About Me
I support people and organizations move through major transitions — especially retirement — with clarity, courage, and purpose. I know how disorienting this passage can be, because I’ve lived it myself.
THE STRUGGLE THAT STARTED THIS
For over 25 years, I built a career in leadership, regulatory strategy, and quality systems — including senior leadership roles at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. I was good at navigating complexity. I was good at leading teams through uncertainty.
Then I stepped back from that career myself, and none of that expertise told me who I was without it.
It took me more than five years to figure out what I wanted and who I was becoming. I didn’t have a program. I didn’t have a coach. I found my way through trial, error, therapy, yoga, and a lot of quiet persistence — piecing together on my own what should have been a guided process.
I didn’t want other people to go through that same prolonged, lonely struggle. So I built the practice I wish I’d had.
WHERE I’VE LANDED
Today, as Menzies Coaching & Consulting, I blend transition coaching, leadership development, and mindful movement to help clients — individuals and organizations — move through change instead of getting stuck in it.
My approach rests on a simple framework: every transition moves through release of the past → navigation of transition → emergence into transformation. Most people get stuck in one of these three phases. My work is helping you find your way through, whichever phase you’re in.
I currently coach individuals preparing for retirement (including those still years out, in later-career planning), professionals stepping into new leadership roles, and organizations navigating succession and change. I also teach mindfulness and gentle movement — because the body carries this work too, not just the mind.
CREDENTIALS
- Professional Certified Coach (PCC), International Coaching Federation
- Certified Transitions Coach (CTC)
- RY-500 Registered Yoga Teacher, Yoga Alliance
- M.S., Biotechnology, Johns Hopkins University
- B.S., Biology, James Madison University
- Former senior leader, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
WHO IS SANDY MENZIES?
After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Biotechnology, Sandy worked in the biomedical field as a Project Manager to establish Quality Systems and manage Process Improvement activities. Sandy focused on effective method development, quality systems, validation and standardization, and regulatory compliance. This position required detailed plans and procedures, leadership/mentoring, modeling/testing, teamwork, interfacing with multiple departments, and mental fortitude – a “can do” attitude. The skill sets acquired during those years provided Sandy with a baseline for what she now does as a Coach and Consultant: she observes, interacts, collects data, evaluates, guides/leads, encourages, designs and plans – and holds the belief that people can make positive changes in their lives and organizations.
Sandy’s decades-long interest in Yoga and Meditation put her on a path for personal growth and discovery and led her toward Transformational Coaching as a means to help others reach their full potential and purpose in life. To this end, she spent several years gaining additional education and training and learning her craft. Sandy is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). She is also certified as a Transformational Coach through Coaching.com and the Modern Elder Academy (MEA) which specializes in helping clients navigate major life transitions, and has Asperger’s/Autism Employment Coach Certification.
Menzies Coaching & Consulting provides coaching using evidence-based assessments that deepen self-awareness and give teams a shared vocabulary.
- DISC (Assessments 24×7) maps behavioral style and communication — it’s included in every Manager as Coach series.
- Motivators explains the values underneath the behavior.
- PrinciplesYou profiles an individual’s thinking and working style;
- PrinciplesUs, its team counterpart, is built on a 5Cs model and is accredited through both ICF and SHRM.
- Leadership Effectiveness 360° gathers structured multi-rater feedback.
Sandy uses her education, work experience, specialized training, and skills to employ assessment and motivational techniques, and to create programs full of the best methods and exercises to help clients avoid common mistakes and to understand what is going to make a difference for them.
Have an Active Vision, Strategy, & Roadmap to Reach Your Goals
As Sandy looks back on her own transitions, the moments of worry and confusion remain the strongest memories for her. However, those moments have now been met with clarity, excitement, and a strong focus on what matters most. With newfound direction in life, Sandy is compelled to help others discover a healthier life journey – one of freedom and authentic self-expression.
It is Sandy’s true passion to support individuals as they navigate through the uncertainties that come with embracing your new chapter. With guidance, your next chapter can be an opportunity for personal growth and living life with intention. This is Sandy’s mission – to help others find contentment and joy in their life. Together, she can help you form a plan, build your own resilience, find your purpose and make a positive impact in the world.
LIVE life instead of existing!
