When I was suddenly thrust into the director’s role on my team, I was like a deer caught in the headlights. I was so happy to connect with Lia who became such an important part of my life during that time of transition. She helped me figure out what I valued as a leader, and how to lead while being authentic to myself. What I loved about working with her was that she became a touchpoint to connect with when I was feeling overwhelmed with situations—from complex relationships with direct reports, to working within the politics of my organization, to planning a team retreat. She pushed me to learn and grow from tough situations, all while being a friendly and honest advisor. I would often enter our sessions with my head swirling, and would leave feeling more grounded and with a plan in place to tackle whatever challenges I was facing. And if anything came up in between sessions, Lia was available through voice message and email to offer advice and feedback. The journey with Lia made me a better manager, and made me feel more confident in my ability to lead a team. I would work with Lia again in a heartbeat.”

Rachel Fishman, Interim Director for Higher Education, New America

“Working with Lia was a gift. I began with her with a specific intention of focusing on leading with equity and building a resilient and healthy leadership team. While Lia and I were able to focus on that, due to Lia’s deep listening and input we were also able to focus on other emerging critical areas of work that I could not have predicted. Lia supported me in myriad ways- we did reflective exercises, which helped me to hone in on areas of growth for my team and my approach to leadership, but she also got into the weeds with me by reviewing agendas, discussing purposeful meeting and culture making spaces. Her coaching style with me was a balance of guiding me through reflections, introducing concepts and content to help me along, and by taking more directive and tactical approaches to my work when I asked for that. Working with Lia was a privilege - she was responsive, pushed me when I needed it and reflected things back to me that I was having difficulty seeing on my own. Not only am I feeling like my last 3 quarters of work were more purposeful, clear and strong because of her coaching, but my team feels more steady and healthy than ever before. Lia was a phenomenal coach and I recommend working with her to anyone who wants to make measurable, meaningful change in their leadership, change that translates into concrete and measurable results.”

Ann Walden, Former Executive Director, The Primary School

“I have had the honor of working with Lia for the last year and have experienced a tremendous amount of growth in that time. Lia is exactly the coach I needed. She strikes the perfect balance of warm support and honest and provocative feedback. In moments where I've needed to be pushed out of my comfort zone or guided towards a deeper understanding of self-perception, Lia has been able to hold the line while simultaneously holding space for me to grow at my own pace. In overwhelming moments, Lia has shown deep compassion while simultaneously reiterating her belief in me. As a result of Lia’s coaching, I have developed a deeper sense of self both as a leader and a person, and I have strengthened my ability to connect with my team.

Lia’s coaching has allowed me to be more honest with my peers, my team, and myself. She has helped me open myself up for deeper and richer relationships, and given me the tools I need to lead as my truest and most authentic self. I’ve also become a better coach as a result of having Lia as a thought partner and example. This was without a doubt my most successful professional year, and Lia’s coaching has played a huge role in that success. I’m incredibly grateful for Lia and look forward to our continued work together. She is an amazing coach, and a truly caring and compassionate person who I feel blessed to have found when I needed her the most.”

Mike Callahan, MSW, Lead Director at Change Summer and Director of Camp Uncommon

“When I started working with Lia in early 2022, I told people that I had a coach, and when they asked what it was like, I said "It's amazing - it's like having a work-therapist!" I worked with Lia for a bulk of the 2022 year. First she supported me through a work transition after a decade of serving as a school leader, leading a school through a large transformation effort, and then through COVID. It was incredibly hard to leave a school that I cared deeply about, and where I had grown tremendously as a leader. Lia held space for me to acknowledge, celebrate and be present in that transition. She helped me process and codify my school leadership journey, my leadership strengths, how I had already grown, and how I wanted to grow in my next move. Maybe most importantly, she supported me to leave with grace, exiting thoughtfully with a very clear transition plan in place that allowed the school, the children and the teachers to continue to thrive.

Lia also helped me get my footing in my next gig as a central office leader. In my new role, Lia affirmed my strengths, reminded me of who I was, and called on what I'd already accomplished - helping me calmly focus on the work ahead. Lia is an attuned listener, highly skilled at understanding the difference between a perceived challenge and a real barrier, and then unearthing the much deeper challenge, be it personal or professional. She is grounded in a very solid understanding of anti-racism, and reminded me frequently of ways that white supremacy shows itself. Lia allowed me to see myself in ways that I want to be seen: as a leader who is also a full human. Being able to show up fully as a queer woman in education is a big deal; Lia allowed me to see myself in a powerful way that inspired real confidence and real grounding in my purpose. I believe that I am more fully able to adjust to a change in service of more equitable outcomes for children because of the ways that I've been empowered to be my true self. I hope that this inspires others to do the same. I am extremely grateful.”

Heather Palin, Director, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Oakland Unified School District

“I specifically approached Lia when I was looking for an executive coach and am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to learn from her. It has been incredibly valuable to have a guide who is familiar with the non-profit startup space and can push me towards solutions within my values-driven leadership style. Lia listens actively and 'plays back' what she hears in a way that makes connection and meaning that I hadn't fully realized or appreciated. Through this approach, we work together on creating clarity, a long-term vision, and clear next steps that I am able to articulate clearly to the rest of my leadership team and staff. Lia also shares valuable tools to support my goals around time/calendar management that allows me to work even more efficiently and effectively each day and week, as well as during the 'random moments of time' in between meetings! Lia is authentic, creative, brilliant, and responsive to my individual needs as a leader and I highly recommend working with her.”

Shrim Bathey, Managing Director, Kingmakers of Oakland

"When I started working with Lia, I was stuck in a defensive stance, and now, I’m working towards owning my own professional growth. Lia helped me reframe difficult feedback I’d received, and guided me towards being more confident about my skills. I had the goal of approaching an upcoming annual review with less trepidation, and ultimately, I felt very prepared and in control of how I related to the feedback I received! In general, Lia pushed me to really think about how I wanted to shape my work relationships, and gave me support but also practical tools I could really use. She was accessible between our sessions to talk about things as they came up, in addition to the sessions themselves. Our sessions felt natural, not strictly tied to an agenda and free flowing based on what was coming up; through our work together, I realized that I can be more honest than I think I can, and that small tweaks to the way I approach professional development can help me to feel less scrutinized and more focused on potential. Lia’s unique combination of practical tools, new perspectives, and big picture support/strategy were very impactful for me."

Christine M.