Near the end of my 25-year career in financial services, where I had been a partner in a successful business, I had the opportunity to mediate a business dispute between colleagues successfully.  With gentle guidance, these gentlemen, who were initially convinced that their friendship and business relationship were in deep trouble, were able to achieve a genuine satisfaction from an equitable solution and a renewed respect for one another. Contemplating this dramatic change, I became excited about the endless possibilities of this process. I then decided that I wanted to pursue a second career in this very fulfilling field. As I began devouring most of the seminal works on the subject, my inspiration deepened, eventually leading me to pursue a Master of Science Degree in Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University and separately attending multiple Executive Education Courses at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Mass., where I received certificates in the areas of negotiation mastery and advanced mediation skills. I have now completed my formal education and have dedicated myself to honing my skills in civil mediation full-time, aiming to apply the skills of empathetic listening and the art of crafting creative solutions to make the world of business a better place.