Hi, I'm Elke
A few years into what I had thought would be my forever career, something started to shift in me. 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.
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Yet, something was missing. I longed for more authenticity, independence, and balance in how I made a living.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Slowly, I started to get in touch with who I was underneath at a more essential level.
It was scary — and also liberating.
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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 individuals and organizations on their own transformative paths.
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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 DCI, I serve as Director of Faculty over their program offerings.
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Over the last several years I have dedicated myself as as student of the Enneagram. This system is deceptively simple, and even after the hundreds of hours of classes I have taken, I know there is much left to learn and experience. Courses I have completed include intensive study of object relations theory and the Enneagram with Belinda Gore, the Nine Gateways to Presence immersion with Russ Hudson, the Enneagram and Conscious Living Certification with Russ Hudson and Jessica Dibb, and Emerging Through the Triangle with Julie Harris.
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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. I am a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation.
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​Since 2021, I have continued to apply my People and Culture leadership expertise and skills as a consultant for mission-driven organizations. Together, we navigate the complex landscapes of competing stakeholder needs, cultural transformations, team building, leadership development, and vexing personnel issues.
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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.
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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 and consulting 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.
Oregon’s Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity
Women Business Enterprise
Deep Coaching Institute (DCI),
Certification
International Enneagram Association
Accredited Professional
Center for Parental Leave Leadership,
Certified Parental Leave Coach
​Oregon’s Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity
Emerging Business Business