Michelle Gall

author biography

I started out as an Air Force brat raised by immigrant parents on a diet of constant change and new beginnings. Poor and smart, I attended Yale University on a full scholarship. I graduated from Yale with honors in 1980 with a B.S. in Management and Policy. Next, I enrolled in New York University 's graduate program in business, where I received my M.B.A. in Finance in 1982.

I wrote my first book while working full-time. I wrote late at night and in the wee hours of the morning while my children slept. My constant companions were an eraser and my tea kettle.

I landed my first paid job at age 10 when I distributed job flyers all over Vandenberg Air Force Base, California , drumming up household chores for 50 cents an hour. I worked my way up the corporate ladder to managerial positions in New Product Development and Budget/Planning, which served as a springboard for my academic career. I was a college professor of Finance and Strategic Management for 12 years until I was recruited back to the corporate world. I then managed an analytical staff spread out across three states, and coordinated the financial processes and reporting functions for a $55 million budget.

I received my Executive Coach credential from Corporate Coach U (a 15-course program), and I'm a member of the International Coach Federation and a Contributing Editor for Personal Excellence magazine. I'm also certified to administer the MSCEIT Emotional Intelligence assessment (developed by colleagues at Yale University ) and the PCSI communication styles inventory. My areas of expertise are workplace culture, leadership, innovation, and creating a safe environment that helps people choose change.

Take a decade of corporate experience, add 12 years as a college professor, combine with a lifelong passion for meaningful change, and you get an Executive Coach, author, and speaker in a category by herself. I live in Connecticut with my three beautiful children.