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Kristi Coulter

Author of EXIT INTERVIEW: THE LIFE & DEATH OF MY AMBITIOUS CAREER and NOTHING GOOD CAN COME FROM THIS. Ex-Amazon.

Kristi Coulter is an accomplished author and writing instructor based in Seattle, Washington. She currently teaches writing at Hugo House, a literary arts center in Seattle.1

Professional Background

Coulter has an extensive career in both writing and corporate leadership:

Author::

  • She is the author of two books published by MCD Books:

    1. "Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career" (2023)
    2. "Nothing Good Can Come From This" (2018), which was a Washington State Book Award Finalist1
  • Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including New York Magazine, Elle, Vox, The Paris Review, and Glamour.1

Corporate Experience::

  • Coulter spent 12 years as an executive at Amazon, holding leadership roles in:
    • Global Retail
    • Amazon Publishing
    • Executive Development
    • Amazon Go1

Teaching Experience

At Hugo House, Coulter teaches craft-focused classes in memoir and creative nonfiction. Some of her courses include:

  • Writing About the Workplace2
  • Writing About Other People34
  • Writing About Addiction5
  • Writing About Music6
  • Making Memoir Funny7
  • Writing About Work8

She has been a Writing Instructor at Hugo House since March 2020.1

Education

  • MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan (1992-1994)
  • BA in Literature from New College of Florida (1988-1992)1

Coulter's unique blend of corporate leadership experience and literary accomplishments informs her teaching style and provides valuable insights for aspiring writers in her classes at Hugo House.

Highlights

Jul 8 · linkedin

Amazing, by which I mean infuriating, work by Kieran Snyder that among other things is an illustration of how even female leaders can act as enforcers of the patriarchy.

I correctly guessed the word before I even clicked the link. Can you?

Jun 25 · linkedin

Today is my eleventh soberversary. Here are a few of the ways quitting drinking changed my career:

  1. Reduced anxiety. For years, I told myself I'd quit drinking once I got control over my anxiety. But I had it backwards--alcohol was actually a primary CAUSE of my anxiety, which began to dissipate within a few weeks of sobriety. I became a calmer, steadier, more fun person and a better leader.

  2. Perspective. Getting sober is the scariest thing I've ever done, and any crisis Amazon could throw at me paled by comparison. If I started to feel overwhelmed by circumstances, I'd remind myself "You QUIT DRINKING, babe. This work thing? This is just a problem to solve. You've got this."

  3. Easier networking. I'd always relied on alcohol to ease my social anxiety. But when I got sober I was working in publishing, a very boozy industry. About a month in, I had to attend a happy hour for 100+ authors, and I was so terrified of meeting all those people without a wineglass in my hand that I sat in my car physically shaking beforehand. Finally I told myself that after I talked to ten people, I could leave. And you know what? It was FINE. I learned that a little awkwardness is not actually fatal, and that it passes. Today, I can talk to pretty much anyone about anything, and make real, non-transactional connections with people.

  4. Clarity of sight. I had always blamed difficulties at work on my drinking, telling myself I'd be sharper/more confident/more assertive if I weren't hung over so often. And that was partially true. But sobriety helped me to see that I was ALSO in some sh---y, untenable circumstances I lacked the power to fix. Instead of wallowing in shame and the false belief that ALL problems were my fault, I was able to recognize my unpleasant reality and map out an exit.

  5. Actual self-care. Why not just endure the bad work situation I mentioned above? Well, because I wanted to stay sober, and it's much easier to do that when your daily life isn't so miserable that you need to self-medicate. I'd bought the lie that "self-care" equalled wine, Manhattans, and designer bags. But I came to understand that it actually meant a job with realistic expectations, time to unplug, and leaders who cared about me. (Um, and also designer bags.)

  6. Ambition. Sobriety put me back in touch with my lifelong dream of being a writer, unlocking a level of ambition and hunger I thought I'd never feel again. By age 30, I'd given up on ever publishing a book. Last year, when I was 53, my book was on the front page of the New York Times. Getting there took talent and grit and the stamina to spend YEARS writing the best book I could and the belief that my voice should be heard. I was born with the talent. But without the rest, talent means nothing. Sobriety gave me all the rest. I think I'll keep going with it.

Related Questions

What inspired Kristi Coulter to transition from Amazon to teaching writing?
What are some key themes in Kristi Coulter's book "Nothing Good Can Come From This"?
How does Kristi Coulter incorporate her corporate experience into her writing classes?
What makes Kristi Coulter's memoir writing classes unique at Hugo House?
Can you share some testimonials from students who have taken Kristi Coulter's classes?
Kristi Coulter
Kristi Coulter, photo 1
Kristi Coulter, photo 2
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Location

Seattle, Washington, United States