Shirley Ellis

I've been in my field for over 10 years. I started at a call center at a financial institution where I was going through some mental and internal issues, but two leaders really believed in me and helped me develop the confidence I didn't know I was lacking. They showed a light on my potential, and I decided I wanted to do that for the rest of my life - show people what they're made of and help them get to their next level. I worked my way up into project management, loving the people leadership side, organizing teams, bringing structure and collaboration. I became a principal project manager and got certified. After coaching and speaking on the side for about 10 years, I decided to bet on myself and started my own company as an entrepreneur. Now I help people be promotion-ready, lead at a high level, and demonstrate executive presence through keynotes, workshops, and one-on-one executive coaching. My typical day includes content creation, leading and facilitating workshops, crafting PowerPoints, preparing for keynotes, writing (I have a book coming out), administrative tasks, one-on-one coaching with clients, and creating video content for social media. Everything I do is guided by two principles: being intentional and making an impact. That's why my business is called Intentional Impact. I'm very strategic and believe we were placed on this earth for a reason. I want people to lead better after interacting with me. As an African American woman, I'm often the only minority in spaces, so my goal is to make sure I'm not the last one - I want to set a clear path for others to avoid the pitfalls I had.