Hi, I’m Kari (she/her/hers)
Recognized as one of the top coaches in DC, I’ve dedicated my career to people — as teacher, a leader in government and a Fortune 500 company, volunteer, actor, event planner, and more.
I nerd out about supporting glitterbombs through those moments when you’re finally ready for something that’s uniquely and dynamically yours. I bring kindness, empathy, and play to our coaching conversations.
I’m certified and trained in a wide range of coaching models and techniques, so that I can focus on bringing inclusive, ethical, and holistic growth to you. With a side of laughter, of course.
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When clients work with me, I give them the opportunity to dig within themselves and unlock and unleash something that is for them, that is unique and dynamic to them.
There have been times in my life–in new social situations, as a young executive– when I forced myself to behave in a way that was inauthentic.
I tried to become someone I wasn’t because I thought that would help me succeed. I allowed my voice to be made smaller and my presence a little less flashy. Women who I looked to for support or who offered to mentor me often had an agenda of their own and they encouraged me to:
Take up less space- Be small, fit in and don’t make a mess.
Speak quietly- Conduct polite conversation in agreeable tones and cede knowledge to those who have legacy places at the table.
Act more like a man- FFS, this one boils my blood. It’s absolute, patriarchal, misogynistic bullshit.
Downplay my authentic self- Don’t be who you are, be who we want you to be.
I didn’t know how to speak up for myself or who to reach out to for nontraditional mentorship, coaching, and guidance. I was afraid that by asking I would be admitting that I was an imposter, unqualified or undeserving of my achievements. And honestly, that I was weak.
It took me a very long time to crawl out of the hole I shoved myself into and to own that I’m less conventional than what’s “normal”. It took me a very long time to own that I’m less conventional than what’s “expected”.
But now, I know that my timeline was… okay.
In fact, it’s more than okay.
When I finally breathed my true self into my work and my interactions with those around me in the various roles I was playing at (instead of living as), my ability to get things done exploded.
Once I let go of the stale/male/pale way of doing things, I felt better in my own skin. I became, unapologetically, me.
This is what sparked my coaching journey.
This is what Uproar does every day: it brings you opportunities to discover and amplify the things that make you, you. To choose you above everything else. To say Hell Yes. To lead and live with confidence because of the things that make you a glitterbomb, not in spite of them.
And most importantly, to feel heard, seen, supported, and supercharged.
Trusted, Trained and Certified
Being a coach is a privilege and a responsibility - you don’t have to be trained or certified to be a coach, but I am, for this reason.
Coaching
Heather Lynn & Co, Trauma Informed Leadership Coaching
International Coach Federation, Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
Academy of Creative Coaching, Certified Professional Coach
Association of Change Management Professionals, Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP)
Everything Else
Hogan Assessments, Certified Hogan Personality Assessment Facilitator
Mental Health First Aid, National Council for Behavioral Health
Cloverleaf, DISC Certified Assessment Provider
The Futures School (Kedge), Applied Foresight Accelerator
ELI, Licensed Civil Treatment trainer (Leaders and Employees)
PROSCI, Certified Change Management Practitioner
My Coaching Philosophies
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Be weird. Always.
And let’s celebrate it instead of apologizing for it.
Life is so much better and so much more fun when you let go of who you think they want you to be and embrace and lean into who you are. The world needs it just as much as you deserve it.
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Sing out, even if you’re tone deaf.
There is so much power and impact when you unleash the things that make you special, especially if you’re doing it because it’s something you love regardless of how good you are. Loud and proud. Strong and wrong.
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Your business, your rules.
Don’t play by the rules that other people who don’t know you have established for you, especially if they keep moving the line. The male/pale/stale way of doing things will hold you back. By understanding what’s important to you and what you value, and having even the slightest glimmer of where you want to go, you get to create your own playbook. And since it’s yours, you get to organically adapt when something doesn’t feel right.
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Cry hard. Laugh harder.
It’s okay to have a bad day and discharge that energy through tears. It’s more important to laugh at yourself, at the situations that present themselves to you; from embarrassment or delight. Make room for both, and make sure that your tears nourish and your laughter enriches. Laughter is contagious, and it will attract your people to you.
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Go big or go fuck yourself.
This is my personal philosophy, but it applies to coaching, too. Take the big swing (or as big as you feel safe taking). Reach high, then reach higher. Bold moves, big choices, healthy ego, rebound fast from the oops.
My Approach to Coaching
When I show up for my clients, I am responsible for:
holding space for you during a vulnerable time
ethical behavior and confidentiality
my honesty and presence
calling you on your bullshit so that you can be honest and present for yourself
honoring and respecting the person you are today and supporting you towards the person you want to be.
Because of this, I invest in myself and my training and certifications as much as I ask you to invest in yourself.
Some coaches are stuck in specific models or methodologies, but not me. We go with your flow, and I’m here to adapt to you. We spend time where you want and need to spend time. Wherever you are, I’ll be, too.
You won't feel rushed or prescribed, directed or judged; ever.