RORY BAKKE | LEADERSHIP & SUSTAINABILITY COACH

Meet Your Coach

I’m Rory Bakke, the founder of Hedgehog Coaching & Consulting. Since 2017, I have coached leaders of corporations, associations, public agencies, and small to medium-sized businesses who want to become better versions of themselves. For 25 years, I have also been a leader who has designed award-winning business environmental initiatives and led teams that have brought continuous improvement, strong brands, and positive, long-lasting change to over 30 industries.

I fell in love with nature when I was a youngster. When life needed clarity, a pause, or an answer, I would retreat with my retriever friend to the weeping willow behind our house, and we would sit there together, feeling peaceful, playful, and protected by nature.

At age 8, fascinated by the complexity of nature’s design and sensitive to its vulnerability, I tried to have my Dad arrested for littering. I’ve advocated for care of our planet ever since.

Firefighting in the Sierra National Forest and swimming with otters in California inspired me to focus on blending human activity with nature rather than ever thinking that humans are meant to control nature. This way of being led me to create multi-stakeholder initiatives in both the public and private sectors that resulted in: 

  • Pioneering legislation, community programs, and business partnerships focused on human interaction with nature

  • Source and waste reduction legislation still in effect today

  • The first US household and business hazardous waste reduction program

  • 1,000,000 tons of business waste diverted from landfills into productive uses (led to the Circularity approach)

  • Sustainability Standards used in B-Corp certification & product safety certifications worldwide

Aligning with my true nature brought me over 25 years of success as a pragmatic sustainability leader, facilitator, and advisor.

In the past decade, with professional training, certification, and significant practice as a leadership coach, I found my next calling: to inspire and support leaders and emerging leaders to attune to their values and intelligence and develop their capabilities to cause breakthrough change that improves our world. This is how I blend my broad experience in sustainability with my love of transformational coaching.

Why Hedgehog?

As humans, we tend to resist change, get prickly, and want to roll into a ball. But with my caring support and coaching insight, you can safely take on the growth you want.

When I worked with Sprint Nextel in the mid-2000s, Hedgehog came alive for me. We methodically learned about different animals at the San Diego Zoo so we could apply our newfound understanding of animal characteristics to the company's packaging redesign protocols.

The zoologists brought Henny, the hedgehog, into a room filled with 20 of us who were working on the project. She was all rolled up in a ball. Once all the humans complied with the request to be still and quiet and watch and listen thoroughly, Henny unrolled slowly and soon took over the room with her active little legs and oodles of charm.

I realized then that I want my clients to experience an approachable and trusted environment when they work with me!

As one of my clients said: “Rory wrapped me in a blanket of care and attention. Then we got to work.”

The Hedgehog Mission

My dedication to coaching leaders and advancing sustainable leadership in organizations arises from my profound appreciation for Planet Earth and the sustenance she provides. After working with teams and organizations to spur sustainable change for several decades, I realized that my role is to foster leaders who want to become the best possible versions of themselves.

I do this by helping leaders boost self-awareness, make win-win decisions, build effective and appreciated teams, shape humane organizational culture, and support human development, ultimately increasing understanding and deepening commitment to change.

Experience has taught me that we must activate and nurture these inner capacities to evolve from climate breakdown and social challenges and to thrive as a species in our only home.

Rory’s Coaching Style

Clarity, Focus, Insight, and Results are the foundations of my coaching. I have learned to be present for and attuned to my clients to create a warm and welcoming environment as we collaboratively explore situations and solve complex issues. While my practice is based on being curious and supportive, it is also results-oriented. This approach allows my clients to align their decision-making with their values to create real, lasting transformational change.

Each session combines tackling time-sensitive issues with deeper personal growth.

I’m passionate about “holding space” for my clients as we figure out what matters most and how they may live in alignment with those values.

My clients develop a higher level of self-awareness and a willingness to be vulnerable. I’ve been able to help leaders inspire and communicate vision, build trust and emotional strength, deepen executive presence, and hone their ability to communicate powerfully. I'm also committed to helping all leaders create balance to harmonize their busy lives.