LaShawn Lewis-May, MBA, SHRM-CP
LaShawn Lewis-May, MBA, SHRM-CP, is a Book-Led Identity Coach and the Founder of Writing Your Chapter™, where she empowers quiet achievers—women who excel professionally yet struggle silently—to claim space, set boundaries, and speak up with confidence. An introvert with an eye for depth and meaning, LaShawn brings a calm, reflective presence to her work. Whether she’s exploring the aisles of Barnes & Noble or guiding clients through identity shifts, she is grounded in curiosity, intentionality, and a love of storytelling as a tool for transformation. With more than a decade of experience in Talent Acquisition and HR, LaShawn has supported professionals through career transitions, leadership growth, confidence gaps, and moments of reinvention. Her Define → Write → Share coaching framework blends narrative work, reflective exercises, and practical strategy to help women articulate what they want next—professionally and personally—while releasing habits of shrinking, over-functioning, or staying silent to keep the peace. Her coaching is rooted in emotional clarity, self-advocacy, and aligning one’s inner truth with outer action. Beyond her coaching practice, LaShawn serves in mission-driven roles and community initiatives, bringing her commitment to empowerment into every space she enters. Her career journey, shaped by scholarship, service, and continuous personal growth, reflects her belief that every woman deserves to author a life that feels like her own. Thoughtful, grounded, and deeply invested in helping others rise, she is dedicated to walking alongside women as they write the next chapter—one marked by confidence, clarity, and authentic voice.
• Content Creation: Strategy and Tools
• University of Louisville
• Clarence M. Frenkel Endowed Scholarship Award
• Society of Human Resource Management
• Dress for Success Louisville
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to one core principle: showing up consistently. My own healing journey revealed my deeper purpose—to help women discover who they are beyond their titles—and I lead by example so I can guide others with authenticity, intention, and unwavering commitment.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I’ve ever received was this: when you step into a new organization as a leader of change, learn the people first, then the processes, and then become an agent of change.
My addition to that is simple — don’t stop learning the people. Stay connected. Don’t hide in a bubble. When you understand the humans behind the work, you can lead with clarity, empathy, and impact
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women entering this field to begin with deep self-discovery—because true empowerment starts with knowing yourself fully before you can authentically support, understand, and guide others.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Many of the women I work with fall victim to imposter syndrome. It’s common, and I experience flashes of it myself, but the deeper truth is that imposter syndrome is usually a symptom of something underneath — a lack of identity clarity, unclear boundaries, or not having the language to articulate who they are and what they bring to the table.
The biggest challenge in my field right now is that women are being pushed to ‘fix their mindset’ instead of being supported in understanding themselves. That creates a huge opportunity: identity-led coaching. When women finally name their values, strengths, and desires, imposter syndrome loses its power. They show up differently at work, advocate for themselves with confidence, and make career decisions from alignment instead of fear.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me—authenticity, consistency, and a deep commitment to personal growth—shape both my work and my life, where I make space for what brings me joy, including reading (especially Kennedy Ryan), traveling, and spending time with my family.
