Hi, I'm Christina Meinberg

I am a certified professional coach who knows meaningful work from the inside, with 15 years of experience as social entrepreneur, responsible business consultant, and advisor to people who are intentional about making a difference in the world through their work. 

Since 2012, I have been coaching people to find the sweet spot between meaningful expression and personal fulfillment. 

Deeply connected to UC Berkeley, I created the school’s first-ever social impact career

curriculum for graduate business students and currently advise emerging leaders in pursuit of meaningful business careers.

And prior to focusing on coaching exclusively, my career was dedicated to educating, inspiring and engaging organizations to adopt responsible business practices. I bring into my practice deep subject matter expertise in sustainable enterprise, responsible business, and social impact including an MBA focused in sustainable enterprise (The University of North Carolina). I am also a graduate of Acterra’s Be the Change year-long Environmental Leadership program.

My work as a former social entrepreneur, sustainable business consultant, and a Director in the Center for Responsible Business in a top tier business school gave me experience advising emerging leaders and diverse executives at organizations such as Earthbound Farm, Teck Resources, Autodesk, Johnson & Johnson, and others.

WHO I AM

Formed by over a decade of engaging in social impact work, and also coaching and advising people who are making a difference in the world – as emerging leaders in business, educators, healthcare workers, social justice workers, environmental sustainability advocates and the like.

Inspired to make the world a better place by my two incredible, young children. 

Awakened through self-care, self-awareness, and centering practices like yoga. 

Motivated to do good in our world through coaching, mentoring, and teaching – while remaining a “student, always”. 

Personality: My clients have described me as intuitive | empowering | dynamic | a calming presence. 

What brings me comfort & joy:  a long day of hiking followed by dinner with good friends | morning lattes | raising myself alongside my two sweet kiddos, age 7 & 10 |  functional family vacations  | exploring what it means to be human  | the fresh ideas and optimism found on college campuses  | restorative yoga  |  kayaking

Community Involvement: Being engaged in purpose-oriented work (both professionally and as a volunteer) has always been both gratifying and heart-opening for me.  Whether it was picking up trash in my neighborhood as a young child, climbing a 14K foot mountain to raise money for urban youth or walking 60 miles in support of cancer victims after graduating college, joining the local community garden or serving on nonprofit boards throughout my adult life, I am at my best when I am connected to something bigger than myself. 

THE ORIGINS OF MY (UNCONVENTIONAL) APPROACH

My clients describe me as intuitive, dynamic and at the same time - a calming presence.  Yet there is no doubt that I’m different than your typical career coach.  Because the way I see it, the methods that are commonly applied to career transition today are not bringing all of who we are to the table.  They are keeping us at work or finding us the next gig, but many of us are barely there. 

We desperately crave bringing more of our aliveness - more of our authentic selves - into our 9-5s.

As a society, we face pressure to constantly excel and climb some sort of career ladder, even if we are in a career or position that doesn’t feel right. We have been taught to answer the wrong questions (typically starting with “what do you want to do?”) and get down on ourselves when we don’t know all of the answers.

We tend to get anchored into the expectations of others, into what we’ve been told is practical or what we “should” do.  This makes it difficult to process what is on our hearts, and can make us feel at war with our own emotions when we disagree with the common opinion.

The common career journey is viewed as one that should be rushed and expedited, focused on one end goal - which doesn’t allow us to breathe, reflect, and properly regenerate.

And this rapid tempo leads us to tamp down our emotions and bury or hide them, when all they really want is to help us to grieve.  To support us in putting one foot in front of the other, and unleash us forward to a better place.

THIS USED TO BE ME.

While preparing to graduate from a top 20 MBA program over a decade ago, I encountered my biggest career crisis. 

I was passionate about bringing my skills and education into work that would have a positive social and environmental impact.  But I was told that very few of those jobs exist and was encouraged by peers and career guidance professionals to go for the “traditional” jobs (the ones hiring graduates in droves).

I was yearning to make a contribution, but without a real reference for how to find a career that would strongly resonate with me. 

I robotically tried on elevator pitches that I thought would help me connect with interviewers.  I recall applying for roles that made me feel like I needed to shave off a small portion of myself in order to answer the interview questions in a way that was expected of me. 

I felt alone, unvalidated, afraid to make the wrong move, and desperately wanting someone to hand me a playbook for how to pleeeeeease find some gosh darn meaning in my work. 

I started to feel like I was stuck on a carousel that someone else had put me on.

In these dark moments, my life was empty - empty of the things that make for enriching and restorative lives and careers: balance, self-expression, joy, connection, and contribution. I no longer felt like myself, because I was cut off from myself. 

But, it doesn’t have to be this way….

I no longer feel this void.  I’ve found a career that is meaningful and restorative, and have helped many others to feel fortified in theirs too.

Through Putting Purpose to Work sessions, I offer guidance that helps people to find the sweet spot between meaningful work and personal fulfillment.

Together, we will uncover your own wisdom, your own brilliance - to bring the invisible into the visible.

If you’re ready to discover new pathways to access your own unique truth that will support you in finding meaning and fulfillment in your life and career, I can help.