About Authentic Development

Meet the Team!

Ken Carlson
Owner
Co-Active Coach

I have a passion for helping people come alive!

I started Authentic Development in order to assist others on their journey towards authenticity—I’m on the journey as well and here are a few pieces of my journey:

I am the proud father of a college-aged son (Andy) and a high school aged daughter (Molly). I consider my role as a father the most critical responsibility of my life. My deepest desire is that they would know that they are loved without condition and that they would live full lives. Andy is currently attending college at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) with dreams of becoming a video game designer. Molly is an excellent student with a great group of friends—she is a part of the marching band and loves watching forensics related TV shows with me. 

My friendships with a few other men have and continue to impact me in great ways. I’ve discovered that one on one relationships are the most powerful agents of change available to any of us. One of my favorite places to get away with friends is to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in far northern Minnesota.

I am an athlete. I've run at total of four marathons--in Madison, Dublin, Ireland, Washington D.C., and Paris. In 2008, I started running triathlons and I am officially addicted. At present, I have run eight triathlons including the Steelhead IronMan 70.3 in July 2010.

I am a CTI trained co-active coach. CTI (Coaches Training Institute) is the world’s largest in-person coach training organization. CTI has given me tremendous tools that allow me to help my clients discover their own paths and take them with enthusiasm. They teach that “A coach is someone who cares that people create what they say they want, that they follow through when they choose. The coach is there to hold people accountable and keep them moving forward toward their dreams and goals.”

My degree is in chemistry and I have a love of science. I taught university level chemistry on a part-time basis for five years. I love to teach and love to have my students reach their potential.

I’ve had a full career with varied leadership roles in marketing and operations. I’ve sat in the seat of many of my clients—working in corporate America. I found fulfillment at work in strategically developing my associates and teams.

Shannie Russell Smith
Co-Active Coach

I love coaching. I have dedicated my life to helping others with coactive coaching as a deeply empowering method for helping them experience their own transformations. The coaching tool-set and a deep care for others makes that much more impactful to my clients. 

I am a strategic business-woman. I am a talented account manager and sales consultant at one of the largest corporations in the world. Experienced in the corporate culture including many years in Human Resources. 

Continuing education is a way of life. I have a love of learning with a degree in Psychology from University of Illinois—Champaign/Urbana. Currently in extensive training with The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) with a focus on a certification in 2011.

I am married to a loving and dedicated husband—Travis. Newlywed in October 2010 with a honeymoon in beautiful Sonoma, California. Our dog Artie completes the family.

I am a Chicagoan. I was born and raised in small town Illinois—now residing in bustling Bucktown.

I have fun! We love to travel, cook, go to the movies, experience art and music, and generally soak in all that the urban Chicago scene has to offer.