Biography
What matters most to me, and what sits at the center of my coaching, is emotional intelligence and human connection.
In today’s fast-moving and high-pressure environments, leaders need more than technical expertise. They need self-awareness, emotional regulation, communication skills, adaptability, empathy, and the ability to build trust with others. These human-centered leadership skills are no longer optional. They directly impact relationships, team dynamics, decision-making, resilience, and organizational effectiveness.
As a certified EQ coach, I help clients strengthen self-awareness, navigate difficult conversations, improve communication, manage stress more effectively, and lead with greater clarity and emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is not fixed. It can be developed, strengthened, and applied in meaningful ways both professionally and personally.
Coaching Style
My coaching style is warm, honest, reflective, practical, and growth-oriented. I blend more than 30 years of leadership and business experience with research-based coaching frameworks, emotional intelligence, curiosity, and deep listening.
I believe people are often more capable than they realize, but many are navigating pressure, burnout, uncertainty, transition, or internal narratives that keep them stuck. I help clients slow down enough to recognize patterns, increase self-awareness, strengthen communication, and reconnect to their values, strengths, and leadership identity.
Clients often tell me I hear not only what they are saying, but what they are struggling to articulate underneath the surface. Together, we create space for reflection, insight, accountability, and sustainable action. My approach focuses on coaching the whole person, not just the problem, while helping clients navigate real-world leadership, relationship, and life challenges with greater confidence and resilience.
I care deeply about meaningful connection, personal growth, emotional wellness, and helping people create alignment between who they are, how they lead, and how they want to show up in the world.
About Me
With over three decades of management and leadership experience across business and education, Kristen is an executive coach, educator, consultant, and facilitator specializing in emotional intelligence, communication, leadership development, and relationship dynamics. As an ICF PCC credentialed coach with more than 10,000 coaching hours supporting over 1,000 clients globally, she brings both strategic business insight and deep human understanding to her coaching work.
Her early career included leadership roles within a Fortune 100 organization spanning purchasing, marketing, sales, and operational management, providing firsthand understanding of organizational systems, leadership pressure, and business performance.
As a practicing and certified coach, Kristen has coached leaders and professionals across executive coaching, group coaching, behavioral coaching, career development, and leadership workshops. She holds a Master’s in Coaching & Executive Consultation from The Townsend Institute at Concordia University with a specialization in Emotional Intelligence, Character Development, and Relational Connection. She is credentialed as a PCC (Professional Certified Coach) through the International Coaching Federation and also holds a BS in Operational Management and a Master’s in Education.
Qualifications
Emotional & Social Intelligence EQ-i 2.0/EQ 360 certified
DISC & Motivational Drivers certified
SYMBIS Relationship Facilitator
ICF PCC - Professional Certified Coach
ICF member & committee volunteer
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction MBSR
Townsend Personal & Relational Assessment Tool (TPRAT)
Positive Intelligence
Strength Finders
Hogan 360
SuccessFinder Certified
Domestic Violence Advocate Certified
Specialisms
Emotional Intelligence
Connection in Relationships
Anxiety / Depression
Purpose / Vision / Core Values
DISC / Motivational Drivers / Engagement in the Workplace
Mindfulness Based Stressed Reduction
Positive Intelligence
Relational Needs
Communication
Attachment Theory
Empathetic & Curious
Conflict Resolution
Relational Needs Leadership
Training Focused
Public Speaking
Networking
Relationship Building
Character Growth & Wholeness
Many of my clients are executives, emerging leaders, and high-performing professionals navigating growth, change, increased responsibility, communication challenges, or career transitions.
executive coach - leadership development - emotional intelligence - executive presence - communication - difficult conversations - women leaders - career transitions - resilience - burnout - confidence - influence without authority - strategic communication - conflict resolution - new managers - emerging leaders - change leadership - high achievers - organizational change - relationship building - cross-functional leadership - working parent - mindfulness - Arizona - remote leadership - team dynamics - leadership brand
*schedule accommodates all time zones
Testimonials
“Kristen has a keen ability to understand what a client says, but she also sees and understands what a client is NOT saying. She gets that the space behind what a client is discussing is where the real work takes place. Kristen is passionate about helping others grow and develop. She asks thoughtful questions in a safe experience that cause her clients to process and consider new outlooks and behaviors. She is professionally qualified in her education and credentials; she is effective in both professional consulting engagements and personal coaching work.”
“I just want to thank you again. Working with you means a lot to me; feels like a big weight off my shoulders. I really don’t open up to people, especially when I just meet them. It’s so nice to be able to talk to somebody and tell them my challenges without any judgment. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me. Thank you for being here for me, and thank you for the work that you do you to make a difference in this world.”
“What an absolutely amazing session! I really enjoyed Kristen's attentiveness and understanding of a multitude of areas and focus. She was able to bring me to aha moments, which made me feel really good, like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. Thank you for this experience and I look forward to more coaching sessions together!"