Originally from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Dr. Landefeld’s background is in executive college administration where she began her career in Student Services and worked her way up to Academic/Executive Dean. Leading a team of almost 60 faculty members and administrative staff, Doni started using coaching techniques before the profession of coaching became the growing industry it is today. Since moving to Florida in 2004, she completed her Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Walden University and created Metamorphosis Coaching to help business professionals transform their performance and leadership skills. Dr. Landefeld also holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Temple University and a B.S. in Music Education and double-bass performer’s certificate from the Pennsylvania State University, main campus. She completed training from the College of Executive Coaching and works with her own personal coach.
Music is an active hobby of Dr. Landefeld’s and she performs semi-professionally throughout Southwest Florida and regularly with the Gulf Coast Symphony. Doni has served as President of the Board for the Gulf Coast Symphony since 2011. She is also a member of the Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce Education Committee and a founding member and Chair for Taste of the Cape. She’s been married to Nathan, her pediatrician husband for 20 years and partner together for their best work – teenage son Teddy, a student at the Canterbury School, pianist and member of the Caloosa Coast Rowing Club.
Currently, Dr. Landefeld is testing a leadership model through speaking engagements and a series of interviews with high-performing leaders. As she has traveled nationally to speak about her leadership model, her personal coach has encouraged her to further develop her “Lead Yourself First” model into a TED talk and eventual book. Landefeld believes we are all called upon to be leaders at many points in life and has developed her model into a card deck that has a little something for everyone. “Lead Yourself First” is a fun, interactive deck of cards consisting of 30 practices to unleash your leadership potential and may be purchased in hard copy or virtual formats.