wins, let go of my belief systems that were holding me back and showed me that I and the world around me are deserving of my authentic self.
I am so grateful for Kristen and her ability to listen, interpret and direct. As a coach she is kind, open, non-judgmental and sincere. Working with her has changed my life.
Thank you Kristen.
Mary Kidnew
Mississauga, Ontario
I’ve been working with Kristen for over a year and she continues to be the dose of positivity that I need on a regular basis. She was there for me when I was raising money for my company, and when I had to wind down my company, and when I started a new job, and when I had to postpone my wedding. We are able to have both personal AND career-focused conversations. No matter what I need to think through, Kristen eagerly provides me with that supportive outlet that I need. Even when I don’t think I have something to work through, I come out of our conversations with greater clarity and in a better mood. Kristen is a continuous source of joy and support in my life.
Erica Pearson
Former CEO & Co-Founder, Vacation Fund
Toronto, Ontario
The first moment I met Kristen, we connected instantly. Her positivity is contagious and uplifting, even when you are experiencing a not so great day.
Her calm demeanor and genuine approach made it very easy to let the barriers down and be challenged to move outside of my comfort zone. With her consistent encouragement, I was able to build confidence as a leader and grow as an individual. She inspired me to set goals and achieve them without any hesitation.
I am forever thankful for Kristen for not only guiding me to believe in myself, but to continue to always be brave and kind to “ME”
Jessica Snow
Operations Manager, Extend Communications
Cambridge, Ontario
Kristen has been instrumental in my growth, both personally and professionally. We have worked together for a number of years and she took me on a deep journey to discover who I truly am. When I first started with Kristen, I was very lost. I had a lot of self-doubt, engaged in people pleasing and perfectionism, I was constantly seeking external validation, and I had a deeply rooted belief that my worth was based on my work and my success.
Kristen helped me discover my purpose, my core values, and understand how to work with my saboteurs. Kristen is a powerful coach. Throughout our coaching sessions, she boldly challenged me, often stretching me outside of my comfort zone and called me out when I was playing small. She would always see the brilliance in me, even when I couldn’t see it in myself.
I have so much gratitude for Kristen. It’s because of our work together that I started my own purpose-led coaching business, ended a toxic relationship with alcohol, learned how to prioritize my needs, set healthy boundaries, access my intuition, take inspired action, redefine the true meaning of success, and most importantly she has helped me develop a deep, loving relationship with myself so that I can fully show up as a leader in all areas of my life.
Jen Tomé
Certified Professional Coach
Los Angeles, California
Kristen’s depth and speed of listening has been a great gift; she picked up diligently on the subtle shifts in energy throughout our dialogues and offered so often spot on points of consideration. It’s been both helpful and a great pleasure exploring with Kristen during this phase of my life where I wanted to birth something new into the world. Thank you Kristen.
Sahar Schwaninger
Founder, Human Harbours
Zürich, Switzerland
I started working with Kristen after I left my full-time employment in San Francisco to start my own business in Toronto. This was a very difficult time for me mentally and I really needed the support for creating the right direction. Not only did she help me in my personal life but she also showed me the path for setting goals and growing my business. Kristen also suggested many books and motivational videos while I was going through this transition. After every session with Kristen, I had clear goals and felt fully energized to tackle the next challenge. She made it easy for me to open up to her. I am thankful for meeting her at the HRPA event and grateful for the work we did together.
Mehrnaz Zuie
President, Zuie Consulting
Toronto, Ontario
I came across Kristen through one of her speaking engagements. We worked together for 6 months and I was thoroughly impressed with how she was constantly able to engage with me in the moment to help me realize my unconscious thought patterns. Kristen was able to bring out the best in me through asking the right questions and through being vulnerable herself. Thanks for all your help!
Jessica Wong, CPA, CA
Director of Accounting Services, Zen Books
Burnaby, British Columbia
I started working with Kristen during a pivotal time in my career. I had identified that I wasn’t happy in my current role but I wasn’t sure what to do next. There were an overwhelming number of options in front of me including finding a new role with my current employer, looking externally, or finally taking the plunge into entrepreneurship that I’d been considering over the course of my career. In working with Kristen, I was able to gain clarity of my values while acknowledging and owning the value I had to offer. Through our work together, I laid the foundation that will continue to support me as I embark on a new career path which includes taking the best bet I’ve made on my career to date: a bet on myself.
K.S.
Senior Account Executive
Toronto, ON