about us
We learn about your organization by listening. Our collective learning then guides the vision for organizational development
coaches
My purpose: To seek connection and healing through understanding.
I have a passion for working with leaders, managers and teams. I have spent over 30 years in the hospitality industry as a chef and an executive working in sales and marketing, operations, and national and regional oversight. Most of my career was spent as a “command and control” manager. Somewhere in my career, I began to see that the command and control method was not very effective, and it left me feeling unsatisfied as a manager. I began to dedicate myself to learning how to be a better leader. After some success, I began to see that the key to having a well-run organization and a good life as a leader is the development of leadership within the organization. What I saw was that the command and control style actually fostered disengagement in others. With this new understanding, my vision of creating well-being for all of the individuals in an organization was starting to emerge.
With the guidance of William Stockton, developer of the Mobius Model communications tool, I began forming my own interpretation of facilitative leadership. It is a very effective way for any leader to engage people at all levels in organizations in order to create intentional cultures and visions for change. It gives me and other leaders an exciting way to create higher levels of well-being in our organizations.
I consider 2011, the year that I began the practice of organizational development. Since then, I have been supporting leaders and teams as an individual consultant and as an associate at Growing Edge Facilitation.
carl
blanz
michelle
Nordhougen
My purpose: To cultivate passion, possibility, and joy by way of careful observation and active appreciation.
I began work in the restaurant industry in 1998 as co-owner of Chet’s Taverna, a chef-run restaurant in St. Paul. Previous to that I worked for many years with vulnerable adults, supervising teams of counselors and caregivers in residential settings. Both roles required flexibility, attention to detail, and an interest in working collaboratively. These professional opportunities taught me that I can never have all the answers. Progress and success require building trust, deep listening, and an openness to learning with others.
For the last decade, in my role in human resources and development with Alma Group, I have collaborated in the development of many HR and organizational systems and been a part of amazing cultures of commitment in a learning organization. As part of the leadership team, there were many opportunities to experience and contribute to the dynamic activity of human development, performance management, and business growth.
Currently, as a partner at Growing Edge Facilitation, I work alongside creative individuals and teams to explore the passion and possibility inherent in all of us. Seeking answers and pursuing outcomes while challenging others and myself activates my lifelong calling as a poet-philosopher. I am grateful to live this work of discovery every day with my husband and three children, as well as in unique professional environments, amazing restaurants, and various meeting spaces.
My purpose: I consistently challenge my comfort zone for the sake of learning and growth to inspire myself and others to be the best version of themselves
For the last 15 years, I have been a dedicated hospitality professional.
My career began with a passion to serve and curate memorable experiences for people. My vision was simple, to learn from those that inspired and challenged me, and to work for the ‘best’ in the restaurant industry. That vision took me on a journey from New York City, working for some top chefs like Daniel Boulud (Café Boulud), Michael White (Marea | Vaucluse) and Markus Glocker (Bâtard) to San Francisco with Nancy Oakes (Boulevard).
I knew I wanted to be a part of a great team and organization, and contribute to that success. I was truly in my zone when I was sharing the knowledge and experience I’d gained with others, and simultaneously observing and learning from those around me.
My years in restaurant service operations led me to a profound realization that leadership meant something way different than I had originally thought, that the way I was showing up was actually really important. I became very curious about personal development and how I could improve myself and be an agent for the positive change I sought. A turning point came in early 2013 when I attended a retreat called the Hoffman Institute and got in touch with my ability to direct my life in a more empowered way. This led me to becoming a certified integral coach in 2014 through New Ventures West in San Francisco. I integrated behavioral practices in my life to be a more effective and compassionate leader. I had a vision to bring these principles to my work in the hospitality business, the industry that provided me so much through the years, and I now had recognized a path to being a part of making that happen.
The last 4 years I have been steadily transitioning from restaurant operations to coaching leaders and their teams to cultivate satisfying work cultures.
I have been honored to collaborate along the way with boutique consulting firms Salt & Roe (MN) and Kate Edwards & Company (NYC) while making my way to currently being partnered with Growing Edge Facilitation. I am humbled to be in a position to serve people in a way that feels like a calling to me, and I am equally grateful to be working with individuals truly committed to each other's learning and success.
patrick
o'briEn
My purpose for the past thirty years has been,
to help create joy, harmony, and beauty through relationships”.
I have pursued this purpose by practicing the art and science of organizational development, as well as by working as a facilitative leader, first in my own business ventures, and then in all sectors private, public, and nonprofit. I have developed my skills as a coach to leaders and as a facilitator of leadership teams. My greatest skill is active listening, which when applied, opens the way to creative and collaborative communication. With creative communication as a commitment, as well as the tools to help leaders in creating alignment behind a vision, my career has been very rewarding.
By claiming my own authentic voice I can support others in claiming theirs, and have a great appreciation for the learning I am afforded from my interaction with clients. Learning organizations are a key to our thriving as a culture, and it is through our participation in each others development that we are best able to learn and create organizations that support our collective well being.
Supporting this type of positive change in organizations and communities is my intention and my capability. My capacity to achieve this goal has been proven in many large and small ways. I invite your inquiry with this list of past and present clients to hear testimonials to my ability to contribute.
Chief Financial Health Officer
At this grand age now of 74, I am sure that I have for most of my life been an artist. I have pursued a creative life in all of my chosen paths from Cosmetology, Marriage, Massage Therapy, Motherhood, Emotional Release Work, Couples Coaching, Grandmotherhood, and for the last 20 years Chief Financial Officer for Growing Edge Facilitation.
My desire for direct communication, along with an ability to be in touch with what my heart knows supports me in being a key contributor in creating the culture at Growing Edge. My eye for beauty and precision supports us having accurate and up to date financial information that we need to make the best decisions in our business every day. A clean set of numbers is a beautiful thing to behold.
As a partner, and coach to Patrick O’Brien for the last 51 years, I have acquired great patience in listening, and guiding leaders creatively.
