I was born and raised in a small town in Vermont as Katherine Jeannette—my family called me Katy J. As a kid, I liked spending time with adults because they just made more sense to me than the chaos of the playground. My teachers recognized the quiet, empathetic, little leader in me and through my early years at school I was constantly recruited to partner up with the most challenging students in class. They just seemed to have better outcomes that way. But as a kid who loved learning and didn’t love constant chaos, I wasn’t exactly a fan of this approach.

So the summer before third grade, I decided I needed to come up with a plan to chart a new course for myself. Don’t ask me why, but I got it in my head that little girls named KATE were taken more seriously than their Katy/Katie counterparts (and no, I didn’t have any data to back this up). So on the first day of third grade when my teacher was taking attendance, and asking for our preferred names, I stood up and declared I wanted to be called Kate, thank you very much.

This was the beginning of a transformation where I learned to assert my boundaries and cultivate a more bold approach to learning and life. It was an important experience, and lasted for decades. Through those years I found myself living in Central and South America; working in international development, non-profits, education, small business operations, health insurance, and product management among other varied careers and hats. I returned to school twice to earn one master’s degree in public administration and another in integrative health studies. I am a lifelong learner and value ongoing personal and professional development in myself and others. Through this curious and winding path, I found a calling helping others to do this work in themselves as a national board certified coach.

Over time, I came to see the value in balancing the quiet with the bold, listening carefully and speaking thoughtfully, holding boundaries and honoring vulnerability. Thus, my practice, Katy J Health and Wellness, calls on both of these important ways of showing up in the world in a delicate dance of both/and.

AND ALSO, I like to have fun and goof around. My old desk-mates will tell you about the afternoons spent perfecting my southern, British, and Russian accents while talking myself through my work. I get a kick out of voicing the inner monologue of my dog, Luna, several times a day. I’m a dreadful rock climber, but I quite enjoy the practice of hauling myself up walls and shouting “BOMBS AWAY” from the top (just kidding, safety first, I say “take” but think “bombs away”). I’m a pretty decent cook, but more than that, I’ve developed an incredible system to organize delicious recipes and I can follow directions well enough to make many satisfying meals for my family. Got a good coffee shop or brewery with a view? Meet ya there!