Meet Karen and Curtis
Meet Karen and Curtis
Certified Professional COR.E Leadership and Life Coaches
Hi, we’re Karen and Curtis.
It’s our mission to spark a Catholic Midlife Renewal and inspire you to discover the joys of going deeper in this transitional season of life.
If you are a Catholic navigating the tides of midlife, you belong with us!
We bring a unique mixture of theology, scripture studies, positive psychology and neuroscience, coaching tools and skills, professional experience, and practical wisdom to our work.
Whether you listen to our podcast, participate in a talk or workshop, or spend time with us in a coaching relationship, you will discover things you never knew and find yourself looking at old things in a new and powerful way.
Everything we do is based on the 5 pillars of The Catholic Midlife Renewal: Hope, Energy, Love, Purpose, and Unity. When these pillars are strong and deeply rooted, you have a firm foundation for a powerful and fruitful second half of life.
To learn what it’s like to work with us, check out our services here.
Karen Herbert
I’m a mom of three young adults, married for 22 years, and a transition coach serving midlifers.
I support midlifers as they engage with the empty nest, engage aging parents, help children move out and start adulting, find a new mission, reconnect with themselves and God, and find purpose in the second half of life by utilizing my Life In Abundance™ coaching framework or 1:1 coaching.
My background includes a wide and varied set of expertise, including degrees in philosophy and theology, and certifications in Montessori education, CORE Energy Coaching, Energy Leadership, and CORE Dynamics Coaching.
I like to quilt, assemble jigsaw puzzles, and visit the beach.
Like many of you, I'm a Catholic mom.
I’ve been a homeschooling mom, a private school mom, a public school mom, a special challenges mom, a volunteer mom, and a chronically ill mom. My husband Curtis has, on various occasions, called me a food magician, a chauffeur, a medical case manager, an education consultant, and a pet psychologist.
Like each of you, I’ve experienced real challenges in my family life and professional life. I’ve experienced suffering, self-doubt, guilt, and regret. I’ve also experienced joy, satisfaction, purpose, and connection. I’ve raised three young adults who sometimes struggle and sometimes thrive.
As I approached and entered the empty-nest years of midlife, I’ve had to dig deep in times of trial and transition to reconnect with my authentic self, to unlock new purpose, and to create the engagement and relationships I want in my life.
I’ve leaned into my research skills to discover the best training, certification, tools and strategies for powerful, lasting change. It’s taken consistent effort, a willingness to change, courage, and multiple moments of re-commitment--but the fruits are beyond my expectations!
That's why I'm determined to help midlifers dig deep and discover the transformations possible in this amazing season of life.
I've seen too many midlifers slip into traps of midlife - keeping busy without tapping the possibilities that wait for them in holiness, happiness, purpose and mission.
I bring my core values of Faith, Understanding, Connectedness, Spirituality, Creativity, and Intuition to my signature coaching process. I love to help others in this season to thrive through the transition and step into their new purpose and possibilities in the next stage of life.
Curtis Herbert
I served 20 years as a lawyer, law firm shareholder, and advisor to high tech entrepreneurs. I used my advanced degrees in the life sciences to work in biotech, medical technology, among other things.
I’m Catholic and a Dad, married 22 years. I’ve been active in Catholic lay movements since I was in RCIA in my 20’s, diligently converting to the Catholic faith from the Episcopal church. No regrets, for sure.
I’m a core energy (life) coach that works with men and women in midlife. Core Energy refers to how I coach: I help you get to the core of the thoughts and emotions that underlie the actions that you are trying to create. Too often, we set goals but can’t get to them because we haven’t identified what’s really driving us or sorted through the interior and exterior obstacles that are involved.
I know from coaching experience that each of us have areas in life where we struggle - even if it seems other people don’t. Personally, I was surprised when I had some coaching in my professional life. I realized that discipline, while essential, is not the only tool in the box when it comes to progressing in human or spiritual areas. I was getting burned out because I had one success strategy: put my head down and push through. It worked great, until it didn’t.
God was ready to give me some new life but it didn’t FIT inside me. I had to let go of some of my old assumptions about “how life works.” It was like the Scripture: “No one puts new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.” (Matt. 9:17).
So often, to move FORWARD, we have to unlearn old habits that served us well but, now, are getting in the way. We have external and internal obstacles. Grace is always waiting for us when we ask – but can we receive it?
Midlife is a critical time to set the foundation for the next 20 years. It’s important to carve out the time to take stock. To let go of old ways, find the new patterns, and connect with new purpose, missions, and build up key relationships. To get your wineskin in good working order, so it can receive the new life that God always has waiting for you!!
Info At a Glance
Karen Herbert
Background and Certifications:
- Wake Forest University, B.A., Philosophy and Religion
- University of Notre Dame, M.A., Systematic Theology
- North American Montessori Center, Montessori Diploma Early Childhood (3-6) and Lower Elementary (6-9)
- Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching, CPC, ELI-MP
- Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching, COR.E Leadership Dynamics Specialist (CLDS)
Karen Herbert
Background and Certifications:
- Wake Forest University, B.A., Philosophy and Religion
- University of Notre Dame, M.A., Systematic Theology
- North American Montessori Center, Montessori Diploma Early Childhood (3-6) and Lower Elementary (6-9)
- Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching, CPC, ELI-MP
- Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching, COR.E Leadership Dynamics Specialist (CLDS)
Curtis Herbert
Background and Certifications:
- Texas A&M, B.S., Petroleum Engineering
- University of Texas, Austin, Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
- William Mitchell College of Law, J.D.
- 20 years of patent law in private practice serving high-tech growth companies
- Bar Admissions: Minnesota State Bar, Supreme Court of Minnesota, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching, CPC, ELI-MP
Curtis Herbert
Background and Certifications:
- Texas A&M, B.S., Petroleum Engineering
- University of Texas, Austin, Ph.D., Chemical Engineering
- William Mitchell College of Law, J.D.
- 20 years of patent law in private practice serving high-tech growth companies
- Bar Admissions: Minnesota State Bar, Supreme Court of Minnesota, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching, CPC, ELI-MP
“iPEC is one of the top coaching schools in the United States,
standing out from other training programs because of its successful track record in the coaching industry.
Its training process and philosophy are second to none.”
National Coach Academy