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MEET OUR COACHES
Amanda L. Smith
From barn to boardroom, as you might hear her reference, Dr. Amanda Lynne Smith believes that there are universal truths that reveal themselves both internally and externally when we cultivate curiosity, take risks, and seek a state of flow. These truths help to illuminate our path and better understand who we are and the gifts we have to give.
At the intersections of executive leadership, a heart for paying it forward, and a life-long partnership with horses - Amanda finds great joy in helping others better understand the role that patience, perseverance, humility, strength, service and stewardship plays - as it relates to ones’ personal and professional pursuits.
Dr. Smith is the founder of Pick Up The Lead and has over 20 years of experience developing people and teams while working in education management and executive leadership. As an industry expert within her field, she has held the role of Vice President, Senior Vice President, Vice Provost and Chief Academic Officer while championing the personal and professional growth of her peers, team members and colleagues, as well as the general health and wellness of individuals internal and external to the organizations that she has worked for.
Amanda’s approach to all of the above has been shaped by her lived experiences and in particular her doctoral research on aesthetic practices for teaching and learning. Dr. Smith holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Denver, a M.Ed. in Cross Cultural Studies in Education from National University, Fresno; and a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from California State University, Fresno.
Rachel Jones
Rachel Jones is an innovative, impact-focused education leader with over fifteen years of experience dedicated to teaching, education management, curriculum development, academic coaching, and consulting. Rachel holds a Masters in Reading Education from Stetson University and a Bachelors/Reading Endorsement in Elementary Education from Purdue University. Over the course of her career, she has worked in PK12, higher education and private sector settings, positively impacting students through direct instruction, technology implementations, course development, and operational projects across in-person, virtual, and hybrid learning environments. She is currently the Vice President of Education and Impact at InPursuit, where she leverages her experience to support nonprofits, educational institutions and businesses in their pursuit of organizational excellence through a variety of consulting services.
Rachel's personal mantra, inspired by Simon Sinek, is "Find your why and pursue it." She holds this close to her heart, and like an affirmation, uses it to guide how she approaches all components of her career. In each unique partnership, she analyzes how she can support her clients to achieve tangible outcomes while making a true impact on their personal growth, organizations and communities as a whole. This is achieved through services such as fractional departmental support, leadership training, professional development, curriculum and instruction support...and more! Rachel prioritizes inclusivity, building mutual respect, producing quality work and achieving small, manageable goals while continuing to dream big! She places these values front and center with each unique relationship she cultivates.
To learn more about Rachel check out:
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The InPursuit Podcast (Find it anywhere you listen to your podcasts!)
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LinkedIn: Rachel Jones-https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-jones-8a139a13/
Randal Schober
Randal Schober is a tenured professor of management at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego where he teaches and mentors the concept of an ‘entrepreneurial mindset’ and the importance of creating value in our lives both personally and professionally. Schober facilitates ideation and innovation workshops and is co-founder of ‘datachild’ whose aim is to study methods and design technologies that accelerate creative thinking. As a faith-based entrepreneur, he believes we all have unique & significant gifts to contribute to the world.
Schober consults in the innovation space specializing in validating new business ideas and building sustainable business models. As a coach and mentor, he helps individuals pursue lifelong passion projects and guides in their successful creation and execution. Schober has extensive experience in established businesses utilizing design sprints and building strategic plans to bring a new product or service to market.
Website: randalschober.com
Sarahbeth Berk
Dr. Sarabeth Berk is the leading expert on hybrid professional identity, and a hybrid professional herself. She was featured in Forbes, and is a TEDx speaker and author of More Than My Title. Her hybrid title is Creative Disruptor because she works at the intersection of being an artist, researcher, educator, and designer. Through groundbreaking research, Sarabeth developed a one-of-a-kind approach that takes personal branding and career development to a whole new level. Today, she helps professionals discover and articulate their hybrid professional identity and unique value in the workforce. As a result, her clients feel more seen, empowered and confident, and teams recognize each other as more than their job titles, valuing the critical yet different roles of experts, generalists, and hybrids in the workforce.
