As we said on the New Here? page, while it’s true that Charlie may have started Productive Flourishing, keeping this site, business, and community going is now a team effort with 5 full-time employees and a handful of other folks from around the world, too.
Charlie Gilkey
Founder – Author – Speaker – Business Strategist – Podcaster
Charlie hails from Arkansas (in case you’ve ever wondered about the accent that pops up sometimes), but currently lives in Portland, Oregon. Before starting Productive Flourishing, he was an Army Joint Force Logistics Officer while working on his Ph.D. in Philosophy. He gets excited by seeing people accomplish more than they thought was possible.
Fun facts about Charlie:
- Loves playing coop strategy games
- Is a self-taught singer-songwriter who plays acoustic guitar
- Was a cheerleader in high school (pictures on Facebook serve as a public record, sometimes to his chagrin)
If you’d like to learn more about Charlie, check out his longer bio.
Angela Wheeler, Ph.D.
Co-Founder – Coach – Speaker – Facilitator
Angela is a coach, author, speaker, and facilitator who teaches people how to thrive and lead by becoming aware of their strengths, creating nourishing boundaries, and cultivating the courage to become their best selves in the world. Her research focuses on how we can grow and thrive through transitions rather than waiting on “the right time” to prioritize the work we’re called to do. With a Ph.D. in sociology and her experience at PF, the best way to describe Angela is as a catalyst for positive change in life and business. She’s the co-founder of Productive Flourishing and co-host of the Productive Flourishing podcast.
Some quick facts about Angela:
- Attracts stray neighborhood animals who run from blocks away to love on her; it’s freaky sometimes
- Can’t remember movies after she watches them
- Is often the receiver of secrets that people tell her but never share with anyone else
If you’d like to know more about Angela, read more here.
Shannon McDonough
Administrative Miracle Worker
Shannon was born and raised in the shadow of Mt. Rainier and is a lifelong resident of Washington state. Admin work combines her love of helping people and her obsessive need to follow up on details. In her free time, she’s a political and social justice junkie and loves football (go Seahawks!).
Some fun facts about Shannon:
- Played the lead in her high school’s production of the musical “The Pajama Game”
- Is addicted to lip balm and uses it multiple times a day
- Is neurotic about recycling and will take things out of the trash if they can be recycled
Josephine Fannin
Operations Coordinator and Project Manager Extraordinaire
Jo lives here in Portland, but is originally from Florida (yes, THAT Florida). She escaped as soon as she could with her liberal arts and sciences degree. A prior business owner and client of Charlie’s, she’s realized that owning a business isn’t for her, and working for Productive Flourishing combines everything she loves to do into one job. Dreamy. When she’s not at work, Jo loves playing tabletop games, going blues-dancing, obsessing over her animals, and playing Ultimate Frisbee in a tutu.
Some (somewhat) unknown nuggets about Jo:
- Drank a Red Bull for the first time (and quite possibly the last) in 2017
- Loves orchids and buys the really sad ones that have already bloomed, since no one else will
- Can be bribed with, and accepts apologies when they include, a delicious burger (especially one from Yakuza here in Portland)
Jess Sommers
Digital Media Producer and Doer of Anything You Need
Jess comes to Portland by way of the Midwest, and she spends her days in design and marketing, loving the continued challenge of being able to learn something new at least once a day. When she’s not playing around on the computer, she loves being in nature and finding new, fun things to cook.
A few lovely things about Jess:
- Is a certified yoga teacher and can’t get enough to getting upside down
- Played French horn throughout middle school and high school
- Loves a good cozy show like The Office or Cheers