CliftonStregths Strengths-Based Coaching
Grow Coaching Certification
Coaching Immersion Training
Group Life Coaching Certification
Masters Business Administration
Bachelors of Arts Marketing
This is my story
Hello, I’m Jennifer (Jen) Maynard, and I’m a Career & Leadership Coach here at Ama La Vida. I’ve been with Ama La Vida since 2019 and have been coaching since 2010. In 2014 after my only child, Grace, was born, we took a family vacation to Costa Rica. We enjoyed the experience so much, we uprooted our lives and moved to Costa Rica for a year of adventure. With that pivot, I shifted from a corporate career to a “flexible career.” In the time since that pivot, I’ve started a business, had a stint as a travel consultant, dabbled back in corporate, and became a full-time coach.
I started my coaching journey as a young leader when I became one of the youngest female managers at a Fortune 100 engineering and manufacturing company. I moved through various functions serving in leadership and management roles helping to coach and shape other future leaders. I’ve held a variety of roles in human resources both as an individual contributor and as a manager. As a full-time coach, I’m able to apply the lessons I’ve learned in my corporate experiences with the 2,000+ hours of coaching people across various industries to serve a variety of clients.
When I’m not coaching, I love to spend time with my family. We enjoy going to the beach, surfing, playing pickleball, riding bikes, and camping. I love a good long walk in the HOT South Carolina sun, cooking, painting, working out, and reading.
I Serve
I firmly believe that active participation and full engagement are essential for success in coaching. I encourage my clients to take ownership of their development by being prepared, setting goals, taking action, and taking notes.
I serve Professionals who…
- are in the career transition process and want tactical support moving through the process.
- are making a career change and need a sounding board and someone to guide them through the journey.
- have experience under their belt but are feeling stagnant in their growth and development.
- are ready to grow but unsure where to start.
- have a vision of the future but want some support moving toward the vision.
- are new to leadership and would like to understand, develop and grow their leadership skills.
My Coaching Approach
I describe myself as a direct, friendly, analytical, process-obsessed, action-oriented, coach-consultant. If my clients are unclear about what they want to focus on in their coaching journey, we work to get clear and document their objectives quickly. I’m tactical and find that the biggest impact happens when clients dive right in and start new approaches or ways of thinking. I have a heavy consulting approach to my coaching. This means I will ask questions, but I will also challenge clients to act using tools and resources that have been proven to work for others.
The clients that will thrive with me are those who want to dive in and make long-lasting changes and improvements. I take a holistic approach to my coaching and feel strongly that relying solely on coach training will not get a client where they need to be. I am passionate about leveraging my own experiences and the experiences of past clients to create the best-tailored approach.
If you’re looking for a coach who understands the complexities of the modern workplace and can guide you toward success, I’m here for you. I’m dedicated to empowering individuals to achieve their professional aspirations and thrive in their careers.
A few of my favorite resources
Testimonials
“I had such an amazing experience going through this program with Jennifer’s coaching and guidance. She really helped me realize my individual potential and helped me grow my skill set. She was always really transparent and truthful and that made me trust her. She as an absolute joy to work with! The modules helped to keep me on track and provided great examples and resources that I will continue to refer back to and use. Investing in this program was the best decision I have ever made!”
~Manager Healthcare, Nanda B
—
“Thank you Jennifer! I could not have achieved this without you, your encouragement and your guidance! I knew you had my back every step of the way … and it was so appreciated.”
~Recently promoted to CEO, Leilani T.
—
“Jennifer has been a great resource and coach during a transition period in work and life for me. She builds genuine connections with people, quickly collaborates on developing a plan for any situation and follows up throughout. I am very thankful to have known her for a while now, and can wholeheartedly recommend Jennifer to any individual or business/organization.”
~ G. Saffel, Cyber Security Planning Lead
—
“Jennifer is wonderful at helping clients to see outside the box. She gave me both the encouragement I needed, and the thinking partnership required, to obtain an opportunity that I never thought possible. I am now in a dream job that I thought would take decades to find, with many amazing opportunities as a result.”
~C. McKinney, Strategy Integration Leader
—
“Jennifer is wonderful at helping clients to see outside the box. She gave me both the encouragement I needed, and the thinking partnership required, to obtain an opportunity that I never thought possible. I am now in a dream job that I thought would take decades to find, with many amazing opportunities as a result.”
~C. McKinney, Strategy Integration Leader
—
“No matter how much journaling and self-reflection I did, the countless self-assessments and quizzes I took…I still felt – stuck. Surprisingly, I had the answers all along. But, it took someone to ask the right questions in the right way, to collect and mine the data and mirror it back for me in such a way that I could start to see the answers for myself. Jen Maynard is a gifted coach, a committed partner, and unwavering champion. Working with her has helped me get un-stuck, moving towards living out a life plan that is authentic and ambitious and most importantly feels right!”
~R. Ambrose, VP Marketing
—
My sessions with Jennifer came at a crucial point in my life when I had some big decisions to make regarding my career. Jennifer asked thought-provoking questions, provided great resources, and listened well. She is personable and warm and I immediately felt comfortable with her. I’m still in the process of making some of those big decisions, but now I have the tools, which we created together, to go back to and reflect upon. My confidence in making next step decisions has increased and I have a much clearer idea of the path I want to be on.”
~ R. Jackson, Musician & Teacher
—
“Jennifer is awesome! She’s a great listener and really helped me keep focused on my career goals, which were reached! She is very flexible in her approach and can provide advice/perspective no matter what line of work you’re in or where you are in your career! Highly recommended!”—“Friends and family are nice, but sometimes don’t have the expertise when going through career issues. That’s where ALV and Jennifer come in. Jennifer has been amazing helping navigate through transitions at work. She is able to help me tackle problems by talking things through and breaking it down into pieces that are more manageable. The modules also help you to figure out what drives you authentically, not what you are supposed to think or say. The sessions are worth the peace of mind knowing that there is someone in your corner to help support you professionally.”
~ President non-profit, Roxanne A.
—
Ama La Vida has been instrumental in both my professional and personal development, I’m so fortunate to have worked with Jennifer Maynard. She is a leadership, coaching and communications expert who is highly skilled at helping people uncover their own passions and navigate through most any challenge, opportunity. or plan. My weekly meetings with Jennifer were easily the highlight of my week. I gained insights, perspective, knowledge, and a lifelong friend. The ALV materials are designed in a way that makes them easy to work through at an individual pace. The educational modules serve as great reference materials as well. I have found countless applications of the materials in my everyday professional and personal life. I highly recommend the program to anyone who is looking to invest in themself. The return on investment will be above expectation!
~ Melylni S.
