And I want to share what I’m up to!

So, here’s the TLDR (too long didn’t read): I’m evolving from purely working 1:1 executive coaching, and now also working in organizations to create High Vitality Teams.   

What’s a High Vitality Team? A team in coordinated and effective action, fueled by the principles of adventure. And why the principles of adventure? Simply because they’re my tactics learned from a lifetime of adventure (and underpinned by some really great stories!) to articulate dynamic modes of engagement that create power and impact … and infuse teams with VITALITY.  

It’s time to move from functional to flourishing.

In the functional paradigm, things are adequate – they work.  Teams interact in an almost robotic and mechanical way. While it gets the job done, it’s stale, mundane, and you know you’re not realizing the true capability of your people. You know you’re not doing what’s possible.

In a flourishing paradigm, teams awaken their full potential. Team members are integrated and amplify each other. It’s exponential. There’s a vitality, a coming to life associated with coming to work. We can exist in a completely different paradigm than the one we’ve all grown used to. One that supports, enables, and propels our greatest work and most authentic contribution.  And game-changing outcomes are the result.

So how do we shift a team? In the functional world, we design around performance. There are metrics, goals, delivery. And generally speaking, it’s not that inspirational. In a High Vitality Team, we design around flow… And amplified performance is the outcome. The first step in designing for flow is creating a bottom-up strategic vision that inspires the team. So performance is baked in as the outcome of individuals thriving in the workplace, integrating their respective talents, and amplifying unique contributions.

Practically, what does transitioning to the Flourishing Paradigm look like?  

Step 1: We hop on a call.  You help me understand your organization and its particular challenges.  You will leave the call knowing what needs to be done, and how to do it.  

Step 2: Working together, we implement the design we’ve come up with to create a High Vitality Team.  This could be starting with a division within a large organization, or with the senior leadership team.  In certain cases, we may spend some time in the design phase before jumping to implementation.  Each program is completely customized for your organization.  

Step 3: Watch the magic happen . . . and enjoy the ride as you lead the team to a future you didn’t previously dare to imagine.  Because now you do . . . and you’re doing it.  

It’s clear to me that everything I’ve ever been and everything I’ve ever done has been leading me right here, to what I’m up to now. A convergence of my professional experience, combined with a lifetime of adventuring, amplified by my deep knowledge of neuroscience and all things flow states, and infused with the vivacious spirit that’s been behind all of it all along. The Kellie Okonek way of loving possibility, enamored with doing impossible things, inspired by executing big ideas with unrivaled enthusiasm and unbridled vitality.

My pinnacle offering is to bring your team to Alaska for a truly transformative experience as we lay a foundation that transcends the current concept of what’s considered attainable. There’s nothing like the raw power and expansiveness of an Alaskan landscape to infiltrate the soul and psyche and inspire the liberation and flourishing of both. There really aren’t words to express the power of it, but connecting to nature in its raw and most powerful form has a profound impact. Interacting and engaging with the landscape is the source of my Principles of Adventure and there’s nothing like learning from the teacher herself. Alternatively, I’m happy to bring all of this to you, and use a local landscape to deliver these lessons.

It’s already been a fun and wild ride, and I’m just getting started!  Don’t hesitate to reach out  if this is what your team needs!  And especially if you want a powerful start to 2025, there’s no time like the present . . .