Tell me about your business or specialty.
I am a 3x certified professional coach, speaker, and found of Master of One Coaching. Master of One helps social impact CEOs conquer overwhelm, lead fully invested teams, and become limitless leaders of world-changing businesses.
How'd you get to where you are now?
I was raised in an entrepreneurial family which was life-defining in so many ways. I learned a ton from traveling the world with my grandfather who created a multi-million dollar, publicly traded company and from my parents who ran a small design and build firm on the main street in my home town. Both were the brain children of brilliant minds, and both suffered heart-wrenching fates.
As a witness to that, I rejected business for a long time thinking it was business that was the problem. I followed my interest in performing from Northern CA to NYC where I got my degree in Acting from NYU/Tisch. When I graduated, however, I was faced with the devastating reality that the industry and I do not mix. It really called my whole identity into question. That was followed by 20 years of seeking the right course of action. I was drawn to purpose-driven work starting with arts education with “high risk” populations and then eventually in social justice programing and facilitation. That was the catalyst into leadership development.
Then the bottom fell out of my own life in 2012. At 35 years old, I was widowed with three small kids and was utterly broken. It took that tremendous personal loss to finally get me to own up to my own genius. After picking my kids and myself up and moving is here to the Hudson Valley (we were in Buffalo when Peter passed), I finished my Masters in Humanistic/Multicultural Education. Through focused work and the right support, I began to create a new legacy built on the foundation of purpose, sustainability, and impact-driven profit.
I suppose I am dense for it to have taken 20 years for me to find my way. I am SO GRATEFUL to have found it in my business now. It is the best professional decision I ever made.
How has the Covid crisis affected your work or business? Any new ideas or approaches…or lessons learned so far?
Initially I had a few clients scatter to the wind, understandably. In the late summer business picked up and I am proud to say that the practice grew nearly 50% in 2020. I work with clients all over the country, and the few I saw locally switched to phone or Zoom so it was not a difficult transition in that regard. One of my values is to be able to work from anywhere so I can be present with my family and travel (when we can do that again). Those aspects played a significant role in starting my business. I am very fortunate.
What surprises you in your work, now or in the past?
It constantly amazes me how similar we all are as humans. We can be heads of companies or washing dishes or anything in between, and yet we all operate with the same basic human principals. They show up in different ways, but we are, essentially, the same.
What drives you crazy?
I am impatient. I have such huge visions for me and my clients – the potential that is hanging above us all is constantly tugging at me. I can’t wait to see it all come to fruition! I know that there is a right pace for me, though. I am growing thoughtfully, one step at a time, and making sure that my foundation is strong. Still, sometimes I wish I could wave my magic wand and have it all appear as I envision right before my eyes!
Who inspires you? (it can be anybody you know, or do not know)
So many people!! The obvious answers are Oprah, Liz Gilbert, Brene Brown, Lisa Nichols, Glennon Doyle. Certainly, Blake Mycoskie who founded TOMs Shoes – he’s who really put social enterprise on the map. They have all been such incredible trail blazers and role models. More personally, though, my clients inspire the hell out of me. I work with unbelievably brilliant, successful, heart-centered leaders who are on a mission to contribute on the highest level. I really have the best job in the world.
You're a trailblazer - what are some highlights in your career to date?
As I mentioned, my clients are amazing so that is first and foremost. Additionally, all of the training and coaching I have received that has helped me understand what it is to be in FLOW. It is such a dream to watch such beauty unfold in front of me now that I am finally in alignment with my soul. It is the best experience ever.
Words of wisdom or advice...final thoughts?
If there is a voice inside you telling you that you are meant for something, and you are currently not listening to it, start listening, and do something about it. There is no better time than right now to make the decision to live the life you are meant to live. We need more people in the world who are following their calling, leading through love, and contributing the best of their ability. The time to play small is over. Make a plan and have courage. We need your positive energy out there, and we need it now.
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Merritt Minnemeyer holds a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) designation from the International Coach Federation, the world leader and standard-bearer in the industry. She is a proud graduate of the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) from which she earned both Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and Energy Leadership Index – Master Practitioner (ELI-MP) credentials. Before discovering coaching, she graduated with a BFA in Acting from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts and later with a Masters in Humanistic/Multicultural Education (a social justice degree) from SUNY New Paltz.
Merritt is a member of the Leadership Dutchess 2018 class, the Hudson Valley region’s premier leadership program. She is active in several business associations and serves as Director Consultant for Business Networking International (BNI). She enjoys giving her time most recently as a Fellow for the 2018 and 2019 Hudson Valley Future Summit at SUNY New Paltz, on the Professional Development Committee for the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, and as a member of the Board of Directors/Business Academy Chair for the New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce. Previously, Merritt served as Education Chair for the Mighty Theater, on the Planning Committee for The Anne Frank Project, and as a founding partner of Myriad Arts Productions, a bi-coastal multimedia production company. She has also been seen mucking out stalls for Woodstock Farm Sanctuary.
Merritt shares her life with her remarkable husband, their three vibrant boys, and a menagerie of critters. She calls the Hudson Valley her home after years in New York City, Seattle, the Monterey Peninsula, Western NY, and two terms studying in the UK. A published writer, she is an avid live music fan, a voracious devourer of books, a joyful traveler, and calls anywhere near the ocean her happy place. Above all, she enjoys facilitating positive change for the highest good. It is Merritt’s dream-come-true to support those who contribute to the health and wealth of the world. masterofonecoaching.com
(published in 2021)
