karen@karengray.com
202-966-7720
I can help. We all have special gifts, and the record will show: I make a great Right Hand Person! Helping others is more than just a pleasant way to spend the day: it's something I get pretty excited about.
Becoming a Coach was not a decision; it was a discovery. Coaching caught my eye in 1996. I was instantly hooked. It was a natural next step on my career path. I had an MBA in Organizational Behavior and had worked in Career and Organizational Development for major companies. As a Coach, I work one-on-one with individuals who are dedicated to improving their lives. Our work benefits from the use of well-designed tools and programs, and from personal connection and compassion. This was an exciting discovery for me!
Plus, my own work with Coaches has been truly transforming.
Interfaith Minister: A few years ago, I discovered I had access to an amazing and 100% reliable source of power that I had left totally untapped until I found myself in Deep Personal Crisis. In simple terms, I found God. (God often hangs out in Personal Crisis, or somewhere nearby.) Things were so rough, I reached out in hope and desperation. (And anger. After all, things had really not turned out as I had planned.) I had always loved spirituality, but as a subject of study, a casual way to enhance my life, a condiment. But when Crisis struck, I reached out to Spirit for sustenance. I truly needed it to survive. Eventually, my survival strategy became a way of loving life—not just survival but indulgence. What a find! A way of life that gives me peace, power and enjoyment like I had never imagined. Of course I wanted to share it with others!
Spirituality is very personal. I chose Interfaith Ministry so that I could work with anyone who wants to honor and develop their relationship with the Divine. It's not defined or limited by the teachings or requirements of any particular religion. It's the experience of Reverence that is so powerful. And it is expressed in many wonderful ways.
Jazz Vocalist. As a teenager in the '70s, I fell in love with the great popular tunes of the 30s, 40s and 50s. (Not really in sync, was I?) These songs constitute much of the jazz repertoire, and that's what I sang "in the shower" for nearly 20 years. Learning off of records and music books, I kept expanding my own songlist, for the fun of it. I knew well over 200 songs by the time a chance encounter led to my first professional gig in 1997.
Now I perform regularly around Washington, DC. I love being part of the DC jazz scene, with its great little hotspots and happenin' festivals. And no shortage of inspiring musicians to work with.
...It turned out that all those years of playing around with songs were actually years of preparation for what is now an important and rewarding part of my life. (Just one of the reasons for my huge optimism about life.)
Still reading? Okay, there's more. Like you, I'm a work-in-progress. So here's a Progress Report.
I grew up in a close family: three outrageous girls and two very involved parents, and since I was 14, a special stepfather too.
My first job was on a tobacco farm. (It was North Carolina. I was ten years old.) Since then, work has taken me to retail, restaurants, nightclubs, Wall Street, nonprofits, "Big Six" and education. I've been a salesclerk, a management consultant, an entertainer, a trainer, an administrative assistant, a motivational speaker. And then some. And I've loved it all. (Especially in retrospect.)
Through all this, I managed to find my true inspiration. I love helping people get their lives just the way they want them!
My experience includes:
Currently, I'm a Volunteer Caregiver for Hospice Caring, Inc., in Montgomery County, Maryland. It's a great organization, and this may be my favorite volunteer role yet. Volunteer Caregivers offer emotional and practical support to terminally ill patients and their families.
I've had lots of other volunteer roles over the years. Among my favorites: I enjoyed being a counselor in a runaway shelter, and I've always liked visiting residents of nursing homes (sometimes singing, or carrying a cat along).