1:1 Coaching
As a woman leading in high-stakes environments, you carry struggles that others simply can’t see.
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Navigating spaces that weren’t built for you and balancing the weight of expectations with your vision, has likely become second nature.
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But beneath the surface, your body’s sending messages—signals that the self-care days aren’t enough.
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If we're being honest (and we are)... you know it's BEYOND an emergency because you've been getting the signals for YEARS.
How Many of These are True for you?
✔️ You feel isolated, navigating spaces where you’re often the first or only one like you.
✔️ You’re dealing with microaggressions that don’t feel “micro,” all while balancing the expectations of caregiving, parenting, and even the silent burden of being the breadwinner.
✔️ You crave a deeper connection to your lineage, spirituality, and how these truths connect to your life’s work, but have few people to explore this with.
✔️ You have health concerns knocking at your door— and  stress (or burnout) is taking its toll.
✔️ You’re financially successful yet struggle with the weight of childhood messages about money, unsure how to unpack these in a way that feels safe.
✔️ You’ve embraced the idea of rest and stress management, yet keeping it consistent amidst your long list of achievements and obligations still feels elusive.
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The truth is... the women before us endured this struggle so that we wouldn’t have to. Â
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Let's design leadership that liberates.
Testimonials
Lisette Morris
Shawna is an authentic coach who meets you where you are. She listens and gets at the core of your challenge. Her historical knowledge goes deep and wide and it was an honor to learn from her. Her areas of feedback and insight have propelled me to grow and to make important changes within our organization.Â
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Ashley Johnson-Hare
My time with Shawna was phenomenal and completely unexpected. As a Black woman in America, I have never sat with how my thinking and work often perpetuated racism in the affordable housing and local government space. Work with Shawna forced me to understand that, I too, as a Black person, have to be intentionally anti-racist or I am just a tool of a system that was not created with my wellness and economic mobility in mind. Time with Shawna truly changed my life. If I could bottle her accountability partnering up, I would take it with me everywhere I go.Â
Mariya Strauss
Shawna's expert guidance and expertise in decolonizing nonprofit professional practice gave me the confidence to make the leap from being a solo, white Executive Director to proposing to my board that we transition to a shared co-leadership model with a person of color as co-Director. Â Shawna's ability to both create a safe and healing environment for nonprofit leaders to express and manage their emotions, as well as her skill in challenging us to maintain accountability for our actions and behavior, is unmatched in my experience.Â
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I'll never forget it...
I was sitting at the proverbial feet of Anna Arnold Hedgeman, conducting an analysis of her oral history for my dissertation research. I listened as she recounted a powerful story from 1924, when she and her colleague Bertha Cooley worked in the segregated Black branch of the YWCA. Together, their team tirelessly raised a record-breaking amount of money from the Black community. Hedgeman recalled the painful details:
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Excluded and Undervalued: Despite their success, Hedgeman and Cooley were excluded from key meetings and decision-making spaces, given no acknowledgment for their contributions.
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Fighting for a Seat at the Table: When a dinner was planned to celebrate the funds raised, Hedgeman and Cooley were initially told they couldn’t attend. After multiple calls and ultimately threatening to return the money, they were finally granted two seats at the table.
But the victory came at a heartbreaking cost. On her way to the dinner, Bertha Cooley collapsed and passed away, overwhelmed by the toll of their struggle.
Hedgeman recalled, “She [had] dropped dead on her way to the dinner. At that time, as far as I was concerned, they had killed her.”
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It's been a century, and we still hear stories about toxic work stress radically destroying lives. You deserve better... But no one is going  to give it to you.Â
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You Must Create It. But, you don’t have to hold it all alone. If you’re ready for a confidant, guide, and partner to strategize and heal, I've got your back!
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 One-to-one coaching with me is high-touch and definitively holistic.  I work with women leaders who are ready to embody a leadership style that honors their full selves. I offer a sacred, nurturing space where every part of you is seen, honored, and supported.
Our journey together is a deeply personalized partnership that integrates ancestral wisdom, mind-body practices, and liberatory leadership. This isn’t just about your work or your title; it’s about the whole of who you are—your lineage, your dreams, your vision, and your need for alignment across all areas of life. I’m here to be a trusted guide, a confidant, and a reflective mirror, helping you reconnect with your power, align with your values, and step into a cadence of leadership that feels true to you.
My Philosophy
I view coaching as accompaniment, walking beside you to witness transformation and invite expansive, truth-grounded possibilities.
This space is curated as safe space for my LGBTQIA cousins. This experience is designed with all women in mind.
NOTICE: This is not therapy. While I am a licensed mental health professional, this space is designed to complement, not replace, your therapy. Engaging in this work alongside regular sessions with your therapist will create the most meaningful impact.
Guided by Ancestral Wisdom
My spirituality reflects the resilience of my African ancestors, rooted in Black spiritual traditions (African and African American) and a decade of Tao study. Rather than fitting within a single tradition, I embrace an open, integrative approach that both honors and critically examines these lineages. I use this foundation to help women reconnect with their roots, reclaim their spiritual practices, and lead with grounded wisdom. No matter your beliefs, I offer a space of understanding and support.
