KIRSTEN MONTANARI
My closest friend would describe me as:
“Fierce in the pursuit of your passions, magnetic in your energy and generous in your listening. Your wisdom always erupts from surprising places and hits me like a tidal wave. You’re prone to cycles of burnout and rebirth, like a phoenix… oh and you’re the most enjoyable person on Earth to spend an entire day on a porch with.”
~Kirsten’s best friend Becca
One belief that I have that influences my approach to coaching is:
Sharing my subjective truth compassionately and with humility, no matter how inspiring or painful, is the bare minimum of what I must offer the people I value in my life.
One way I’ve challenged a norm or taken a leap in my life is:
FROM: Facilitating wilderness therapeutic intervention with young adults
TO: Serving as a human centered designer in large corporations with professionals across all stages of career development
My story:
It’s a Russian doll of other stories. I grew up in several other countries in local schools. I learned that history, ceremony and collective culture were things I longed for as a US citizen.
I took a love of cultural immersion into college, where I studied anthropology and geography and joined an outdoor club at the University of Florida. My Florida friends and I would fondly fantasize about far away lands, with mountains and glaciers and seasons. I learned that a good community is one that makes every day life an adventure.
After working overseas for a few years doing anything from teaching environmental education on a barge in Thailand to managing farm stays in Scotland, I moved to Utah and Oregon to work in wilderness therapy. I learned that our deepest, most painful needs as humans are shared.
I then completed a MBA and a MA in Industrial Organizational Psychology. I met this vivacious woman Barbara Patchen from the weird company named Stoked. Ever since this collision, I’ve been deeply honored to co-design education and innovation experiences for our clients. Being an Un-Professional to me means being comfortable sharing my story confidently, in my own language, on my company’s website. I feel the space between my personal and professional selves dissolve a little more each day at Stoked, which I am so grateful for.
My coaching style is:
Digging Deeper:
Here are a few photos that tell you more about me. What do you notice?
