Influential Woman · Coaching

Maxine Attong

Professional Speaker, Maxine Attong Consulting

Brooklyn, NY

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's in Accounting Degree Master's in Organizational Development (2019) Cert Certified Management Accountant Cert PCC Level Coach Cert Certified Professional Facilitator Cert International Organizational Development and Leadership Specialist Member International Coaching Federation Member International Association of Facilitators of North America Member Society of Management Accountants Member Ontario

Her Story

About Maxine

I've been in the coaching field for about 15 years. I work with leaders doing leadership coaching, helping make the invisible visible. I'm also working on financial coaching, which is really about understanding patterns behind money and why we do what we do. On a typical day, I start with self-care - I journal while I have my coffee to get myself ready before I work with others. Then I work from home, jumping on my laptop to coach people. I coach leaders and teams, sometimes run small groups for women on women's leadership in particular, and some small groups on financial coaching to help people understand their money psychology. That takes me throughout the day, coaching according to when people want to see me. I also write - right now I'm finishing my third business book and editing it. In the evening, I do self-care, take a walk with a neighbor, or go to the gym. Before pivot became a word, I changed my career from being an accountant for most of my career to becoming a coach. I think my ability to stay open and curious about what's happening is my greatest achievement, along with being about to publish my third business book.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Maxine

01What do you attribute your success to?

Success for me changed over the years, and now I attribute it to having an understanding and appreciation of who I am.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

My mother always says, you know, like, you're never too old to do something. I think that's good because there's always room to change, develop, learn, grow. It's never about your age, it's about what you want to do.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

You're gonna hear a lot of buzzwords, and every Monday morning, there's gonna be a new idea and a new concept. Know that you have all of the intelligence and creativity you need inside of you. Sometimes turn off the noise and think for yourself, and create from who you really are. That would answer the question about your niche, that would answer the question about your clients, and all of the other questions that you have about this business that you're building.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I think the biggest opportunity is the obvious one: How can we use AI to generate our business? That would be a big question to answer, because it's not something to be afraid of, it's a tool. So, how do I use AI for my business? That would be one. And then, two, I think figuring out as a coach how you transition from being a coach to having a coaching business, because the two require different mindsets.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I think flexibility is a big one for me, and it's a big one because, as an accountant, I used to be really rigid, so I've seen the benefits of flexibility and how that's crept in and changed my life. I think curiosity, definitely, because, you know, not making any assumptions, being non-judgmental, watching for your assumptions. And being present has changed things a lot for me. Being present has changed everything.

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