About Coaching

About Me

My story and how I got into coaching…

My entire career has been centered around helping people feel safe, empowered, and inspired. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this pursuit began with the simultaneous taking on of my Master’s degree in psychology and the co-founding of Krav Maga Worldwide several years ago.

Krav Maga is an Israeli style of self-defense and fighting. We opened Krav Maga Worldwide with one training center on the Westside of Los Angeles many years ago. We grew it into a business with over 150 licensed training facilities throughout the world.

We train people to defend themselves against violence. The vast majority of the people we train will never experience any such violence and, in turn, will never be called upon to use what they learn in our facilities. Nevertheless, our students, staff, and instructors take the training seriously, and the impact is profound.

What we offer goes way beyond self-defense and fitness training. It’s clear that on many levels, the thing that our students come for and leave with is transformation. They come to us with fear; in a safe environment, we support them with addressing those fears. Then through training and practice, they go from feeling afraid to feeling capable, empowered, and inspired. This process essentially mimics what I do as a coach with my clients.

After years of leading teams, teaching students, and training instructors on how to teach and present, all the people I’ve worked with have truly inspired me. So the transition into personal and professional coaching was a natural one. It’s a decision that I’m grateful for every day.

Why am I qualified to be your coach?

To be honest, we don’t know that yet. We don’t know if I’m the right coach for you. There’s no way we can know that until we meet and have a very real conversation where we get to know one another and see if we’re a fit. Do we “click?” Do you get a sense that you can trust me? In our conversation, do you feel seen and heard, and SAFE? Do you feel “gotten?”

And then, of course, do I think I can help you?

I have a Master’s degree in psychology from The University of Southern California. I was initially trained as a therapist and was then trained many years later as a professional coach by what I believe to be the best coach training program in the country, Accomplishment Coaching. I then worked for several years as a coach trainer. I am certified at the level of PCC (Professional Certified Coach) from the International Coach Federation.

There are good coaches and bad coaches, just as there are good therapists and bad therapists, and good and bad in any profession. There are some amazing coaches without any certifications and some pretty crappy ones with the whole alphabet after their name. Coaching is so relationship-centric that you really need to have the experience of a conversation to know if there’s a fit.

My essence, values, and life purpose…

When most of us are asked to introduce ourselves, we usually default to the formula of providing, name, occupation, marital status, kids, no kids, where we live, etc. I’m not against that. That’s how I answer most of the time. I’m just not sure that demographic data gives anyone any clue who someone is.

There’s value in understanding, articulating, and owning the “essence” of who you are beyond what you do and your roles in life. I work with my clients to distinguish their “Essence” to understand better who they are. The best way to describe it is that this is who you are at your most fully expressed and “best self”:

MY ESSENCE
Energy
Joy
Leader
Light
Love

For the record, I don’t go around in my day-to-day life introducing myself as “Energy, joy leader, light, love” to anyone I meet on the street. That would just be weird.

I figure you’re on my site for a reason, and you’ve read this far down my page, so you get it. With that said, below are my values and life purpose. These are foundational tools and distinctions I use with my clients as well. They help guide our work and serve as “north stars” that provide powerful “what fors” or “whys”… or compelling reasons to move past fears and do things that are new and uncomfortable. They also provide solid places from which to choose when in transition or grappling with important decisions.

MY VALUES
Community
Love
Growth
Adventure
Play

MY LIFE PURPOSE
Enlightenment

And on a lighter note, for something a little less “woo” and more what you’re used to seeing on an “About” page…

When I’m not coaching…

I love anything physical or outdoors. I love to hike, ski, snowboard, surf, exercise, and salsa dance. And, of course, I love to travel.

I’ve worked and played in the fitness world for over 20 years. I hold a 5th-degree black belt in Krav Maga, and I am a Level 2 CrossFit coach.

For my mental health and well-being, I meditate, do yoga, write, and move my body every day…and I work really hard to average a minimum of seven hours of quality sleep a night (definitely a work in progress there).

I live in Santa Monica, California, with my dog, “The Dude.” I grew up with three older sisters and am super close with my family.

I’m a Dodger, Laker, and Badger fan, but I’m happy to coach you even if you’re not. You should know, however, that if you’re a fan of the Giants, Padres, Celtics, Wolverines, or Buckeyes, I’ll still coach you, but I can’t promise not to gloat when my team beats yours: Consider yourself warned.

Oh, and I’m SUPER into “dad jokes.” They make me happy. And I think I’m pretty funny. Again, you’ve been warned.