Hi, I’m Paula.

Like yours, my story has many twists and turns, some of which did not make sense at the time and others which left me baffled. But with the support of wise voices, I learned to navigate rocky paths and create a life I truly love. Despite challenges and obstacles, I believe we each can create a flourishing joy-filled life. And that is what I want to help you do!

Although I will never be an expert in anyone's life but my own, my experiences have equipped me to connect across cultures, identities, ages and stages of life. I grew up in Mexico City in a family that opened its doors and hearts to the many people who came into our lives. Motivated by a desire to make a difference in the world, I earned my bachelor's degree in nutrition and a MPH in Global Health. I loved applying what I had learned while working in refugee camps in Thailand, alongside community health workers in rural communities in Africa and Latin America, and in urban health clinics serving immigrant populations in the US.

Even though I felt my early work was impactful, I was frustrated that we couldn't do more to help a world that had so much hurt and so much need. A moment of clarity came when I saw concrete examples of how education, and particularly educating women and girls, led to healthier and more prosperous communities that stayed healthier and more prosperous long after aid trucks pulled out and international staff went home. I wanted to be a part of that movement, so I embarked on a PhD in International Education.

I thought I was headed to a long and promising career, but life, like it so often does, had other plans for me. During my masters, I met my husband John, and by the time I completed my PhD, I had two lively toddlers enriching my life. Two became three, and maybe out of sheer exhaustion. or, more likely, not not knowing how to pivot to embrace the changing needs of a growing family while balancing my career, I put that degree on the shelf for the next 20 years. Although I had several part-time and volunteered most of the time, I was unsatisfied. I really could have used a coach!

Relaunching a career after raising my three children seemed overwhelming. The distance from odd jobs to the career I wanted was too big. I recognized that I needed a bridge to span that gap, so I went back to university to refresh my skills and rebuild my confidence. Fortunately, at this point I found a coach! They were an important piece of my journey to a fulfilling professional life that leveraged my education and experience in making the world a better place.

Through my winding career path, I have worked for profit and nonprofit organizations — social service agencies, international development NGOs, faith institutions, and social impact consultancies. In these different work places, my roles have ranged from assistant to project manager, senior consultant to director, VP of People and now coach and small business owner.

Like my own, no one's path is a straight paved road. It's through the ups and downs, detours and switchbacks that we each chart our own life. Do you know where you want your path to lead? Would you like support designing your own joy-filled life?