Karen Roy
Helping Students & Schools Build Stronger Executive Function Skills
About
I'm Karen Roy, a certified Executive Function Coach (Level 2, Connections in Mind) and Reading Specialist with a Master's in Education and over 28 years in education, including 18 years as Learning Resource Director at Saint Patrick Catholic School in Norfolk, VA.
After 28 years working with students who face executive Functioning challenges, I've seen firsthand how much a difference the right support makes - and how many students never get access to it. That's what led me to expand this work beyond the classroom, so more students can build these skills.
I help students and families build the self-management skills that make life feel calmer and more organized - planning, time management, task initiation, and emotional regulation.
Executive Functioning (EF) is how the Brain manages thoughts, emotions, and actions to reach goals. When EF skills are strong, daily life flows more smoothly. When they're under strain, we see things like:
After 28 years working with students who face executive Functioning challenges, I've seen firsthand how much a difference the right support makes - and how many students never get access to it. That's what led me to expand this work beyond the classroom, so more students can build these skills.
I help students and families build the self-management skills that make life feel calmer and more organized - planning, time management, task initiation, and emotional regulation.
Executive Functioning (EF) is how the Brain manages thoughts, emotions, and actions to reach goals. When EF skills are strong, daily life flows more smoothly. When they're under strain, we see things like:
- Procrastination or difficulty getting started
- Feeling constantly "behind" or overwhelmed
- Disorganization as work, home, or school
- Emotional frustration when plans change or expectations shift
I work with both kids and adults to turn these everyday challenges into practical, sustainable systems that build confidence, focus, and follow-through - so they can thrive at school, at work, and at home.
Location
In-person sessions take place at Virginia Beach Central Library, making sessions easy to access for families throughout Virginia Beach and the surrounding Hampton Roads area. Prefer not to travel or outside the Hampton Roads area? Virtual sessions via Google Meet are also available for local and out-of-area families alike.
Curious if EF coaching is the right fit? Book a free discovery call today!
Contact: [email protected]
Packages
ONE 45 Minute Skill Building Session - $125
45-minute EF coaching session focused on building organization, planning, and independence. Includes a mid-week check-in and optional parent report.
FOUR 45-Minute Skill Building Sessions — $440 (Regular value: $500 — save $60)
Build organization, planning, and time management skills in four focused coaching sessions. Includes weekly check-ins and parent notes.
SIX 45-Minute Skill Building Sessions — $660 (Regular value: $750 — save $90)
Strengthen consistency and build sustainable routines with six coaching sessions, weekly check-ins, and parent updates.
EIGHT 45-Minute Skill Building Sessions — $760 (Regular value: $1,000 — save $240)
Transform your child’s EF habits with eight coaching sessions, weekly check-ins, and personalized progress summaries.
Free Discovery Call for Adults
A focused 30-minute session to identify your habits, challenges, and goals for greater organization and follow-through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do you work with?
I counsel writers one-on-one at all stages of the creative process.
What happens during a session?
Each session blends conversation, resources, and strategy. We identify what’s working, what’s not, and build a realistic vision for success. You’ll leave with clear next steps and practical tools.
Do you meet online or in person?
I offer both, but most sessions take place on Zoom. I also host personal writing retreats at my home on the beach in the Pacific Northwest, but availability is limited.
What’s your background?
Joni Rodgers is a bestselling author and #1 NYT bestselling ghostwriter known for her stellar craft skills, holistic collaborative style, and knack for capturing diverse voices. Specializing in compelling, message-driven memoirs, Joni has written a long string of bestsellers with cultural icons, social change agents, and ordinary people living extraordinary lives. A starred Kirkus review called Paris: The Memoir, Joni’s hugely successful collab with Paris Hilton, “a masterclass in owning your story.”
Only an elite handful of collaborators industry-wide have achieved EGOT status. Joni has worked with
· 5 Emmy winners
· 2 Grammy winners
· 3 Oscar winners
· 2 Tony winners
which makes her (as far as we know) the only double EGOT in the business.
As a writing doula, Joni is a strategic partner who helps struggling authors develop ideas, crystallize meaning, and meet deadlines. Focusing on craft and creative ownership, she empowers writers who prefer to be in the driver’s seat.
KUDOS
“Joni Rodgers is a born storyteller. She writes with a wit, lyricism, humanity, and joy that make her books impossible to put down.” Aaron Sorkin
“Rodgers’ strength is a knack for realistic characters and a womanly-wise, laugh-through-tears appreciation of life.” Publishers Weekly
“This talented author knows how to bring pen and ink people to flesh and blood fulfillment.” Southern Living Magazine
“Rodgers lives, loves, and writes without a safety net…a mix of Molly Ivins’ blowsy wit and Anna Quindlen’s suburban logic.” Entertainment Weekly
BIO
Joni grew up performing in a family bluegrass band, majored in theater at Viterbo College, and spent her 20s busking and working as a voiceover artist. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1994, she used the chemo downtime to write her first two novels, both of which were published by small but mighty literary presses and received critical acclaim. She followed up with her first bestseller: Bald in the Land of Big Hair (HarperCollins 2001), a memoir about being a young mom with blood cancer. The success of BLBH sparked a syndicated newspaper column and invitations to participate in her first high-profile ghostwriting projects. Joni has authored/collaborated on more than three dozen books, most of them NYT, national, and/or international bestsellers. She lives on the beach in Washington State with multimedia artist Gary Rodgers, her husband of 40+ years.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I believe in the art of memoir as cosmic cartography. When we share our unique piece of the map of human experience, we add clarity and empathy to a collective understanding. As a collaborator, it’s my privilege to carry water for a messenger whose moment is at hand. It’s a sacred trust that I take seriously. This work brings me tremendous joy. My goal is to lift up my fellow creatives and convey that joy to We the Reader.
CRITICAL PRAISE FOR COLLABS
Kirkus starred review for Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton: “Tender and triumphant…furiously candid…a master class in owning your story.”
Kirkus starred review for This is the Fire: What I Say to My Friends About Racism by Don Lemon: “A vital book for these times…puts 2020 in context and gives it the language to sing a quietly outraged song.”
BlueInk review for Rascal on the Run by Howard Tate Scott: “The genial style of Rick Bragg meets the pathos of Pat Conroy…deftly weaving two murder trials and their far-flung consequences.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS FROM JONI’S PAST CLIENTS
“Joni Rodgers helped me find my voice and held my hand through the chaos.” Paris Hilton, NYT bestselling author of Paris: The Memoir
“Joni knows my life. It’s like talking to my sister.” Don Lemon, #1 NYT bestselling author of This is the Fire and I Once Was Lost
“Joni, your genius vision turned black and white into technicolor, amusement into hilarity, touching into heartbreaking, and a very interesting life into a literary page-turner. You promised to be my Sherpa on this climb. You have also been my friend.” Swoosie Kurtz, Part Swan, Part Goose: An Uncommon Memoir of Womanhood, Work, and Family
“Joni, you are the light in the dark room I was in. Thank you for hearing me and helping me with my story.” Mayte Garcia, The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince
“This book could never have seen the light of day without Joni Rodgers, who is so much more than a plot whisperer. She patiently pulls threads and builds trust to help authors like me dig a little deeper, even when it’s painful to do so.” Vanessa O’Brien, To the Greatest Heights
How do I get started?
Book your session on my Paperbell page. You’ll receive a confirmation email, Zoom link, and short intake form to help us tailor your first session to your goals.