Sarabeth offers a cohort-based course on how to decode and brand your hybrid professional identity a few times per year and is available for speaking events, workshops, and professional development opportunities.
Learn more at www.morethanmytitle.com and watch her TEDx Talk: Are you a hybrid professional?, and buy her book on Amazon.
Marty Osbourn O’Daniel
Marty Osbourne O’Daniel is an RN, a certified clinical research coordinator, an artist, entrepreneur, and heart-led mentor.
As the Chief Operating Officer of Kentucky Pediatric Adult Research she has been training and mentoring healthcare professionals since 1991 to conduct clinical research of the highest standards and of impeccable quality. Over the course of her career, she has managed over 500 clinical trials in a wide range of therapeutic areas, including vaccine research. When the pandemic began in 2020, her research site was chosen to conduct one of the first COVID-19 vaccine trials. Reflecting on her years in clinical research, she’s proud to say that leading the COVID-19 trials was one of the most important and challenging work of her life.
On a personal note, Marty feels that her life experiences have enabled a pathway to transition and progress. From embracing being the mother of three boys to juggling a stressful career to surviving divorce and an abusive relationship to ultimately finding true, deep and unconditional love she has reinvented her life into one with great fulfillment. In 2017 and with the encouragement of her husband she unexpectedly discovered a passion for creating fine art. In the midst of the pandemic and intensive clinical research trials, Marty’s art became a way of navigating her stressful workdays and finding a way to refocus and restore her mind. Through the instinctual and impulsive strokes of the paintbrush Marty found freedom and a place without limitation.
“If I had not cried all those tears,” she says, “I would not have the incredible life full of smiles that I have now.” Marty believes that there is purpose in everything – even in the hard parts of life. She knows that when it comes to our journeys in life, nothing is random, and we are capable of far more than we ever imagined.
Learn more about Marty and her artwork at www.martimarart.com
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Victoria Peaslee
Victoria is an educator at heart with a desire to challenge others to realize their potential. Her
studies in psychology, the arts and education provide her with a diverse perspective and a robust expertise across an array of personal and professional topics. A natural born educator, Victoria has taught subject matter ranging from psychology, critical thinking, and the sciences – to curriculum, instruction, and learning technology across levels and sectors.
Passionate about data and technology, Victoria’s has over a decade of experience helping others transform knowledge into practice through virtual experiential learning. She believes that to meet individuals where they are, and to fully understand their goals as it relates to real-world problems, solutions, and applications – a dedicated, strategic and empathetic approach is required.
Victoria’s expertise in learning development, strategic learning solutions, business strategy, leadership, instructional design, corporate training and design structures - offers individuals with similar interests the opportunity to connect with a like-minded and success-oriented thought-partner, coach and mentor.
Carrie Elizabeth Christoff
Dr. Carrie Christoff began her career over 20 years ago in the preK-12 setting as a school psychologist. Within a few years, she leveraged her background in curriculum, instruction, assessment, and diverse learning and behavioral strategies to progress as an educational leader, in hopes of influencing not just individuals but also systems. She earned her doctorate in Education Science while serving in various administrative roles. In the past decade, she accelerated her passions for leadership to the higher education setting. Carrie has established herself as a leader in systems change, best demonstrated by her relentless pursuit to embody and then enable in others what she has found are the pivotal tenets of sound leadership: adopt a growth mindset, seek continuous improvement, and use data to inform decisions.
Through principles of servant, transformational, and collective leadership, Carrie mentors new and evolving leaders who seek to elevate their effectiveness as leaders of teams and/or other leaders, specifically those operating in rapidly changing systems that require balancing policy, procedure, and process with a learner-centered mission. She provides a unique perspective to both understand the big picture and attend to the necessary details to get work done. It is within this dynamic, responsive employment of soft and hard skills that leaders can optimally embrace challenges and ultimately achieve successes. With that end in mind, she also offers consultation on a variety of technical skills in addition to leadership practices.
