Hillary Hutchinson, The Change Strategist

Hillary Hutchinson
The Change Strategist

Helping you light the way forward to a fulfilling life and career

My story

I believe in being happy. Because we spend so much of our lives working for money in order to live, I believe it is crucial we love and find meaning in what we do for a living. Happiness is an earned by-product of that quest.

I have overcome some major personal hurdles in my life (see next paragraph) and finally found happiness in my own chosen career as a change strategist, focusing on how to make big transitions. In my own life, I have had at least seven distinct careers including market researcher, political lobbyist, non-profit journalist, legal assistant, manager at three different academic institutes, professional business organizer, and career change strategist. Embracing transition instead of resisting it can be the key to moving from surviving to thriving in your career and the rest of your life.

After financing my husbandʼs graduate degree and moving across the country for his first tenure-track job, I sadly became the sole support of our two small children when my young husband was tragically killed in a car accident that nearly claimed my life as well. I physically and figuratively had to recreate myself, and regain a sense of trust in the universe that all would be well. After 17 years as a widow, I finally remarried and now share a happy home with my second husband and two rescue cats, His Highness Big Boy King and Tinkerbell the Tipster.

I would not be where I am today, or be the person I am, without going to all the places Iʼve been and doing all the different things Iʼve done. While I might not have said it at the time, I am now grateful for every challenge I have faced and overcome.

How my experience can help you

I can help you cut through the mental clutter of negative self-talk of your unconscious mind and increase your confidence to share your unique gifts with the world. If you suffer from intense overwhelm and chronic disorganization, my professional organizing skills can help you to see what is really important.

My specialty is working with academics in higher education, and I see the fear that change brings even to clients with extensive education and training. If you are the main financial support for your family, there can be a lot of pressure not to create changes that could—even temporarily—lessen income, rock stability, and stress familial relationships.

You deserve support and encouragement with major life transitions such as relocation, coping with marriage and parenthood, life-threatening experiences, or changing careers (especially in the case of academics who may have put years into getting to a place they thought they wanted to be, only to discover otherwise) precisely because they are difficult. My job is to help illuminate the road, step by step, to make change manageable, exciting, and fun.

Education

I received my Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from George Washington University. I hold two master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Arts in Social Anthropology and a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration. I was certified by Coach Training Alliance, and continue to enhance my coaching through CCEUs.

In brief

  • Certifications: Coach Training Alliance
  • Memberships: AAUP (American Association of University Professors), AAUW (American Association of University Women),  Coaches Rising, ICF (International Coaches Federation),  National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO)
  • Published works:

Schedule your free, one-on-one strategy session today and take the first step to transitioning your life or contact me with questions.

 

Lighting the way forward