Leadership Coaching
My formal work as a coach began in 2019 when I stepped down from a 20+ year career in non-profit which culminated with a six-year tenure as an executive director.
These last several years of coaching have been one of the most rewarding experiences in my professional career. Each morning when I look at my calendar, I think of the people I get to work with that day as gifts and teachers. I can’t wait to spend time with my clients furthering the goals they have – for what they want to do in the world, but more importantly, for who they want to be and how to best express the very core of who they are so they can live into their purpose.
I am a member of the International Coaching Federation and a Certified Professional Coach through the Coaching Evolved program founded by Natalie MacNeil. The program focuses on an embodied approach to coaching and transformation and supports each person in connecting back to their internal wisdom.
In the program, and in my coaching practice, we focus on all five facets of being – the mental, physical, energetic, emotional, and spiritual. This involves a multi-modality approach that includes traditional processing and problem solving, but also Breathwork, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP), and more. I received certificates in Transformational Embodiment Levels 1 and 2, Breathwork for Coaches, EFT for Coaches and NLP for Coaches.
My background as a Licensed Professional Counselor and my yoga training also factors into my coaching approach. I have a deep understanding of interpersonal neurobiology, stress and trauma. I also understand how our mental health factors into our work and our relationships.
Being in leadership roles myself for over a decade, I have a lot of personal experience related to what pressures leaders carry and what supports or inhibits our ability to show up fully in their world and do our best work.
I’ve had a personal transformation when it comes to relying on hardcore 24/7 striving and achievement to a more balanced, thoughtful and grounded approach. Both have their upsides, but I am much happier and healthier now and I know how to facilitate that change for other people.
If you care deeply about your work in the world and have translated that deep care into a striving that has left you exhausted and under-resourced, I know how to help. I know how to support you getting to a place where you feel empowered, resourced, and strong so the impact you are making in the world gets amplified and elevated.
If you are having issues in your team, I know how to help. As a therapist, an award-winning leader, and a certified trainer in 3 Vital Questions: Transforming Workplace Drama, I can help you get to the root of why your team dynamics feel off or even toxic. I can help you and your team move into a space of trust and joy so that the energy expended is on your common goals instead of on managing internal politics and drama.
I find the line between our professional selves and our personal selves is arbitrary. I work with the whole person and can support you with professional and personal struggles or goals.
I would love to have a complementary discovery call with you to see how I can help. If I am not the right person, I will make every effort to point you in a fruitful direction. Let’s get to know each other to see how we might work together!
“Michelle is a perfect strategic thought partner for me as an executive director of a growing nonprofit. Because of her unique combination of personality, experience, and training, she helps me to move toward clarity so that I can choose the best path forward for myself and my organization. She challenges me toward growth, while providing encouragement along the way. I always leave our sessions feeling restored and ready for the next step on the journey. ”
“I was connected with Michelle as an Executive Coach through my employer as I was approaching a critical milestone in my career. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the coaching process, but Michelle surpassed all of my hopes for how the experience would mold and shape me into the leader that everyone knew I could be. Michelle approached our sessions with a kind heart and a listening ear. She has a simple way of re-grounding you in what is important, encouraging you to flip the script, providing clear direction with honest feedback, and holding you accountable in a way that emphasizes her shared commitment to you reaching your goals. Her compassion is entirely genuine and she always makes you feel like she is your biggest fan.”
“I am so fortunate to have connected with Michelle. Her thoughtful leadership and calm presence has been instrumental in helping my team build a more collaborative spirit. And her work on ways to unhook from stress have helped me personally and professionally. I have learned so much from her and am proud to endorse her as an executive coach and thought leader on both a corporate and personal level.”
“I sought out Michelle as a coach during a particularly difficult transition into a new leadership role. She was a buoy in the storm. Michelle provided such supportive framing and insight, and also pushed me to think more deeply and clearly - not only about what was right for the role and the team, but for me and my family. I felt deeply seen and heard as a human being. This gave me grounding as I navigated a number of decisions and forks in my own road; I have carried that centeredness with me well beyond the end of our sessions.”
“The moment that I received word about my promotion to an executive level position, I reached out to Michelle Kinder for executive coaching. This has proved to be one of the best professional decisions I have ever made. Michelle’s person-centered, holistic coaching style has helped me uncover my strengths as a leader and operate in my leadership identity with confidence. With a balanced focus on mental health and effective leadership practices, Michelle has helped me see beneath the surface of day-to-day challenges and address the core of those challenges intentionally and strategically. I walk away from every coaching session feeling empowered, confident, and clear-minded, ready to face whatever comes my way. Michelle is easy to talk to, she holds an enormous amount of expertise, and has a keen sense of knowing exactly what to say and how to guide at the right moment. Michelle is a highly skilled executive coach and I recommend her to other executive leaders wholeheartedly.”
“It is not an overstatement to say working with Michelle changed my life. Michelle has helped me find immense peace and joy in my career path, as a leader, and, more importantly, in my life. She has unmatched empathy and the unique ability to make you feel seen in such a meaningful way that you can’t help but start to see yourself in the same loving way throughout the process. I call her my business therapist because she has continuously held a safe space for ALL of me to show up and has provided highly intuitive, loving encouragement every step of the way. I truly feel like our work together has propelled my career, leadership ability and emotional intelligence to a place that would have taken me decades on my own.”