My Journey

I'm Annmarie, and I'm a certified life coach, resilience trainer and professional organizer.  In all three roles, I integrate the science of positive psychology to help my clients reach their goals and create a life and home they love.  Here's my story...

Once upon a time I wanted to sing on Broadway, but my beliefs that I should play it safe landed me in a corporate desk job instead – one that did not even allow me to be creative.

One day I woke up and said, “How the heck did I get here?”

I switched gears and started to pursue a Master’s/PhD in psychology. I had always been told I was a great listener. Maybe I could help performers and other creatives through their challenges. But then I got engaged and my inner voice once again started filling my head with “play it safe” mind chatter that ran on a loop night and day. I decided to be “practical” and not start my marriage with academic-related debt and no income. Back to Corporate America I went…

At least this time I got a really interesting job at a qualitative market research firm, where I first became fascinated with human behavior and what makes people "tick".  I was engaged and challenged and enjoying my work.

Then my story took a dark turn. My husband almost died from a sudden and critical illness. Miraculously, he survived and we decided to start a family. A year later, we suffered the devastating loss of our first child at birth. In less than two years, we had gotten first-hand resilience training that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. With time and an incredible support system, we somehow survived. We moved through our grief together, but it was a loooong road.

We did go on to have a beautiful, healthy daughter the following year, and I was very lucky to be able to stay home with her. The transition from full time/overtime professional to stay-at-home mom was surprisingly overwhelming! I felt out of my element and out of control. I eventually figured it out, but it took awhile!

A dear friend of mine had been going through a similar transition, and we decided to start an organizing company to help other moms like us. In the past 15 years, it has expanded to include any and all situations where our expertise can help empower and motivate our clients. The work we do also explores human behavior and how mindset affects our emotions, actions and decisions. It was and still is incredibly fulfilling watching our clients’ lives change for the better.

In 2020, our first book, Beyond Tidy: Declutter Your Mind and Discover the Magic of Organized Living, was published by Racehorse Publishing. It is a fusion of our Top 8 organizing principles with the science of Positive Psychology.

Which leads me to...

I came to positive psychology as my now grown-up daughter prepared to leave for college and my husband and I prepared for an "empty nest." It was a natural extension of the personal development and meditation/mindfulness practices I had added to my life.

I decided to go back to school and found the Certification in Applied Positive Psychology program at The Flourishing Center in NYC. It was there that I learned the science and research behind why certain people thrive and others languish. I was also introduced to the modality of coaching and the science of resilience, which inspired me to complete two more certifications in these areas. I am now an ACC credentialed life coach through the International Coaching Federation.

In May, I graduated with a Master's Degree in Happiness Studies under the tutelage of renowned positive psychology and happiness expert Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, almost 27 years after I talked myself out of grad school the first time.

I never had a clear understanding of what coaching is and how it can help. Now I believe everyone should have a coach to support them on their journey! I can look back now and see how a pessimistic thinking style, fixed mindset and flat out fear shaped many of the decisions I made in my life. I often wonder how different my path might have been had I had a coach to help me gain confidence and align my life with my values, strengths and dreams. Maybe you’d be viewing my Tony acceptance speech on YouTube. Perhaps you’d have my psychology book on your coffee table. Who knows? 

Positive psychology is about helping people go “north of neutral.” Why settle for neutral? Why settle for “fine” or “okay”??

I believe that everyone has the ability to live a happy, fulfilled and engaged life that they love. I believe that we are all naturally resilient AND can also learn to bounce back better and faster with the right skills.  I believe that positivity is contagious, and by spreading this information, we are building communities that thrive.

Happiness, positivity, resilience – these things are based on mindset. And mindsets can be changed and developed for the better. 

Are you showing up in the world the way that you want to? If not, let’s talk. I look so forward to hearing your story!