I am the owner and principal of Quintessence Coaching, specializing in leadership development and life and wellness coaching. My mission is to partner with individuals, teams and organizations to help them find solutions, reach their full potential and move forward with confidence, full engagement and resilience. I am known for my powerful and positive presence and energy, fortifying support, encouragement and empathy, keen insight, ability to get to the core of every issue and situation quickly, action orientation and strong organizational, collaboration, communication and group facilitation skills. All of this allows those who work with me to develop razor sharp awareness and clarity and fulfill distinctly articulated strategies and goals with full mastery.

Grateful am I that I have been able to live out my passion for almost four decades through educating, training, consulting and coaching. I have found my professional home in public, private, corporate, nonprofit and grassroots settings. Prior to coaching, my professional roles included classroom teacher, state department of education level consultant, corporate trainer and marketing support staff and regional leader and consultant in the field of alternative education.   In my leadership roles, I have advocated for the needs of students and families; trained administrators, educators and teams; developed and implemented statewide, regional and individual educational programming and educated business users on new technology to ensure successful new IT system implementation. Along the way, I partnered with many organizations at the local, regional and state levels and developed many teams and networks to get the work done. I bring all of this training and experience to my role as a professional coach, working in organizations with managers, leaders and executives to help them clarify and hone their leadership skills and legacy and build organizational engagement, with groups and teams to define their purpose and support high performance and with individuals to gain greater self-awareness and shift thought habits that allow for breakthroughs, goal attainment, greater fulfillment and lasting change. I am also frequently called upon to lead and facilitate workshops related to the many components of resilient and healthy leadership and lifestyle in corporate, nonprofit and public settings.

I have earned a B.A. in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Education, Professional Coaching Certification from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching and a professional certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. I am a certified professional coach through the International Coach Federation and an Executive Mentor Coach with The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). I am also a certified master practitioner of iPEC’s renowned Energy Leadership Index Assessment and Energy Leadership Development System.

An active member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the International Coach Federation, I co-direct the chapter’s annual community service project. I am also a member of the board of directors of the National Center for Homeopathy. My skill, professionalism, performance and engagement have been recognized with several awards and honors throughout my career, including Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities (1975), Iowa State Teacher of the Year (1979) and, most recently, 2014 Volunteer of the Year by the Philadelphia Chapter of the International Coach Federation.

My strong belief in human potential and resilience, deep understanding of the conditions that allow all to flourish and long standing interest in a proactive and health and longevity supportive lifestyle have fueled my advocacy for access to supportive healthcare options and high quality educational programming for all. I have also been volunteering for many years with the homeless and formerly homeless populations in the Philadelphia region, engaging in craft related hobbies and developing strong relationships and bonds.

When I’m not coaching or teaching, I can be found hiking, bicycling, reading, practicing yoga, being in the out-of-doors and engaging with art and craft activities in various forms. As a proud life-long lap swimmer, I can also regularly be found at the pool. Most frequently, however, you will find me honoring the number one value on my Values Assessment….being with my amazing family.

From News of Delaware County

Sharlene Goldfischer opens the box of chocolates each with sayings attached as she quotes a line from the film, Forest Gump.   “Life was like a box of chocolates you never know what you’re gonna get.”

It is a Sunday afternoon at the Haverford Township Free Library and one of the first events to explore the book Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. The book was selected as the One Book One Philadelphia for 2015. One Book, One Philadelphia is an annual program to promote reading, literacy, and libraries, and encourage the greater Philadelphia area to come together through reading and discussing one single book.

Goldfischer, a certified professional coach from Quintessence Coaching, www.quintessencecoahing.com is leading the workshop, Weathering the Storms: Resiliency. She is using the book “Orphan Train” to show how the heroines; Molly and Vivian generations apart were able to be resilient under very tough circumstances.

Each saying explores ways to be resilient overcoming the effects of a job loss, a bad childhood and loss of loved ones or an illness. She explains that we can choose how we think about things dealing with them as you would a game of cards.

“As humans change is constant and things are always changing around us.   We are dealt a hand, we play it and sometimes we have to toss out some of the cards when there is a divorce, or you lose a job. You take time out and reflect on the possibilities and then deal again for it is time to change and play your hand,” said Goldfischer.

The Orphan Train is about a youngster in 1929 who is orphaned and placed on a train with other children and shipped from New York to farming communities in the mid-west. The trains carried thousands of abandoned children whose fates were determined by the luck of the draw. Vivian is now 91. Molly is a foster teen who has to do community service by cleaning Vivian’s attic. The book tells the tale of the Orphan Train. It explores Molly’s and Vivian’s relationship and how their lives started on a similar track though years apart.

The Orphan Train is about the cards dealt and the ways these two individuals deal with the game of life. Students and readers will get a chance meet the author and learn more about her book.

On Tuesday, March 17, Christina Baker Kline will be at Haverford High School to discuss her book and will be at the library for a book signing and reception. You can purchase tickets for the luncheon with the author hosted by the library on the same day. For more information, about these events, go to www. haverfordlibrary.org/OneBook