WHY GAMBIT
At Gambit Coaching & Consulting, I work in a mindset of possibility. The name, gambit, captures this meaning in every sense of the word.
When you work with me, we find a way through challenges by making strategic sacrifices — dropping stories that are no longer working for you, letting go of tactics and techniques that are not yours, and allowing yourself to learn even if it gets messy.
We focus on the most effective solutions, asking, "What is the best way forward now?" And our conversation, itself, will create openings where things once felt stuck...that is where the shift happens.
Read on to learn more about how Gambit Coaching & Consulting stimulates and facilitates effectiveness in your individual work, your teams and your organization.
Gambit Coaching & Consulting holds a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification from Oregon Certification Office for Business Inclusion and Diversity (COBID).
2025
TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
Ah, the elusive team. It seems so simple. And yet this is where nearly every organization struggles at some point. Gambit facilitates the conversations that draw your team together and defines the life-giving structures that High-Functioning Teams need.
When I was a kid I was pretty sure I wanted to be a teacher. I didn't bother to wait to grow up. As a second grader I returned to my kindergarten teacher and helped her grade assignments. Looking back I'm not sure what I was really doing (how many kindergarten assignments get graded??) but I felt like I was contributing. I also loved being in charge. I loved student council, babysitting, working in the church nursery and generally telling my siblings what to do. In high school I was voted Homecoming Leadership Ambassador (we had "ambassadors" instead of a king and queen) and "Most Likely to be the next President." I also loved learning and was sure that someday I'd be "Dr. Sarah."
When I got to college after completing years of elementary education training, psychology became a more compelling area of study. After graduation I thought I would go into counseling, but after several years in management I decided to stay home with my brand new daughter instead. Four children and thirteen years later I began looking into the job market again. My husband encouraged me to use the time the kids were in school this first year to follow my interests without pressure instead. (I knew I liked him!) After about a month of watching shows my kids would be scared of and indulging in bon-bons (it took me three entire days to find them!), I was bored. I realized that if I had no financial pressure, what I'd really like to do was figure out how to share StrengthsFinder with people. I'd taken the assessment a few years earlier and found it so life changing I thought everyone should get a chance to experience it. I facilitated my first ever workshop on my 40th birthday and slowly launched Gambit Coaching and Consulting. When the year was up I kept Gambit going while also taking a job in operations to learn more about running a business.
I enjoyed the workshops so much I wanted to learn more. I started coaching and realized I still wanted more. I found a Master's program that was flexible enough I could complete it while working part time. I learned about leadership frameworks, use of self, and how to be an effective consultant.
After graduating I continued building Gambit. The kids had grown into teenagers and their schedules kept my husband and I hopping. When COVID hit, everything stopped and all of our busy schedules were erased. I decided to use that time to earn a doctorate in Leadership Psychology. (Hurray for childhood goals!)
As a coach and consultant I LOVE helping leaders become more effective by offering frameworks and structures, increasing their ability to recognize and adjust the impact they are having, and to leverage their own and others strengths. Together my clients and I have designed and facilitated workshops and retreats ranging from one hour to three days. We’ve created leadership development programs that meet their organization’s specific needs. I've helped coach them and their leaders to more effective (& satisfying!) leadership. In 2023 I joined my alma mater, William James College, as an adjunct faculty member in their Masters of Organizational Psychology program (Second childhood goal unlocked!) I've designed and delivered higher education courses in consulting and leadership development for working professionals.
My family has a running joke that I should carry business cards to hand out anytime we experience something that's organized ineffectively and inefficiently. Designing a system to run smoothly and organically is one of those things that just comes naturally to me and it's one of the strengths I leverage when designing workshops, retreats and longer programs for my clients. I'm looking forward to leveraging that skill set toward the challenges you're dealing with!
2001 Bachelors of Psychology, California State University Long Beach
2014 Whole Person Coach Certification
2017 Gallup Certified Strengths Coach Certification
2017 Launched Gambit Coaching & Consulting
2018 Master's of Organizational Psychology
2020 Hogan Assessment Certification
2021 Kantor Baseline Profile Certification
2022 Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through International Coaching Federation (ICF)
2022 Higher Education Course Design Credential
2022 - 2024 Oregon Organizational Development Network Board
2023 - Present Adjunct Professor, William James College
2024 PsyD, Leadership Psychology
Sarah Budd, PsyD
Community
Involvement
Community Involvement Projects:
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The Community Consulting Project
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International Coaching Federation (ICF)
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Organizational Development Network (ODN) Chapter Planning Committee
CONTACT ME
To learn more about Gambit's services or book a free consultation, please fill out the form below, or email me directly at sarah@gambitcoaching.com