Her Story
About Colleen
I've been a counselor for 25 years, always working with adults in individual and couples counseling. When I moved to Texas, I had to pivot because Texas is not in the Counseling Compact, which allows us to practice across state lines. Since counseling is inherently coaching, coaching was a natural pivot for me as of the fall of 2025. Now I'm empowering women both in their personal life and in the boardroom, aligning with values, figuring out how to differentiate what is noise and what's a signal, and really stepping into that power. I bring a lot of expertise from sitting in the counselor chair for so many years, and I'm not a one-size-fits-all coach - I don't bring one set of systems and say it's going to apply to everyone. I figure out what's actually going to work for each individual, because your obstacles are not going to be the same as mine, and your gifts are not going to be the same as the other woman standing next to us. As a small business owner, I'm doing interviews, seeing clients, working with my inbox, going out and networking, and running a networking group - doing the regular shuffle that all small business owners do while making sure I practice what I preach to stay aligned with my values and not lean into things that are going to burn me out.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Colleen
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to me, and the people that I have chosen to, and am fortunate enough to keep in my orbit, that have been supportive of me, that I've been able to lean into to learn from. The women that are further down the journey than me - all throughout my career, I've been fortunate enough to have that gift. And then I know that I am purposeful about putting my hand out and making sure that the women who are coming down the path behind me have the support that they need.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would give this advice to women entering any industry, actually - to remember to trust yourself. There's no such thing as perfect, and to take your badass and just get on out there.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think one of the biggest challenges is that the market is so saturated. Certain professions find their trends. The other challenge is just women in the world right now, making sure that their voice is valued and heard, and that they surround themselves with other women who believe that, and that we're truly supporting one another, instead of just showing that on social media - really showing up for one another, and building communities where, when we support one another, that truly is when we grow, personally and professionally. The women that are further down the path than us, they're building in structure, breaking ceilings, and putting their hand out for us to follow along. We really have to work together to continue doing that. As for opportunities, I believe there's endless opportunities, and some of them we have to - if there isn't a seat at the table for us, then we have to build the table, and we have to be willing, knowing that we all bring different gifts. If I'm standing in the empowerment seat, I can be the voice of this, I can organize this, and someone else has a specialty in marketing, and someone else has a specialty in accounting, and recognizing that that community is what makes the table strong.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important value to me is that self-trust - to trust myself to know who I need to be spending my time with, who I need to be gifting my time to, and inviting into my orbit. Being honest, and speaking up. Really, my voice is very valuable to me.
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