From the Desk of Kathleen

Thank you for checking out my Coaching Practice and Speaking Business at Build Your Courage.

Here on my website, you will find some info you can browse through so you have a chance to peek into my

heart, my passions, my history, and my credentials. This will allow you to get to know me a wee bit as you're

considering whether or not we are the right fit to work together in coaching or speaking for your event and

as you move forward toward more courage and leadership in your life!

I was born and raised on a working cattle ranch in Southern Colorado / Northern New Mexico. Family, 4-H, sports, and school were the major contributors to defining my life. I have been married to my college sweetheart for four plus decades and together we have been active members of our church for forty-two of those years. We love to travel and have enjoyed doing so in over twelve countries looking intentionally for the mountains we so love searching for in each.

We had the blessing of raising two amazing Sons, who married our two beautiful Daughters-in-law and they are parents of our 4 precious grandsons between them! Family time with our own immediate family, extended family, church family, and close friends hold some of our favorite memories ... and I LOVE walking my adorable little Morkie dog, Ber.

Courage has been forged in my life by the Lord over decades of life. Our marriage began with quite an unusual and extreme event. Four months into our marriage my husband was lost in the Rocky Mountains in a blizzard due to a commercial plane crash. Thankfully they were miraculously found, he with a broken back ... and he has fully recovered.

We had a house fire a year later and a few months later we gave birth to our first son Nathan who was a preemie by 3 months at only 2 lbs. 6 oz. Nathan was in the hospital in ICU for 15 months and was home for 3 months on a respirator and other medical support machines primarily under my care and coordination. After quite a medical battle he stepped into Heaven 18 months later, passing from heart failure, and grief and fear became my familiar companions.

This tragic season in life was followed by being a three-time breast cancer survivor and all that entails among other health challenges.

Due to some of these potentially major life altering events, fear challenged me then and sometimes still does. I have found that to combat fear I have determined I needed to immerse myself in:

A. The Lord and His Word.
B. The study of Courage and Leadership.

I love working with women who also seek to be more courageous and steadfast as leaders and thus, my coaching practice and speaking business were born.

My mission and commitment in coaching women or speaking to them is to help them “retreat” long enough to get an honest broad view of who they are, whose they are, and define the help they need in finding their desired result. With years of experience, working with amazing clients with similar worries and concerns … and by the grace of God … I have had the humbling privilege of being part of the process of guiding them to achieve marked progress.

I work to help my clients “advance” by helping them take a "Personal Retreat" (yep, my original Coaching practice name) long enough to re-look at their stories and foundations. Then together we design a client-driven plan of action to implement by listening to Him, adjusting the plan, and moving forward toward His goals for them. My goal is to "run alongside" in the process as they develop the courage to run and give them accountability. Sometimes they fall back into old habit but I am all about helping them learn to get back up and "get on the horse they fear" before the fear of the pain keeps them from achieving the blessing of following their calling from the Lord.

In accomplishing and achieving these steps, by God's grace, most often my clients are excited about seeking God’s calling and will for their life putting their passions, gifts, talents, personalities, and skills into play to be used for His glory.

I take great delight in not just helping my clients survive their life battles but thrive and grow as warriors of the faith. I believe firmly in paying it forward to the next “generation” of warriors by helping women become "influencers" for godliness to those coming along after us in the life journey.

"Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand,

the spines of others are often stiffened."

Billy Graham

Question: What lights you up about this work as a Christian life coach? What lights me up quite honestly is witnessing the significant progress of women, who through the power of the Holy Spirit and being willing to do the work asked of them in coaching, gain in courage to follow the Lord’s calling on their lives. These clients not only face their fears and life battles but move toward the problem … “running toward the guns” so to speak. Seeing women grow in maturity in their walks with the Lord, surrendering to His plan for their lives, and then influencing others for His glory is an amazing privilege! Each circumstance and each woman is different but the commonality is they need courage; they need a deeper trust in and relationship with Jesus and they need a plan. We've all needed just a hand-up sometimes. I'd be honored to be that hand for you.

Question: What sets you apart from different Life Coaches? There are many excellent Life Coaches but perhaps what sets me apart is not only am I a certified Professional Life Coach and certified Christian Life Coach and I am also a Master Certified Christian Life Coach through PCCCA (Professional Christian Coaching and Counseling Academy). I hold additional certifications in Stress Relief Coaching, and Joy Restoration / Grief Coaching. Coaching a woman as a whole person and working toward wellness and health in every area of their life and seeing progress made one-step-at-a time is a privilege and honor to be sure! For the client, coaching brings with it building courage to face their future and life battles and transformational change.

Question: Does your faith influence your coaching style? Yes, it is my absolute objective to coach from a Christian Worldview perspective. I believe that "All Scripture is God-breathed and inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21). I also believe that the entire Bible, in its original form, is the inerrant Word of God and I refer to it as the final authority in coaching through challenges. ( John 5:39; Romans 15:4). Please refer to my Statement of Faith for more information.

Question: Do I have access to you in between coaching sessions as a client? Yes, as a client you will not only have insightful, significant coaching sessions but you have access to me as your coach through my website via a private client portal which will have a wealth of resources for you. This will give us access to communication between sessions.

