Meet Iris
I began advising and coaching clients in 2018, around the same time my own life took an unexpected turn.
After being laid off from my role as a District Sales Manager due to a company closure, my husband and I decided to take a leap of faith and start our own businesses. We opened a thrift store and a food truck, believing we were building the future we had always imagined.
Life had other plans.
As our businesses struggled, so did my marriage. Then COVID changed everything. Within months, we closed our businesses, finalized a divorce, sold our home, sold the RV, sold the trucks, and let go of nearly everything we had built together. At one of the lowest points in my life, all I had left was a van that I had converted myself.
Even during that season of uncertainty, I continued supporting clients through their own life transitions. Helping others reminded me that difficult seasons don’t last forever and that growth is often born from life’s greatest challenges.
Living from that van brought moments of freedom and adventure, but it also brought uncertainty, fear, and countless questions about what came next. Eventually, I made another bold decision. I sold everything I had left in storage and created a new plan: I would teach English in a different country each year until I found a place that truly felt like home, while continuing to build my coaching practice.
I accepted a teaching position in Zhuhai, China. However, as the world continued navigating the challenges of COVID, the process became increasingly difficult. While waiting for my visa, I decided to visit a friend in Serbia.
What was meant to be a temporary visit changed my life forever.
Within two months, I found something I wasn’t even searching for—a deep sense of peace, belonging, and community. Serbia felt like home.
I chose to stay.
A year and a half later, I married my best friend, and together we adopted our son. Today we live in the Serbian countryside, where we’re building a life centered on family, faith, purpose, and community while continuing to grow our businesses and our homestead.
I share my story because my coaching is rooted in both professional training and lived experience.
I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences and later became an ICF-trained Certified Professional Coach and member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). My formal coaching education transformed the way I serve clients and deepened my commitment to ethical, evidence-based coaching.
Before that training, my work naturally blended advising with coaching. I genuinely wanted to help people by offering guidance and sharing what I believed would move them forward. While advice can provide temporary clarity, I discovered that lasting transformation happens when people uncover their own answers, recognize their own strengths, and take ownership of the path ahead.
Learning the ICF Core Competencies and professional coaching methodology fundamentally changed my approach. Today, I don’t coach by telling people what they should do. I coach by asking thoughtful questions, creating space for reflection, challenging limiting beliefs, and helping clients discover solutions that align with their own values, goals, and vision.
That realization inspired me to establish Karmanify LLC as a coaching practice dedicated exclusively to professional life coaching. It represents my commitment to an ethical, client-centered partnership that empowers lasting growth instead of creating dependence.
I’ve experienced career changes, entrepreneurship, business setbacks, financial hardship, divorce, international relocation, rebuilding from the ground up, and creating an entirely new life in a new country. Those experiences don’t make me an expert on your life—but they do allow me to understand what it feels like to face uncertainty, embrace change, and begin again.
I don’t believe people need someone to tell them what to do.
I believe they need a safe, supportive space where they can think clearly, challenge limiting beliefs, uncover their strengths, and confidently move toward the life they want to create.
My role isn’t to provide all the answers.
My role is to help you discover your own.
Today, I partner with people who are navigating life transitions, pursuing meaningful careers, building businesses, rebuilding after setbacks, strengthening their confidence, or searching for greater purpose and direction.
No matter where you are today, meaningful change is possible.
Whether you’re reinventing your life, discovering your direction, or building your next chapter, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.
Because transformation rarely happens all at once.
It happens one decision, one action, and one breakthrough at a time.
Resume
Certified Professional Coach | Karmanify LLC
January 2018 – Present
Coach individuals worldwide through career transitions, personal development, business growth, confidence building, and goal achievement. Facilitate coaching partnerships focused on accountability, action planning, personal growth, and measurable results. Since 2018, I have supported more than 9,000 individuals through coaching and guidance services, helping clients navigate challenges, gain clarity, and create meaningful change. I am a Certified Professional Coach, an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Member, and currently completing the requirements for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential. I was honored to receive an ICF coaching scholarship in recognition of my experience, dedication to the profession, and commitment to helping others achieve their goals and reach their full potential.
Co-Owner & Business Operator | The Pit Wagon and Random Stuff Thrift & More LLC
January 2016 – April 2020
Co-founded and managed a community-focused thrift store and BBQ business, overseeing daily operations, marketing, customer service, staff coordination, inventory management, and business development. Partnered with local charity organizations and donation box programs to support community initiatives and provide resources to individuals in need. Organized fundraising efforts and community outreach programs that raised financial support and awareness for elderly residents facing hardship. Successfully grew the business and established a loyal customer base before operations were impacted by COVID-19 restrictions and mandatory closures.
District Sales Manager (OK and TX) | Nine West Holdings
January 2014 – January 2016
Promoted to District Sales Manager after successfully serving as Store Manager for one year. Led recruiting, performance coaching, leadership development, and sales growth across multiple retail locations. Implemented accountability, training, and succession planning programs that strengthened employee retention, reduced shrinkage, and created a pipeline of qualified leaders prepared to advance into supervisory and management roles. Focused on developing team members for career growth while ensuring operational continuity across the district. Recognized by the CEO for maintaining some of the company’s cleanest, most organized, and best-merchandised stores.
Store Manager | Clarks
January 2012 – January 2014
Recruited to join Clarks Shoes based on leadership experience, strong performance, and product knowledge developed at JCPenney. Supported the successful launch of new store locations while building and developing a high-performing team. Gained expertise in consultative selling, customer engagement, product demonstrations, and increasing units per transaction (UPT) through product knowledge and exceptional customer service. Recognized for elevating professional standards by promoting ethical business practices, accountability, teamwork, and a customer-focused culture. Helped foster an environment of integrity, professionalism, and performance while supporting employee development and business growth. Left the position due to a repetitive stress injury affecting my hands and wrists.
Retail Sales Manager | JCPenney
January 2010 – January 2012
This role marked the beginning of my leadership and coaching journey. I earned three promotions in two years, and a management training program designed to take one year was accelerated to six months due to my strong performance and rapid development. I progressed from managing a $1 million department to overseeing ten departments generating approximately $20 million in annual revenue. Known for fostering a culture of inclusion, accountability, and professional growth, I developed coaching and training programs focused on goal setting, performance improvement, and career development. Through coaching and mentorship, I helped numerous associates improve performance and advance into leadership roles. My departments consistently achieved customer service scores above 80% while maintaining high standards in merchandising, operations, and product knowledge. less
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Karmanify LLC operates under Kanja LLC, a duly registered and certified limited liability company in the State of New Mexico. Kanja LLC is registered at 1209 Mountain Road Pl NE, Suite N, Albuquerque, NM 87110, which serves as the company’s registered agent address. All legal notices, service of process, and official correspondence may be sent to this address.
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