Kris Cavanaugh, a Snellville resident of five years, is an author, motivational speaker and life coach. She has mentored and trained individuals for more than 20 years.  

“One of the things that I've always noticed with people in general,” Cavanaugh said, “is that they tend to be more reactive than proactive in everything.” 

She strongly believes that the more proactive you are, the more that things tend to happen. 

“It's not by luck,” she said, but things that you are doing in the background that sets off a ripple effect that ultimately results in your goals and dreams being reached. 

Many people, however, are simply spectators in their own lives, according to Cavanaugh. Her passion for life and insight are what led her to a career as a life coach. 

For the past four years, she has worked with executives, as well as business owners. She teaches her clients that if you consider yourself the chief executive officer of not just your business, but your entire life, life becomes much easier. 

Cavanaugh was in the career transition field before becoming a coach. She helped people look for jobs more effectively while helping them with resumes and other things. Guiding people toward their destiny is something that she believes she was created to do. 

Despite the type of work she was doing, her environment was anything but satisfying. She decided that her mental health was more important than a paycheck, and went on a career quest. When she discovered coaching, it was a perfect fit. 

“My whole life I had always been good at achieving things and making them happen,” she said. 

She has influenced dozens of people over the past few years. Cavanaugh recalls one client in particular who had received a promotion, but did not feel ready for it. 

“She hired me to help her settle into her position more effectively,” she said.

The client, who was made vice president of a large company, discovered how to become a more confident, dynamic leader and became very effective in her new role. 

Cavanaugh's parents are her biggest inspiration. 

“My dad is a business owner,” she said, “and has always inspired me. He's my mentor.” 

Her own past personal struggles and faith in God are what drive her passion for helping others. 

“I've been a Christian since I was a teenager,” she said, “and wouldn't have made it through half of what I did if it wasn't for my faith.”   

Aside from coaching, Cavanaugh has written and published three books, available through Amazon.com and her personal website. The first, “Stuck to CEO,” details how to shift your way of thinking and become the leader of your life. The second, “Making Peace with Menopause,” she co-wrote with Carrie Pierce. Her most recent book, “Standing Naked in the Storm,” teaches readers how to move forward with life no matter what obstacles come in their way. 

“It teaches you ten qualities a person really needs to develop to weather that storm well,” she said. 

Her use of the term “naked” does not involve physicality, but the “raw truth of who you are as you journey through the personal and professional storms of your life.”