Theodore Roosevelt was “incapable of being indifferent.”  Wilson Bentley, a New England farmer who made himself a respected expert on the crystal structure of snowflakes, “was as exuberant in pursuit of them as they were in their numbers.”  The eminent physicist Richard Feynman “was an exuberant teacher in every way.”

Joining these historical figures, Dr. Sandy McKenzie, a Chattanooga-based executive coach and motivational speaker, is exuberant in her goals to help people.  Despite a daunting workload, she has a way of making you believe you are the only person on her agenda, and more importantly, that you matter.  She credits her grandmother with inspiring her exuberant passion to help people.

“During the Great Depression, my grandmother was known for inviting traveling itinerants and their children or others who seemed a little down on their luck into her home,” she says.  “My parents were much the same way.”

This investment in people’s wellbeing has had ling-term effects.  “Years later, many of those short-term guests wrote to my grandmother about how her touch energized or encouraged them to achieve more than they had ever hoped,” says McKenzie.

And she took those lessons to heart, realizing her dream of helping people improve their lives.

"Although the term executive coach wasn't around in the late 60's during high school or even in the 70’s when I was in college, I was always preparing to encourage people.  I often stood in front of a dressing mirror and pretended to be telling an audience how to become all they wanted to be.”

Besides being a personal and executive coach, McKenzie is a motivational speaker, teacher of professional etiquette, telephone skills trainer, and counselor.  She also writes a newspaper column and appears in a regular segment on WDEF-TV, the local CBS affiliate in Chattanooga.

In her work, McKenzie emphasizes the importance of making positive first impressions.  And she’s ready to help clients do that.

“Within 20 seconds to six minutes of seeing people for the first time, we decide what they are like, and whether or not we want to get better acquainted.”

“It may not seem fair,” she says, “but it’s reality.  Later, it takes a lot of work to change those instantly formed, long-lasting opinions.  It’s not fair, but it’s a fact, according to studies by Dr. Albert Mehrabian of the University of California Department of Psychology, along with other experts.

McKenzie’s techniques rest on the foundation of knowing what your dreams are.  “Once the vision of your purpose in life comes into focus,” she says, “your choices and priorities become clearer, too.  Then comes the hard work of respecting those priorities and making sound decisions.”

Sandy McKenzie lives her beliefs every day, saying that each morning she thinks about the big picture first – her life mission, God-given talents and being a good steward of both.  Then, after quiet time and prayer, the steps for accomplishment begin to clearly fall into place.  Her To Do list and goals are clarified.

Since 1980, McKenzie has successfully helped people identify their dreams and take the steps necessary to bring them to fruition.  With a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee, and a doctorate from Covington Theological Seminary, McKenzie is a practitioner with strong credentials.  That said, she also has a “Humor Degree” from The Comedy School, and even over a telephone, you can tell there is a sparkle in her eyes.

Sandy may be reached through her websites, www.sandymckenzie.com or www.businessimagepro.com.  As she says, “Anyone who knows me will probably say I can’t resist helping others be the best they can be.  It’s my exuberant passion.

TOP || Front Page