Her Story
About Joia
I am an executive leadership coach who has been in this field for 15 years. My main area of expertise is helping women overcome their brutal inner critic that limits their ability to strive and make major decisions. Through positive psychology, I help women executives get in touch with that voice formed in their prefrontal lobe, and we build a toolkit to quiet it so they can be all they want to be in life and professionally. I've designed my typical day to start with yoga or swimming in the morning, followed by breakfast and work like writing blogs, paperwork, or studying client profiles. My first client is generally at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, and I work through 6:30 at night. One of my most notable professional achievements is watching my clients move from Senior Leadership to CEO, or from CEO to entrepreneur. I get to travel and meet women all over the country, hear their stories, sit in their presence, and teach them about the inner critic - that is a great joy. I work with women of color and use my education and tools to further my causes.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Joia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to bravery.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I am very blessed to have had a lot of career advice. I'm an African American woman born to African American parents, and when I was in high school in the late 60s, I wanted to be in the Civil Rights Movement instead of going to college. I was about 16, and clearly my parents weren't going to let me go off and do that. When it came down to talk of college, I told my father I didn't want to go, and he wasn't going to hear that - it wasn't even something he would entertain. I kept making my case, and finally he said, 'So you want to go help poor Black people?' I said, yes, that's exactly what I want to do. And then he says, 'You know how you help poor black people? Don't be one.' So I use the education and tools to further what my political causes are. The advice I got from my father was: Never allow fear to limit your dreams. That's the best career advice - never allow fear to limit my dreams.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The key to being a great coach is to put your ego outside of the room and be present for your clients. Your coaching session has nothing to do with you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest opportunity is I get a chance to travel and meet women all over the country, hear their stories, sit in their presence, and teach them about the inner critic. That is a great joy. Being featured in magazines is a great joy because I get to tell the story. The pitfalls would be that we live in an economy where nobody is really honoring - people are starting to limit their professional development money. Women are always way behind men in getting professional coaches, and now that number is dwindling. We stopped wanting to invest in personal and professional growth, and we're heading that direction, which is so sad. 66% of white men in Senior Leadership positions have a coach, and only 4% of women of color have a coach, and 20% of white women in those same roles have a coach. But 66% of white men see the value. I think, why would you get through it alone when you can get help and have an accountability partner?
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value a relationship with a higher being, and I don't care which higher being one wants to identify - I'm not attached. I have a high value of silence as being the greatest tool to enhance your dreams and your goals. I like integrity - I'm honest with people and people should be honest. And I like treating all human beings like we're equals. Those are my values.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Maryland
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.