You have a vibrant vision for your life, and doing meaningful work that lights you up is a key element to feeling fulfilled.
You’re already doing work you love in some capacity, and while the work is satisfying, the ups and downs of business might just be the death of you.
You’re exhausted by trying to make all of the decisions alone and you find yourself doubting your next steps. You’re constantly wondering how you’ll actually get to where you want to go.
I'm a coach for leaders and creatives who want to make more of an impact with the work they do but they're tired of feeling so alone in the process.
They know there's huge potential for their business (or project, organization, mission) but they get stuck overthinking things and doubting their next moves.
I help them clarify their vision and message, overcome their fears, and create a plan so they can become more confident leaders and do more of the work they love with success and ease.
I took some time getting into business, taking detours of the best kind in outdoor education and social work first. Somewhere along the way, I decided to take a risk at a new start-up, joining the founder as the first employee. In classic start-up fashion, I did everything from making sales to shipping orders; from attending tradeshows to scrubbing toilets.
It was a wild ride, but I loved the pace and excitement that came with launching and growing a new business. I found my stride in the marketing and design department however, in hindsight, I realize that what I loved most about this experience was helping my boss take her idea from dream to reality. Some of the actual work wasn’t that glamorous, but I fully bought into supporting her vision.
Over the next several years, I worked with a range of companies, from brick-and-mortar retailers to digital product businesses, and gained tons of valuable experience. I loved coming on board, troubleshooting issues, developing marketing strategies, and giving the brand some “spit and polish” so they could let their business shine.
However, once things were rolling, I lost interest. My passion and strength lie in the launch stage, the makeover stage, the take-it-up-a-notch stage... I knew that I wanted to focus my efforts on creating momentum and maximizing a business, so it was time for me to go out on my own.
Initially, I jumped into freelance work and was hired by a wide range of clients-- from huge corporations to solopreneurs--on rebranding projects, marketing campaigns, photoshoots, and website launches and got to really hone my skills in the online and brand marketing world.
In between working with these clients, I noticed that friends and small business owners began approaching me more and more with questions about marketing themselves.
I had conversations with so many talented people--artists, coaches, designers, realtors, trainers, athletes--that were doing their thing on the side who I knew could make more of their passions and talents if they put themselves out there, but they needed help getting started.
And I wanted to be that person to help.
Granted, at first, it sounded crazy. Why not keep working for big companies with big budgets? Why choose to work with small companies or individuals who often say they “can’t afford” to hire help?
It may sound like a bad business decision, but I just knew that I wanted to help “the little guy.” And as they say, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
I realized I was willing to risk it.
I knew that just doing work that would help some Fortune 500 company improve their fourth quarter earnings would NEVER light me up the way helping an individual or small company would. I knew that in the long run I wanted to be known for helping others bring their genius into the spotlight…that seemed like time well spent to me.
Since I had plenty of experience in marketing and branding businesses, the next step was to round out my skill set even further. To be able to help small business owners with building confidence to take the actions they needed to take, I signed up for coaching training.
This was the game-changer I’d been waiting for!
Coaching was the difference between just giving my clients a solid strategy for growth, and actually making it feel good, doable, and like it was in alignment with their values. Helping them overcome fear, create a clear vision for their business, and then execute it was like lightning in a bottle.
I decided to dedicate my work to helping small companies and individuals launch their dream business and to put themselves out there in a way that feels true to them, and helps their talents shine.
Now, I get to spend my days working with people who inspire me. I’m a natural-born fixer-upper, so helping talented people overhaul their vision for what’s possible, improve their mindset, implement solid strategies, and build traction in their business is super rewarding to me. Not only that, but those clients feel confident about their next steps to attract customers and sell with ease so they can do great work and enjoy the flexible lifestyle they crave.
As if this page weren’t long enough, here are a few other tid-bits to know:
I overinflated my resume years ago to land a job as a raft guide. The first season was brutal and I think I tried to row upstream at least 50% of the time, but eventually, I got the hang of it.
My best work often comes from sitting in the window seat of a plane, even when my knees are being smushed.
Scott, my husband, frequently takes advantage of my tendency to be very easily surprised. There are many coffee and wine stains on our carpet from me spilling beverages due to his antics.
My 21st birthday ended in a Bangkok hospital after a minor bar fight. I swear I didn’t start it. ;-)
The name “Crowheart Creative” comes from my hometown of Crowheart, Wyoming. Population, 300.
If you come to my house for a dinner party, I’ll probably strong arm you into playing charades…and you’ll like it!
I believe that hiking up a trail or floating in saltwater will cure just about anything that ails you.
My happy places with my happy people (Scott on Flathead Lake, and my sister Annalee in the Wind River Mountains):
Interviews