THE JOURNEY INSIDE BEGINS OUTSIDE
Advocating outdoor immersion as a mechanism to improve professional performance.
"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn."
– John Muir
Why Outdoor Executive Coach?
In our daily lives, we are nearly always constrained by time and environment. An appointment with a physician, financial advisor, or colleague is planned for a finite period. We are conscious of this duration and compartmentalize our thoughts and restrict what we discuss. During these times, we rarely explore what is beyond our present perception or consciousness. Furthermore, throughout the events in our day, such as a child’s ballgame, business presentation, or family social function, our active attention is focused on those around us. As we have all of these responsibilities, commitments, and limitations upon our time, the opportunities for reflection and analysis of our ambitions, challenges, and experiences have diminished.
The outdoors is a gateway to escape these constraints and achieve the reflection and clarity we all seek. On multi-day trips into the outdoors, we are no longer constrained by a schedule. The duration of a restaurant meal, the 60 minutes we scheduled a meeting room, the 5pm departure of our commuter train, the necessity to pickup children from daycare, etc. are no longer constraints and commitments that deter you from exploring the challenges you face. This freedom allows broad exploration of one’s challenges and passions. In addition, the sceneries are something to take in slowly like a favorable wine; the rich sensory input and lack of distraction provide greater clarity, and results in profoundly greater introspection. Although even solitary reflection in the outdoors is positive, the availability to share these experiences with someone that can help facilitate the draw out these emotions and feelings is substantial. Even more beneficial, when this counselor can nurture dialogues about options, tradeoffs, strategies, and priorities in an unconstrained environment, it leads to powerful reflection of one's priorities and choices. I have seen and participated in these exchanges; they are incredibly powerful and successful.
OEC creates a one-of-a-kind, personalized journey that combines emotional, technical, and leadership principles that occur in inspiring natural locations that leave positive, lasting results. The physical effort of moving through the backcountry combined with the randomness and challenge of terrain and weather create a different environment that truly represents "taking a step back" and "getting a fresh perspective." In addition, the close quarters of spending hours in a canoe, on a trail, or ascending a mountain leads to a genuine honesty and directness that would require months or longer to develop.
"I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in."
– John Muir
Which leads me to say,
“The journey inside begins outside.”
"The only people who see the whole picture,' he murmured, 'are the ones who step out of the frame."
– Salman Rushdie, The Ground Beneath Her Feet
"I am losing precious days. I am degenerating into a machine for making money. I am learning nothing in this trivial world of men. I must break away and get out into the mountains to learn the news."
– John Muir
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler."
– Henry David Thoreau
"Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life."
– John Muir
"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life."
– John Muir
"In nature your brain enters a mode {Rachel} Hopman called 'soft fascination.' It's similar to unfocused mode--but with one key difference. 'Instead of mind-wandering and lightly focusing inwardly, your'e lightly focusing outwardly on the nature around you,' she said."
– Michael Easter, The Comfort Crisis
ABOUT ME
education
Received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. While working in the healthcare industry, obtained a Master of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Northern Illinois University. This academic experience provides a synergic background of understanding personality, emotion, and behavior coupled with business school management and leadership practice doctrine.
work
HiStory
Thirty year career primarily in the healthcare and financial services industries. Following five years in sales and marketing, the remainder of my career has been in data and analytics technology. Worked for six Fortune-200 companies, presently in an executive capacity for a major financial services company. Very involved in diversity and inclusion programs, improving representation for under-represented groups, and active in mentoring of current and former colleagues.
outdoor
experience
Nearly as lengthy as my professional career, my 25 year CV of outdoor experiences is also significant. Long distance hiking, mountaineering, white-water rafting, canoeing, and bicycle camping have resulted in memorable sceneries and profoundly strong experiences and relationships with those I’ve partnered on these adventures