The ICF or International Coaching Federation where I'm accredited as a coach offers this definition.

"ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership.

We all have goals we want to reach, challenges we’re striving to overcome and times when we feel stuck. Partnering with a coach can change your life, setting you on a path to greater personal and professional fulfillment."

• Advising focuses on telling people what they should do, based on the advisor's expertise.
• Therapy focuses mainly on the past, helping clients make sense of and manage negative experiences they've had.
• Coaching focuses on the future, helping clients find new ways to move forward toward desired outcomes. Importantly, coaches believe that their clients are smart, resourceful people fully capable of generating their own solutions when given the right support. Since everyone has different needs and experiences, coaching that builds on your specific strengths and skills is the best way to find the unique answer that is right for you.

I provide services that are designed specifically for sustainability leaders and their teams from all sectors. Over the past 30 years, I've worked with scientists, CEOs, CSOs, EDs, entrepreneurs, engineers, founders, Boards, educators, executives, speakers, politicians, photographers, authors and even astronauts.

The people who benefit most from working with me are typically starting something new, changing direction or stuck in the status quo.

Most of us could use a coach every day! Clients come to me when they:

• are stuck, overwhelmed, going in circles
• struggle with competing priorities
• need clarity about what to do next
• realize they're burned out
• want to change direction or start something new
• need engagement and buy-in
• want to align their people, purpose and processes
• need to change harmful narratives
• are tired of working alone without support.

I specialize in creating a safe space for people to challenge their beliefs and assumptions, uncover biases and blind spots, lean into hidden skills and strengths and try new things.

This usually leads us to tap into my deep expertise in narrative change and explore the role stories play in both holding you back and inspiring you to act.

Thanks to breakthroughs in psychology and neuroscience, we now know that humans make most decisions based on feelings – and then rationalize those choices with logic. That means that the stories we tell ourselves and hear from others control what we think, say and do. If we want to change our lives or work, we have to change our stories.

To do that, we first create a clear vision of the future you want, figure out what's stopping you from getting there, and then develop and activate a strategic story or roadmap to make it happen.

I create custom packages for every client, depending on their needs. We can work together in short intense bursts, like a half-day sprint, or over a long period like a year or more. Costs vary, depending on how much time we spend together, and how much prep or support time you need from me offline.

In general, if you buy more time, you get a lower rate.

The commitment is up to you. Most clients prefer to work together for an hour every two weeks for 6 months or longer.

I have my ACC designation with the International Coaching Federation, an MSc in Interactive Arts & Technology, a Certificate in Adult Education and a BA in Media Production.

In addition to my private practice as a certified coach, I serve as a leadership coach at the University of British Columbia, an innovation coach with MakeWay, a member of the Climate Coaching Alliance, a Board Trustee with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and Associate Faculty at Royal Roads University, where I teach climate leadership.

Impact labs offer a safe "container" for you and your team/people to explore where you want to go and design new ways to get you there. Like science labs, they focus on testing ideas and running experiments to figure out what works (and what doesn't) before committing to a long-term strategy or program.

You can use a lab to solve a problem (like alignment or engagement), start something new (like a strategy, campaign or program), or create a new approach to a traditional activity (like strategic planning and change management).

Some clients also like to use labs to work on developing new mindsets and approaches to leadership that are adaptive, collaborative, transdisciplinary, systemic, creative, equitable and just.

Labs can last a few hours, weeks, months or years. In addition to tackling specific goals or challenges, lab participants also get a chance to work with creativity and innovation tools that include storytelling, design thinking, strategic foresight, behavioural science and appreciative inquiry.

You can book a free 15-minute call right now to find out more.

And don't worry – I won't make a sales pitch! I just love meeting like-minded leaders who want to do their best to create a healthy future for people and the planet.

If you're not ready to chat yet, you can still join the Qwest for Good, my free leadership lab for sustainability professionals, with resources, events and discounts on services – all designed to help you grow your impact for good.