Debra Russell speaking in Asker, Norway for the Asker Music Business Conference
Hello, my name is Debra Russell. I’m a certified business coach, executive and workplace coach, personal coach, and master certified in NLP and hypnosis. I’ve worked with clients from many different industries since 2001. Additionally, as a speaker and professional development trainer, I have delivered keynotes, workshops and bootcamps across the US, Europe and Australia. I’ve been an SME for conferences, trade shows, professional organizations, businesses, universities and colleges. My life has been a long, winding and often challenging road and I’ve done many things along the way. You can read more about my life here.
Qualifications as a Coach
Throughout my adult life, I have been a business owner in one form or another, whether it’s as a
Throughout my adult life, I have been a business owner in one form or another, whether it’s as a
- Contract executive assistant in the legal and financial services industries in the 1980’s,
- Film, television and commercial production in the 1990’s,
- Teacher and tutor in the early 2000’s
- Business coach from 2001 to the present
I learned business by running my own business and helping others run theirs, even before I became a business coach. When I discovered coaching as a viable career, I invested in training through Results Coaching Systems school and then, upon certification, became one of their lead trainers, working directly with David and Lisa Rock. Throughout my career, I’ve continued my education first with Coachville to expand my coaching skills and later with Christopher Howard Training to be certified in NLP and hypnosis. Currently I’m halfway through an Executive MBA program at the Leeds School of Business (Class of 2023, University of Colorado, Boulder) and a certification program for Athlete Development Specialists at the University of Florida, Gainesville. My CV is available upon request.
I was raised by 2 amazing people. My father, who passed in 2015, was a PhD in experimental psychology from the University of Chicago. He worked for Bell Labs and was the department head for what was then called human factors – but you would know it better as UX (user experience).
He worked on many of the inventions we use every day. Everything from cell phones to phone trees to voice recognition software. He was also brilliant, funny and had a heart the size of Texas.
My mother, who is still very strong (she may outlive us all!), is a retired CPA and specialized in small business and local non-profits. She received a degree in Math, also from the University of Chicago, at a time when women often didn’t even go to college. She went back to school when I was 12 and got a degree in accounting and passed her CPA exam while working full time and running a household, very impressive!
From my mother, I learned very young how to manage my time, use a budget, manage money responsibly and run a small business. From my father, I learned how to understand human behavior and use that understanding to facilitate change and transformation. I also learned how to think creatively and expansively.
So, you see, I’m perfectly suited to be a business and executive coach. Add to that extensive and continuous training and education in business, professional and personal development, and coaching skills throughout my life and here I am, ready to accelerate your development, success and quality of life.
