Hi There! I am Theresa Destrebecq.

I started my career as a school teacher, then moved into educational leadership, before being certified as a coach in 2012. Now, my work is a combination of the two, where I use my teaching skills and my coaching skills to support your growth either individually or as part of a larger community. 

​I want to inspire you to take action and transform how you live, learn, and lead, using books as the tool to facilitate that emergence.

My "fall down-get up" story...

Today, I have the privilege of working with individuals and companies that span the globe. I am honored to help transform people's relationship with themselves and those they lead. 

​But it wasn't always like that. 

When I was in my mid-30s, my career started to falter, and I turned to books for advice and guidance. They gave me ideas, but they didn't solve the problem.  At the time, I didn't realize that the solution wasn't out there, but in me. 

​Eventually, my skip level manager called me into her office to talk about the challenging relationship I had with my direct manager. She never said anything outright, but I knew I had a decision to make.  

​I spent a long time reflecting on my own leadership capacities and trying to figure out my next steps. Eventually, I sought out a coach who challenged me to take responsibility for the situation and my own leadership. 

Our work together catapulted me into numerous other self-development opportunities, which have continued to remove my blinders and help me get out of my own way so that I can be a better leader, even if no one else has bestowed that title on me. 

After years of coaching individuals through their own "bad boss detox", I decided to combine my love of books and learning, with my love of asking deep questions, to create and facilitate book-learning communities that support individuals and companies to move from consuming great ideas, to creating new ways of living, learning, and leading. 

The goal is not to teach or train, but to facilitate your deep exploration of the ideas within a book, in community with others.  

No book will every change your life or your leadership -- you make the change when you bring the ideas to life. 

I am a certified coach through Vera Whole Health, which is an International Coaching Federation accredited coaching program. I also love to learn. In addition to the 3-5 books I read at a time, I also take online and in-person continuing education courses and participate in a facilitation network, to continually grow my facilitation practice.

My traditional education includes both a Bachelor's and Master's Degree from Boston College, and various certifications in teaching and educational leadership from the University of Washington. 

I live a pretty ordinary, yet extraordinary life. When I am not working, I play all sorts of other roles. My hobbies include reading (obviously), cooking something yummy, laughing with friends, and moving my body in all sorts of ways -- pickleball, rock-climbing, hiking, yoga, dancing, pilates, HIIT training, etc. 

I am the mother of 2 beautiful children, ages 11 and 9. ​​​

Turning Books into Playgrounds
for Learning