About
Stefa Katamay
When I retired, I jumped at the first shiny thing that came along: learning to sail offshore. Yes, I thrived on many levels, but something was niggling away inside. At times I was lonely or bored. Eventually, I ditched the adventure.
My subsequent journey of self-discovery revealed I was living a life inconsistent with an authentic me. Dialing back into my values and repurposing my strengths lead to a pivot from executive to retirement coaching, a perfect fit after living so many of the challenges retirement presents.
Testing out a retirement option — sailing, for me — helped me appreciate that planning for retirement can be about working through three- to five-year chunks of time, not decades worth of life ahead.
As a Certified Retirement Options™️ Coach, I’ve transformed my experience to help people find time to do what they want, a sense of direction, a feeling of internal alignment, and excitement about where life is heading after career. I am dedicated to supporting clients to explore and plan what they will do with their retirement. Maybe that client is you.
Education
- Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching, Royal Roads University
- Master of Health Science, University of Toronto
- Bachelor of Science, University of Toronto
Professional development
- Retirement Options Certified Coach
- Harvard mentor manager
- Communicating with compassion
- Group facilitation skills for public engagement
- Project management in the public sector
Roots
They say you can take the girl out of Sudbury, but you can’t take the rock dust out of a Sudbury girl’s hair! In this Ontario mining town, I learned what remains important to me – honest courageous communication, perseverance, and a love for being on or near water. Here I developed an ear for languages and learned to whip up useful things on a sewing machine.
At play
Being active both calms and energizes me. Cycling, hiking, and cross-country skiing clear my head and help me gain perspective, as does meditation. Bashing away at pickleball and downhill skiing are just plain fun. And travelling, whether with a pack on my back or on a sailboat, has led to immeasurable growth within. From time to time you can still find me behind a sewing machine.