My Story
In 1994 I was 33 years old. I was newly married, had a masters degree from Cambridge University, a house in the country and was earning over $110,000, and I had taken three sabbaticals since leaving college.
My job as a software marketing executive took me all over Europe on an expense account. In addition to my salary, I received stock options and a fully paid company car. I was debt free (I had already built assets of over $100K) and enjoying unusual success for my age.
On the way, I had already taken over 3 years off from my career in the preceding 12 years. I had backpacked across Asia, led diving trips to the Australian Great Barrier Reef, climbed a 20,000 ft. mountain in the Himalayas and spent the summer running barbecue parties on the beach in France.
And yet, under the surface of my outwardly successful life, there were signs that I was killing myself. I smoked and drank too much. I felt angry and stressed at work. Some of the people who worked for me were afraid of my temper.
In 1997 I had a spiritual awakening. I responded to an inner voice that told me “This day is the turning point of your life”. I chose to trust that voice and make it true. Just over a year later I had left my high-tech career for another sabbatical.
This time the adventure was an inner exploration. I went to study with Gurumayi Chidvilasananda in a Shree Muktananda Ashram, eventually spending 5 years studying and serving her mission. There I helped hundreds of people take extended breaks from their careers to visit the ashram for 2-12 month periods. I also discovered my next career as a coach.
I am now an executive life coach, one of the top 1600 worldwide accredited by The International Coach Federation as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). I love my clients. They are all deeply inspiring people, who I am very grateful to be working with. They are all actively engaged in following their dreams, creating the next chapter in their lives as an expression of their purpose, passion and deepest sense of their own possibility. In addition, I train new coaches for The Coaches Training Institute (CTI), the leading trainer of professional coaches, and travel the US and Internationally to spread that work. .
I live in a beautiful home on Lopez in the San Juan Islands, WA with my wife, Abigail, who is also a professional coach and our twodaughters, Nonie and Sophie. We are very happy enjoying a relaxed life, close to nature, with walks and runs next to the sea, surrounded by otters, eagles and hummingbirds - and a wonderful community that has welcomed Iona with open arms. We are fortunate that we can support our family financially working 2 or 3 days a week, giving us plenty of time to play, learn and grow together.
In 2008, we moved into our new, sustainable community home as part of the Common Ground. We look forward to zero-net living (generating as much energy from a solar array as we use) as our community grows and raises our children together.
We feel truly blessed.
Abigail and I work together consciously co-creating a magical life for ourselves, our daughters, our community and our coaching clients.
We invite you to join us.