About Walter

With his smart, holistic approach, Walter Akana supports mid-career professionals in making conscious plans that enable them to achieve more self direction in their careers and lives. Embodying his philosophy, "It's your life, own it," Walter has built his life around his core strengths and values.

Walter first realized that he needed to 'march to the beat of his own drum' when he designed an independent course of study in an emerging field in psychology, during his senior year in college. As he earned his masters in social work, he broke ranks with the more psychoanalytic bent of his school to look at behavioral approaches to change. He later translated his social work career into a corporate career in training and development, first in retail merchandising and ultimately as a professional development manager in corporate and investment banking.

After a satisfying corporate career, Walter made the decision to focus on helping others better deal with the career and life transitions they face. As an accomplished career professional, and certified Personal Branding Strategist, he is well positioned to help his clients more actively and effectively manage their careers. With certification as a retirement coach, he is able to help clients attend to lifestyle choices that will provide better day-to-day balance while laying a foundation to enjoy the next phase of life.

Walter is perfectly positioned, as a life strategist, to help his clients with mid-life transitions, because he empathizes with their desire for more control of their own destinies and their desire for more satisfaction in all parts of their lives. He devised his structured life-planning process to minimize the feeling of being overwhelmed and to ensure that all aspects of life are taken into consideration.

When not coaching clients on developing new strategies for living a fuller more satisfying life -- the passion that pays the bills -- Walter enjoys working out and sharing other high energy experiences with friends, taking and sharing digital photos, discovering new music, and enjoying moments of quiet contemplation.

Credentials

• More than 25 years of experience, in diverse settings, helping people with career and life planning and change
• Reach certified Personal Branding Strategist
• Certified in 360Reach Personal Brand Assessment
• MBTI certified with experience interpreting other surveys and career planning instruments
• RPS Trained Retirement Coach
• Life Options Certified
• Member of Association of Career Professionals International
• LMSW with a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University