Michelle’s Experience

After more than two decades leading in public libraries and city government, I made a deliberate choice: to spend my time supporting the kind of growth that changes how people lead and live.

As much as I loved serving the public, I loved serving my staff more. Watching someone step into their potential, gain clarity, find their footing, or lead through something hard with steadiness and purpose, that was the work that moved me most. Coaching had already transformed my own life and leadership. By 2024, I could no longer ignore the pull to dedicate myself to it fully.

I believe in coaching the way I believe in public libraries. Both exist on the premise that resources, growth, and opportunity should be available to everyone, not just those at the top. Leadership is not about a position. It is about people. And for libraries and communities to truly thrive, leadership capacity and soft skills need to be cultivated at every level, from the newest staff member to the most seasoned executive.

People already have what they need inside them. What they do not always have is access to it. Coaching creates that access. Soft skills provide the framework to name, practice, and sustain the shift. And awareness is always the first move.

I led with the belief that leadership is not about you and entirely about you, that the strongest leaders bring deep self-awareness to the service of their teams and communities. When challenges arose, my response was consistent: good, we know what we are dealing with, now let’s figure it out. That steadiness, grounded in emotional intelligence, a genuine belief in people’s capacity to grow, the conviction that there is a reasonable solution for every problem, and that when we know our mission and values the work gets a lot easier, is what I now bring to coaching and consulting.

My approach integrates Core Energy Coaching™, the Energy Leadership Index® (ELI) assessment, Positive Intelligence (a neuroscience-based mental fitness framework), and soft skills cultivation to meet each client where they are. The work is not about adding another system to an already full plate. It is about building awareness, strengthening the skills that matter most, and creating sustainable shifts in how leaders show up every day.

Libraries and public service organizations do extraordinary work. My mission is to make sure their people have the coaching, skills, and support to match that extraordinary standard.