Hi, I'm Elke
My call to coaching came a few years into what I thought would be my forever job. I was at the top of my profession as a People and Culture executive for a large nonprofit I believed in. I had worked hard for many years to reach that point, including completing an MBA and multiple certifications along the way.
Yet, something was missing. I longed for more authenticity, independence, and balance in how I made a living.
I was also seriously reevaluating what I meant by “a living.”
And so it begins
I began coach training and set out on the path to become a certified executive coach. A few months in, COVID hit. Plans to focus on my new vocation were halted as I shifted all my energy to support my team and our organization’s hundreds of vulnerable frontline employees.
Thankfully, it was then that the Enneagram found me. Its power and potential drew me in and provided me with a way to get honest with myself – and I mean really honest – about how I was showing up in this one wild and precious life.
Suddenly, I could see how I was getting in my own way – how I was acting out patterns so deeply embedded, I thought they were who I actually was.
Slowly, I started to get in touch with who I was underneath at a more essential level.
It was scary — and also liberating.
Making moves
In 2021 I took a leap of faith in my own abilities and potential. Since then, I have continued my own messy, beautiful journey of liberation while having the privilege of helping dozens of others on their own transformative paths.
My coach training includes certification from the Deep Coaching Institute (DCI), a somatic approach to coaching that utilizes the power of presence and the Enneagram. Through somatic coaching, my clients are able to access their own inner guidance and wisdom. They learn to recognize patterns in their lives, own their personal agency, and live and lead with more intention. In addition to being certified by the DCI, I serve as adjunct faculty, mentor and facilitator in their programs.
I am also a Certified Parental Leave Coach through the Center for Parental Leave Leadership. As a parental leave coach, I support birthing parents, non-birthing parents, and their managers through the life-altering transition of becoming a working parent. In addition, I am a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation.
Recognizing my privilege as a white, cis, able-bodied woman is an essential and ongoing part of my personal work. I focus a significant portion of my time and energy on coaching leaders with diverse lived experiences, identities, and perspectives – many in the nonprofit sector – and working with mission-based organizations in my community.
I have a very different perspective on what makes “a living” than I did just a few years ago. Now, it means seeing my values come alive in the contexts of my family, my work, and my community. It’s my honor to be working with individual and organizational clients who are seeking to do the same.
Connecting with Me
I know that the best coaching relationships are built on trust. For you to feel comfortable being open and honest — where the real potential is unlocked — I offer a complimentary call to all prospective clients. This introductory conversation allows us to learn more about each other and explore the potential fit. I invite you to select a day and time for us to connect here.
Deep Coaching Institute (DCI),
Certification
Center for Parental Leave Leadership,
Certified Parental Leave Coach