Why do I do what I do? Well, it's a long story, so I'll start at the beginning. I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania into a big Catholic family. I am of five kids born to my parents in seven years. My father was a college athlete, a pitcher on the farm team of the Cleveland Indians, a marine and the first in his family to go to college. His dad, my Poppy, was a coal miner from upstate Pennsylvania and a carpenter. He was the best best best best best. His mom, my Nanny, was--wait for it--a nanny. My dad became a businessman and travelled internationally when I was growing up. My mom was one of six kids, and she started her career at the telephone company as a trainer. In fact, she trained us--we all answered the phone at home "Hello, may I help you please?" No joke! My mom stayed home with us, went to college while we were kids (since her dad didn't let her and her sisters go to college--ask me how I feel about that....) and graduated cum laude with a history degree and kept it moving. It was a lot. I lived in southern Indiana for high school and graduated with my 14 other classmates from Evansville Country Day School. I spent my first two years of college at Miami of Ohio (hated it)--and my last two at the U. of Minnesota--which is when I moved to Minnesota, the first time. My dad had taken a job here as a venture capitalist, and I wanted to get the heck out of Oxford, Ohio.
Fast forward, I graduated with my degree in French and Linguistics. Didn't really know where I'd be working but started at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis--in the Law Department. Misery. Left quickly for Washington, DC where I always wanted to be and worked for two senators (no I won't say)--for seven years. Best, funnest years on Capitol Hill. Office Manager and Deputy Chief of Staff. Politics was different back then. I lived one block from the office for seven years. I was incredibly lucky.
After those DC years I moved to Iowa City for soon to be spouse's career--and worked at the School of Art and Art History at the University of Iowa. Lilia was born in tiny Mercy Hospital. Moved to Minnesota a second time. Worked at the U. of M. Law School before Natalie was born. Left office administration and took care of my very sick girl with open heart surgery and then AML (cancer of bone marrow). That marked the end of my "career" as I knew it. After finally getting out of Children's Hospital, I could not go back to "bossing people" around like I used to.
Some might say I boss them in a different way...ahem! I went to Weight Watchers to lose the baby weight and low and behold, I became a very part time leader. I never expected I would do that back in 2004--and look--all these years later, I found my voice in public speaking and coaching. I found my voice in writing about change and transformation. I discovered a universality and frailty, strength and desire in all of us--for more. We are all trying to get through our lives, stay on track, lose excess weight (of all kinds) and find happiness, contentment, pride, joy, love, laughter along the way. It is a life long journey of discovery.
Because Covid upended so much of life as we all knew it--including what became my full-time WW career--I had to discover additional avenues for my skills and talents. Which is how and why I came to write my book about change and transformation that was published in 2020. "Get Right with Yourself: How to Change for the Better and Transform for the Best" on Amazon. This is how I started a YouTube channel of yoga/qi gong and coaching videos. This is how I developed my blog and three breath meditation on Instagram. Putting good energy into the world, motivating and inspiring people to take the power of the moment and fulfill that moment with their heart's desire, their shifting mindset and their physical body--that's what I do now. This gives my life purpose and direction. I now have clients that I coach individually on mindset and goal setting. I do private yoga and qi gong sessions, and I do group coaching on zoom.
I can honestly and happily say that I am here to serve.
The end!