How I Got Here: My Professional Background

~ My 1st Career ~

As an expert in applied research and evaluation, I helped organizations improve their programs and operations through collecting, organizing and analyzing different types of data and information.

I used highly sophisticated statistical methods. I had a real talent for translating complicated numerical findings into everyday language so that managers could implement needed changes.

I really love the kind of reasoning and logic required by the disciplines of research and statistics.

HOWEVER, I was also interested in what real people were doing in real time which led to my 2nd career….

~ My 2nd Career ~

I became a professional mediator and trainer working in the field of conflict resolution. I’ve been in that field for almost twenty years. I help people become self-sufficient and confident in resolving and managing conflicts. I coach and train people in negotiation and conflict prevention,  and I mediate disputes for small/medium sized businesses.

In addition to my own business, I worked in a wide range of positions and environments, including being the first Statewide Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for the New Mexico Supreme Court, mediator with the City of Albuquerque Employee Mediation Program, and a mediator with the New Mexico Children’s Court. Early on in my conflict management career, I managed a victim/offender mediation program for juvenile offenders.

~ My 3rd Career  ~

I coach and train women to speak with authority and grace. In addition to coaching individual clients, I present workshops and trainings on negotiation, communication, self-worth, and how to be your own best advocate.  Here’s a sample of recent talks and trainings I delivered to diverse groups and organizations:

  • Secrets of Successful Negotiation: The 3 Biggest Mistakes Women Make and How to Fix Them, sponsored by Women in Technology, The New Mexico Technology Council
  • Think Like a Woman – Negotiate Like a Man, private workshop in Albuquerque, NM
  • Turn the Endless Money Argument into a Win/Win Conversation, a virtual seminar sponsored by the Stepmom’s Toolbox
  • 5 Secrets to Successful Everyday Negotiation: Mastering Yes, No and What If, private workshop in Albuquerque, NM
  • Be Prepared – Not Surprised: Three Strategies to Prepare and Build Leverage in Your Negotiations, sponsored by the Association for Women in Communication, New Mexico chapter
  • Wedding Contracts: How to Say No with Grace and Ease, interview with Dr. Susan Schafer, author of Wedding Planning Contract Negotiations: Save Money, Reduce Stress, Have the Wedding You Desire
  • Saying Yes to Yourself! Women at Work: Creating Harmony and Balance conference sponsored by the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI), New Mexico chapter

 

My Formal Education

I earned a doctorate in sociology from Rutgers University focusing on family systems and research methodology.  I learned a lot about interpersonal interaction, communication, and how individual behavior affects the integrity and harmony of groups and how group dynamics impact the individual. I also discovered a lot about the technical side of information, how to work with all kinds of data, write excellent surveys, conduct interviews, and do complicated statistical analyses.

This provided a foundation for my programs and trainings in how to be comfortable with power, communicate effectively, and create and use influence in groups you belong to or manage. It also led me to use assessments with my clients so that they will make better decisions and implement them more quickly. I borrowed the step-by-step approach of doing research to create coaching systems that are organized to build lasting attitudes, skills and strategies.

I returned to graduate school several years later to study dispute resolution at the University of Massachusetts in Boston and I earned my graduate certificate. I loved the way this program combined classroom, research and hands-on supervision – an excellent way to learn. My understanding of systems, conflict, and conflict resolution deepened as a result.  Their instructional model now serves as a blueprint for how I combine skill training, practice and accountability so that you easily master new skills and tools.

Finishing My Education

I am a “life-long learner” and I value both formal and informal education.

I learn from my colleagues and am proud to be a member of several professional associations:

  • New Mexico Mediation Association
  • National Organization of Trusted Advisors
  • Association for Talent Development (formerly Association for Training & Development)

I learn through investing in training and development for my professional and personal growth, and getting certified in programs that I want to offer to my clients:

  • Sacred Money Archetypes certified coach
  • Money Breakthrough Method certified coach
  • Completion of Self Identity Through Ho’oponopono classes

 

If you are interested in learning more about my background, arranging customized training or workshops for your employees or staff, or inviting me to speak to your group or organization, please contact me via email or leave me a message at this phone number (505) 501-8157.