Wayfinding Wisdom

Discover your way to joy, impact & liberation.

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ARE YOU READY

TO SEE & SENSE

DIFFERENTLY?

I’m Alice Chen.

I believe that we all have moments in our lives where we reach the edge of our known world and want to be, have or create something that we’ve never experienced before.

We realize that thinking & doing more won’t take us where we long to go next.  We recognize that somehow we need to orient to ourselves and to life differently.  We crave a deeper, more integrated relationship with our whole selves – our bodies, our hearts, & our minds.  We are ready to see & sense in new ways.  And we know that we need more than information & an off-the-shelf process for this transformation. 

When you are here – beyond making checklists for change & packing your brain full of information from yet another guru’s self help or leadership development class and instead craving support in integrating & embodying your learning, then I’m here to hold space & walk beside you. 

I’m here drawing on neuroscience, wisdom traditions, & personal experience to guide you as you learn to integrate your bent towards efficiency, productivity, & obligation with the things you crave most deeply – authenticity, joy, & purpose.  I’m in your crew as you learn to read your body & emotions & to use them as tools for decision making.  I’m with you as you develop trust in your inner wisdom & discover how to play & explore your way through whatever weather patterns & currents life sends you with confidence & compassion.

My Story

THE WAY
OF THE
WAYFINDER

Wayfinding is a skill you can learn to help you navigate the uncertainty and complexity of the modern world.

It’s also a metaphor I use to guide how I coach that comes from current & historical practices of exploration & discovery by Polynesian peoples.

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LET’S WAYFIND TOGETHER

I help you transform how you see & sense the world so that you can navigate the unpredictable waters of modern day life with more presence, joy & confidence.

Coaching

I coach individuals, leaders, & executives who want to lead from a place of liberation rather than expectation.

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Experience Design Consulting

I design & facilitate learning experiences that engage & empower adults & teach others how to do the same.

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Speaking

I give talks that support individuals & organizations to lead authentically, mindfully, & impactfully.

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"When I started working with Alice, I honestly didn’t know what I was wanting out of coaching. I knew, though, that I felt “stuck”, limited, afraid, and like things were “just hard”, but I didn’t know why. I was trying to “solve it” with tools and frameworks I knew, but I didn’t feel any different. And then I connected with Alice and there was something about how she held space for me that made me feel like it was okay to not know; we could understand what was happening together. When I look back on the journey of coaching, I smile and I feel proud. I see myself now as a whole, complex, multi-dimensional human -- one who doesn’t get it “right” all the time or needs to “be” a certain way, but is evolving and learning and shedding constantly. I realize that the conditions outside of myself may not change, but the way I see myself and my role in the world can shift my perspective and open new possibilities to explore. And I’m excited about those possibilities! If you are stuck and aren’t sure why and are open to the journey of gently discovering why that is and what could be different, then work with Alice."
Allison Holton
Senior Managing Director, Head of External Affairs / Teach For America
"Alice knows how to create spaces where people can come together to reflect, dialogue and engage with one another around really challenging topics (i.e. like race, politics, emotions, etc.). She creates a warm and welcoming community that encourages people to take emotional & intellectual risks. In her workshops, she seamlessly blends reflection with direct instruction. She invites participants to not just absorb new information, but to really be present to their experience as they are learning. She’s taught me so much about the role of emotions in leadership & the importance of presence and reflection in collaboration & creating impact. I am a more confident, compassionate and effective leader because I’ve worked with her."
Gabe Rodriguez
Associate Director / KIPP NorCal Public Schools
"Alice has been both a personal inspiration and an invaluable thought partner to me as I chart my career. As a woman of color in a largely white field, I've had to navigate a number of unpredictable challenges, changing circumstances and difficult transitions. Alice's coaching and thoughtful reframing have been integral to my progress - whether with planning a team meeting or learning to ask for what I need to do my best work. Her constant prodding on what matters most to me has made my work more meaningful and authentic."
Neha Singh Gohil
Program Office / The Hewlett Foundation
"This summer, I advocated to invest my professional development in a series of one-on-one personal coaching sessions with Alice in lieu of a traditional job-specific training. It was the best decision I've made. Alice centered me as a whole person in all of my identities - as a professional, a mother, a woman, a person of color, a partner, a friend. Instead of seeing these as compartmentalized, Alice helped me draw connections across all of the spheres of my life. During our coaching sessions, Alice helped me excavate and examine the limiting beliefs that were holding me back subconsciously from living into the fullness of all my identities. Not only have I gained clarity and empowerment as a working professional, I also feel the same clarity and empowerment in all of the dimensions of my life. I can see so much growth and progress in my own resilience reservoirs. The hustle and bustle of my life hasn't changed, but my internal narrative about who I am and what I can do has fundamentally shifted. Alice embodies such a beautiful balance of holding space while also sharing a wealth of knowledge. I am so proud of my personal growth over my coaching sessions and feeling incredibly thankful for my time with Alice, who cheered me on every step of the way. Wayfinding the pathway forward with Alice has been powerful, emotional, and - dare I say? - fun!"
Helen T.
Director of Operations
"Working with Alice has been personally and professionally transformative, not to mention joyful. Through reflection, healing, and exercises, I've become more self-aware, more capable of leading from a deeper place of my core being, more intentional, and better equipped to manage and lead with spiritual integrity. I can't possibly recommend working with Alice highly enough."
Rabbi Dr. Shumly Yanklowitz
Founder & Executive Director / Valley Beit Midrash
“The first thing that comes to my mind is how authentic and inclusive Alice is. There is something in her that can connect with almost anybody and that makes you want to listen to her. After my conversations with Alice, I always feel like I can conquer the world. And I don’t just believe it, but I act on it, too.”
Donique Nobles Mohammad
Managing Director of Equity & Anti Racism / Instruction Partners
"Alice did an amazing job helping me to surface my values and guide me in living them out both in my personal life and work life. She helped me ask the right questions at the right time, helped me to step back and understand what is within my power, and showed me how I can design my life to really take into account what I want. Through our work together, I negotiated a sabbatical for myself, took some time to travel the world, found my next dream job and started a family. Alice has been instrumental in helping me bee the driver of my own life."
Awara Mendy Adeagbo
Associate Partner / Promise Venture Studio
"A few hours into meeting Alice at a work event, I knew that she radiated intelligence, energy, creativity and empathy. I also knew that I wanted to get to know her more. In the three years since we met, I’ve benefited greatly from these and others of Alice’s gifts. She has supported me when I struggled, pushed me when I needed it, expanded the way I think about the world, and connected me to tools and relationships I draw upon daily to navigate my work and my life. I’ve felt so fortunate to have her as a partner in learning and change. This is why when other dreamers and doers who I trust are looking for a coach or a skilled and thoughtful facilitation partner, I immediately begin telling them why they need to talk to Alice."
Alison Gold
Consultant / Optimistic Anthropology

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Phone: 510-550-5817
alice@wayfindingwisdom.com
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