Welcome! I'm Gretchen, founder of Curious Magpie Career & Strengths Coaching and a certified career, strengths, and salary negotiation coach.

I’ve spent more than a decade helping mid-career professionals successfully embrace their unique strengths in order to navigate career transitions with confidence and purpose.

I am a career coach because I see how life changing access to career development support and leadership mentoring can be.

I am a salary negotiation coach because it makes me livid when people don’t earn the money they deserve for the value they bring to the table.

I am a strengths coach because I believe that every person can make a powerful contribution to the world when they understand how to leverage their talents.

What sets me apart from other coaches is a holistic approach that prioritizes the entire individual instead of narrowly focusing on ‘just’ discrete parts of the career process or the leadership question at hand.

I use an evidence-based coaching framework that integrates strengths, reflection, mindfulness, and resilience techniques in order to help clients move beyond anxieties and dysfunctional beliefs that are holding them back. We’ll follow a design thinking-inspired process that values the individual while keeping clients curious, motivated, and on track, step by step.

You’ll leave our coaching sessions with concrete resources as well as clear action steps after every session. You’ll feel heard, supported, and respected in our conversations together. You’ll develop a deeper understanding of - and appreciation for - who you are as a person. We’ll probably share quite a few laughs along the way, since humor is a wonderful tool of imagination and perspective!

Imagine how it will feel to have the career you want, to be the leader you aim to be, and to earn the salary you deserve.

Let's unlock your potential together and create a career path that is fulfilling, financially rewarding, boldly unapologetic, and aligned with your strengths and unique needs.

One of my favorite, all-time-ever quotes is by the poet Mary Oliver, who asks us to consider: “What are you going to do with your one wild and precious life?” What are YOU going to do? And how can I help?

Ready to take the next step? Let’s get started now!