About Kristiana 

An innovation-focused Executive Coach and Fortune 500 Executive
developing human-centered leaders for the future.

With over 20 years of experience leading teams through digital and supply chain transformations, Kristiana helps leaders at all levels to navigate rapid growth, strengthen their leadership, and make confident, high-stakes decisions.

Kristiana offers executive coaching and consulting grounded in psychology and neuroscience—typically reserved for C-suite executives—tailored to the needs of your leadership team.

She brings a wealth of hands-on expertise in design, technology, e-commerce, supply chain & logistics and banking from her experience working in companies of every size, from 5-person start ups to global giants like Amazon. 

Through executive coaching, leadership masterclasses and her exclusive membership for leaders, the Core Leadership Lab, Kristiana empowers her clients to create a sustainable version of success, driving big results while always keeping people at the heart of what they do.

She hosts the Worthy to Lead podcast, where she shares fresh insights and real-world stories of human-centered leadership in action.

Credentials & Affiliations:

• PCC Certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF)
• Executive Coaching Certificate from the University of Texas at Dallas - Jindal School of Management
• Board of Directors, Texas Coaches Coalition
• Member of ICF Global & Austin TX Chapter

Kristiana lives in the heart of Hill Country near Austin, TX with her 3 kids, husband and parents - a multigenerational household that always keeps her on her toes. She loves reading, hiking, traveling and exploring new cuisines in the weird and wonderful city of Austin.

Coaching changed the way I lead.
And it changed my life.

There was a time when leadership felt like constant pressure, endless decisions, and the quiet fear that I was getting in my team’s way instead of helping them thrive.

On paper, I was successful. I was climbing the corporate ladder as a design and technology leader, building teams and launching new initiatives inside some of the most admired Fortune 500 companies in the world.

I’d been an “intrapreneur” inside massive organizations and an entrepreneur in early stage startups. I was driven, capable, and deeply committed to doing meaningful work.

But inside, I was exhausted. 

Like many leaders, I stepped into management with very little training. I went from being a high-performing individual contributor to a manager of people overnight, and suddenly everything I thought I knew shifted.

I worked long hours, carried a large scope of responsibilities, and traveled around the world frequently for work. I did the best I could to provide guidance for my growing global team, while also raising two small kids at home.

Yet, day after day, I watched talented people on my team struggle, sometimes in tears, and wondered if I was cut out for leadership at all.

I didn’t just need answers.
I needed a different way to lead.

The moment everything shifted

In 2016, I witnessed an executive coaching demonstration that stopped me in my tracks. For 45 minutes, I watched a professional coach listen deeply, ask thoughtful questions, and help a leader think through a complex challenge she was sure was unsolvable. No advice. No answers. Just powerful questions and space to think things through.

By the end, the leader had solved her own problem and left with a plan she believed in. I was shocked.

This was the "a-ha" moment for me.

I immersed myself in coaching, applying what I learned with my teams and eventually pursuing formal training and certification through UT Dallas - Jindal School of Management and the International Coaching Federation. The more I practiced coaching as a leadership skill, the more I saw my teams transform.

What changed in my leadership & my teams

I stopped being the bottleneck.
I listened more and reacted less.
I asked better questions instead of jumping in with answers.

My teams grew more confident, more strategic, and more accountable. They stopped coming to me with problems and started bringing solutions. They took ownership, challenged assumptions, and led with courage.

And for the first time, leadership felt sustainable.

I could focus on strategy instead of constant firefighting. I could step away without everything falling apart.
I could lead with clarity instead of chaos.

Why I do this work today

I started Worthy To Lead because I’ve seen what’s possible when leaders & their teams are developed to live up to their own potential.

I’ve coached leaders through promotions, pivots, layoffs, and moments of deep self-doubt.

I’ve watched people claim a seat at the table, communicate with confidence, and lead through complexity without losing themselves in the process.

At the heart of my work is this belief:

The capability and worthiness to lead
is within all of us.

We simply need to know how to unlock it.