About Me – short bio

My professional voyage began about 20 years ago, a fresh MBA graduate from Cornell University.  At Digital Equipment Corporation, I found I loved bringing people together to improve customer engagement.  By the time I  left my position as Director of Customer Loyalty & Quality worldwide, we had improved loyalty 40%.   I loved leading and mentoring others, so I went on to study leadership, guide executives and work closely with leaders from diverse companies, first as the Northeast Director of The Center for Quality of Management and then as a management consultant to senior executives.

In my work, I noticed that positive attributes and skills often went unnoticed, or were even squelched.  I also noticed that when I brought my enthusiasm and positive energy to my work, people responded in powerful ways and my impact expanded. Why is it, I wondered, that signature strengths in individuals often go untapped? How can we encourage leaders to bring out more joy, passion, and fun? These questions compelled me to explore Positive Psychology, founded by Dr. Martin Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania. Positive psychology focuses on healthy organizations, positive emotions, and flourishing. I dove in and earned a Master of Applied Positive Psychology.

Initially, my research focused on inspiration and motivation in business leaders, but in the midst of my investigation, a heartbreaking event changed my life.

In 2007 a young friend of my family died by suicide. This promising teen was well-liked and active in the community, yet he struggled in school. I knew other teenagers just like him—kids who have tremendous promise, but who don’t excel in school. Too many wonderful, talented and motivated kids are labeled as having “problems” simply because they are not making all As on their report cards and, as a result, seem destined to live a mediocre life. This assumption, I believe, is a travesty — for the individuals, certainly, but also for their communities and the  businesses who need fresh talent.  Read My Full Story Here