Women are the creators of new beginnings. The weavers and birthers of new possibilities. Real change always starts with us. And right now, the breakdowns of the world are calling us into new ways of being and leading. There is a future that wants to emerge and it’s coming through women.
Leaders engaged in the outer work of social transformation need support to do the inner work of personal transformation. The women I coach are committed to their own growth and support growth in others. As they change, they’re changing their organizations, their relationships, the ways they see one another and how they use their power.
And they are learning to trust their inner knowing, for this is where complexity gets reduced to its essence, presence emerges and they can hear their own guidance. They know what matters and what choices we want to make. The challenge is connecting to this clarity and staying connected to it as they navigate complexity and chaos.
I am a coach, mentor, teacher, guide, midwife, and fierce ally. Always my role is the same: to support women who want to anchor in and stay connected to this quiet place of knowing as they navigate their leadership. Women who want to align their inner and outer lives as they deepen their presence and power. Women who know they must care for themselves in new ways so they can continue to be of service to themselves, their visions and to others.
I work with executives, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs. Mothers, non-profit leaders, educators and artists. Women who are self-employed and those who lead large organizations. Women who run families and those who run foundations. Women who wear some or many of these hats, all at once. All are leading in countless ways and making intentional choices about how to use their power authentically, creatively and bravely to help make their part of the world better.
Individual Coaching Sessions (bi-weekly, by phone)
Leadership and Executive Coaching (with a focus on fulfillment and effectiveness)
Team Coaching and Facilitation (for small-medium sized organizations)
Customized Leadership Retreats (1-3 days)
Testimonials
“Change is hard. Change agents need partners willing to engage fully in what they are trying to achieve. They need partners who will help make their vision a reality by focusing their hearts and minds and courage on the goals at hand. They need partners who can help them bridge the gaps between where they are and where they need to be. In my work at Breast Cancer Action, whenever I needed such a partner, I found her in Diane Tompkins.”
“I came to work with Diane seeking a bigger context for my life. I was looking for direction that could only come from my inner voice – too often drowned out by daily distractions and suffocating judgements. I needed a seasoned partner who could hear me into speech; see what I couldn’t yet see in myself; love me into being. Diane and I are making conscious what my soul wants to say, and it’s from there that I will make choices that enlarge my life. Partnering with her changes what I want in all my relationships.”
“When something exciting happens, Diane is who I want to call. When I’m confused or discouraged, my fingers type out her name in a new email. Because no matter how I’m doing or what I feel, I know that Diane will embrace my moments with authentic enthusiasm and empathy. She appreciates the truth of the human experience - that we hold power and fragility in equal measure. And just when you think there are no more questions to ask yourself and you feel utterly stumped, Diane asks the most beautiful, seemingly-simple, completely breathtaking question. And BAM! You’re free.”
“While navigating conflict is one of the essential responsibilities of leadership, being immersed in conflict with a most trusted ally, a partner, is unsettling to the point of being disorienting. Feeling lost is where, and how, I found myself when I began working with Diane. She has supported me in recognizing that my life’s work is as much about my life as it is about my work. This newfound clarity has helped me see an array of possibilities as make important and difficult choices charting a course for the future of my business.”
“Diane sets herself apart from all others in two critical ways: First, she has an ability to connect with people at a very personal level: to get them to open up and explore their opinions and feelings in new ways. She quickly creates comfort and trust, and then almost effortlessly leads individuals and groups into and through challenging territory. Second, she has an exceptional ability to find the right words to capture complex ideas — and she does it entirely without ego. She does not put fancy words in your mouth—she helps you figure out precisely what you need to say and how you need to say it.”
Diane Tompkins
I’m on a life-long journey to understand human beings, the stories we tell, and the impact of those stories on our ability to live authentic lives.
A Masters in Literature (way back when), taught me about insight, empathy, and the power of understanding the world through others’ lived experience.
I spent 15 years spent in a handful of global ad agencies, refining my analytic, strategic and leadership skills, building brands for clients like H-P and American Express, and fostering healthy creative collaborations.
In 2001, I joined my friend Pam Scott at The Curious Company, an SF-based brand strategy and human-centered design firm, as Founding Partner.
We spent our early years partnering with corporate clients like the Discovery Channel, Starbucks, kate spade, and MINI Cooper. In the last decade we’ve made the social sector our sole focus. At the heart of our work are women and girls, and making the world work better for them - challenging norms and redesigning systems to honor their strengths, aspirations and lived experiences. Clients have included the Maverick Collective, the Marin Community Foundation, Caring for Colorado Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Stanford’s Global Center for Gender Equality, The Skoll Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among many others. We are proud to have made meaningful contributions to our clients’ work advancing gender equality, feminist philanthropy, mental health, economic opportunity and reproductive justice.
I’m a graduate of the Authentic Leadership Program at Naropa University (2011), trained and was certified as a Co-Active Coach, through the Coaches Training Institute (2015), am a long-time student of the Diamond Approach and avid explorer of the work of adrienne maree brown, Frank Ostaseski and Resmaa Menakem. I’m also certified in the Leadership Circle Profile - an elegant and inspiring 360º assessment model.
“What’s wanted of us now? What is the future we are helping emerge?” Questions like these light me up. And my inquiry has deepened as I have explored dynamics around belonging, power and privilege. I have been changed by the lived-experiences of others - especially my colleagues and clients who are marginalized by dominant social norms and systems.
I bring love, my full presence, a passion for inquiry and the breadth of my lived experience to every coaching relationship.
My home is in Marin County, California on unceded Coast Miwok territory, where I live with three generations of my family, including two teenage children, my husband and an enormous dog who barks at jet streams in the sky.
I look forward to hearing from you.
