Julie Puentes

Julie's coaching helps clients see and feel their impact on others and act with clear intention and purpose. Her work combines a keen knowledge of psychology and leadership with her lifelong passion for horses. Julie has pioneered new approaches to learning through experience, most notably with horses. She is an approved facilitator in Equine Assisted Leadership and holds a B.A in psychology from the University of Texas and an M.S. degree in organizational leadership and ethics from St. Edward's University.

Julie worked for a trade show and convention production company for fifteen years managing the client services division, as well as being involved in special projects in all areas of the business.  While Julie enjoyed this career and recognized all the skills she gained from the experience, she felt there were additional ways she could leverage her talents, education, and passions. Ultimately, she decided to follow her heart, make a significant change, and obtain her graduate degree.

Still unsure about her next step upon graduating, synchronicity struck. Julie read a book which outlined the various ways that horses were being used to help people in therapeutic settings and personal development.  "Some of the concepts discussed in the book were so similar and aligned with my studies in leadership and emotional intelligence (EQ) that I became very excited about the possibilities of using horses in leadership development. Being around horses my entire life, I knew this was a direction I wanted to go." Determined, she found a program where she could continue her studies perfecting her skills in coaching and personal development in addition to working with horses to develop leaders.  Now she is able to do work in what she calls her "dream profession".  She is the owner of a coaching and consulting company, Bridges Solutions and an affiliate coach at Leadership Outfitters.

Julie is an enthusiastic life-long learner and confesses to having no shortage of ideas on how to spend her time. She enjoys riding and competing with her two horses, traveling, and listening to live music and discovering new musical artists.

Julie's clients include companies such as Bank of America, Heineken U.S.A., Green Mountain Energy, and Back-n-Balance Chiropractic Clinic. She has also worked extensively with individuals from Dell, Schlumberger, Teach for America, and The LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority).