Hi there, I’m Katheryn!
A Leadership Coach since 2016 (ICF Certified), Tedx Speaker, and Author
I’m a coach, comedy-lover, Netflix binge-watcher, self-help book addict, yoga dabbler, extroverted introvert, Floridian-Tokyoite…I think that’s a good list for now 😊.
Here is a timeline of the evolution of my coaching and training practice (and you can find my professional bio, below).
2016
After receiving my certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition as a Coach, I embarked on starting my own business. It was originally called “Girl on Bliss” and I aimed to share knowledge about the difference between Eastern and Western health modalities, as well as help professionals with stress reduction and work-life balance.
2017
As my wellness practice grew, I started doing workshops with foreigners in Japan on Eastern (Japanese) health modalities, as well as speaking and training delivery at organizations, corporations and universities.
2018
Upon interacting with many foreigners in Japan through wellness coaching, I found that big sources of their stress stemmed from foundational things like shopping in grocery stores and understanding Japanese business culture.
This year was a turning point where I changed my business name to “Thrive Tokyo” (the Thrive Tokyo site is active as it has gems!) and started offering more practical information including Orientation to Living in Japan and Cross-Cultural Education programs. The scope of people I worked with spanned a wide range, from trailing spouses finding their footing to Senior Executives navigating uncertainty.
Although my business was evolving naturally, I still had a sense of unfinished business with the health knowledge that I originally aimed to share. To gain closure and continue to help people in that realm, I wrote and published Confessions of a Yo-yo Dieter.
2020
The pandemic impacted my business in that expats were unable to enter Japan, so cross-cultural education topics took a back seat. At the same time, remote work, Zoom fatigue, and work life balance topics were on the rise so I developed wellness programs for corporations and continued to help individuals on topics including self-care and burnout.
2022
2022 started with a bang: I presented a Tedx Talk on “The Sento Mindset”, a personal story of my experience growing up going to Japanese public bath houses (a family business). I connected the experience of how being a bicultural person in a vulnerable situation shaped how I view vulnerability as a path to feeling comfortable in one’s skin.
Since I had been working more and more with people in Senior level roles, I studied and obtained a second coaching certification, this time as an Executive Coach, from The Center for Executive Coaching to better serve people.
2024 ~ Present
I started hosting “Leadership Latte”, a monthly opportunity to casually connect with people and build camaraderie over coffee. Feel free to message me if you’d like to join the next one!
I also launched the first ever The Sento Mindset session, a workshop designed to help you understand your own approach to transformation through public bathing, and how to apply that to challenges you are facing in your life. My aim is to help you reframe your understanding of stepping out of your comfort zone as an opportunity for renewal - change can be as great as taking a bath. Join me for an upcoming one, here!
Professional Bio
Katheryn Gronauer is a coach with expertise in leadership, cross-cultural transition, and wellness.
She is a graduate of Sophia University with a degree in International Business & Culture, a certified coach through both the Center for Executive Coaching (International Coaching Federation Accredited) and Institute of Integrative Nutrition, and a certified ATD Trainer & Change Management Facilitator.
Beyond coaching and training, Katheryn is a Speaker and Writer.
She has spoken at Tedx on The Sento Mindset, the US Embassy, Toyo University, Roppongi Cooperative, and more.
She has written for JapanToday, Savvy, Women’s Health, HuffPost, and more, as well as authored the book Confessions of a Yo-yo Dieter on her experience of losing 40 pounds with Western and Eastern health concepts.
Katheryn is originally from Florida and currently lives with her husband in Tokyo.
To contact Katheryn about coaching and training for you or your company, click the button below:
