MY STORY begins on the elite concert stage, a place that demands courage, expression, and mastery. A place where true greatness requires risk-taking, discernment, and determination.
You may think this world is far from yours — but in my experience, it’s not. What I learned there now shapes how I help leaders rise in their own high-stakes arenas.
If you’re a committed professional or a high performer and you want to create stronger leadership under pressure, a more holistic definition of success, or a more empowered path through transition — you’re in the right place.
About Me
My work lives at the intersection of professional and personal development. I serve my clients by bringing together a unique skill set and depth of experience — in transformative leadership coaching, world-class performance, and impactful advocacy.
A Life in High Performance
For more than two decades, I performed at the highest level as the principal flutist of the world-renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra — a role that demanded not only mastery but also presence, resilience, deep listening, powerful intuition and risk-taking. It required the ability to deliver a lifetime of impeccable, inspired performances night after night, week after week.
That stage taught me what excellence and inspiring leadership looks like in a high-pressure environment.
But just as important were the things the audience never saw: the systems and commitment behind the mastery; the vulnerability of expression; the challenging relationships requiring nuanced communication; the battles fought with self-doubt and perfectionism; the sacrifices made in the name of excellence — and the quiet reckoning that comes when outward success no longer tells the whole story of who you are.
These layers now inform how I coach leaders navigating their own high-stakes environments, helping them move beyond achievement alone, and toward deeper, more sustainable success.
Understanding Mastery
As an artist, I developed an intimate understanding of mastery, preparation, presence, expression, and resilience. I learned what it means to hold yourself to an elite standard.
The New York Times called me a “divine flutist,” and the Boston Globe described my playing as “bewitching” and “evocative.” In addition to my principal role, my leadership contributions included well over two dozen solo appearances and numerous chamber music performances with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players. You can also hear me on multiple Grammy Award-winning BSO recordings. But that isn’t the whole story.
A Turning Point in My Leadership
When I joined the BSO in 2004, I became one of just two female principal musicians in the orchestra and the only woman in the Boston Symphony Chamber Players.
In 2018, after nearly 15 years leading from the stage, I stepped into new levels of leadership and public scrutiny when I filed a landmark equal-pay lawsuit against the orchestra. The experience shook me and shaped me, teaching me about courage, resilience, and the impact (and costs) of using my voice — especially when the stakes are high.
The lawsuit — the first of its kind in the industry — drew national and international attention from outlets including The New York Times, NPR, CNN, Time Magazine, and The New Yorker, ultimately leading to a widely cited Washington Post feature which exposed widespread gender pay disparities across the orchestral music field.
The Boston Globe later named me one of its Bostonians of the Year, calling me "The Fighter." The BSO and I successfully mediated the lawsuit in 2019, and I remained a dedicated member of the orchestra.
In the years that followed I continued to foster new conversations about leadership and change through keynote addresses; my TEDx talk The Lonely Onlys; in Katie Couric’s Wake-up Call; and in conversations with organizations like Ellevate Network, The Eastman School, and MIT’s Fail! project.
Where the Path Led Next
During this time something unexpected began to occur. Colleagues, leaders, and professionals in other fields came to me quietly, behind the scenes. They wanted to talk about what doesn’t appear on our résumés or in the headlines: ambition, doubt, pressure, and the desire for a fuller, richer life — all those big questions about how to create excellence in the fuller context of our humanity.
Those quiet, honest conversations became the beginning of my work as a coach. And eventually the call to make an impact in this new way became undeniable.
In 2024, at the height of my performance abilities, I stepped down from the orchestra. I closed that chapter and looked squarely toward the future. (You can learn more about that transition here.)
Where I Stand Now
No longer in the spotlight of the concert stage, my work now lives in the transformational space of deep conversations — less visible, but equally impactful.
Working at the intersection of career and personal development, I partner with high achievers across all industries as they strive to reach their potential. Together with my clients I help to create a rich and robust thought partnership — work that benefits from the creativity, discipline, nuance and courage of a world-class performing artist, now brought into the coaching conversation.
My clients are executives, creatives, founders, and professionals at pivotal moments. We work to make sense of their inner and outer lives, to sort the noise from the truth, to define what matters to them, and to build a career and a life that isn’t just successful, but deeply satisfying.
You & I, Together
My clients are exceptional at pushing forward — and are often less practiced at pausing, reflecting, or recalibrating. They’re successful on paper, admired professionally, and yet they seek something more: more clarity, more ease, better relationships at work and at home, and a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment.
My approach blends the rigor of high-performance training, the self-awareness cultivated through artistry, and the courage forged through advocacy. This isn’t theoretical; it’s the lived experience of someone who has had to hold complexity, visibility, and responsibility at the highest levels. I’ve stumbled, faltered and risen more times that I can count. So has every other high achiever — even if they don’t acknowledge it.
This experience allows me to support clients in a way that is both grounded and expansive — practical tools to elevate real-world leadership, and courageous conversations to create meaningful inner growth.
Through our work, clients create greater clarity, deeper resilience, a more sustainable integration of high performance and authenticity, and a stronger leadership presence.
Visit my coaching page to learn more, or reach out to begin the conversation about what we can create together.
