About Bonnie

You may be wondering about me. Who am I? What qualifies me to do this work? What experience do I have?

What Do I Bring to This Work?

Let me start with this story.

In March of 2001 I sat at Café Flora in Seattle, waiting for my lunch companion to arrive. When she walked in, she was radiant and alive — unmistakably different from any other time I’d seen her.

Eyes shining, she shared her personal journey and described the powerful process that had caused such a change in her. Even though I’m fairly skeptical, I could not deny the visible evidence before me: something had transformed her.

Still, it seemed too good to be true, and six months passed before I was curious enough to investigate further. When I did, I discovered a way of living so unique and powerful that it truly changed my life.

I learned to “follow my lights” and that quickly led me to more joy each day. As I continued to notice what lit me up, I found work that I deeply love: helping women follow their own lights to create more passion and purpose in their lives.

I created La Bella Via in 2002 to do this work. Following my “lights” I chose an Italian name (I love Italy!). La Bella Via means “the beautiful way” or “the beautiful path” in Italian. My desire is for every La Bella Via client to find her own beautiful path in life, a path filled with light, joy, vitality, and aliveness.

So part of what I bring to this work is a personal experience of having used and continuing to use this approach to dramatically change my own life, to bring me more of what I truly wanted in work and in life.

In addition to that, I’m a Certified Clarity International Coach, with hundreds of hours learning from and then co-coaching with Cathy Hawk, the founder of Clarity International.

I have a great deal of experience in the world of work. For more than 20 years, I’ve been helping develop people and improve organizations. I led my own consulting business for ten years. Prior to that, I had various roles inside corporations: organization development consultant, manager, trainer, and instructional designer.

I have an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

I’ve coached a wide variety of individuals, partners, and small groups on many aspects of personal and professional life.

Who am I?

There must be a thousand ways to answer that question. Here are just a few.

I’m a woman in mid-life, still learning and growing. I’m married to a very special man who is just the right match for me. We have a home near Seattle. In the last year, we’ve found our way to beautiful little Samish Island, 1½ hours north of Seattle, and are spending much of our time in a tiny cabin there, surrounded by nature’s incredible beauty.

What do I love? Here’s some of what lights me up. My husband, Denny. Living on Samish Island with views of Puget Sound. Dancing. Laughing. Ever-changing water views out my windows. Toddlers. Humpback whales and gray whales. Italy. Chocolate soft-serve ice cream. Hummingbirds. Convertible rides through the countryside. Gardens. Hawaii. Flowers. Travel. Helping people discover what lights them up.

It’s fun for me to hear what lights people up, what they’re passionate about, what they love. Please drop me a line.