About fierce advocacy

I created the Fierce Advocacy training and coaching program based on my experiences raising and advocating for my granddaughter Kylee. When Kylee came to live with me at 8 months old, I didn't have any real experience with advocacy, but she had medical needs that weren't being met, and failure wasn't an option.

I learned how to stand up for her as her guardian and champion. A lot of that early part of the journey was trial and error, because there wasn't a playbook. While some of the skills I had developed in the corporate world transferred very well, there was a lot that I didn't know.

Learning how to not take no for an answer when it came to what Kylee needed actually ended up teaching me how to stand up for myself, as well. I found that I was less and less willing to accept less than I deserved in my career, my relationships and my everyday life. I developed healthier boundaries, more self-respect and more empathy for others who needed support.

When life felt like it was under control and Kylee's needs were being met, I started doing volunteer work. Board work wasn't satisfying to me. I started teaching advocacy classes and acting as a "Helping Parent" through the Arc of King County, providing training and emotional support for parents of children living with disabilities.

Those experiences were amazing, rewarding, and sometimes heartbreaking; and they helped me to realize my purpose. When Kylee first came to live with me, I wished there was an instruction manual, a guide, or a mentor who could help me be successful in advocating for her from the beginning, instead of having to learn every lesson the hard way. I decided to become, in the words of Ayesha Siddiqi, "the person you needed when you were younger."

I developed a training, life coaching, and motivational speaking program based on everything that having Kylee in my life taught me. I am in the process of writing a how to book on effective advocacy titled Advocacy for Badasses.

While my inspiration and experience come primarily from raising Kylee and advocating for her needs, the lessons and guidance that the Fierce Advocacy program provides can be used by anyone who wants to learn how to effectively stand up for themselves and others.

Welcome to Fierce Advocacy.

You badass.

Jeremy A. Kredlo