“Strive therefore day by day that your actions may be beautiful prayers.” Abdul Baha
“It’s never too late to live the life you are proud of.” F. Scott Fitzgerald
A visionary and “practician” since I can remember, I have been driven by a vision that there is a better way and that it is possible to put it into action, even on a grand scale, even when it seems impossible and even through life’s obstacles, which sometimes made it seem very far away. Also a spiritual seeker with a humanitarian heart, a left and right brain thinker, I have been equally driven to make my way through these obstacles, do my best to become my best and be a part of the “change” I wish to see. Which I’ve expressed in different ways through my camera and consulting since 2000.
And, after having woven my way through an over 10 year journey through a “mystery illness” (now mostly demystified) upon returning from Cameroon, Africa, as a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1995, while in parallel learning the in’s and out’s of both western & alternative health approaches as both a consultant and patient, a new awareness and drive to “broaden” the definition of health, it’s link to “potential” and how to attain it for myself and others became very strong, and has served as an unplanned catalyst for the work I do today.
Looking back, I see now that I have been on the forefront of human progress without realizing it, through both my healing path, photography explorations of people and training/organizational development work helping large groups of people work better together and adapt to changing technology, healthcare and diversity trends. Seeing now through eyes of being healthy, feeling good & living a more inspired life after many years where that was a challenge, I also now see the full-circle that has brought me to my unfolding future.
With that said, going forward, I am intentionally directing my focus to the front lines of advancing health & potential for more people, further broadening it’s definition and offering my diverse passions, expertise and skill sets to do so.
In terms of some concretes about what I bring to the table:
- Over 15 years of providing training /organizational development services for large scale projects in healthcare, nonprofit and corporate to adapt to growing technology, healthcare & diversity trends
- Over 10 years photographing people of diverse cultural backgrounds, & producing/directing occasional video projects (1 year providing all aspects of Video Production (Videography, Editing, Production, Direction)
- 11 years experience as a small business owner, 2 years coaching other business owners
- Over 15 years personal experience healing self, & learning & applying a wide range of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual tools
- 29 photo exhibitions
- BA in Psychology with a minor in Photography and certifications in Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Resolving Intercultural Conflict, Industrial Relations, Corporate Transformation Tools, nutraMetrix, Get Clients Now Coaching, Awakened Wisdom Coaching, Agents of Conscious Evolution
- Ongoing intercultural experience both personally and professionally, with specific project work in Somali, Latino and West African communities
- French and Spanish language skills
- Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, Africa doing health education, small business development and photographing day to day village life
- Project Director for “Changing Communities: Willmar” a community wide-initiative on cultural competency due to growing Somali and Latino population in rural primarily Scandinavian community, through The Center for Cross-Cultural Health, funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
- Unfranchise Owner since 2008, a business strategy to implement wellness solutions, build leveraged income & coach individuals, healthcare providers & non profits to do the same
