About Ann Kruse, JD, MSOD, CPCC, ACC

After wandering in the wilderness of my career for many years, I finally realized that who I am is an explorer and a guide.  This is what I do for fun, and it’s how I work with my clients.

In my work, I help people explore and create their own paths to success and fulfillment in their careers.  Although the terrain may appear to be the same, every explorer is unique, and so every path becomes a unique expression of that person’s goals, values and choices.  My passion is helping each client create their own journey.

Exploring the World

I recall as a child, sitting on a mountain in Colorado, fascinated by the tiny alpine flowers that managed to bloom in such a difficult environment.  As an adult, I am particularly fascinated by how people adapt to the world around them, whether it’s the physical environment in which they live or the culture of the organizations in which they work.

Since childhood, I have loved the wilderness and have always been grateful to the Girl Scouts for providing me with both the mindset and the skills for living in the wilderness.  Right after college, I got into rock climbing and mountain climbing, which resulted both in choosing a husband who shares these passions and in choosing Seattle as the place to make our home.

In more recent years, I have focused on water sports (white water rafting and kayaking) and on international travel.  My curiosity about the world and its people has taken me to Alaska (climbing, kayaking, and rafting), China (touring), Greenland (kayaking), the Grand Canyon (rafting and hiking) and many other places.  The photos show me kayaking in arctic Norway and touring in China.

I lead trips for the Sierra Club (rafting, kayaking, and touring in China) and I’ve done volunteer work in the wilderness with both the Sierra Club and Wilderness Volunteers.  I firmly believe that the mission of the Sierra Club (Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the Planet) and the mission of Wilderness Volunteers (Giving Something Back) are crucial now more than ever to save our fragile planet.

My Career Journey

For over 30 years, I have been guiding leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals in my work as a lawyer, an organization development consultant, a human resources manager, and a coach.  I’ve worked in a variety of industries, including software development, telecommunications, law, education, government and nonprofit.  I’ve founded four businesses:  a law office, a consulting practice, an executive coaching practice (www.AnnKruse.com), and The Savvy Advisor℠.

I hold professional coaching certifications through the International Coaching Federation (ACC) and the Coaches Training Institute (CPCC); a Master of Science degree in Organization Development (MSOD) from the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University; a law degree (JD) from Georgetown University; and a BA and graduate work in Psychology (Universities of Iowa and Illinois, respectively).

A common theme in my career (more obvious in hindsight than at the time) is that I am passionate about helping people achieve excellence in their careers through the relationships that matter in their work.  This includes the team relationship, the leader-follower relationship, and now the advisor-client relationship.

Creating The Savvy Advisor℠

Having worked in many fields and many industries, I am continuously amazed at the magic of the one-on-one conversation as the foundation for all business and career success.  As a coach, I have immersed myself in the science of interpersonal communication, emotional intelligence, and personal growth.  One day the thought occurred to me, “I wish I had known this stuff when I was practicing law.  I would have been a better lawyer!”  Around the same time, I started noticing that many of my clients who are professional advisors (in fields as diverse as law, medicine, real estate, and writing) hunger for a higher level of confidence in their relationships with their clients.

The Savvy Advisor℠ was born from those two ideas.  I created TheSavvyAdvisor.com to be the professional advisor’s source of information on how to build deep, enduring, and high-trust client relationships – how to tap into the magic of the one-on-one conversation.  Please read About The Savvy Advisor℠ to learn how to make the best use of this site.

I hope you will join me on this journey to build both the mindset and the skills that will lead to the level of success and fulfillment we all seek in our careers as professional advisors.