How I got here…

Since I can remember, I have been interested in experiential learning, development, and the artful adventure of living a good life.

I am the fifth of six children, born and raised in mid-coast Maine, where the long winters are followed by brief, sweet summers. I was a fort-making, wilderness-hiking child. I wanted to be Jane Goodall when I grew up. Then came high school, where I fell in love with the theatre after seeing an exquisite bare bones production of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire on a hot August night. It was magic and I was hooked.

Over the next several years, I did plays, put myself through Mime School in London, theatre school in New York City, and worked for over 30 years as a professional actor. I loved the demands of the stage – the research and rigor – and the deep curiosity and courage required to bring a character to life emotionally and physically.

Actors always have side gigs where their skills of creative problem-solving and strategic thinking are in high demand. In 2004, while working at an investment bank, I was inspired to become a coach when a Senior Managing Director said to me “Jill, you really get me, how do you do that?” I’ve been coaching and training C-suites ever since. I’ve led speaker development programs and created and facilitated trainings on executive presence, communication, and teambuilding.  I’ve taught leaders from some great organizations how to infuse their messages with their values, manage their nerves and connect with their audiences.

I find great joy and satisfaction in doing work that facilitates potent learning and inspires change.

Hiking and exploring the world’s wide open places like Antarctica, Namibia, and our National Parks has enriched my life with my husband and companion of 25 years. We make our home on the Upper West Side of New York, but return to Maine frequently, where I still swim, dig in the dirt, and discover anew the flowers that grow on familiar trails.