In the Real You Leadership Coaching Program, we’ve supported countless, gifted women of color leaders like you with making power moves in their career through securing multiple raises and promotions.
Below are just a few of the glowing testimonials we’ve received from clients whose lives and careers have been transformed by this program.
"I have increased my earnings by $30,000 and have advocated for my colleagues to receive appropriate compensation. [...] I felt understood from day one. The space was inclusive, compassionate, and brave to be in. I also was in awe of the women I met and so excited to learn from badass WOC who just get it."
Project Manager & Co-founder of Native Women Lead
"I've become a leader not even just in my professional life but in community, in households. I've actually come up with my first entrepreneurial project. I've learned how to have the salary negotiations with recruiters. And also learned to lead and maneuver a meeting in a room full of tech bros."
Program Manager & Analyst
Before RYL, I was feeling pretty frustrated with the stagnancy in my career. I'd long been working on my career skills and building my self-confidence, but I knew there was a crucial piece missing. I often ended up people pleasing and playing it small, and that would result in a lot of mental distress because my frustration would build up and I'd stew in a toxic femme mindset. My goals at that time included transforming my relationship to rejection and negotiation, but I struggled or held back a lot because I was deeply afraid of conflict. I also knew I was being underpaid and wanted to increase my salary to a level that reflected the value I was bringing to the table. I knew that I had to ask to get things I wanted, but I had trouble actually transforming that knowledge into action.
I decided to join because I always lacked mentorship, and I thought that joining RYL would be a wonderful way to receive that and be held accountable. That's definitely been true so far! Plus, having a community of rad, supportive women and femmes of color to work and grow alongside has been amazing.
Grew my self confidence in all aspects of my life, not just my career
I speak up for myself more now at work and know that I can operate from a place of calm and power because I trust myself.
Improved my ability to ask for what I want and accept "no"
Reduced my desire for control over everything in my life plan (I need to do X by Y, and it needs to look exactly like Z)
Shifted my mindset towards one of growth, openness, and possibility
Learned to coexist with my fears and inner haters and stopped seeing them as things to silence or ignore
Kept following up with my boss about the status of my raise and promotion and loudly advocated for myself
Negotiated (and am still in the process of finalizing) a big pay raise!
Made some amazing friends in RYL :')
"I didn’t expect how much RYL was going to change me. I entered the program with the expectation that I would solely receive tactical coaching about my career. Instead, Nadia and Claire dared me to ask some big questions about myself and pushed me to get out of my comfort zone. It has been a journey of self-realization and I hope the internal work I’ve done so far will change my story.
I have so much love and respect for the RYL team for creating and championing this much-needed community for women of color. To truly understand the work that they do, people need to experience the program for themselves."
Before, my leadership skills were strong but rooted in my desire to be liked and respected.
I was plagued by a limited mindset and a constant internal loop of negative self talk. I would always be critical of my performance and think that I didn't do enough.
My ability to self-advocate and negotiate didn’t exist. I had never seriously negotiated or advocated for myself in the professional arena.
I came to Real You Leadership to decide what job I wanted to take next. I was feeling choice fatigue and fear of making the wrong choice or worse, missing out on an opportunity I would never get back. I was also confused about if I should even stay in my given field and unsure of what I was good at. I was hoping to walk away with deciding on the path my life would take moving forward with clear next steps.
The coaching I received opened my eyes to the notion that everything is negotiation and took away the stigma and self-doubt that clouded my ability prior. I love negotiating now and even encourage and support friends with theirs. Truly a 180 experience given where I started.
I view my ability to lead has grown in that I realize I don’t have to give everything I have to be a good leader.
I am able to quiet doubts and make decisions from a place of possibility instead.
This work showed me the power of tapping into what already exists and taking the time to listen.
Never have I ever trusted my intuition more.
I don’t make decisions based on fear or external pressures. I am not perfect, but I trust myself now to do what is best for me…Something that I wasn’t able to do before I started this work.
I have always been a very hardworking and results oriented person. Before I was my own harshest critic and I saw that as one of my greatest strengths.
I had the idea that self-advocating and negotiation was a zero-sum game.
I felt like a hot mess.
At the time, it was the most expensive thing I had ever bought for myself. But I definitely felt like I needed help navigating the next stage of my career.
