My Professional Foundation
About
When I was little, people completely fascinated me. I studied every fleeting expression, every subtle gesture, every shift in tone—trying to feel what it was like to be them. That relentless curiosity has shaped my life.
I studied psychology in college, organizational behavior in graduate school (focusing on workplace dynamics), and then adult development and learning in a PhD‑level psychology program. Most of my career was spent as both an internal and external consultant in training, development, and the nuanced realm of change management.
Through that work—and my own personal growth—I began to glimpse what the world could be if everyone felt free to fully express themselves in their relationships and life pursuits. Life Beyond the Armor is my second act: weaving together decades of curiosity, study, work, and passion for human connection into tools for living the lives we want.
I live near Washington, DC, close to my grown daughter and her family. Their three‑year‑old amazes me daily. In my spare time, I’ve renovated six properties, knit and sewn, written both for pleasure and sometimes professionally, and performed improv since 1994. Next up: singing lessons—I’ve always wanted to sing!
The studies, work, and practice behind Life Beyond the Armor
BS in Psychology (Bradley University)
MS in Organizational Behavior (Loyola University Chicago)
PhD‑level work in Psychology and Adult Development & Learning (Northwestern University)
Consultant for Kaiser Permanente, Google, Genentech, Accenture, Baxter Health Care, University of Chicago Hospitals, and more
Led over 1,500 workshops, seminars, and presentations as a corporate consultant
Trained or coached over 14,000 people as a corporate consultant
Founded Life Beyond the Armor in 2025
