Colleen grew up in a small town in Oregon, the daughter of a teacher and social worker. She attended the University of Oregon with the intention to one day become a teacher. “I knew I loved developing people. So, naturally, I thought teaching would be a great fit,” says Colleen. In her senior year she had an opportunity to shadow the life of a teacher for a week. “After I got the chance to see what the life of a teacher was really like, I thought, oh crap, this isn’t for me.” There was so much bureaucracy and teacher’s didn’t seem to have much freedom of how they led their class so after graduation she decided to move to Denver, Colorado.

“When I moved I immediately had a real ‘Oh shit moment’, she said. “I was applying for so many jobs, but everyone wanted more experience than I had at that point. Then I happened to find a sales firm who agreed to teach and develop me regardless of my experience. I fell in love with the industry. It came as a shock to my parents because we never anticipated me being in a business role. What I figured out though, is that the sales industry gave me an opportunity to develop people like a teacher, but I didn’t have to settle with a teachers salary or lack of freedom.”

In 2016, Colleen made the decision to open a firm on her own, with a new campaign in Hampton, VA, which is where Catalyst Leadership Group was born. Since then, Catalyst Leadership Group has been a top producing office for clients like Verizon and Xfinity, opened a new location in Nashville TN, and has successfully developed multiple Managers. “My intention running a business is first to create a professional environment where professionals can start, regardless of past experience, and have a positive supporting place to grow both professionally and personally. And second, for the motivated crowd who wants to be in control of their destiny, my aim is help them gain financial freedom through teaching them the disciplines of effort, attitude, and student mentality.”