About Mackenzie
Who am I? I was born and raised in Texas … currently transplanted in the Midwest. (As a Texan, I feel like it is mandatory to state I am from Texas as the first bio fact.) Here are some other “fun” facts:
Graduated from The University of Texas, majored in Business Honors and Finance
Worked in corporate finance for 5 years, which included a year-long expat assignment in Bratislava, Slovakia
Decided it was time for me to push my boundaries and applied to get my masters in business — went to Kellogg School of Management, majored in Marketing
Joined a management consulting firm as a client-facing consultant for 2.5 years before moving into people development. I have spent another 2.5 years focusing on leadership development and broader wellbeing support.
I love going on walks with my dog Hal, entertaining, and riding with my favorite Peloton instructor Cody Rigsby.
Why coaching? Truthfully, I lucked into coaching. I had made the switch from management consulting into people development and was asked by my supervisor how I wanted to grow as a learning & development expert. I liked talking to people…so maybe I should try this coaching thing. Insert a whirlwind experience. After 100+ hours of coaching training, 100+ hours of experience-based learning, and 100+ hours of one-on-one coaching with my very own clients, I thank my lucky stars that I “liked talking to people.” In the least dramatic way possible, learning how to be a coach, getting coached, and being a coach has changed my life trajectory.
I still do this because I like people. But now it is so much more than that. I am a coach because everyone deserves to have someone on their side as they explore and experiment with who they are and who they want to become. Every single one of us is important. Our dreams are important. Our values are important. What we choose to do and what we choose to say ‘no’ to is important. But sometimes we need a little help in figuring all those things out. We need people to ask us hard questions, listen, and hold us accountable. And that is my promise to you.
Why might you want to work with me? For a long time, I would have characterized myself as a “box checker.” Give me a to-do list of how to be a great employee, wife, sister, friend, you name it, I will do my best to check off each and every box on that list. The problem with my version of box checking is that I usually let (or even asked!) other people to define the boxes for me. They weren’t determined by me, my values, or my purpose. They were determined by my community – my family, my broader social circle, educators, bosses, society, etc.
But that has begun to change. When I went through my Co-Active coaching training, I was given space and tools to begin asking myself what I wanted my boxes to be. Where did I find fulfillment? What do I value and how can I do more of those things? How can I shift my perspective to be something that serves me versus holds me back? These are the types of questions that we will get into while coaching. Sure, there might be something specific you want to work through during a particular conversation (e.g., a current tricky situation with your co-worker, showing up with more confidence), but it is likely that whatever we learn in any specific session can and will inform some of these more meta questions.
So why might you work with me? Because I promise not to give you answers to any of your questions. I will be there to partner with you to explore for yourself and support you in taking steps to pursue whatever path (or set of boxes) you decide are right for you.