In the beginning...

Elise learned to write her first business plan at the age of 23 while working in marketing at Reebok in the Women's Fitness division.  Even at that age, her interest in business strategy was always matched with a fascination about people at work - what gets them fired up, how do they work with others (or not...), how they learn and grow, why do they do what they do and say what they say... and who are they at their very best?

Later on...

After graduating from business school at Dartmouth (Tuck School of Business), she accepted a position with a prominent consulting firm working with large clients on organizational process change initiatives and growth strategies.  Leading and facilitating client teams, on-site 4 days per week for a few years was incredible learning about team dynamics and organizational systems.  Elise loved working with unbelievably smart clients and colleagues, and leading client meetings all-day-everyday to create co-designed solutions rather than "research and report writing, run-of-the-mill" consulting.

After a period at an internet start-up directing consumer marketing, then creating business strategies for small companies as an independent consultant, (and getting married and having two amazing sons) Elise started her formal training as a leadership and organizational coach in 2007.  Becoming professionally trained as a co-active coach through CTI and then getting her advanced certification in Organization and Systems Coaching through CRR brought completely new skills, depth and perspective to her work.

Fast forward...

Wanting to bring all of her interests, experience and innate talents together and wanting to build a service business that was truly "of service" to special clients, Elise founded Blue Sequoia Coaching & Consulting. 

When she's not doing the work she loves, her idea of a great time would be traveling with her husband and two sons adventuring in a foreign country or on an art and yoga retreat in some really beautiful tropical location.  Elise loves languages, and almost all kinds of music and books (the paper kind).  She's a native Chicagoan, but has lived in Brazil, London, Boston, New Hampshire, Washington, D.C., L.A. and finally San Francisco, which is now home and her most favorite U.S. city. 

She is constantly fascinated and awe-inspired by our capacity as human beings to grow and change, and loves being part of her clients’ transformation.