About SPARKnU

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Hello!

Thank you for taking the time to visit our website - I'm looking forward to getting to know you!  However, in the meantime, what's important to know about me is that I am passionate about talent and developing leaders. That passion has translated into nearly twenty years of experience working with companies big and small from all around the world.  

I started my career in finance, spending nearly a decade learning to appreciate the finer points of financial performance, modeling, projections, and managing profit and loss. After graduate school, I began working internationally as a senior talent development consultant before moving into a senior executive leadership role overseeing a large portion of an international division. During this time, I worked in over 33 different countries, gained expertise in cross-cultural dynamics, and helped leaders work through the complexities of business while leading global teams. From there, I went on to work in Human Resources as The Head of Talent Acquisition, where I also led many talent management programs and initiatives. In my spare time, I have been teaching leadership theory, organizational behavior, human resources management, personality theory, counseling theory, cognition and perception, advanced research methods and statistics as well as many other courses, helping influence and develop the next generation of business psychologists.   

While my career has been exciting in many ways, my favorite days are when I am helping people and companies become more successful. Helping them find that "spark" that enables them to see things differently, learn, grow, and feel more successful. In fact, I chose the name SPARKnU because of the "spark" that happens when someone feels inspired.   

I hope you find the information on our website helpful, and I look forward to working with you soon!

Dr. Michelle. J. Johnston   

EDUCATION  

BA - Psychology/Biology 

MS - Clinical Psychology 

Ph.D. - Industrial and Organizational Psychology  

CERTIFICATIONS/EXPERTISE 

• 1000 Hours Supervised Clinical Experience by Dr. M Berjke, LP through Pierce County Mental Health - supervision included: Individual, group counseling and diagnostic psychological evaluations.  
• 2000 Hours Supervised I-O/Consulting Experience by Dr. J. Fennig, LP through DRI Consulting supervision included: Coaching, selection & work place assessments, and leadership and program development. 
• LEAN (Shingo) 
• Facilitation 20+ Personality, Cognitive and Leadership Assessments  

PUBLICATIONS

Johnston, M. J. (2013). The relationship among the common factor personality characteristics of empathy, approachability, acceptance and interpersonal skills and executive coaching effectiveness (Publication No. 3565765). ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.  

Bhakuni, S. & Johnston, M. (2011). Retaining top talent in a recovery by bridging the credibility gap. Human Resource Executive Online.   

Johnston, M. (2011). Building trust after downsizing. Chief Learning Officer Magazine, 12, 29.   

Vorasarun & Johnston (2010). What’s your workout personality? Forbes Magazine, 6, 12.

Hello!

I'm excited to get to know you, but in the meantime, what is most important to know about me is that I have been working in higher education and clinical leadership positions for over twenty-five years.   

I have a passion for leadership and evidence-based practices, which has been a focus of mine for over a decade.  I have been fortunate to serve in several senior leadership roles, including Department Chair at Concordia University as well as an Associate and Clinical Director at local outpatient treatment centers.  I also serve on the board of directors for nonprofit organizations dedicated to awareness around the link between mental and physical health.  Additionally, I serve as a liaison for Substance Abuse Foundation in Barbados, West Indies, where I provide monthly consultation to their leadership team, including the Board of Directors and their Executive and Clinical Leaders.   

I am also dedicated to continuing the advancement of the field through research, which I focus on aggression, social cognition, and information processing as it relates to organizations, group dynamics, and the success of businesses, clinical and community-based treatment programs.   

I am energized about the role I can have in helping individuals and organizations achieve success, and I look forward to working with you!

Dr. Brenda Frye

EDUCATION

BA - Psychology, Minor/African American Studies | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities 

M.Ed. – Leadership Development | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities 

Ph.D. - Clinical Psychology, emphasis-Forensic Psychology | Palo Alto University