Susan L. Westbrook, PhD, PCC

Professional Certified Coach (PCC) · Consultant · Author · Teacher

Founder, Upper Third Productions · Owner, Love Your Leap Coaching and Consulting

Cary, NC

"Who you select to partner with you as a coach or consultant can have long-term impact. The stakes of creation are high — in terms of time, effort, and money."

Susan's professional life has spanned 50 years.

Scientist. Professor. Executive chef. School founder. Coach.

Each role has deepened her understanding of what it means to lead, create, and perform with intention. Her path from research scientist to university professor to executive chef in the French Alps to ICF-credentialed coach is not a detour. It is the work — and it makes her a genuinely multidimensional voice in leadership and coaching today.

If you've ever wondered what it looks like to move through the Lab, the Studio, and the Stage of your own life, Susan's journey is a sample map. Everything she has lived, she now teaches — through Upper Third Productions, Love Your Leap Coaching, and the quiet, rigorous, creative work of helping others perform at their fullest potential.

What follows is a record of the journey.

Education

Formal Degrees

  • Ph.D., Science Education, 1987 — University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
  • B.S., Microbiology (with Teaching Certification), 1978 — University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

Academic Appointments

  • Assistant / Associate Professor of Science Education — NC State University, Raleigh, NC (1992–2000)
  • Visiting Assistant Professor of Science Education — University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (1989–1990)
  • Online Instructor, College of Arts & Sciences / Environmental Studies — University of Oklahoma (2012–2017)

Coaching & Facilitation Training

  • Executive Coaching Certification (XCC) — Assenter Coaching, Raleigh, NC (2019)
  • Great Story Mastery Coaching Program — Lucid Living, CA (2016–2017)
  • Great Story Coaching Program — Lucid Living, CA (2015–2016)
  • Coach Training, Leadership Program — Co-Active Training Institute (formerly CTI), Sebastopol, CA (2006–2007)
  • Coach Training, Core Coaching Courses — Co-Active Training Institute, Washington, DC (2006)
  • Stories of Sorrow Grief Recovery Workshop — Francis Weller, Occidental, CA (2017)
  • High & Low Ropes Certification — The Next Level, Sebastopol, CA (2007)
  • Counseling Coursework — NC State University (2005–2006)

Reiki & Holistic Training

  • Karuna Reiki Master's Training & Certification — Reiki Training Centre, Burghead, Scotland (2012)
  • Usui/Tibetan Reiki Master/Teacher Certification — Reiki Training Centre, Burghead, Scotland (2011)

Credentials & Affiliations

  • Professional Coach Certification (PCC) — International Coaching Federation (ICF) Global (2020; renewed 2023, 2026)
  • Inducted: Phi Delta Kappa — Education Honor Society
  • Inducted: Sigma Xi — Scientific Research Honor Society
  • Current Member: Triangle Organization Development Network (TODN)
  • Current Member: ICF Global

Leadership

Organizational Leadership

  • Board Member & Past President — Triangle Organization Development Network (2026)
  • Board President — Triangle Organization Development Network (2025)
  • Board Co-President — Triangle Organization Development Network (2024)
  • Change SIG Chair — Triangle Organization Development Network (2024–present)
  • Board Member & Programs Director — ICF Raleigh Chapter (2020)
  • National Board of Directors — School Science and Mathematics Association (1998–2000)
  • Founding Board President — Corporation for Educational Partnerships, Holly Springs, NC (1999–2000)
  • Founder, Superintendent & Co-Director — Community Partners Charter High School, Holly Springs, NC (2000–2003)
  • Assistant Director, Environmental Education — Westminster Woods Conference Center, Occidental, CA (2007)

Business Leadership

  • Owner & Principal Coach — Love Your Leap Coaching and Consulting, LLC (2014–present)
  • Co-Director & Executive Chef — Lauvitel Lodge, Venosc, France (2007–2010)
  • Vice President & Co-Owner — HORTCO, Inc. (Greenhouse & Landscaping), Norman, OK (1982–1988)

Speaking & Presentations

AI, Technology & Organizational Development

  • "Exploring the Link Between AI and the OD Practitioner" — TODN Community Conversations (February 2026)
  • "Achieving Greater Productivity & Creativity through Use Cases and AI Assistance" (Parts I & II) — TODN Community Conversations (June & July 2025)
  • "Is It Cheating, Laziness, or Genius?: Changing the Way We View AI-Assisted Work and Creativity" — TODN Change SIG (October 2025)

Leadership, Mindset & Coaching

  • "What Are Your Three Tomorrows? How Do You Create the Future You Prefer?" — TODN Change SIG, with Jayne Fleener, Ph.D. (March 2024)
  • "Becoming a Change Superhero: Using a Transcendent Mindset to Make Big Change" — TODN Change SIG (January 2022)
  • "Mindset Matters: Crisis, Choice, and Creativity" — Keynote, ICF Raleigh Virtual Summit (June 2020)
  • "Moving to More: The Sacred Dance of Consciously Creating Life from Your Dreams" — ICF Raleigh Chapter (June 2019)
  • "Mindset Matters: Who Do You Become Under Stress or Change?" — Elon University (March 2019)
  • "Midsummer Day of Dreaming" — Workshop Creator & Speaker, Cary, NC (July 2019)
  • "A Tale of Two Dreams: Five Keys to Creating Success from Inspiration" — ICF Raleigh Chapter (October 2018)
  • "Exploring a Collective Vision for Leadership: Putting the Pieces Together" — ICF Raleigh Board Workshop (December 2018)

Publications

Book in Progress

Who's Coaching Michelangelo?: Cultivating a Creator's Mindset in Your Life and Work (forthcoming)

Book

The Five Tibetans Yoga Workshop: Tone Your Body and Transform Your Life (2014) — Findhorn Press, Dyke, Scotland

Selected Peer-Reviewed Articles

  • "Using Valsiner's Zone Theory to Interpret Teaching Practices in Mathematics and Science Classrooms" — Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 2005 (with Blanton & Carter)
  • "Examining Tools as Mediators of Students' Learning About Circuits" — Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1999 (with Carter & Thompkins)
  • "Examining the Conceptual Organization of Students in an Integrated Algebra and Physical Science Class" — School Science and Mathematics, 1998
  • "Doing Is Believing: Do Laboratory Experiences Promote Conceptual Change?" — School Science and Mathematics, 1996 (with Rogers)
  • "Learning Cycles for Mathematics: An Investigative Approach to Middle School Mathematics" — Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 1995 (with Fleener)
  • "Examining the Development of Scientific Reasoning in Ninth Grade Physical Science Students" — Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1994 (with Rogers)

Textbooks

"Investigations in Natural Science: Physics" — Teacher's Guide & Student's Guide (1985) University of Oklahoma (with Renner, Nickel & Renner).

Additional publications available upon request.