My STORY

My life has been full of transitions, explorations, gifts and hardships. This is true for most I think. I’ve grown from them all. 

My journey was certainly not my ‘plan’, and my current work not a ‘goal’ visualized 10 years ago. I am grateful for the journey.

I’m a steward, coach and facilitator. I love working with people, groups and teams wanting to be exceptionally conscious leaders and beings. And I love working with nature.

A well loved former job was as a professional landscape designer. I find many of the skills I developed then still align and strongly support my coaching work as well.

Lessons, insights and patterns often thread together in unexpected ways.

I developed and honed many skills studying nature. And through my experiences and jobs with business development, sales, program management and teams.

These skills cross over to my current work as a life, leadership, developmental, enneagram and systems coach. As an entrepreneur, I’ve started several businesses, and currently co-own/ steward a nature focused retreat center business, Bend of Ivy Lodge.

I also worked in academia managing some programs/ processes at UNC - Chapel Hill, before making a leap to a new calling, with Intentional Growth LLC.

I coach leaders, entrepreneurs, business owners, change agents, coaches and wisdom explorers. I help clients cultivate self-awareness, inner growth, presence, resiliency and leadership capacities for today, and tomorrow. For living and leading well in complexity and uncertainty.

Nature is an incredible beautiful guide, and offers a generative space for awakening. That’s what our retreat center Bend of Ivy Lodge does for our clients’ and their work. It’s an environmentally focused retreat and education center.

BOI is part of our company Intentional Growth LLC (IG). As an entrepreneur, CEO, co-owner and steward, I understand creating and running a business, as well as managing teams.

I’m a wife, mom, mom-in-law, grandma, daughter, sister, colleague, leader and friend. Other roles include speaker, author, coach, facilitator, business owner, landscape designer, CEO and animal lover (loove dogs, goats and turtles).

Here’s some on my coaching approach, which is a blend of science and ancient wisdoms.

I help clients:

  • Engage and grow their self-awareness, presence and well-being.

  • Live and lead well. That includes sustainably .. with time, energy and money.

  • Explore purpose, intentions, presence, voice, clarity, transitions, self and other-awareness.

  • Create a meaningful and purposeful life.

  • Grow their Enneagram knowledge

I’m experienced with small and large organizations, start-ups, non-profits, and with individuals and groups. I’m a leadership coach for University of North Carolina's Systems BRIDGES program, a women's leadership initiative.

My Purpose

I coach those curious, ready and wanting to grow… their awareness, clarity, voice, decision-making and purpose. Those wanting to find and grow their true nature, with their gifts and authenticity.

Those wanting to live and lead with empowered intentional action.

I love supporting curious clients wanting intentional growth, manifesting and meaningful living. 

What's calling in you to be awaken, seen, explored, created, developed or changed?

As beloved Mary Oliver wrote “... Tell me, what is it you plan to do. With your one wild and precious life?”

 

“
He who knows others is learned. He who knows himself is wise.”
— Lao Tzu
Susan Headshot_Bren_006.jpg

certifications:

  • Certified Presence-Based® Coach

  • Many Accredited Enneagram programs: Integrative Enneagram Solutions (iEQ9), Aephoria Partners, Conscious Living and The Enneagram (Russ Hudson, Jessica Dibbs program), CP Enneagram Academy, Enneagram in Business.

  • Professional Certified Coach (PCC). Inter. Coaching Fed.

  • Certified, System Dynamics for Organizations and Individuals (SDOI) (Hellinger Institute of Netherlands)

  • Enneagram & Trauma, Business in Enneagram

  • Actualized Leader Profile (ALP) 

  • Graduate Certificate in Technology & Communications (UNC at Chapel Hill)

  • Masters in Landscape Studies (Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA)

  • B.S.,Marketing (Ohio State University)