Meet the Founder

Christine Lustik, PhD

Educator, leadership coach, and mindfulness teacher dedicated to helping individuals and teams thrive through resilience, emotional intelligence, and authentic connection.

Professional Background

Christine Lustik, PhD, brings over 14 years of experience in higher education leadership, having served as a Director of Distance Education, instructional designer, and faculty member. Her early career was centered around expanding access to education and supporting students through innovative online learning models.

Today, Christine supports individuals, managers, and teams through leadership coaching, mindfulness-based training, and resilience-building programs. Her approach is grounded in kindness, authenticity, and practical tools for navigating stress, fostering collaboration, and leading with clarity.

Christine’s credentials include training with the International Coaching Academy, the Mindfulness Training Institute, and the Awake in the Wild teacher training program. She holds certifications in resilience training and maintains active first responder credentials.

 
Christine Lustik PhD headshot portrait

Professional Bio

After spending 14 years in online higher education—as a Director of Distance Education, instructional designer, and faculty member—Christine transitioned to helping leaders thrive. She now coaches individuals and teams to lead with authenticity, clarity, and compassion.

Christine also facilitates mindfulness and proactive resilience trainings designed to reduce stress and chaos while increasing focus and wellbeing.

She is certified by the International Coaching Academy, the Mindfulness Training Institute in San Francisco, and the Awake in the Wild program. She also holds Outdoor Emergency Care and NREMT First Responder certifications.

View Christine’s LinkedIn profile.

Credentials & Training

Formal certifications and real-world experience — grounded in education, mindfulness, and leadership coaching.

Christine meditating on a mountain in Montana's Great Burn Wilderness
Christine Lustik, PhD – The Great Burn Wilderness Area, Montana

My Path

My career began in higher education, where I spent years pioneering distance learning programs. I was passionate about making education accessible to people who couldn't attend traditional on-campus programs—whether due to geography, family responsibilities, or other life circumstances. While deeply fulfilling, working within traditional systems proved challenging, and I began to feel the toll of constant upstream battles on my well-being.

That experience led me to discover mindfulness, a contemplative practice that transformed not only my mental and physical health but also my entire approach to life and leadership. Through mindfulness, I learned to train my attention, connect with my body's wisdom, and develop the inner strength to believe in myself again. My personal practice brought profound changes: greater focus, emotional regulation, calm in difficult situations, reduced reactivity to stress, and a renewed ability to find joy and see the good in others. Most importantly, it deepened my desire to lead with kindness and compassion.

The transformation was so significant that I began developing resilience training programs, blending my background in research, instructional design, and mindfulness. This work was grounded in evidence showing that self-awareness—a core outcome of mindfulness—is the foundation of resilience.

After years in leadership roles and seeing the impact of intentional, whole-person development programs, my path evolved toward leadership development and coaching. The same skills that helped me navigate my own challenges—self-awareness, emotional regulation, and compassion—were exactly what emerging leaders needed most. I pursued and completed advanced coach training for both individuals and teams and earned my ACC credential with the International Coaching Federation.

Today, I bring this unique blend of educational and leadership expertise, mindfulness wisdom, and professional coaching skills to support emerging managers and leaders in discovering their authentic leadership voice.

Christine Lustik in red ski patrol uniform at Montana Snowbowl

Christine Lustik, PhD – Montana Snowbowl

My Favorite Things

Here's a little about the me that lives every day…

  • I like to be active. In the summer I love to hike, backpack, and paddleboard with my husband, and in the winter I love outdoor sports.
  • Most often in winter, you'll find me on our local ski hill, Montana Snowbowl, where I was a volunteer ski patroller for 12 years and still volunteer to teach the new patrol candidates healthcare course. I also cross country ski and snowshoe.
  • I have an exorbitant number of gardens, mostly flowers with herbs and vegetables here and there.
  • I enjoy live music and find nothing relaxes me and brings me into the present moment faster than live music.
  • I love to be in the kitchen. It's one of my happy places and I put a lot of effort into eating healthy and local.
  • I am positively and absolutely in love with my home and the community of Missoula.
Christine Lustik sculling on a mountain lake in Montana
Christine Lustik, PhD – Sculling on a Montana mountain lake

My Path

My career began in higher education, where I spent years pioneering distance learning programs. I was passionate about making education accessible to people who couldn't attend traditional on-campus programs—whether due to geography, family responsibilities, or other life circumstances. While deeply fulfilling, working within traditional systems proved challenging, and I began to feel the toll of constant upstream battles on my well-being.

That experience led me to discover mindfulness, a contemplative practice that transformed not only my mental and physical health but also my entire approach to life and leadership. Through mindfulness, I learned to train my attention, connect with my body's wisdom, and develop the inner strength to believe in myself again. My personal practice brought profound changes: greater focus, emotional regulation, calm in difficult situations, reduced reactivity to stress, and a renewed ability to find joy and see the good in others. Most importantly, it deepened my desire to lead with kindness and compassion.

The transformation was so significant that I began developing resilience training programs, blending my background in research, instructional design, and mindfulness. This work was grounded in evidence showing that self-awareness—a core outcome of mindfulness—is the foundation of resilience.

After years in leadership roles and seeing the impact of intentional, whole-person development programs, my path evolved toward leadership development and coaching. The same skills that helped me navigate my own challenges—self-awareness, emotional regulation, and compassion—were exactly what emerging leaders needed most. I pursued and completed advanced coach training for both individuals and teams and earned my ACC credential with the International Coaching Federation.

Today, I bring this unique blend of educational and leadership expertise, mindfulness wisdom, and professional coaching skills to support emerging managers and leaders in discovering their authentic leadership voice.