The early foundations of Consulting Above were laid during Phil’s long history of creative pursuits and relationship building. During his undergraduate education at California State University San Marcos, Phil co-founded and collaboratively led an innovative group of artists, performers, and scholars called Elevated. This creative and collaborative ethos led to the group becoming a regular feature in campus events, and they worked with local businesses to establish community events such as a long-running open mic night at a cyber cafe–the Fyre Zone–near the university.

As Phil moved on to graduate study, working on a Masters degree in Sociological Practice, his history of creative writing and thinking led him to further develop a set of critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills that continue to inform his work and benefit clients across a wide array of fields. His master’s research and writing sought to understand the role of music alongside sociological theories of identity formation and cross-cultural understanding, facilitation, and connection, using shared values as a way to build bridges among people who might otherwise feel they have little in common.

Using his in-depth knowledge of current music and youth culture, and his creativity and skill as a writer and performer, Phil went on to perform up and down the west coast, and to work extensively in teen centers and community centers in under-resourced communities across Southern California and in youth detention facilities in San Diego County. In this role, he promoted writing and creativity as tools for self-discovery and empowerment, helping young people find their voices and navigate challenging circumstances through community and collaboration.

As Phil began developing a thriving career in English language instruction with primarily Japanese students, he relied on these same skills with creativity, writing, and collaboration to quickly become a sought-after consultant, tutor, and advisor. He moved to Japan to teach full time in 2004, and immediately fell in love with the people and culture of the land that has since become his home.

Building on all of these experiences and skills, Phil worked full time in Japanese middle schools for five years, and in 2018, he was recruited for a position with a major Tokyo-based English language immersion facility, where his creative solution-based approach to formulating new opportunities soon enabled him to rise to a position of leadership in the organization. In this leadership role, he supervised three floors and oversaw the work of up to 100 teachers per day, each in charge of eight students; thus, his purview included supervision of all activities and interactions for approximately 600-800 students per day, and also included quality control, supervision of instruction, providing feedback to teachers, and more. Over time, his responsibilities grew to include sourcing, interviewing, hiring, and training new teachers and eventually creating and leading new teams of trainers for teaching staff.