On the courage of women

Here’s the truth…

We have a choice.  We can choose to contort ourselves around the expectations of the world or we can choose to assert our own expectations and trust the world to figure itself out around us.

My truth is that I NEVER saw this life shift coming.  I started my career as a lost young English major in New York City.  In the wake of 2008, I gratefully found myself in an “I have no idea what she does for work” back-office job at an investment bank where I remained for six years feeling completely disconnected.

I was in hiding.  I was hiding in the superficial concerns of this vague notion of an “everyone” for whom I needed to “make sense” so that I could become “successful.”  And it was such an unnecessary and fruitless burden to carry.

When my husband and I moved to California, I decided it was my chance to start giving my “improbable” career ponderings a chance to breathe.  With very little time and lots of faith and intention, I dreamt up and materialized (I have the journal entries to prove it) my ideal team and role.  There was no job posting or recruiting process to step into. I moved with expectation, I spoke with expectation and it’s because I’d spent time with my vision and my strengths… not everyone else’s opinions.

I was employee number seven at our mental health tech startup and I quickly became the Director of Coaching and then Director of Partnerships.  The exponential growth I experienced through the intensity of helping to build and grow a company - alongside becoming a mother and feeling the imperative to own my time - propelled me into now being at the helm of my own business.  

Today, I get to spend each day having powerful conversations with powerful women - and earn a great living doing it.   I have to pinch myself.

 
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FOUNDER & coach

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Monique Shields

I help ambitious women leaders move through fear and distraction to clarify, communicate and act on their unique definition of success without compromising what matters most.


More on me:

  • Proud mama to two littles

  • Proud wife to a capoeirista / CEO

  • Former Stanford GSB Women in Management Facilitator

  • Former Berkeley Haas MBA Leadership & Career Coach

  • Certified Coach (CPCC)

  • Former Tech Start-up Leader (acquired)

  • Ex-Corporate “Golden Handcuffed” (financial services)

  • Spelman College Alum