Embrace Your Journey with Coaching

When I first met Janice, I was at that tricky crossroads where experience had finally landed me a marketing manager role at an ad agency, but naivety kept me from recognizing the warning signs of a toxic workplace. Specifically, a supervisor whose leadership style felt more like a slow erosion of my confidence than an opportunity to grow. And then there was Janice. She walked into every room with the kind of energy that didn’t just fill the space—it lifted it. She led from a place of strength, yes, but also deep generosity. She didn’t hoard knowledge or authority. She built people up. And she made damn sure I built myself up, too. At that point in my career, I was equal parts eager and unsure. I wanted to prove myself, but I was also a textbook people pleaser—more likely to shrink in tough moments than to stand firm. Janice saw that immediately. And from day one, she gave me a challenge: Work on your confidence. Not in the “fake it till you make it” kind of way, but the real kind—the kind that comes from owning your ideas, your mistakes, your wins, your losses. The more I worked with Janice, the more I realized the job itself was costing me something far greater than a paycheck could ever replace. Mentally, emotionally, physically—I was drained. And yet, I stayed. Because that’s what we do when we don’t trust ourselves yet, when we think maybe if we just try harder, it’ll get better. Spoiler: it didn’t. Then, something happened. Another executive witnessed the way my supervisor was treating me and took it upon themselves to file a complaint with HR. And in that moment, I realized: I don’t need permission to stand up for myself. I was done making myself small. I started answering messages in my network, saying yes to new opportunities, and within weeks, I had landed my dream job. I believe in signs from the Universe. And there was no clearer sign than this: Standing tall, owning my worth, and going tits out—not just in leadership, but all the way out the door—was the right move. My leaving set off structural changes that prevented my former supervisor from mistreating others. And now, a year into my new role, I’ve not only thrived—I’ve been promoted. Growth that I never would have achieved if I had kept waiting for things to change instead of choosing to change them myself. I look back at that time, and all I feel is gratitude. For the challenge. For the hard lessons. But most of all, for Janice. Her mentorship didn’t just help me find my confidence—it gave me the courage to live it. And that has made all the difference.