About Lael Couper Jepson

Lael Couper Jepson is a professionally educated and seasoned practitioner of organization development as well as a certified coach. Her unique blend of creativity, humor, intuition, compassion and experience and enables her to engage her clients in the art and science of change and transition. Lael quickly establishes a deep connection and trust with her clients. Out of this foundation, she boldly awakens the power of an individual or an organization and shines a light on the heart of the matter. Her infectious energy sustains her clients through the tough and rewarding work of clarifying vision, uncovering obstacles, identifying possible solutions and staying the course to ultimately create sustainable change.

Her Focus Is on Women

Lael established SheChanges in 2006 out of her passion to support women in realizing and unleashing their unique talents, powers, voices and leadership instincts to create more of what they want in the world. She believes women’s innate abilities and skills in networking and building communities can be more leveraged in the context of today’s society. To that end, a primary focus of the coaching and consulting services Lael offers in SheChanges is geared toward supporting women – individually, collectively and within the context of the workplace.

Professional Experience

Prior to founding SheChanges, Lael spent most of her career working for a Fortune 500 company in the fields of organization development and multimedia learning systems. Through this experience, Lael is adept at working across multiple layers of an organization – from senior executives to line managers. She is a seasoned facilitator of small and large-scale system changes, leadership development, group dynamics, process and structural re-engineering, strategic planning and organizational learning.

Philosophy

Four key principles guide my work as a consultant, coach, workshop presenter and retreat facilitator:

  • A high degree of participation and involvement by the people experiencing the change will result in an outcome that is positive, supported and sustainable.  To this end, wherever possible, I build in opportunities to participate in and learn from the process.
  • My job is to work myself out of a job, not create a dependency on me.  I believe in healthy and supportive relationships, not co-dependent ones.  In the process of working with my clients, I continually seek ways to transfer learning (processes, skills, techniques and models), while tapping into and leveraging the instincts and natural skills and abilities of my client.
  • I believe in learning and growth.  A willingness to be curious and open to new possibilities is at the core of my client relationships.  In this context, I view change as an opportunity to define new horizons and transition as a process of renewal that enables sustainable change take hold.
  • Candor.  Active engagement.  Intentionality.  Choice.  These are the four cornerstones of my practice.  I ask that clients: be clear and committed to their choice to invest; be in and with the process at all times; and be honest and forthright with me as their partner.

Education, Certifications and Affiliations

  • MS in Organization Development (MSOD), American University/NTL
  • BA in Visual Arts, Rutgers University
  • Numerous graduate-level courses completed toward a Master’s in Adult Learning, University of Southern Maine
  • Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), Coaches Training Institute
  • Certified in Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Leadership Effectiveness Analysis (LEA) 360 feedback
  • Member: Organization Development Network (ODN), International Coaching Federation (ICF)
  • Volunteer: Maine Women’s Fund, Hardy Girls/Healthy Women

Personal Interests

Lael is a mom, a daughter, a sister and wife. In addition to coaching and consulting, Lael also feeds her creative spirit as an artist and a writer. She is a voracious reader and is passionate about women’s leadership. An avid triathlete, Lael participates in a number of sprint distance events annually. She is a highly experimental cook and gardener. She is spiritually fortified by all bodies of water, the moon, and other symbols of the feminine nature. A native of New Jersey, Lael has affectionately called Portland, Maine her home since 1994.