Meet Dolly

Hello! And welcome to Creating Legacy and the Creating Legacy Network!

So glad you’re here.  We look forward to connecting with as many people as possible who want to change the world for the better.  There are many great ways to do so and we’d love to help you if we get that opportunity.

So here’s a little more about me. 

Background:

I am a first generation American; my parents emigrated from Poland and Lithuania after WWII, and I was born here in the U.S.  I have lived all over the United States, and have a great love and respect for people, their differences and related strengths and gifts.

My experience of people has taught me that each person has special gifts only they can realize and share with the world. These are the things they do very well and easily, and enjoy doing – that they do so naturally, they think it’s “no big deal.” But those gifts are a big deal, and can make a big difference to others.  People just have to position themselves in the right places in organizations and their communities with the right fit – for them. Or build the businesses and social enterprise projects that capture their passion and personal brilliance.

It is to encourage such a world – and help make the world a more abundant and joyful place as a result) that I choose the current work I do.

So what are my own unique combination of strengths and talents?

Work Experience:

I have worked as a Registered Nurse in critical care, a healthcare attorney running my own firm, a mediator, and business development consultant and life coach.  I am a writer, speaker and workshop designer/leader. I’ve enjoyed parts of all of it, and bring all the best of it to bear in my work with clients in a holistic way – with a focus on career, work, organizations, business operations and finances; life, family and community; health and leisure; as well as, the unique physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of each individual. I couldn’t ask for any more meaningful involvement from my work.

Going Beyond Problem Solving:

My education and career taught me to become a multi-dimensional problem-solver; AND I have since learned that problem-solving is not designing, creating, developing and innovating. As the genius Albert Einstein said:

“The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them.”

Much of what is needed by individuals and organizations must be created anew, comprehensively and systematically, in a on-going process of lasting change that is implemented over time. That is not the same as the problem-solving approach, which often looks mostly like putting out fires. As the saying goes, “when your only tool is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail.” And as I often observe: “then something or someone gets pounded.” Not exactly conducive to on-going development.  If the latter is what you want, let’s design an approach that works for your situation (by using known tools and without re-inventing the wheel!)

Skills, Personal Characteristics and Philosophy:

  •  strong empathy, yet with an ability to compassionately challenge;
  • understanding of individual strengths, motivation and behavior;
  • keen vision of things little seen by others, and ability to hear what needs to given a voice;
  • support and encouragement for taking courageous action and calculated risk;
  • business start up, operation, system and organizational development experience;
  • strong relationship, communication, problem-solving and conflict resolution skills; and
  • an ability to see a bigger picture and help people create new outcomes.

I combine a knowledge of people and what makes them tick, and experience working with people from the most intimate level to corporate and professional settings, with enjoyment for assisting individuals and businesses in the many areas, directions and passages of life and work. I am a positive, holistic and integrated in approach, inclusive rather than exclusive. I bring to my work a combination of humanistic, practical, scientific, and spiritual perspectives. I see each person in life, including myself, as a teacher and a student.

My basic perspective is one of responsibility and individual choice. We are each making choices all the time and must be responsible to see that, and for the choices we make. Only from that place we can create positive and constructive outcomes. I strive to create collaboration, resolution and win-win results, rather than compromise.

Within organizations large and small, I seek to work on issues and problems “from the top down.” The owner, CEO, director or manager of a group with which I am working must be involved and must agree to be part of the solutions and plans being implemented, rather than asking me to fix something “out there” or work with “the other people involved” without involving them. With that ground rule in place, we can then work together to design and achieve goals, implement systems, and maximize effectiveness and skills, that work smoothly, are personally satisfying and inspiring, and add value to the world they impact.

My role is to assist in the design and implementation of your own brilliant ideas and workable solutions, based upon your expertise and resources and the proper management of outside expertise to make it a reasonable and value-added expense.

My purpose is to assist great people and organizations to add value and do great things, creating success for themselves, as well as, the people they serve.

Education and Training:

~Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Michigan, 1978, which led to critical care nursing in Medical and Shock/Trauma ICU (maintain R.N. license);
~Juris Doctor degree from the University of Utah College of Law, 1984, followed by 16 years experience practicing civil and administrative law (inactive licenses TX and UT);
~ Coach training as a graduate of Coach U, a founding member of Coachville and early participant in its Graduate School of Coaching;
~ Professional Certified Coach certification from the International Coach Federation, assisting to develop the organization’s Code of Ethics and instrumental in building the first ethical complaint review process in the industry;
~ Worked in a number of health care systems and law firms;
~ Developed, sold and successfully transitioned from my own law firm operating it from 1991 to 2000, including where I remain of counsel with Garlo Ward, P.C. (www.GarloWard.com; inactive TX and UT licenses, affiliated now only in a consulting capacity), through which I came to realize my own strengths in advising, coaching and consulting, and successfully managing, operating and growing a business;
~ Designed and delivered numerous educational workshops for professional groups, trade associations and private organizations;
~ Formed Thrive!! Coaching, Consulting & Training in 1997 to work with professionals, business owners, CEO’s, executives, managers, boards, and other individuals and organizations in a broader, more developmental way, outside the context of legal concerns. Throughout my career, I have coached individuals to realize clarity and fulfillment in their professional work and personal lives, and to improve their business effectiveness.
~ Currently utilize numerous state of the art assessment and individual learning profiles in affiliation with Inscape Publishing, allowing me to assist individuals and teams to enhance their self-awareness, individual growth and personal effectiveness;
~ Certified as a Retirement Coach with Retirement Options© to deliver their “Retirement Success Program” and “Life Options” profile; and certified as a 2Young 2 Retire Facilitator to deliver the program “2 Young 2 Retire 101 Ways to Start the Rest of Your Life;” and last but not least
~ Created and Founded Creating Legacy (2006) and the 7 Steps to Creating Your Legacy program.

Would love to hear from you!  Email me at Dolly@CreatingLegacy.com.  

Cheers, Dolly
Dolly M. Garlo, RN, JD, PCC