Nina’s Story
I’m Nina Simonds, and I believe effective leadership starts with responding rather than reacting and thriving instead of surviving especially in the complexity of the current moment. I support our clients in navigating and leading change and building new leadership and interpersonal capacity. I often do this by reorienting them to a deeper sense of purpose and building new awareness and capacity to lead from their most authentic and effective selves.
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 are truly seen in all their creativity and diversity. I believe that what we need to face today’s challenges lies in our capacity to grow ourselves and be in relationship with others in all of life’s playgrounds be it business, the arts, politics, community or family life.
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 team culture. My work as a co-active leader has transformed how I relate to myself and others. I love kickstarting the personal transformation of our students! I am equally grateful for my past work with CRR Global, teaching relationship systems coaching skills to consultants, coaches and facilitators around the world. 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 an intellectually curious, often reading 5 books at the same time, yet know firsthand the power of the heart’s intelligence and working with what is emerging. I enjoy (almost equally) making a mess in the kitchen and organizing my office.
