Hi. Dori Fern here.
Welcome to my new-for-now home page
Hey you. Glad you’re here.
I’m an ICF-certified career transitions and leadership coach who supports aspiring and current entrepreneurs at a pivotal juncture in their lives. I help them get clear about their goals, and to shape and build their personal and professional future, one step at a time.
Who I Work With
I primarily coach women who are founders, investors, executives, community and social impact leaders, and creatives — many are also mothers and partners — who are ready to take a leap in a new direction. Some want to pivot from corporate or non-profit roles into their own independent business, full-time or as a side hustle. Others have already built a wildly successful business, but are at a crossroad and ready (if maybe a bit terrified) for something different. All come seeking support, accountability, and partnership to bring this vision to life in alignment with their values.
Who I Am
My own big life change led me to become a professional coach and was the spark for my (on hiatus) podcast, also shared here on Substack, “Life Changing with Dori Fern.” It’s a bit offbeat and very personal and a good place to start if you’re curious to know me a bit better.
Before becoming a coach, I worked for 25+ years as an editorial leader, content strategist, brand storyteller and marketer building successful, out-of-the-box programs and platforms for media, consumer, and B2B brands including AOL, Martha Stewart, and Kraft Foods (I’m also a culinary school-trained cook specializing in all things food), tech companies like Neustar (now a TransUnion company), and pharma leader, Novartis.
In a lovely coming-together of all my skills and interests, I consult with clients on their business and content strategies, and help them launch content platforms — newsletters, keynote speeches, podcasts, and more — for their entrepreneurial ventures and startup businesses.
You fit one of these profiles:
Navigating a major life transition — recent layoff, new career or life stage, a big move
Experiencing an inner shift that tells you now is the time to make that once unimaginable change, and you’re ready to make it happen
Navigating relationship challenges — as a mother, partner, colleague, and peer — that impact your own path, process, and progress
Wanting a trusted partner who can help you shape what’s next, support you every step of the way, and who brings 30+ years of professional leadership experience and business storytelling expertise.
You are looking for:
Clarity: Understanding and shaping what you really want, and identifying the factors that impact your progress.
Growth: Trying new ways of being, working, leading, and responding to pressure.
Integration: Building sturdy habits, practices, and structures in service of your growth and goals.
My current offerings:
1:1 coaching
Consulting services for my coaching clients, including business and content strategy and planning
Content strategy consulting services for select, non-coaching clients
Let’s connect. Send me an email, tell me a bit about you if you like, and we can set up a time to meet. It’s free and, if nothing else comes from it, you’ll gain some insight — about me and my coaching practice, for sure, and very possibly about yourself, too.
At some point, I may grow this into a newsletter about topics that light me up, like life changing (duh); coaching and the personal development industrial complex; food: cooking it, eating it, and — for better and worse — how it makes us feel; being a lifelong New Yorker; and, experiencing Brooklyn nightlife as a post-menopausal, single empty-nester who still likes to go out and dance.
This site is intentionally simple for now.
If you’d like to stay in touch:
→ Email me at dori@dorifern.com to set up a time to talk
→ Connect and learn more about me on LinkedIn
WHAT SOME OF MY CLIENTS SAY
“I was very stuck in how I saw myself and my career aspirations before I hired Dori as my coach. Now I feel like anything is possible again. Exploring my underlying energy gave me a surprising amount of self-awareness which has helped me commit to a process over time. I’m a super impatient person, but it’s been so helpful in my career-changing journey and also in personal parts of my life.” Education Leader and Investor
“I was feeling stuck and down before I started meeting with Dori. I wasn’t clear on exactly what my issues were, just that there were issues. Not having done any coaching before, I also wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of sessions or results. Dori guided me, pacing the sessions appropriately, encouraging my progress, providing support and creating a safe space for me. She enabled me to grow and change how I show up in my life and career. I’d recommend working with her to anyone who knows they want to change an aspect (or several) of their lives.” Food editor
“I came to Dori for help moving past unhelpful patterns and assumptions around what’s fixed (not much!) and what’s in my control to change. Dori’s coaching helped shift both my thinking and my actions. What continues to delight me is seeing how well a few reframes can change what feels possible.” Audio Producer