A little bit about me…

Photo of Kayla Nelson, founder of Ventura Coaching, in a snowy wood with two pet dogs — My Journey to Coaching

I was in data & technology in various capacities for over 15 years (see below for more detail) and I began to find myself interested more in people’s stories and interpersonal experiences than how they managed their data. Don’t get me wrong, I love data, but it’s more of a talker than a listener. I was drawn to coaching and pursued my passion by getting an Executive Certificate in Leadership Coaching at Georgetown. Since then, I’ve been providing a space for leaders to unlock their full potential. I do that by co-creating a framework that hyper-focuses on their own development. My excitement and motivation for others’ success translate into being a fierce champion for my clients’ goals and visions. As I empower clients to find new connections and perspectives, I’ll sprinkle in some humor and likely some dog barking in the background (specifically these adorable dogs).

Previous life…

Prior to being a fulltime coach, I wore a suit and certainly would have benefited from my own coach. Most recently,

I was the leader of the data governance practice at Ankura Consulting, where I onboarded senior staff and integrated staff from acquired companies into the Ankura culture. I leveraged assessments to benchmark data privacy and governance programs and create actionable outcomes for remediation. Working with our strategy and performance team gave me the opportunity to facilitate meetings and coach teams and leaders.

As an information governance strategist at Symantec/Veritas, I trained account teams across the US and Canada on information management products and sales plays. Additionally, I’ve consulted at a quarter of the Fortune 50 companies, which gave me access into an array of company cultures and data around what works and doesn’t work from a tactical perspective.

In all my roles from kiwi fruit packer to corporate executive, I’ve found the common thread that people just want to be seen and heard. That is what makes me so excited about my next adventure.