I had already gone to one of Nadia’s events, I read her newsletters. Before I pulled the trigger, I googled Nadia and listened to some podcasts she had been on. I knew her message resonated with me.
My biggest learning is probably a renewed confidence and faith in myself and my instincts. I have gotten so much better at being me!
I still work hard and am a high performer, but the why has shifted. I work hard because I enjoy my job and the people I work with.
After I joined RYL, I am still my harshest critic but I am way more comfortable in my skin. Coaching helped reframe my metrics for success. I determine for myself what success looks like.
I am developing a form of leadership that is authentic to me, that takes bits and pieces from people I admire, but I’m not copying anyone else.
I learned to give myself more grace.
"My biggest takeaways and shifts that have happened to me: Self-advocacy, hearing other people's perspectives, also a place to be vulnerable. I love seeing melanated women where we can just be, we don’t have to censor ourselves, we can just cry, it doesn’t belittle or negate our badassery. It adds more layers to it. It was a beautiful thing to experience."
Community & Culture Strategist, Founder of NINON
Before joining the RYL program, I often felt stuck and frustrated with life. There were a lot of fears and insecurities that were holding me back. After the program, I was able to recognize a lot of inner haters, set boundaries, and stand up more for myself. Coaching helped with a lot of mindset shifts to recognize these patterns, be curious, and get unstuck.
I am more sure of myself, and I also recognize that my leadership goes beyond the workplace. I can be a leader in any room.
I now have a growth mindset where I am much more curious and am willing to try (and fail at) handling situations in new ways that I previously would not have.
I am able to self-advocate much more, as I am more confident and now I recognize my self-worth.
Before RYL I struggled with being seen/noticed, I preferred to stay in the background and quietly do what I need to do. I didn’t really want to show up as my full and authentic self at work and risk being judged as unworthy.
I joined RYL, because I began to recognize that I needed a change. I was no longer content being invisible, but still was uncomfortable being seen. I knew I needed help bridging that gap.
RYL helped by creating a safe space where I could be seen without fear of judgment, they also provided me with the tools for self reflection as well as, one on one input and insights. The group sessions where I could see how I wasn’t the only one struggling in various areas of my personal or professional life, or even on this journey of self acceptance was super powerful.
I’ve learned that showing up authentically will help others feel comfortable and supported to do the same. As a leader, this helps to create a safe space on my team where people know they don’t need to be perfect or conform in order to be accepted.
I’ve learned to recognize and challenge the “inner haters” when they start getting me down on myself. I’ve also learned to reflect on why those “inner haters” show up so I can get down to the bottom of why the doubt, fear, insecurities are present.
Risks were extremely stressful. My career grew more and more stagnant from 2020 to 2021 and I felt stuck doing the things I was always doing. I craved more growth, responsibility, and compensation.
Coaching helped me identify and achieve my goals much faster. Spending the time to really reflect and think about what specific things I wanted to accomplish helped make [the] “how” much easier and tangible. I also found more confidence from being in such a supportive space which helped every step of the way!
I have become the person that 12 year old me needed when she couldn’t find her voice. I have become the person that 16 year old me needed when she forced herself through burnout every few months.
My mindset has definitely shifted - the biggest change has been my focus on curiosity over judgment. I exercise this in everything, from small inconveniences I may run into outside of work to stressful situations at work.
Before coaching, I felt afraid to speak to my Executive team about my work. I was worried about being judged and always felt like my responses or ideas were not good enough.
I joined RYL, because I began to recognize that I needed a change. I was no longer content being invisible, but still was uncomfortable being seen. I knew I needed help bridging that gap.
I am most proud of finding my inner champion. Finding my inner champion allowed me to find my voice, build my confidence, shift my mind to manage my inner haters, and live in my values. Since pulling my inner champion out, I have seen myself:
RYL helped me see that I am Worthy and even if I receive a “No” then that is okay. What questions could I ask to get more clarity as to why. The modules in the lesson vault and group coaching helped me dig deep to define my values, name my accomplishments without deflecting, and practice being curious, i.e., asking questions. "
Nicole negotiated $300k in grants & a $40k pay increase
Michelle negotiated a 55% pay increase + $10,000 signing bonus
Gabby is now leading powerfully & self-advocating every day
Jenn reclaimed her brilliance, wisdom, and expertise
