About Aja

Life Transition Coach Seattle, WA

A woman sitting at an outdoor table by a lake, smiling, with a tray of oysters, glasses of white wine, and a pitcher of water.

I know what it's like to be in the middle of a transition with no roadmap.

The kind where you know something needs to change, but you're not sure what. Where everyone has advice, but none of it quite lands. Where you're holding it together on the outside while feeling unmoored on the inside.

I've been there. And that's exactly why I became a coach.

From Ocean Policy to Human Transformation

A woman with curly hair, wearing a tan tank top, white striped pants, and sandals, standing next to a pink scooter with a black color guard, in front of a metal shutter painted with large cat murals.

I spent 15 years at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), working in fisheries management and leadership development. I loved the work. These fields offered the complexity of balancing science with policy, the challenge of bringing diverse groups together, and the satisfaction of developing leaders who could navigate change.

During middle of those 15 years, I navigated several of my own major life transitions. I become a parent. I questioned my career path. I got divorced. I evolved into a version of myself I didn't quite recognize yet. During all of that I realized something: the skills I was using to help teams navigate organizational change are the same skills people needed for personal transformation.

That realization led me to coaching.

In 2021, I began working towards my coaching certification. Since then, I've worked with women navigating career pivots, relationship changes, identity shifts, and all the messy, beautiful transitions life throws at us. I bring the same strategic thinking I used at NOAA to help grow leaders and help communities through climate change—except now I'm helping individuals build their own roadmaps.

Training & Experience

Coaching Credentials

✓ Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC)
✓ Associate Certified Coach (ACC) - ICF
✓ Group Coach Certified
✓ 225+ hours of professional training

Background

✓ 15 years at NOAA; 3 years in the private sector
✓ Leadership development program design and management
✓ Group coaching & facilitation
✓ 50+ individual clients supported

Education

✓ Master's in Environmental Management - Duke University
✓ Biology Degree - Swarthmore College
✓ Two decades of fisheries management experience

My Approach to Coaching

I don't believe clarity just happens. Clarity is something we build together through honest conversation, strategic thinking, and practical action.

My coaching style is warm but direct. I'll hold space for your fears and uncertainty. I'll also challenge you when you're stuck in patterns that aren't serving you. I bring structure and strategy, but I’ll also trust your intuition and lived experience.

Here's what you can expect when we work together:

Grounding in your reality - We build plans that fit your actual life, not some idealized version.

Strategy and action - You'll leave every session with clear next steps, not just insights.

Emotional intelligence - We address both the practical and the emotional sides of change.

A plan tailored to you - No cookie-cutter frameworks. Your goals, your strengths, your timeline.

I believe you already have the answers inside you. My job is to help you access the answers, trust your intuition, and turn your clarity into action.

A Few Things You Should Know About Me

  • I'm a mom to two incredible kids who teach me daily about growth, patience, and adaptability.

  • I'm a child of Caribbean immigrants, which shapes how I see belonging, code-switching, and authenticity in professional spaces.

  • I'm a cat lady and ocean-lover at heart. My dream day involves a beach, a good book, and salty water.

  • I love horror movies, there's something about confronting fear in a safe space that resonates with how I think about coaching. We need spaces to explore what scares us without judgment.

  • My spiritual life is mixed and mystic, rooted in nature. I believe in science (devoted my career to it), and also in magic, astrology, and dimensions we can't always measure. Both/and, not either/or.

  • I bring all of this to my coaching: analytical rigor from my science background; cultural fluency from my upbringing; warmth from being a parent; and the belief that transformation requires both strategy and soul.

Let's Talk

If my story resonates with you, I'd love to hear yours.

Whether you're in the middle of a career shift, a relationship change, an identity evolution, or any other major transition—I'm here to help you move from stuck to clear to moving forward.

Let's start with a conversation.

Schedule Your Free Discovery Call

30 minutes. No pressure.
Just clarity on whether we're a good fit.