DOLLY M. GARLO, R.N., J.D.
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFIED COACH
PRESIDENT, THRIVE!! INC.

Hello! And welcome! I encourage you to contact me for more information or questions about how I might assist you or your business.  I promise to respond. 

Here's a little more about who I am: I am a first generation American; my parents emigrated from Poland and Lithuania in 1948, and I was born here in the U.S.  I have lived all over the states (literally -- NY, OH, MI, UT, TX, MN, FL), and have a great love and respect for people, their differences and related strengths and gifts.

My experience of people has taught me that each person has special gifts only they can realize and share with the world.  These are the things they do very well and easily, and love doing -- that they do so naturally, they think it's "no big deal."  This is true in their individual lives as well as within organizations and communities, so long as they position themselves in the right places with the right fit -- for them.  It is to encourage that expression, one person and group at a time (and make the world a more abundant and joyful place as a result) that I choose the current work I do.

My own unique combination of strengths and talents?  I have worked as a Registered Nurse in critical care, an Attorney & Counselor at Law, a Mediator, Health Care Consultant, Writer, Speaker, and Workshop Leader. I have enjoyed all the work I have done and continue to pursue my own growth and development.  My work with Thrive!! clients allows me to use everything I have learned in a holistic way that includes a focus on career, work, organizations, business operations and finances; life, family and community; health and leisure; as well as, the unique physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of each individual. 

My education and career taught me to become a multi-dimensional problem-solver; AND I have since learned that problem-solving is not designing and creating.  As the genius Albert Einstein said: "The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them."  Much of what is needed by individuals and organizations must be created anew, comprehensively and systematically, in a on-going process of lasting change that is implemented over time.  That is not the same as the problem-solving approach, which often looks mostly like putting out fires.  As another saying goes, "when your only tool is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail."  And as I often observe: "then something or someone gets pounded."  Not exactly conducive to on-going development.

The tools I use include:

• education leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Michigan (cum laude, 1978), and as a practicing critical care nurse in Medical and Shock/Trauma ICU;

• education to obtain Juris Doctor degree from the University of Utah College of Law (1984) and 16 years experience practicing civil and administrative law, including building my own own firm;

• coach training as a graduate of Coach U (www.CoachInc.com), a founding member of Coachville (www.Coachville.com) and participant in its Graduate School of Coaching;

• membership in numerous professional associations, including health care and legal organizations, as well as the International Coach Federation (www.CoachFederation.org) where I obtained my credential as a Professional Certified Coach and have had the honor to serve as ICF Ethics & Standards Committee Chair;

• work in a number of health care systems and law firms;

• developing and operating my own law firm from 1991 to 2000, including where I remain of counsel with Garlo Ward, P.C. (www.GarloWard.com; inactive TX license, affiliated now only in a consulting capacity), through which I came to realize my own strengths in advising, coaching and consulting, and successfully managing, operating and growing a business;

• designing and delivering numerous educational workshops for professional groups and trade associations;

• my affiliation with Inscape Publishing, allowing me to utilize state of the art assessment and individual learning profiles to enhance the self-awareness, individual growth and personal effectiveness of the people with whom I work, whether one to one or in groups; and most recently

• completion of training with Retirement Optionsas a Trained Retirement Coach, allowing me to further assist individuals in their career or business succession planning and to create their own personal legacies in post-career (or earned income-generation) activities.

In 1997, I formed Thrive!! Coaching, Consulting & Training to work with professionals, business owners, CEO's, executives, managers, boards, and other individuals and organizations in a broader, more developmental way, outside the context of legal concerns. Throughout my career, I have coached dozens of individuals to realize clarity and fulfillment in their professional work and personal lives, and to improve their business effectiveness -- at the level of the for-profit or non-profit organization, as well as, that of a personal budget and journey toward financial freedom.

My skills and personal characteristics include

• strong empathy, yet with an ability to compassionately challenge;

• understanding of individual strengths, motivation and behavior;

• keen vision of things little seen by others, and ability to hear what needs to given a voice;

• support and encouragement for taking courageous action and calculated risk;

• business start up, operation, system and organizational development experience;

• strong relationship, communication, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills;

• an ability to see a bigger picture and help people create new outcomes. 

I combine a knowledge of people and what makes them tick, and experience working with people from the most intimate level to corporate and professional settings, with enjoyment for assisting individuals and businesses in the many areas, directions and passages of life and work. I am a positive, holistic and integrated in approach, inclusive rather than exclusive. I bring to my work a combination of humanistic, practical, scientific, and spiritual perspectives. I see each person in life, including myself, as a teacher and a student.

I come from a perspective of responsibility and individual choice. We are each making choices all the time and must be responsible to see that. and for the choices we make. Only from that place we can create positive and constructive outcomes. I strive to create collaboration, resolution and win-win results, rather than compromise.  Within organizations large and small, I seek to work on issues and problems "from the top down." The owner, CEO, director or manager of a group with which I am working must be involved and must agree to be part of the solutions and plans being implemented, rather than asking me to fix something "out there" or work with "the other people involved" without involving them.  With that ground rule in place, we can then work together to design and achieve goals, implement systems, and maximize effectiveness and skills, that work smoothly, are personally satisfying and inspiring, and add value to the world they impact. My role is to assist in the design and implementation of your own brilliant ideas and workable solutions, based upon your expertise and resources and the proper management of outside expertise to make it a reasonable and value-added expense.

My purpose is to assist great people and organizations to add value and do great things, creating success for themselves, as well as, the people they serve.

I would love to speak with you.  Contact me to discuss how we might work together.