Here's what's included...
For 4.5 Months (18 weeks)
Space for Mapping + VisioningÂ
One 2-hour intensive
We begin with a 2-hour, virtual, immersive mapping and visioning session. Together, we’ll locate where you are now and where you want to be, identifying the most pressing goals and areas calling for transformation. This foundational session brings clarity, helping us chart a path that embodies liberatory leadership across all aspects of your life.
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Space for Ancestral AcknowledgmentÂ
One 90-minute session
In this virtual session, I’ll guide you in acknowledging your ancestors, affirming your values and desires with your life's work. This may include ancestral mapping, remembrance, and honoring gifts. We'll talk about methods used to learn more about your lineage and heritage.Â
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Access to Training in Liberation Focused- Healing & Online Healing Studio
As a client, you’ll have access to a vault of specialized trainings on liberatory praxis across various sectors. During our coaching period, you can choose one on-demand training that aligns with your field and goals, such as Decolonizing Therapy for Black Folk, Demystifying the Liberation-Focused Healing Framework, or Cultivating an Anti-Racist, Healing-Oriented Organization.
You don’t have to decide which one now—we’ll explore the best fit together.
You’ll also have access to the Return to Presence Healing Studio, featuring classes in fitness, dance, yoga, meditation, and spirituality throughout our coaching partnership.
Space for Liberatory Ideation, Strategy & Healing
5 Sessions, 45 minutes each
In these sessions, we’ll create a space to align your life and leadership with liberatory values. We’ll delve into what freedom and liberation mean to you within your role, shaped by your identity and ideals. We’ll tackle your unique challenges, uncover new opportunities, and cultivate a leadership style that truly feels free.
Together, we’ll also explore your concepts of physical, emotional, and psychological safety, leaving you with a comprehensive strategic plan that bridges your personal and professional protocols.
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We’ll explore 3 core relationships:
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Human-Human Relationship: Examine your connections with others in personal and professional spaces; including your relationship to achievement, money, and collaboration. We'll talk about your relationship with your body, its wisdom, and how to access its guidance in your leadership.Â
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Human-Spirit Relationship: With a focus on your spiritual and/or religious perspective, we will explore what it means to align your personal healing and wellness practices with your deeply held knowing. We’ll explore how your intuition can guide your leadership, grounding you in protection and clarity. (And yes, you'll get personalized guided meditations from yours truly!)
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Human-Nature Relationship: Emphasizing the importance of rest and sustainability, I will guide you to understand the natural world as a source of balance. We’ll integrate this relationship into your leadership development plan, culivating a new benchmark for "success."
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Space for Rest (In-Person Grounding Retreat)
One-day curated retreat in DMVÂ (optional add-on)
For those who wish to deepen their rest and embodiment practice, you can include a one-day, in-person nature-based retreat at one of my favorite locations in the DMV. This bespoke overnight experience includes accommodations and meals, where I create a sanctuary for your imagining, resting, and grounding. We will engage in outdoor activities that will expose you to connecting with the Earth for rejuvenation. You will receive herbal support, learn land-based mindfulness, and be tended to. We will celebrate all that you have uncovered.
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This Isn't AÂ One-Size-Fits-All Experience
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There’s a structured pathway (I’m all about a solid plan), but each journey is uniquely tailored to the woman traveling it.
We start with your vision, honoring both where you are now and where you aim to go.
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Here are some of the WINSÂ my Clients experienced after engaging in 1-1 Coaching with me...
Professional Shifts
- She transformed her leadership style, embracing a co-leadership approach that built stronger trust and accountability, aligning her values with her team’s collaborative success.
- They successfully advocated for liberatory policies in their organization, creating a workplace that fosters authenticity, well-being, and true inclusivity.
- She secured compensation that felt reciprocal in light of her impact, finding the confidence and language to negotiate in a way that recognized the value she brings to her work.
- She refined her communication style, setting clear boundaries and learning to manage conflicts effectively, creating a more transparent and trusting work environment.
- She aligned her client offerings with her values, restructuring services to embody a liberation-focused approach, deepening both her impact and sense of fulfillment in her work.
 Personal Shifts
- She deepened her connection to her ancestry, building rituals that tapped into her lineage for guidance and strength, forming a foundation of resilience that supported her in every part of life.
- She released perfectionist tendencies, cultivating a daily ritual that allowed her to show up authentically and with ease, free from self-imposed pressures.
- She brought embodiment practices into her home, nurturing peace and presence with her family, creating harmony between her personal life and professional ambitions.
- They recognized familiar power dynamics from family replaying at work, and they set boundaries that protected their energy, fostering healthy relationships on all fronts.
- She restructured her business model, adjusting her offerings and pricing to create spaciousness for personal fulfillment and time with loved ones, building a life aligned with her values.
 Frequently Asked Questions
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