About Jen

My name is Jen Miranda Rodrigues (she/ hers). I am a coach, facilitator and trainer.

13 years of community organizing and five years as a mama have led me to coaching, training, and supporting teams and couples to work through conflict and grow interpersonally.

For years my deepest passions were grassroots policy change and movement building. A favorite part of organizing was working 1-1 with community leaders, doing the deep listening and coaching that builds real leadership.

I was immersed in that work when I felt an unignorable voice say she wanted to be a mama. I finally listened and worked to make that happen. After having two joyful, rambunctious littles, another pull emerged to return to the social change ecosystem, this time as a coach and trainer. I love the process of people stepping into their power, and coaching is a transformative catalyst for that. 

I coach people and teams to identify all that might be at play for a needed shift to happen and develop discipline and tools to achieve greater confidence and clarity.

My life’s work before coaching includes:

  • Being a mamá of two littles

  • Organizing and assistant directing for People Acting in Community Together, San José, CA

  • Co-building the foundation of Movimiento Cosecha, an immigrant rights movement

  • Teaching capoeira in Madison, WI

  • Teaching high school in Watsonville, CA

  • Teaching at Madison College in Madison, WI

My approach:

  • I am a trained and certified Co-Active Coach, which resonates with my values of mutual respect and equity. I will share terms, methods, and tools so that we have a shared vocabulary when we work together and so that you can use those in your life outside of coaching.

  • Community Counseling (a model of mutual aid counseling, with Paul Engler, from Center for the Working Poor) has also influenced my approach and instilled the importance of unconditional positive regard. If we decide we are a good fit, I will be in your corner, without judgment. Whatever goal, shift, idea you’re working on, I will be right there with you.

  • My model of resonance comes from Relational Uprising. I have received and given numerous trainings on their powerful, successful model of resonance. 

  • Many of my listening and coaching skills come from community organizing, which started me on a long journey of learning and teaching listening and coaching skills. PACT (People Acting in Together), an affiliate of Faith in Action, an international faith-based organizing network, was my main source of learning and practice.

  • We design our sessions together and will redesign as the work evolves. Our sessions will often mean the hard, fun work of self-discovery through guided conversation. The coaching may also include somatic (body movement) elements, guided visualization, and always deep listening.

  • I coach in English and Spanish. 

  • I am committed to my own personal anti-racism work and my coaching space is LGBTQ+ welcoming.

What People Are Saying

  • VICKI, Teacher & Mamá

    “Jen left me feeling like I had power, control and direction to address my current situation. I felt excited to put my experiment into action. She helped me stay accountable and follow through on what I committed to myself. She is a deep listener, extremely approachable and holds the space lovingly and attentively, making it so easy to open up. I can’t wait for more.”

  • PATRICIA, Data Analyst & Mom

    “Jen nudges you in the right direction and you don’t even realize it. She listens, she’s kind, and she’s firm!”

  • RAMIRO, Community leader

    “Como líder comunitario, Jen me ayudó a explotar cualidades y habilidades que existían dentro de mí y no lo sabía. Con su ayuda las logré procesar para aplicarlas en actividades para el bienestar de mi comunidad.”

  • SAMANTHA, Teacher & Mom

    “Jen is extremely authentic and attentive in her coaching sessions. She is supportive while taking you just outside your comfort zone to grow. I found my time with Jen to be more empowering than even work I’d done with past therapists; she asks deep questions that help you get to the bottom of an issue, with a nurturing action plan to make a beneficial change. If you’re looking for someone who is going to be a compassionate listener as well as a proactive coach, you’ve found her! ”

  • LETY, Community Organizer & Mamá

    “Jen no me daba respuesta a mis dudas o preguntas, me ayudaba a descubrir las respuestas por mi misma con su método de responderme con otra pregunta que me ayudaba a reflexionar y encontrar la respuesta, sin que ella me la diera directamente. Eso me ayudó a crecer en muchas áreas del trabajo y hasta en mi vida personal.”

  • Lupe, Organizing Director

    Jen guided me through the process to best support my supervisee, all the while also supporting my own development. She prepped and role-played with me for upcoming trainings, supported me in tracking my goals and co-creating goals with my supervisee. Jen was incredibly passionate and invested in my personal growth and I continue to utilize the practices she taught me in my professional career. As a former community organizer herself, Jen understands the many demands and professional balance needed to work in communities long-term.

  • F.P., Nonprofit Leader

    “Jen's ability to listen deeply and with compassion gives her the capacity to really hear what you're saying, even when you're not quite saying it verbally. This means she's able to affirm you in ways you're needing, and challenge or nudge you in the right direction. She's helped me over the years with these gifts as a colleague, coach and friend, and I've witnessed her do it successfully with others for over a decade.”

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