Michele L. Walter
Transition Coach, GenX Whisperer, and Group Facilitator
No-Nonsense, Compassion-Driven Coaching, Keynotes, and Trainings for Freedom-Loving GenX’ers and Trailblazing Organizations
Summit Song
As you’re scrolling this page, please enjoy Life From The Summit’s theme song—the Summit Song. Specially written for Life From The Summit by the beautifully gifted pianist and composer, Janine DeLorenzo, the Summit Song magically captures Michele’s journey through life. Give it a listen and let the journey of this song inspire your next summit!
“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.”
— Edward Abbey
Welcome to a world where crooked trails aren't just paths; they're opportunities. If you've ever felt like life's journey has taken you down winding, lonesome, or even perilous roads, you're not alone. I've been there, and I've learned that it's on these very trails where we can learn to find our own internal source of power so that we can discover our most breathtaking views. As your guide on this expedition, I want you to know that although I may not know what it’s like to walk in your particular shoes, we humans at the end of the day walk many of the same basic paths.
I was a GenX, latch-key, free-spirited kid of the 70’s and 80’s.
From a modest trailer park in Nebraska to the esteemed corridors of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C. and finally, to the path of entrepreneurship in Colorado, my journey has been crooked, winding, and lonesome.
I was the first in my family to venture into higher education, navigating the treacherous landscape of law school despite my parents' divorce, years of rebellion, and even battling thyroid cancer along the way.
When I interviewed at the Department of Justice, they told me I didn't quite fit their attorney mold because I hadn’t gone to a fancy law school, been on law review, or clerked for a federal judge. Yet, they saw something in me, and I spent two decades trying to prove that I belonged…even though deep down, I never truly felt at home in the legal world.
In 2012, my world was shattered by the sudden loss of my biggest champion—my mom—which led me down my darkest and most lonesome trail. Without my mom in my corner, cheering me on, I had lost my sense of direction and who I was. Consequently, my trail became one riddled with depression, burnout, anxiety, and hopelessness. None of my external accomplishments—whether it was being a successful federal litigator or completing three Ironmans—did anything to quell my inner turmoil.
And when I relocated from the concrete sidewalks of D.C. to the mountain trails of Colorado in 2016, that move only intensified the feeling that I no longer belonged in my attorney's garb. It was at that point that I felt lost in the dense forest of my life. The heavy burden of student loan and credit card debt, combined with feeling purposeless and trapped in my “successful” attorney life, exacerbated my depression, burnout, and anxiety, to the point that I didn’t care whether I woke up the next day or not.
Then, fate intervened with two life-changing opportunities—a mindfulness meditation certification program and a coaching certification course. I enrolled in both of these certification programs while still working full-time as an attorney. And in 2019, I plotted a 1.5-year path to leave my DOJ attorney job with the vision of becoming a full-time entrepreneur. On June 4, 2021, at the age of 49 and well into “midlife,” I made that vision happen. But, reaching that new summit was far from instantaneous or miraculous.
I want you to understand that creating transformative change so that you can bushwhack a path to your new summit isn't about thinking positively or upending your life. It's about intention, practice, and time. It's an art form, not a quick fix. It demands a willingness to delve deep into what's been keeping you on the “safe,” well-worn path made by others, so that you can bushwhack your own path with more grace and conscious, empowered choice. It's about believing in your own power rather than seeking it from external sources. And, it's about learning to create and trust your own insights—the keys to authentic, lasting change.
The trails we walk can be treacherous…and, they are the ones that lead to the most magnificent views. I've been down a lot of those paths, and now I'm here as your guide, ready to illuminate your unique journey. Finding your path to a new summit life will be the most demanding and rewarding work you will ever do. And I believe that you’re not only worth it, but that you actually have the power within you to navigate that journey.
So, let's embark on this journey together. Are you ready to walk down the path toward your summit life?
Meet my Chief Canine Officer (CCO), Winnie
If it weren’t for Winnie, I don’t think I’d be here. Winnie has been my biggest teacher. When I was experiencing significant depression and anxiety, and having trouble finding a reason to get up each day, she was there. And when she started experiencing her own anxiety and behavioral issues, I realized that my emotions were impacting her.
Winnie is the reason that I was able to find the resolve to make a shift in my life. I couldn’t continue to let my suffering be the source of her suffering.
Winnie has traveled all over the United States with me (she’s been to 40 states, including Alaska), as well as Canada. And she’s been by my side every step of the way on this entrepreneurial journey.
(Image by Dirty Paw Photography)
I recognize and call out the white privilege that has been afforded to me my entire life, and the advantages I’ve had as a result. I also recognize and honor that the land on which I live and work, which is now known as the State of Colorado, is the unceded land of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ute, and Ochethi Sakowin. I honor the enslaved African peoples brought to, held, and sold on this land, as well as their descendants’ continuing struggle for liberation. I also honor the Asian ancestors from whom the mindfulness meditation practices that have transformed my life have come. I commit wholeheartedly to using the advantages I have been given to benefit and empower others, and to uphold the commitments in my Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion Statement.
I live with my dog (Winnie) in Colorado, and my life is filled with climbing 14,000-foot mountains, rock-climbing, hiking, and road tripping.
What do you get with Life From The Summit that you can’t get elsewhere?
There are a lot of coaches out there, a lot of meditation teachers, and a lot of talk about “mindfulness.” But there are very few people who have the powerful combination of being a Certified Professional Coach and Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher. This rare combination is my secret “beta” (rock climbing lingo for information about how to ascend a climb) for true, sustainable transformation.
You deserve to find your internal source for sustainable transformation. So, let’s get you off the well-beaten paths and onto the path that is meant to be yours.
Certifications
Associate Certified Coach
Michele is a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) with the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) — an International Coach Federation (ICF)-accredited school. Michele also is an Associate Certified Coach under ICF (60 hours of coach-specific training; 250 hours of coaching with clients; passing an oral exam; and agreeing to adhere to the ICF Code of Ethics).
Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher
Michele received her certification through Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, Sounds True, and the University of California at Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. This intensive training included a 7-day silent Vipassana (Insight Meditation) retreat; a 3-day in-person workshop; over 45 hours of group meditation sessions and talks; two years’ of weekly lectures; and two teaching practicums lasting 4-6 weeks each.
Modern Classroom Certified Trainer
Michele is trained in all aspects of delivering a course using the latest training technologies and approaches, class preparation techniques, how to evaluate and increase the effectiveness of training, how to successfully use various delivery modes such as asynchronous and virtual learning, and how to grow and improve as a trainer.
