Nina’s Story
I’m Nina Simonds, the founder and Chief Coaching Officer of Nina Simonds Coaching. I believe effective leadership starts with responding rather than reacting and thriving instead of surviving especially in the complexity of the current moment. In collaboration with our collective, I support small and midsize businesses and social impact organizations in leading change and building a collaborative organizational culture where each individual can contribute and thrive.
I have a successful 20+ year track record with founders, corporate VPs, general managers, and managing partners in big tech, growth phase start-ups, professional services, and the public sector.
I am passionate about co-creating a world where people can bring their gifts and contribute significantly in their world. I believe that what we need to face today’s challenges lies in our capacity to grow ourselves and be in relationship with others. I help my 1:1 and team clients reorient to a deeper sense of purpose and build new capacity to lead from their most authentic and effective selves.
I appreciate a coach approach not only as a vehicle for personal development but as a way for leaders to create an engaged and growth-oriented organization. My work on the faculty for the Co-Active Training Institute has transformed how I relate to myself and others. I love kickstarting the personal transformation of our students! I am equally grateful for what I learned about systems from CRR Global, where I taught relationship systems coaching skills around the world for 10 years. These experiences help me discern which human development model or tool will be most useful to my clients in making transformational shifts, so they can have the impact they want to have.
My path, like many of us, is full of paradoxes. I grew up in urban Oakland and rural Oklahoma, which gives me an appreciation for how multi-faceted American life is. I worked my way through college with the help of scholarships and grants. This gave me an appreciation for both self-reliance and the value of receiving help. I feel most energized by urban spaces having called several U.S. cities (Los Angeles, Chicago, New York) home, and now enjoy a strong sense of community in my local Seattle neighborhood. I am intellectually curious, often in the middle of 5 books at once, yet know firsthand the power of the heart’s intelligence and being present to what is emerging. I enjoy (almost equally) making a mess in the garden and organizing my office.
My husband Andy and I live in Seattle and enjoy travel, quality time with our blended family, and visiting Lake Chelan.
