Who We Are

Paula Harriss

Paula Harriss is an internationally recognized motivational speaker, life coach, and business coach. She is an expert in Sales Training, Marketing, Cross-training, Life Coaching and a keynote speaker for the Dental Boot Kamp, The Power for Life, as well as Pac Live, eWomenNetwork, and the Chamber of Commerce. As a long standing member of The Coaching Center Team, Paula has over 10,000 hours of master coaching experience that has helped hundreds of businesses reach their personal and professional goals to enhance productivity. She creates programs that customize skills to any business setting as well as church retreats and couples retreats.

Paula specializes in SYSTEMS for personal and professional growth

with an emphasis on people skills.

Paula has been a business owner twice, voted Entrepreneur of the Year in 1991, and was a team member in a six doctor practice in Knoxville. She inspires teams with her contagious enthusiasm and commitment to excellence.

Paula appears regularly on the STYLE television show, is a Miss USA Pageant judge, serves as an elder in her church, and is a professional organist with a degree from the University of TN in Deaf Education. Originally from Charleston, SC, Paula now lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband, Michael, is the mother of five daughters and two grandsons.

Paula is an internationally recognized motivational speaker, life coach, and business coach. Her experience includes helping hundreds of business leaders reach their personal and professional goals. She creates custom programs that teach critical skills to any business or organization. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Paula has owned two successful businesses, and was voted Entrepreneur of the Year in 1991.

James McKinney, DDS

Dr. McKinney established a very successful dental practice in Knoxville, Tennessee, which grew to include five dentists. He served as the Managing Partner of the practice for over ten years, and during that time helped develop many effective strategies that enabled the practice to become one of the most productive and successful dental practices in East Tennessee.

As a recognized leader in practice development and growth, Jim serves as a coach and seminar presenter. He works with dental practices and other organizations in clarifying purpose, vision, and well-defined strategies for their personal and professional life. He has been extremely effective in establishing strong teams in varied work environments, and has developed team-building exercises to help build and strengthen positive working relationships.

Jim grew up in Honduras where his father served as a missionary physician and established a hospital in Siguatepeque. Jim remains very involved in missions work, and in 1985 he set up a dental mission clinic in the same town. He is working with local ministries in Honduras to create micro-enterprises to provide jobs and training for the community.

He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, and is very active on several Boards. Jim served for six years as Director of Student Ministries at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church in Knoxville after retiring from Dentistry in 2001. He remains very active in student ministry, focusing primarily on work with college students.

Jim and his wife Jan have been married for 35 years. They have three married children, and two grandchildren. In his spare time Jim enjoys hiking, woodworking, and reading.

Phillip B. Johnson

Phil has provided organizational leadership in both higher education and healthcare for more than 25 years, including 17 years as Chief Administrative Officer for a large multi-service cancer center. He has extensive experience in strategic planning, personnel management and development, program startup and turnaround, marketing, business planning, quality improvement, and facility management.

During his career he has directed strategic planning efforts for numerous organizations, both large and small. He has been extremely effective in building strong working relationships among and between organizations and people, and coordinating approval for many projects and programs.

Phil holds a Master's Degree in Sociology from Marquette University, and BA degrees in Sociology and Social Science from Bethel College. He has broad experience and training in organizational leadership, including a Fellowship with The Advisory Board in Washington, DC. He has served on numerous Boards and professional organizations.

Family/hobbies/purpose

Phil has extensive leadership experience and has directed strategic planning efforts for numerous organizations, both large and small. His strengths include a unique ability to build strong working relationships among and between organizations and people. He holds a Master's Degree from Marquette University, and has served on numerous Boards and professional organizations.