Stanwood, Washington, United States
Welcome!
Stepping into a leadership role can be exciting, terrifying, and overwhelming. Whether you are brand new to leadership or you have been at it awhile, you will come across these feelings time and time again! The good news is our programs for emerging leaders are designed with you in mind
About Us
Who am i?!
Hi there, I'm Sonia - your "tour guide", coach, mentor, visionary and coffee-obsessed leadership support-system. Over the last 20+ years I've been in leadership roles from "lead" to the "C - Suite" and everything in-between.
I know what it takes to not only survive but THRIVE as a leader. I understand the stressors, the burnout, the frustrations. I also have a TON of stories of successful teams, amazing achievements and massive transformations. It's a rollercoaster but it's a thrilling ride!
OK now for the "academic" part: I'm a Registered Nurse by training, however, I spent most of my career in medicine in a leadership role. I have my masters degree in Clinical Systems Leadership (fancy language for: leadership in healthcare), and I excel at building strong successful teams and confident leaders.
In addition to this, I have over 30 years of experience (aka: obsession) with horses. (What's with the horses?! Read on!)
Who are you?!
Perhaps you're a brand-new leader or someone considering pursuing a leadership role. If so BRAVO!!! and THANK YOU for investing in your leadership skill set early on in the process. We all have those "bad boss" stories - they are often born of leaders who were thrust into a role with no prior knowledge, experience or TRAINING to prepare them for the world of leadership and management.
Maybe you're a seasoned leader looking for a new tactic, an edge over the competition. Perhaps your team is struggling and so in your amazing wisdom you are looking within for a solution, or considering team-training with me after you take the leadership course yourself. Either way - awesome! Glad to meet you! Let's do this!
Even when we've "seen it all" there's always some new "Well that's a first!" waiting for us around the corner. I can help you build a toolbox that equips you for all of them! From our Emerging Leaders programs to full corporate equine retreats we have you covered.
What's with the horses?!
So, what's the deal with the horses?!
Horses work together in a herd in much the same way as humans function in a team environment. They are a living, breathing example of balanced teamwork, and they give us immediate feedback on how we are showing up and participating in that team dynamic so we can apply new methods right away and see the result of that effort. What they can teach us about working in a team is the true meaning of COLLABORATIVE leadership and teamwork.
They also remind us to be fully present in the moment. To be aware, open to change and input, and grounded in ourselves. We can learn how to "shake it off" or "return to grazing" as we call it in the horse world, and they are master teachers at personal boundaries, respect, and honoring ourselves AND our team members (not one or the other) as our contribution to the health and wellbeing of the herd.
Learning leadership skills collaboratively with horses makes an immediate and lasting impression!
Horse experience is not required to participate as we do all of the work from the ground and you only interact to your comfort level. They can speak to you from 50 yards away - no joke!
Want to know more about horses and how they function in a leadership training environment? Click the button:
How I Can Help
How I can help you
It's not rocket science right?! We've heard that once or twice before. Here's the thing though - it's WORSE! (Wait...what?!). Rocket Scientists get YEARS of education before they ever set foot in a lab, and even then they're paired up, given smaller responsibilities before they take on more, and eventually they might actually send a rocket into space.
As a leader, how many years have you had FORMAL leadership training? I'm not talking about your chosen field (medical, commerce, customer service, manufacturing, etc), I'm talking strictly about leadership skills.
Why is it we thrust people into leadership roles expecting them to be successful when we rarely invest in their leadership training or mentorship BEFORE we ask them to take on the role?
Leadership is its OWN profession. It has a unique skill set. It demands focused training, experience, and support to ensure you can be successful; yet organizations rarely invest in their emerging leaders and then expect them to be strong confident leaders who are creating successful teams. OK, enough of my soap box. I'm glad you're here, so let's get to it!
Options
Online self- paced emerging leader course
Want to learn at your own pace? No problem! Our emerging leadership content is available in a 12- module fully online program that you can take at your own pace!
You will have access to a membership website, forums to discuss each lesson further with other enrollees, and ample opportunity to chat with me about the concepts and ask for clarification or expansion on a module. I will also host periodic live events as well, so stay glued to the membership site to find out more!
At the end of this course you will be prepared with a deeper understanding of your personal leadership style, how to move through each style with ease, how your internal narrative impacts your leadership style, practical application of these skills to help you tackle the toughest personnel, project, and team-based challenges, and how to guide each employee to being a balanced and successful member of the team.
Online virtual classroom emerging leader course
Prefer to interact with like-minded leaders and have the opportunity to learn from Sonia real-time? No problem! Our emerging leadership content is available in a weekly virtual classroom environment over a 12-week period.
You will have access to the private Facebook group which holds all print materials, interactive chat, links to the virtual classroom setting, and more!
At the end of this course you will be prepared with a deeper understanding of your personal leadership style, how to move through each style with ease, how your internal narrative impacts your leadership style, practical application of these skills to help you tackle the toughest personnel, project, and team-based challenges, and how to guide each employee to being a balanced and successful member of the team.
in-person 2 day workshop on-site
Come out to our location in Stanwood, WA and spend two days with 3 to 5 of your soon-to-be new best buds and our herd to participate in our emerging leaders program in a small group format over the course of two days.
Each day is structured to build on the prior content, going deeper each time. The general outline has you learning about your current strengths and weaknesses in your leadership and what key areas of focus you may have. We then cover a few key concepts in a lecture format, before putting those concepts to practice with the horses.
There is always time provided immediately following each exercise to journal and reflect so you can take those "ah ha!" moments back to the office with you and put them into immediate practice.
All work with the horses is done from the ground and at your comfort level, so please let me know if you are not comfortable being around horses, I can accommodate that within the learning environment, no problem!
One on One Personalized Coaching
Do you do better in a one on one environment? Not to worry, we can do that too! Drop me a quick line letting me know what you need and we will schedule time to chat and set up a customized package that fits your needs. From private mentorship for emerging leaders to corporate equine retreats for your entire team, we can accommodate your needs. We can meet on site, virtually, or both!