Read on to learn more about what led me to coaching and why I love it.
what led me to coaching
Some career paths are linear, while many others are not. As you can see here, I’ve managed to carve my own path while continuing to find my way to the work and teams that energize me.
Before joining Etsy’s People Development team, I led a team focused on creating learning and development opportunities for the technology organization at Jet.com .
Prior to Jet, I worked at General Assembly – a global, edtech startup that has since been acquired – first in Seattle, where I helped launch the local campus and its adult education programs (and where I taught a workshop every now and then), and later on in NYC, as an instructional designer for enterprise clients such as L'Oréal, Bel Group, and CVS.
General Assembly was my reintroduction to living and working in the U.S. Before GA, I was based in Asia for six years and worked with various international non-profits such as Free the Children (now known as WE Charity), the JUMP! Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. I have a background in experiential education, and my areas of expertise include instructional design, training and facilitation, and strategy and operations for learning and development programs.
During my time at General Assembly, I saw first-hand the real impact of my work on the careers of both our enthusiastic students and dedicated instructors, and I loved training practitioners and coaching subject matter experts to teach what they demonstrated in their respective industries – in-demand, 21st-century skills such as web development, UX design, product management, digital marketing, data science, and more.
This was my first introduction to coaching, and it was exhilarating to know that the time and energy I spent investing in other people's growth and success helped them feel more confident, engaged, and creative, both in the classroom and in their jobs.
My time with General Assembly was a turning point for me. Not only did I get to work with people who ended up becoming some of my best friends, but GA also served as a highly-personalized, priceless "real-world MBA". It provided me with lessons on what exceptional leadership was in practice, offered me the chance to build a strong organizational culture as part of a high-performing team, and gave me the experience, confidence, and direction I was seeking as I started to develop my own style and approach to leadership and coaching.
Fast forward to my time at Jet, when this sense of purpose really amplified itself as I started to lead a team again. I realized that my most meaningful, enjoyable work was during 1:1s with people who reported to me (and even with some who didn't).
I kept thinking to myself, Why don't I just focus on doing more of this? ...so that's what I did.
why I love coaching
I’m drawn to coaching because...
Coaching is my ikigai. You can learn more about ikigai here, here, and here.
It aligns with my values of pursuing a more meaningful, centered, intuitive, intentional, compassionate, energetic, and productive life.
It's a profound and energizing way to serve and connect with others, and the people I get to work with help make me a better human.
I find immense satisfaction and joy in witnessing the transformation of people who have dedicated quality time and energy to their own development, and I consider it a privilege to be invited to be part of that journey.
I love listening to people’s stories, and it's fascinating to learn about how others see the world – I get to learn new things all the time!