Our Story

We met a few years after graduating from what was then called The American Institute for Foreign Trade, which was housed on an old, World War II Air Force base in the middle of cotton fields in Glendale, AZ. Hence, nickname Thunderbird and graduates were called TBirds. The school had no official alumni association despite having more than 2000 graduates working across the globe. It became understood that wherever you were in the world on the first Tuesday of any month, there was bound to be an informal gathering of TBird graduates at a local bar or pub where you had friends and business contacts.

Eric had been volunteering to run his local “chapter” in Chicago since graduating in 1980. I had been doing the same in Los Angeles since my graduation in 1978. We met in 1984 at one of the gatherings of 20-40 T-Birds to discuss the creation of a formal alumni association. Discussions became more serious when 42 of us showed up in Glendale, hosted by then Alumni Relations Director Tom Bria, to start the process of writing Bylaws and creating Articles of Organization for a formal alumni association, separate from the school. By unanimous consent, the group decided it was preferable to be independent rather than dependent on the school for funding, Sitting around the table were representatives of power house financial institutions, global nonprofits, oil and gas, and other industries with talents that included finance, operations, marketing, sales, and fundraising.

That experience taught us we worked well together both leading and participating on teams, with respect and appreciation for each other’s complementary skills. This has continued throughout our lives and careers.

Since then, we have gained additional training and expertise in Systems Thinking, Strategic Planning, Business and Operational Planning, Financial Management, Digital Marketing, and Interpersonal Communication. While we have taken numerous personality and skills tests throughout the years, we fall back on the Kolbe method of identifying innate talents as the true test of how we best use our own mental energy. This knowledge helps us understand when and how to apply the different aspects of our mental energy as we progress through each day, tackling various projects and assisting clients.

Our training, exposure to many different cultures, facility with learning foreign languages, and experience growing up overseas, Eric in Mexico, and Jeri in Indonesia, have given us unique perspectives that we bring to our consulting practice when working with clients. We combine those experiences with our innate passion to help others succeed, a common vision and passion we both share, and a thirst to always be learning. Today, that learning includes how best to integrate AI into the planning process, not as a tool, but as a Strategic Thinking Partner to help us be better coaches to our clients.

Our Mission

To help business leaders and teams think and work differently focused on  purpose and outcomes. Trained in Systems Thinking, we incorporate a variety of tools and resources to help you think, plan, and act to achieve your desired results. This includes using AI as your Strategic Thinking Partner in every step of the planning and implementation process. 

When you work with us, you get our global perspectives from living, traveling, and working overseas. We bring a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to every project, ensuring you receive the highest quality guidance and coaching we can provide.

Continuous learning ensures we stay current with trends. Our international experience enables us to work with multi-cultural groups with patience and grace, embracing differences in language, culture, and style.