ABOUT
IMPACT
Imagine yourself at the end of your life. For you to have lived a life that you would be proud of and feel like it was well-used, what would you have done? What impact would you have had on those around you, at work, in your personal life and the world? Leadership is about influencing and impacting other people in a positive and significant way. Impactful leadership development requires a holistic approach. One that focuses on the leaders’ relationship with self (self-awareness), with others, and with the organization. Effective leaders develop through constant learning about their personalities, relationships and careers, not to mention the kind of leader they want to become.
RESILIENCE
Resiliency is the ability to spring back from adversity. It is the capacity to handle challenges, successfully adapt to change and learn the best ways to stay well, feel energized, focused and in control. The good news is that you can learn powerful techniques for managing your emotions; and approaches for building resilience, including adopting positive beliefs, such as optimism and self-belief, and managing stressful thoughts. Emotional resiliency can help people alleviate stress, reduce errors, become more innovative, and improve job performance. Happy, resilient, optimistic and grateful people score higher in productivity, creativity, marriage, leadership, earnings, and longevity.
WELLNESS
Many people think about “wellness” in terms of physical health only. The word invokes thoughts of nutrition, exercise, weight management, etc. Certainly, maintaining positive physical health contributes to one’s level of well-being. However, it is only one component of wellness. Wellness means overall well-being and incorporates the full integration of the mental, emotional, physical, occupational, intellectual, spiritual and financial aspects of a person’s life. It’s a conscious, deliberate process that requires a person to become aware of and make better choices resulting in a more satisfying lifestyle.
What is your current level of satisfaction in the various components of your life?
“If your actions inspire others to dream more,
learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader”
-John Quincy Adams
I am fiercely committed to guiding leaders (emerging, newly promoted and seasoned) to unlock their true potential so they can gain self-awareness, become more impactful, achieve higher levels of performance, effectively and confidently transition to positions of increased responsibility.
If you are looking for a proven professional who can help you strengthen your leadership style, crystallize your thinking, increase your self-confidence, establish a specific career direction, successfully navigate organization change and learn how to inspire others in a significant and meaningful way you’ve come to the right place.
With 20 years of experience working with amazing clients with similar goals and guiding them to achieve remarkable success, my mission and commitment is to help build respectful, collaborative, and engaged workplaces through the development of authentic, confident, courageous and conscious leaders.
Clients say remarkable things about the impact my work has on their life and business success. Example comments include:
“Maria is a professional and deeply committed personal and professional coach who brings her knowledge, training, experience and multi-faceted coaching skills to all aspects of her work. Maria’s clarity of thought and extraordinary powers of insight, coupled with her deep compassion for her clients, are gifts which have enhanced my personal and professional life and entrenched my commitment to the organization for which I work”. – J.B.
“Maria – thanks again. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate having had the benefit of your experience and all the new tips, tricks and skills.” – V.H.
“Maria, bravo to you for being an excellent facilitator! Given what we learned in the workshop, we should be able to apply all the tools at work as well as in our personal life.” – S.J.
“Thank you Maria. You have helped me not only through this transition, but in growing (very quickly) into my new shoes. I can’t tell you how important our sessions have been in building what I feel is a very solid foundation and launching pad!” – S.L
“Our coaching sessions were very informative and helpful. I want to take this time to thank you. You have no idea how helpful you have been to me”. – C.C.
“I wanted to thank you very much for the time spent (especially on short notice). I left our coaching session with 6 key take-aways and have them written on post it notes to remind me of the things I need to stay focused on. They have been fundamental for me”. – S.E.
“I just wanted to say thanks again for all your help in our sessions together. My time with you has been very productive as I think that I have gained valuable insight into my own personality, work-style, strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of my colleagues’. I trust that the help you have given me will continue to ring true as I work towards positive relationships in and out of the workplace”. – A.R.
Similar benefits await when you decide to invite me to serve in the powerful ways that I can support your success.
What lights me up about this work is knowing that I am helping clients pinpoint what is holding them back. Out of a coaching conversation comes an ‘aha’ moment and I hear, ‘Wow, I’ve just gained a whole new perspective’. The amazement of that moment demonstrates to me how powerful coaching is.
You can feel confident engaging me to guide you and your organization to solve your problems. I am a life-long learner, a student of life and a truth seeker. I am Certified by the Professional School of Psychology, Sacramento California, in Organizational Psychology with a Focus on Executive Coaching. I am also certified in several assessments including, DISC, EQi 2.0, EQ 360, Leadership SkillMap, Culture SkillMap, Team SkillMap, and Leadership StyleMap.
Other areas of study include Neuroscience, Professional Speaker’s Designation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Positive Psychology.
Five things about me and my experience that might surprise and delight you – while serving our work together.
I value authenticity, connection, collaboration, and results. I believe that leadership starts from within and is an expression of who we are. The significance of each individual’s leadership role may differ, but essentially we are all leaders in some way or another whether we realize it or not.
I am an active of member of Beta Sigma Phi. Beta Sigma Phi International is a non-academic sorority with 200,000 members in chapters around the world. The sorority was founded for the social, cultural, and civic enrichment of its members. Donations of approximately $1 million have been made to medical research and treatment and to a variety of institutions that benefit women and children. The Greek letters of Beta Sigma Phi represent Life, Learning and Friendship, which is the organization’s motto.
Throughout the years, I have volunteered with various social and not-for-profit groups and organizations such as Shepherds of Good Hope, Pearls for Girls, Help Lesotho, The Fairy Godmother, and a local Women’s Centre, to name a few.
Although I lead an active lifestyle and participate in regular fitness activities, I am not, by any means, athletic. I have however twice completed the 180 km. Rona MS Bike Ride. Not an avid cyclist, I freely admit that my tenacity (some might call it stubbornness) and unwillingness to admit defeat were key factors in completing the Rides.
I enjoy cooking, entertaining, reading (anything and everything), listening to music, walking. hiking, spending time with family and friends.
To remain balanced and centered I practice yoga, Qigong, meditation, enjoy nature walks, and regularly attend personal growth and spiritual retreats in locations throughout Canada and the U.S.