MY BACKGROUND
EXPERIENCE & Credentials
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Executive leadership roles at Fortune 100 and startup companies and 25+ years experience in Strategic Planning and Business Operations
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Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
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Co-Active® Training Institute coach training
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Positive Intelligence® mental fitness coach
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International Coach Federation (ICF) Member
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Licensed Quantum Endeavors Inpowered® Corporate Coach
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BA, East Asian Languages (Japanese), Harvard
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Adventure-seeking, world-traveling motorcyclist
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Professional organizer (former KonMari Method® certified expert)
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Check out my LinkedIn Profile for more
My name is Alenna Merrihew and I am a leadership consultant and executive coach. I bring 25+ years experience in corporate strategy and business operations in Fortune 500 and startups, leading teams and mentoring and developing early to mid-stage career professionals.
During that time, I learned how to navigate the political environment, advocate for myself, and cultivate critical leadership and management skills. Knowing how business operates at senior levels and what it takes to succeed in tough corporate environments offers me a valuable perspective that I bring to coaching.
Our personal and professional lives are also deeply intertwined and helping others understand how all the aspects of our lives connect and affect our overall satisfaction is also a critical part of the coaching experience I offer. As a working parent with two teenagers, while also a partner to my husband and former caregiver to a parent with dementia, I am the epitome of the "sandwich generation". Juggling all the responsibilities has been difficult, so I have learned to have greater compassion for myself. I bring that deep level of awareness to all my coaching partnerships.
Outside of work, I am an adventure enthusiast and amateur “maker”, and can be found just as easily roaming the world on a motorcycle, as sipping coffee in a cozy chair with my latest knitting project. My dream for my coaching clients – “rewrite the stories you tell yourself about what is possible and fearlessly go after what you want.”
The Journey to Coaching
So, why do I coach? Simple. Life can be tough and we don't always recognize that we have everything we need to make the change we want. We feel stuck and it can be lonely. We all could use a little help.
I am proud of my professional and personal achievements and can certainly point to my own determination, grit and supportive family and friends as some reasons for my success. But it didn't come without the bumps, bruises and hurts we all experience in life. And despite the outward appearances, I wasn't always happy and started to wonder why I was spending so much time and energy on areas of my life that no longer excited me.
It was only when I worked with my first coach that I realized there were far too many "should do's" in my life, rather than "want to do's". And, I had a lot to learn about myself -- what I loved and wanted more of in my life, how to tap into my inner leader and strengths to get what I wanted, and how to tackle the self-limiting thoughts that were preventing me from making important changes. And, frankly how to let go and trust myself and others, rather than control every detail of my life. That first coaching experience was invaluable and over the years I worked with several executive coaches who guided and challenged me to think differently and act with more intention in order to be a better manager and leader.
At the same time, as I rose in the ranks in the professional world, I also increasingly realized that, for many, navigating an ever-changing corporate landscape can be opaque and daunting. As a woman in high-pressure work environments I also had learned ways to work within, around and beyond the boundaries that existed, and I now wanted to bring these learnings to help others accelerate development in their careers.
These experiences inspired me to become a coach to guide others in their own journey of self awareness and transformation. There is so much possibility in the world for us all. And, it is a true joy and honor to offer others my undivided attention and support as they move through challenges in their work and life, learn to operate with greater confidence, and make tangible progress against their goals.