This Woman Reinvented Herself with Workplace Evolution

Meet Gayle Gregory, Co-founder Workplace Evolution in Ridgefield, WA

When Gayle Gregory left her successful corporate job in 1997 to sail to Mexico aboard her 40 ft. sailboat, she had no idea of the real journey that awaited her. Her two-year sailing sabbatical with her husband was just the beginning of reinventing her life and her livelihood.

During those two years, Gayle spent many hours in contemplation and experienced a profound shift that rocked her world. She returned from Mexico committed to seeing her own fears, thoughts and beliefs with absolute clarity. This commitment led her to co-author “The Grand Experiment,” which exposes seven universal fears that keep us small and safe, though disconnected from our authentic selves. For the last twelve years as a consultant, coach, trainer, and speaker, Gayle has been guiding individuals and businesses to see through their fears in order to radically alter their behaviors and outcomes at work and at home.

In 2007, she co-founded Workplace Evolution (WE), a provocative organizational development firm that shifts the energy of stress into productivity in today’s workplaces. WE consultants are radically honest as they take on beliefs that limit performance and profitability. Workplace Evolution provides consulting, coaching, facilitation, education, and keynotes to businesses and nonprofits. The WE business model also includes products, among them Gayle’s most recent book “Workplace Evolution: Common Sense for Uncommon Times.” The book includes best practices and stories of success for enlightened workplaces, also known as “we” companies – those organizations who understand that business doesn’t happen in a vacuum and appreciate the impact their decisions have on employees, the local community, the global community, not to mention the bottom line.

A former senior manager with two Fortune 500 companies, Ms. Gregory realized the emphasis on me rather than we impacted performance, productivity, and profits. WE is founded on the belief that a fundamental shift from me (self-interest and greed) to we (commitment to the success of us all) is necessary for organizations to thrive in the new economy.

Workplace Evolution is a we company in that their focus is the success of all partners, clients, and strategic alliances. Each one of us has a piece of the larger answer – hearing and valuing each perspective is fundamental. Organized as a virtual company of 14 consulting partners and scattered across the country, the partners work in teams to capitalize on their senior and executive expertise that spans all facets of the business world – among them operations, finance, human resources, marketing, sales, engineering, research/development, creativity and innovation. This whole systems approach benefits clients, typically companies with at least 200 employees, who are ready to channel the potential of their people into greater productivity.

A busy woman always on the move, Gayle also conducts meditation sessions and coaches men in the Oregon State Correctional Institution, a medium security prison. Dedicated to making a real difference in the world, Gayle is a long-time board member of Inei-Re, a spiritual teaching center in Hood River, Oregon and founding member of The Service Connection, a women’s philanthropic leadership program.