Claudia Kelly Li

Nothing would bring me greater joy than to support you in reaching new levels of ease and impact. I hope my offer to support you in your home or work life might resonate in some way. 

 

My family is from Hong Kong and I grew up on the West Coast of Canada. Throughout my career as an entrepreneur and leader of social change, I've collected some of the world's best practices in designing a life of meaning, purpose, direction and ease. Some of these tools were gathered during my tough times: working through addiction, surviving battery, sexual assault, and gang violence. Other tools came in handy during good times: incredible teamwork, peak leadership, and having a direct hand in passing policies for social change. I hope the tools I've learned through both the good times and the bad might help you in your journey as a friend, coworker, parent, leader, or as a human in general.

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My career: business school -> politics -> coach + counselling 

I started my career in business school with plans to become a management consultant. Somehow I found myself starting a nonprofit to change Chinese culture: by phasing out shark fin and phasing in youth leadership. After receiving public recognition for my work, I became interested in public office and worked as a consultant to the Mayor of Vancouver. After that, I got married and gave birth to two children of my own. I was asked to run for office and felt like I was at a fork in the road …. In response to my dilemma, my husband and I designed our own Life Design process. We used tools derived from world-class institutions including ones that spawned from IDEO via Apple. This Life Design process allowed me to see more clearly what my skills were, how these skills might benefit society, and what brought me satisfaction in life. This Life Design process is how I came to my work as a coach, mindfulness instructor, and therapist-in-training.

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We all want to change the world

The following maxim encapsulates my philosophy of life: "We all want to change the world, but can we just help one person closest to us?" If I were to be brazen with this maxim, I'd extend it to say: "To change the world, we must first start by understanding how change happens within ourselves." My aim as your coach and counsellor is to support you doing exactly that: creating change for yourself, for others, through compassionate understanding and inquiry. Read more about integrity on my blog post here.

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My large family system was my original training ground 

My interest in people, relationships, and culture began at a young age having grown up in a large family system. With 10 aunties and uncles and 20 cousins (most of whom were living within a 5-minute drive of my house!), I was given the gift of human connection and understanding in one of the most direct forms – relationships. I am the median age of my 20 cousins and the first cousin to have been born in a new country. Being in the "middle" and living between these two cultural worlds gave me a rich perspective of life. My large family system was my original training ground for human experience. My father has degrees in computer science and mathematics. My mother is an entrepreneur and small business owner.

 

My husband is an executive coach, leadership professor and Buddhist teacher, though he started out as a theoretical physicist and programmer. In my personal life, I love to dance, cook, bake, sing, and write. I am a mother and step-mother. I am also a practicing Buddhist of the Khyentse lineage.