Anne Kenneally

I attribute my success to a combination of strong team leadership, deep personal values, and a lifelong commitment to self‑reflection and growth. I was raised with a strong sense of responsibility, integrity, and care for others—family values that shaped how I lead and how I show up for people. Those roots taught me that leadership isn’t about authority; it’s about accountability, humility, and the willingness to look at yourself first.

Throughout my career, I’ve learned that the most meaningful growth comes from being willing to examine your own patterns, own your impact, and make changes when needed. That dedication to self‑reflection has allowed me to evolve as a leader and stay grounded, even in the most challenging seasons.

One of the clearest examples of this was during COVID. It was a time when uncertainty was high, connection was strained, and many teams across industries struggled to stay aligned and motivated. I’m a one‑on‑one, face‑to‑face leader by nature, so the separation pushed me to stretch, adapt, and find new ways to stay present. Instead of losing momentum, our team grew stronger. We retained every single person, supported each other through the unknowns, and came out more connected than we went in. That experience reinforced what I’ve always believed: when you lead with humanity, people rise with you.

At the core of everything I do is a simple belief—people are not numbers. They are humans with lives, hopes, fears, and potential. Even in roles where I didn’t love every aspect of the job, building strong teams and helping individuals grow has always been where my heart naturally goes. That focus on human connection, combined with a willingness to look inward and evolve, is what has shaped my success and continues to guide my work today.

The best career advice I’ve ever received was to lead myself first—to stay grounded in my values, stay curious about my own patterns, and be willing to grow before asking anyone else to. That guidance shaped everything about how I lead and how I coach.

The advice I give young women entering this industry is to lead yourself first. Know your values, trust your instincts, and stay rooted in who you are—even when the environment around you is loud, fast, or demanding. Your clarity becomes your compass.

I also encourage women to build their career on two things: relationships and self‑reflection. The relationships you nurture will carry you through the hardest seasons, and the willingness to look at yourself honestly—your patterns, your strengths, your blind spots—will shape you into the kind of leader people want to follow.

This industry can be intense, and there will be moments when you’re underestimated or overlooked. Don’t shrink. Don’t harden. Stay grounded in your worth, speak with clarity, and surround yourself with people who see your potential even on the days you don’t.

And finally, remember that you don’t have to choose between being strong and being human. Some of the most defining moments of my career came when everything familiar was stripped away and I had to lead in ways I’d never led before. What got my team and me through wasn’t perfection—it was connection, adaptability, and the courage to keep showing up for each other.

If you can hold onto your values, stay curious about your own growth, and treat people like people, you’ll not only succeed—you’ll lead in a way that makes the whole industry better.

One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is staying focused on intentional growth while building a new practice in a landscape that never stops moving. There are endless platforms—social media, LinkedIn, newsletters, online courses, communities—and each one offers a different way to reach people. The temptation is to be everywhere at once, but spreading yourself too thin dilutes the depth and quality of the work. The real challenge is choosing what to build first, staying rooted in your values, and allowing growth to be both strategic and sustainable.

At the same time, this is also the greatest opportunity. We’re in a moment where people are craving authenticity, emotional intelligence, and grounded leadership. Platforms that once felt purely transactional have become spaces for real connection and transformation. For me, the opportunity lies in blending digital reach with the heart of my work—classroom-style teaching, reflective practices, and human-centered coaching. When used intentionally, these tools allow me to expand my impact far beyond a single room while still maintaining the depth and integrity that matter most.

The field is evolving quickly, but the core remains the same: people want to grow, to feel seen, and to lead themselves well.

The opportunity is to meet them where they are—online, in community, and in conversation—without losing the clarity and focus that make the work meaningful.

The values that matter most to me—both in my work and in my life—are humanity, integrity, and alignment. I believe deeply in treating people like people, not tasks or transactions. Whether I’m leading a team, coaching an individual, or collaborating with peers, I want people to feel seen, supported, and respected. That’s always been my north star.

Integrity is another core value for me. I want my actions, decisions, and leadership to reflect who I am at my core. That means being honest, taking responsibility, and choosing what’s right over what’s easy. It also means being willing to look at myself, grow, and evolve when something no longer aligns with my values.

Alignment has become one of the most important values in this chapter of my life. I’ve learned that work feels meaningful when it matches who you are—your strengths, your heart, and your purpose. When I’m doing work that helps people grow, connect, and lead themselves well, I feel energized and grounded. When I’m not aligned, I feel it immediately. Life is too short to ignore that.

Today, I choose work that reflects what I believe in: supporting people, building emotionally intelligent communities, and creating spaces where growth feels both possible and human. Those values guide every decision I make and every direction I take.