I am drawn to helping others and have spent the majority of my life doing so.  Not only in a crisis situation, but in their everyday growth and achievements.  I receive such a feeling of success every time I help someone navigate themselves though a situation in which find their own solution to their situation.  Their excitement becomes my excitement.  Their positive energy becomes my positive energy.  It is these feelings, that everyone feels, that I want to continue to be a part of.  I want to create a place where people can communicate in a way that others receive the message as clear as the sender meant for the message to be perceived.  A place where people feel the positive energy that comes from listening to understand someone, as well as the feeling of being understood and heard.

As I reflect back on all the influences, throughout my life, that helped shape who I am today, I recognize how the numerous influences and experiences were extremely instrumental to this work I am now doing.  Growing up in a family, the youngest of 15 siblings, I received a powerful living example from my mother who listened in a way that I, and others, felt heard.  She took the time to understand what was being said and communicated her response with empathy, that helped others feel safe. 

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As I moved into adulthood, I needed to spread my wings and grow.  I knew I needed to go somewhere different and achieve things on my own.  I had a calling to serve my country so I joined the U.S. Marines.  It was here where I began learning different leadership qualities.  I was intrigued how the process of bootcamp transformed young, mostly immature, boys into responsible and driven men.  I saw how the drill instructors did not allow for excuses or anything less that pure and genuine effort in aspect of life.  This was good for me in that I needed to be pushed.  Many viewed the yelling and screaming at the recruits was an intimidation tactic, which for the most part it was just that.  There was a bigger picture result that emerged from this experience.  That was, at least for me, a training for how to deal with the toughest things in life by continuing to fight and stay strong, instead of giving up.  It opened my eyes to that the message being sent isn’t always how it is said – there is always another perspective available.  I found that by seeking to find what was important about this type of training and communication, I was building trust and making a connection with the drill instructors, which had a positive influence in my relationship with them.

I knew my destiny for a career was not a career in the military.  The short time I spent there was what I needed to propel me into my chosen profession of Law Enforcement.  I knew I wanted to be a part of helping others and protect those who couldn’t do it for themselves.  I was fortune enough to have been able to commit over 24 years to Law Enforcement and being a part of so many different communities and learning about people that can’t be accomplished in any other way.  I have been able to hone my skills and practice of positive communication with others in a variety of roles - - as a leader, mentor, trainer, coach, investigator, deputy and friend. 

One especially impactful role I felt was most impactful, was that of the Academy Coordinator at the police academy.  It was here that I witnessed how recruits were being taught to communicate through one-way communication. I knew that better communication can have a greater, more positive impact on the job the new officers do and the community they serve. I began to wonder, “Why are we only teaching the future of law enforcement this style of communication?” “How can we do better so that we can be more productive and effective in all that we do?”  This was the spark of my search for a better way to communicate.

I knew I needed to know more about behavior and really understand how it works.  I decided to educate myself and I began working on my master’s degree in Organizational Psychology.  This gave a new understanding around behavior and communication.  Also, I learned that law enforcement isn’t the only organization having issues.  Organizations world-wide were having similar problems with the employees, supervisors, managers, and executives. One of the common issues pertained to communication.  In learning how to analyze problems within an organization and finding solutions that can help to improve the overall performance of everyone within the organization, it was evident that most issues arose because of a communication breakdown and / or people didn’t feel they were important or valued.