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Organizing initiatives;
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Identifying & reporting on measures of success
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Facilitating meetings;
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Creating presentations;
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Using spreadsheets and other tools to represent data;
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Establishing communities of practice;
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Designing and implementing professional development and coaching protocols;
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Conducting and leveraging outcomes of staff management (from hiring, to growing, to exiting), program evaluations, and focus groups for organizational improvement.
Each engagement with Carrie is specifically tailored to you, first by completing a brief assessment, followed by a motivational interview. Together, you and Carrie will identify areas of strength and opportunity to construct an individualized leadership growth plan, including specific goals for you and she to work toward your desired level of attainment.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carrieechristoff/
Liz Iracki
Liz Iracki is a Santa Monica-based creative strategist and community builder who currently leads development for strategic initiatives of the provost of Loyola Marymount University. Liz is also a painter and muralist whose abstracted environments are placed in residential, hospitality, educational, and commercial settings across the globe.
Liz has enjoyed a crooked line career path developing resources and business expansion opportunities for organizations in the fine art, technology, finance, and higher education industries. Liz believes in taking gut-centered, calculated risks to live a life beyond imagination. She is interested in how building interpersonal relationships can foster community connections and how developing the right partnerships can amplify the best life experience. Her coaching focuses on helping others to unlock their unconscious yearnings, knock down perceived and real barriers to achieve dreams, and nurture the right colleague, community, friendship, and romantic relationships to amplify an exquisite life experience.
Learn more at liziracki.com
Donna B. Marqués
Donna Marqués is a bilingual educational expert who has taught all levels of Spanish from middle school through university level courses. Additionally, she designs curriculum and multi-modality courses in all subject areas. Donna also trains and inspires educators across the nation to employ best pedagogical practices in a variety of life scenarios. She holds several degrees and certificates: a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Linguistics from the University of California at Irvine, a master’s degree in Spanish Literature from New York University, a BCLAD from National University, and an Online Teaching Certificate from MiraCosta College.
Donna views life through a multi-cultural lens; she believes that all people have strengths that need to be fostered in a positive and supportive environment. She began her career working with at-risk youths in the inner city of San Diego. Her career has blossomed and moved her in a direction that now offers her the opportunity to mentor like-minded individuals that value diversity and are willing to take risks by choosing the road less traveled. Donna’s expertise can help you in any career path, all you need is an open mind and the willingness to explore areas of yourself that have not yet been discovered.
Marcus Crayton
Dr. Marcus Crayton has over fifteen years of experience in academia primarily working in adult education. His educational background includes a Doctor of Philosophy in Organization & Management and a Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing.
Marcus has robust experience working with stakeholders from various universities throughout the nation to help address the growing need for workforce relevant online instruction. He has served as a college professor implementing student retention initiatives, coordinating institutional effectiveness strategies, and supporting student successes as an academic advisor. In addition he has worked to directly serve students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and populations, as well as having managed programs, designed courses, and taught undergraduate and graduate students as faculty at traditional and online institutions.
Dr. Crayton’s deep-rooted passion in helping others succeed is also fueled by his belief in taking care of one’s health and wellness – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He believes that we find the right balance by not taking life too seriously and in looking to our hobbies and past-times to find joy, laughter and inner peace. Marcus cultivates these things in his own life by spending time near the lake trying his luck at fishing because he immensely enjoys the rush of adrenaline when the fish are biting and the tranquility he experiences by being near the water’s edge. Similarly, he spends a great deal of time training and teaching martial arts for its challenges and its reward and the immense amount of discipline and satisfaction that is a part of his practice.
Marcus brings this wealth of perspectives and experiences to those he coaches and mentors. As a person with a heart to serve others, he looks forward to contributing his time and expertise to supporting individuals in their personal and professional journeys.