About

I’ll get into my qualifications shortly, but first let me tell you why I do what I do.

Since I can remember, I’ve felt called to “greatness” – like I was meant to make a massive impact on the world. In kindergarten, I was assigned to add crayon-color to a Pinocchio outline. I colored my heart out. I used every color, and colored outside the lines more than in, but I thought this crayon-colored-Pinocchio was a masterpiece. My teacher took a look at my work of art, and scribbled on the paper, “You can do better, Derek.” I RAN home to my mom, shoved the drawing in her hands, and exclaimed, “Look Mom! My teacher says I can do better! I can do better than my WHOLE class!” I believed in myself! I would be GREAT!

I spent a lot of my life looking for that thing that would propel me into that greatness. Would I be the next Steve Jobs? A military general officer? Maverick from Top Gun? Looking back, it’s funny that I wanted to be the “next” big thing instead of just becoming the best version of me.

I tried a few different majors in college then decided to join the US Air Force as an officer. It was there that I found passion in the art of leadership, personal development, and developing others.

I was a driven perfectionist and was largely rewarded for those traits. The Air Force provided me many incredible opportunities, and at times, I was literally part of history. I’ve briefed the President, the Secretary of Defense, Service Secretaries and Chiefs, and hundreds of other general officers and senior civilians. I developed a reputation for integrity, poise, and diplomacy under pressure. I learned I had a gift for communicating (sometimes difficult) messages to senior leaders in a way that they respected and appreciated. I earned many awards, received glowing evaluations, and spent 13 years being a “High Achiever” in the Air Force.

Despite the accolades and the satisfaction of serving my country, I was largely unfulfilled.

I was frustrated that although I was “successful” and great at what I did, I was unhappy. I had let external sources define what success was. I felt like a different person at work than I was at home. That bothered me.

After my time in the service, I became resolute in becoming authentic so that I could be the same person, no matter where I was and who I was with. I did some heavy lifting with what I valued, who I chose to be as a leader, and years (yes, years) later I was open enough to really begin the work. The key was being open to receiving.

I thought my gifts of listening, discernment, and empathy were leading me to a career as a marriage and family therapist. I embarked on that journey and quickly found that although I loved a lot about that career option, it wasn’t for me. Something was still missing. That sense of greatness still called.

One of my mentors introduced me to coaching. As I dove in, I had an epiphany, the greatness I had been searching for was not about ME, it was about using my gifts to elevate others. To SERVE.

I hired a coach, and I began to transform into a balanced man, full of joy. I hired another coach, discovered my true gifts, and began honing them. I learned that the stories I had told myself or believed from others, were in fact just stories. I removed those limitations and created peace, clarity, and a sense of balance I hadn’t had since being a care-free child.

My true gift is in powerful presence. You speak, I listen. In that space, I serve as a guide as you create your dreams and build action plans to spring into them. After all, a dream without action is just a wish. Most importantly, I help you shift your way of BEing into the confident leader and creator of your life you are meant to be.

Hiring coaches helped me create the best life I can imagine. If you’re reading this, chances are it can help you, too!