Sheena Brown

I attribute much of my success to my mother, who has been my greatest mentor, role model, and source of inspiration. She was raised in rural Jamaica under very humble circumstances. Through determination, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to education, she became a teacher, later immigrated to the United States, and built a stable and successful life for herself and her family.

More than her accomplishments, it was her character that shaped me. She consistently encouraged me to believe in myself, pursue my goals with confidence, and never allow fear to limit my potential. Her journey demonstrated that circumstances do not define a person’s future; faith, hard work, and resilience do. Watching her overcome challenges and create opportunities that had a lasting effect on generations to come, taught me that success is possible regardless of where one begins. Her example continues to inspire me to approach life with courage, determination, and a belief that obstacles can be transformed into opportunities.

When I was beginning my career in Human Resources and working in healthcare, I had a director who recognized my potential long before I fully recognized it in myself. As a woman who had successfully navigated the HR profession, she took a genuine interest in my growth and development. One piece of advice she gave me has stayed with me throughout my career: “Dress for where you want to be, not where you are.” It wasn’t that I dressed bad but she was teaching me the importance of presenting myself as the professional I aspired to become.

Beyond that, she shared valuable guidance on professional etiquette, executive presence, and the nuances of working in Human Resources. She understood that I had ambitions beyond my current role and generously invested her time and knowledge to help prepare me for future opportunities. Her willingness to mentor me and share insights that were not found in any textbook had a lasting impact on my professional journey. I remain deeply grateful for her encouragement and the confidence she instilled in me, and I have never forgotten the role she played in shaping my career.

Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid to explore your idea actually being a viable business. There are so many different businesses out there in the world, and there’s a place for everything. When I do my business coaching, I emphasize that starting a business is about solving a problem. Your idea could be anything. If you see that there’s a problem, like going to a business where the service level doesn’t meet your criteria, ask yourself why it doesn’t meet your criteria and whether there is something you can do to help it meet those criteria. If there is, could you actually turn it into a business? Oftentimes, you can. My advice would be not to be afraid to start something new and put that effort in because it might just be the thing that takes you to the next level you want to reach in your life. If my mother had been scared, she would never have been able to make it as far as she did.

I've found that the market is highly saturated with coaching businesses. This creates both a challenge and an opportunity. The opportunity I have lies in leveraging my multi-disciplinary background in HR, consulting, and academia to provide a more holistic, evidence-based coaching approach that connects organizational realities with individual performance. My approach is different. Unlike many of the business coaches that focus on motivation and idea generation, my focus is on building a strong foundation and leveraging strategic growth opportunities. I coach leaders to be strategic allies of their business and not just bosses or owners. From an entrepreneurial standpoint, the opportunity is to design coaching that is directly tied to leadership outcomes and business performance; to help leaders move from insight to action, and from potential to measurable impact. That’s where I see my practice. At the intersection of leadership development, performance strategy, and organizational transformation.

In my work and personal life, I value contributing to meaningful, impact-driven initiatives, particularly those that support nonprofit efforts in Ghana focused on youth education and environmental cleanup. I also place a strong emphasis on problem-solving as a core foundation of successful entrepreneurship, believing that practical, solutions-oriented thinking is essential for sustainable growth and innovation. Equally important to me is continuous learning and personal development, which I actively pursue through ongoing academic work as well as through my efforts to help women establish and grow businesses internationally.