Meet Heike

My professional experience and educational background reflect a dedicated, hardworking, and
accomplished individual who is committed to continuous learning. Throughout my career, I have
proven myself to be a bright and driven woman who thrives on challenges and seeks to make a
positive impact.

On a personal level, my journey has been marked by resilience. I’ve navigated many difficult and
unpredictable paths, overcoming obstacles that tested my strength and determination. The road I
am on today is one I never imagined for myself, nor would I have chosen. Yet, I know it is the
right road for me and after much sorrow I live again with joy.

For much of my life, I believed my struggles were unique, that my challenges were difficult.
Looking back now, I see my life was, in fact, relatively uneventful until my mid-forties. I was
born the middle child to immigrant parents who arrived in Canada in 1960. I did what many do:
went to school, played sports, learned the trumpet, graduated high school, pursued university,
worked a job I didn’t love, went back to school, fell deeply in love, started a family, and, in an
effort to live life on my own terms, launched a consulting business. It was all pretty
standard—until 2009.

That year, everything changed when my brother called to tell me he had cancer. Three years later,
cancer claimed the lives of both my brother and my husband. At 48, I found myself buried in
grief, a grief that was not only profoundly disorienting but also one that opened my eyes to the
glaring inadequacy of how we, as a society, understand and respond to loss. The world of grief is
often invisible, and the lack of understanding can make those who are already suffering feel even
more isolated. As I navigated my own path through the pain, I became determined to pull back
the curtain on this hidden world—to support those in mourning and teach others how to better
support them.

My journey toward healing began with compiling personal journal entries—those raw, painful,
and often bewildering thoughts I had during the early days of grief. This eventually became the
book I never expected to write: Grief is… Thoughts on Loss, Struggle, and New Beginnings.
Since its release in 2017, this small book has resonated with readers worldwide, offering a
compassionate perspective on grief and resilience.

But life’s challenges didn’t stop there. Just after my book was published, I lost three more family
members in a span of three months. In six years, I had lost five loved ones (yes, including my
beloved Molly dog). I also stepped into the roles of caregiver, Power of Attorney, Executor,
grieving sister, wife, and daughter. On top of that, I faced my own health challenges: a mass in
my breast (thankfully benign), two broken bones (first my foot, then my ankle—was the universe
trying to slow me down?), a concussion with long-term visual effects, and chemical burns from
toxic plaster dust.

Throughout this time, I sold the family home, moved cities, expanded my family, made new
friends, reconnected with old ones, traveled, and continued working hard at rebuilding. By 2022,
my life looked nothing like it had in 2009, and yet I still felt something was missing.

Despite functioning well by most standards, I found myself searching for a sense of normalcy in
a world that no longer resembled the one I had known. It wasn’t until I hired a coach that I
rediscovered something fundamental that had been missing from my everyday life: joy. That
rediscovery was transformative. It was a turning point that brought me back to myself, more
fully than I had been for a long time. After so much sorrow and years of trial and erroring my
way forward, I was astonished to find that joy was still possible.

Curious and inspired, I began to explore coaching further. I quickly realized that coaching is an
incredibly powerful tool for those, like me, who must rebuild their lives from the ground up. So,
I went back to school again, this time completing the Arts and Science of Coaching—Level 2, an
ICF Accredited program, and became an Erickson Certified Professional Coach. My focus now
is helping individuals who are navigating difficult experiences, guiding them from survival to
thriving, one step at a time.

In addition to coaching, I continue to connect with others through my book, blog, and
presentations, building more resilient, compassionate communities. My work has been described
as insightful and empathetic, offering a compassionate perspective on loss, resilience, and the
rediscovery of joy. If you or someone you know is grappling with loss, my resources may help. If
you’re ready to create a life that aligns with your deepest desires, I invite you to book a free
discovery call. Together, we can move forward, one commitment at a time.