Question: Do you have other education and experiences that would give you a broader view to help clients? Yes, I believe that you can feel confident engaging me to guide you as your coach in solving problems. Over the years, my expertise has been honored with notable accolades and a variety of experiences. Along with my Coaching and Speaking education and certifications, I have a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics Education (teaching) from Colorado State University. I served on Staff as one of the past instructors for coaches for the Joy Restoration Certification class for PCCCA (Professional Christian Coaching and Counseling Academy). I am an speaker, author and am an avid reader and learner on topics related to courage and leadership.

Question: Are you involved in your church community? I believe deeply in being part of my local community and I have served our church for many years on the Women’s Ministry Steering Committee, the Outreach and Evangelism Team, as a Bible study teacher, and worked in our children and nursery programs. My husband and I have both been members of our church for over four decades.

Question: Are you involved in your local neighborhood and community? As a three-time breast cancer survivor giving back to support those women going through breast cancer is important to me. I work to be a proactive influencer and encourager in this community of women which no one plans on being a part of. I have participated in the Avon Walk Against Breast Cancer for 2 years, walking a total of 78.6 miles in 4 days. In addition, in our church, I also served on the committee to coordinate several special events for the surrounding community to help those going through cancer and those serving others as caretakers. I was a speaker at the event for Caretakers and I also taught several series of Bible studies for women in our area (and their families and friends) going through the life battle of cancer and the care-taking process. I routinely work with and coach women who are facing and moving through this difficult health battle as well as survivors and developing a "new normal" for their lives. I am also the Neighborhood watch captain on our street, have walked and participated in our local half marathon (one of the top 6 nationally), have participated in feeding our unhoused community at Thanksgiving, and participated in food drives among other events and activities in the community.

Question: Were you an active participant as a Mother in the community and your children's schools? Great question! Yes, I was an active parent at our Sons' Christian Schools including serving as P.F.A. (Parent-Faculty Association) President for Hillcrest Christian School in addition to other parent committees (i.e. Booster Club, committee to market the school, Room Mom, Sports Mom). I initiated and taught a Mom's Bible study for years and served on the Hillcrest Christian School Board for a three-year term after our Sons had graduated from the high school. I was also an active parent when it came to the sports in the community with which our Sons were involved. The most prominent sport for them, and thus for me, was Club Soccer. We were all very involved for many years ... I as a parent. Not to mention helping our young sons and the neighborhood kids with all the lemonade stands in the hot summer months on our street corner. (smile)

Five things about me and my experience that might surprise, interest you or be a further explanation:

I am a 2-year alumni walker for the Avon Walk Against Breast Cancer. As I mentioned above I have walked a total of 78.6 miles in and around Santa Barbara, California for the events themselves (not counting months of training and several thousand miles!) and raised enough funds along with my supporters to be able to contribute enough for over 51 under-advantaged women to receive mammograms. As an avid walker, my husband and I completed a local half marathon completing 91.6 miles across the finish lines (in total) for me. Living a healthy lifestyle is a “big rock” to this three-time breast cancer survivor! Other than walking my favorite exercise is Pilates!

Our first son of three boys, Nathan, was born three months premature. He was in the hospital for fifteen months, was home for three months requiring 24-hour care on a respirator, tracheotomy and gastrostomy, and went home to be with the Lord at a year and a half from heart failure. I understand the heartbreak of losing a child, the intensity of long-term hospitalization, and in-home care-taking at an ICU level. Six months later after losing Nathan ... I experienced a miscarriage and lost our second child. I know losing children is a very difficult and long battle.

I am also a survivor of Lyme disease followed by Fibromyalgia and joined millions around the world by going through and surviving COVID. My belief about ongoing health issues? “I may have Fibromyalgia but it does not have me.” Choosing to press on to follow the call the Lord has summoned me to sometimes feels like a cross-country race. It does require courage and is messy but I see it as an adventure (I LOVE adventure!) and I plan to follow in the “dust of His Footsteps” as long as I have breath on this side of Heaven.

I am still a country girl in every way as I was raised on a cattle ranch bordering Colorado and New Mexico which has been in my Irish family for well over 100 years. I owned a horse named “Lady,” loved to ride, showed livestock in 4-H, was a state member officer for Colorado 4-H, was the Colorado Hereford (cattle) Queen, and worked at the National 4-H Conference Center in Washington, D.C.. Country western music and dancing are in my DNA. I believe that my love for helping and encouraging others began with my close family ties, rural upbringing, and the Junior Leadership program in 4-H and as well as being a cheerleader for eight years and participating in athletics.

I have been married to my college sweetheart for over four decades and we essentially met through the 4-H state youth program. We love to travel and have been to over twelve countries. We also enjoy the mountains and decorate our home in Mission and Craftsman style as we find it to feel like a “Personal Retreat.” I love books, audiobooks, birds, trees, mountains, music, and wind chimes among other things. We had the blessing of raising two amazing Sons, who married our two beautiful Daughters-in-law and they are parents of our 4 precious grandsons between them! Family time with our own immediate family, extended family, church family, and close friends hold some of our favorite memories ... and of course, I LOVE walking my adorable little Morkie dog, Ber.

(Fun with one of my sisters Dianna!)