This Made My Day

There's nothing like getting a heartfelt message from a long time client and colleague, that your mentorship has helped them change their life.

I've known Anne FossDurant, PhD (c), MBA, NEA-BC for more than 15 years, since her time at Kaiser Permanente, when I was CEO of HeartMath.

There's a strong professional rapport and ease.

Here's Anne's story of navigating through a significant career and life transition.

"In 2022, I was contemplating a life change.? I had been living on the island of Kauai for about 5 years and was growing tired of the inconveniences and disconnection often experienced on an isolated land mass.?

I had been excited to move to the island in 2017, in order to have an opportunity to work more at the community health level and still be part of a larger organization.?

"But 5 years later, this excitement and passion had waned.

"While I lived on the island, my sister would often remember to call and check in on me.? During one late night conversation, I mentioned that I was thinking about returning to the mainland but was unsure of where to move.? She replied with an answer that caused me to pause, 'Anne, you basically dropped out when you moved over there; maybe it’s time to come back.'?

"I realized this was a big decision and I needed time, space and dialogue with others who had made similar life changes to ensure I was making sound decisions.?

"There were so many choices to consider: should we relocate and where; we would need to sell our home; we had a large dog and we would need to coordinate the selling and move so we have a place to live.

"And if that wasn’t enough, we needed to decide what I was going to do next --- retire, work interim assignments, work from home, find a position that reignited my passion? These were just a few of the options.?

"This entire process was feeling daunting.?

"I was searching for someone who I knew and who knew me, was familiar with the work I had done and my capabilities and who had made a similar transition to assist me in coalescing my thoughts and developing a plan forward.?

"For example, buying a house will trigger an irrational fear; ‘I could end up houseless.’? Thinking about moving across the ocean with no home or employment lined up fed that fear.

?I needed someone to assist me to gain some balance and some coherence.?

"As I was leafing through my LinkedIn posts, I came across Bruce Cryer’s post about an upcoming educational offering.?

"I knew Bruce through my affiliation with Watson Caring Science, Kaiser Permanente and HeartMath.? I ?thought he would be an excellent mentor for me not only because he had previously coached a number of executives and creative people in the past, but because he has reinvented himself a few times over his career and has always come through the transition period with more energy, more grounded and centered, and happier.

"I reached out to Bruce and arranged for personal remote mentoring sessions.?

"Transitions are always an opportunity for reinvention.? Through weekly sessions we worked through the anxiety around should we move, the steps in planning, evaluated scenarios; worst case, best case, likely case, and my hesitations in making this change.?

"Having Bruce as a thought partner helped me carefully consider who were those key individuals who could assist me in this transition and assist me in making new connections.? I left the sessions with a deeper sense of calm, a clearer mind, and a plan that I used to move forward.?

[The Journey Home]

"On April 10th, our belongings were sent to the mainland in a pod.? On May 10th, my husband and I, with our dog flying in cargo, boarded a plane for Portland Oregon.? We rented an AirBnB in Vancouver Washington for 3 months, and within 3 weeks I was on a temporary assignment in Moses Lake, Washington.?

"Our house in Kauai closed in June and I accepted the permanent role in October.? In November we closed on our home on the Lake.

"The value of Bruce’s ability to deeply listen, to help clarify, to encourage, and to offer guidance from knowledge and an exceptional experience base is beyond measure.?

"It gave me the courage to trust that all things eventually turn out as they should be.

"I will always have a deep appreciation for the work Bruce does and the unique individual he is.? I am glad to know I can always reach out when I face these life challenges."

Anne Foss-Durant, Chief of Patient Care Service

Samaritan Healthcare, Moses Lake, Washington

As you can see from Anne's story, I get great pleasure in mentoring leaders to reinvent themselves, in tune with their heart, their purpose, and their desire to make impact.

DM me if you'd like to explore working together.

Gratefully,