ABOUT ME
I'm passionate about helping individuals achieve success on their own terms. As a Results-Trained Coach through the NeuroLeadership Institute, I use brain-based coaching methodologies based on the latest neuroscience research. I'm also a Certified Professional Diversity Coach through CoachDiversity Institute, with a focus on transformational coaching emphasizing issues of equity, diversity, inclusion, power and privilege.
My coaching clients include lawyers, business professionals, and non-profit leaders, and I also coach at Rotman's Business Edge Program. My diverse work, educational and life experiences provide me with a unique vantage point for understanding multiple client perspectives. I 'grew up' at Goodmans LLP, a major Bay St. law firm: after articling, I returned as a corporate lawyer and then moved into legal professional roles as Director, Student Recruitment and subsequently Director, Alumni Relations. Along the way I also co-founded and managed a walk-in medical clinic. Prior to completing law school at the University of Toronto, I obtained a Math/Computer Science undergraduate degree from the University of Waterloo (wow that taught me so much resilience!). I immigrated from Jamaica to Canada at age 10 and was the first generation in my family to attend post-secondary education. I've learned so much from my own challenges and opportunities, from my 4 incredible children, and from working with inspirational clients who have traveled their own unique path.
My mission is to empower clients to effect positive change in their lives. I help them to clarify and achieve their goals, improve confidence, build better habits, learn new behaviours, improve thinking, and stand in their power.
Select Speaking Engagements
University of Guelph | Cultural Diversity Programs (with Sandra Montanino of Navig8 PD)
Workshop: Navigating and Thriving in the Workplace as a BIPOC Professional
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (with Sandra Montanino of Navig8 PD)
Presentation: Sponsorship: Understanding the Roles and Best Practices
National Association of Legal Professionals (NALP)
Presentation: What your BIPOC students and associates wish you would acknowledge.... And would like you to do something about!
Black Female Lawyers Network (BFLN) Sistahs in Law Retreat
Panelist: Black Mental Health and Trauma: Finding Yourself Outside of Work
Women's Law Association of Ontario (WLAO)
Panelist: Navigating Uncertainty and Building Resilience: Taking Positive Steps for Your Future
Black Law Students Association (BLSA)/Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL)
Panelist: OCI Workshop, Networking During COVID-19 & Recruitment Managers’ Perspectives
Young Women in Law (YWL)
Panelist: Life After Hireback
Lawyer Life Podcast
Featured Guest: On Belonging
(For practicing lawyers: LSO approved for 20 minutes of EDI professionalism content)
NEUROSCIENCE-BASED
EMPOWERMENT
APPROACH
Support That Makes a Difference
PERFORMANCE & LEADERSHIP COACHING
Looking to improve your performance or leadership skills?Increase your awareness, build your confidence, and fortify your resilience. Design a plan of action and commit to action to maximize performance and be a more effective leader.
CAREER TRANSITION COACHING
Exploring a career change, looking for a job, reaching for a promotion, or settling into a new role? What next? Need help getting unstuck?Articulate your strengths effectively, clarify your next steps, expand your job search skills, and move into action.
EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION EXPERTISE
My Certified Professional Diversity Coach (CPDC) certification and Leadership & Inclusion Certification, as well as my experience leading diversity organizational initiatives, gives me unique expertise in this area.
TESTIMONIALS
Catherine helped me navigate the challenges of work at a corporate law firm downtown, and was a caring listener and constant source of valuable insight and guidance on my career ambitions and personal aspirations. ...I am very thankful to Catherine for her dedication to helping me flourish personally and professionally, and I could not speak more highly of her as a mentor and coach.
~ JC, 2015 Call
~ GB, Recent Law Graduate
Lawyers
~ Lawyer (2011 call)
Catherine has been incredibly helpful in my efforts to better define my career goals and my expectations for my career trajectory. Catherine has also been very effective in helping me to better understand and navigate in-firm politics and she assisted me in developing the tools and strategies that I need to better approach critical career-related conversations with more senior members of my firm. I would recommend Catherine's services without hesitation to anyone that needs a calm but effective coach to assist them with their career-related goals and challenges.
I came into the coaching process not knowing what to expect but hoping to get some help figuring out what was holding me back professionally and how to get my career on a more positive track. Catherine exceeded my expectations in all respects. She is a terrific coach who genuinely cares about helping people realize their career goals. I feel she helped me tremendously, and I would highly recommend her to anyone who needs help navigating their career.
~ Lawyer (2015 call)
Catherine was the first person I spoke to that understood my concerns about diversity on Bay St. and in the legal profession. Catherine helped me navigate the challenges of work at a corporate law firm downtown, and was a caring listener and constant source of valuable insight and guidance on my career ambitions and personal aspirations. She was also a leading supporter and advocate of my work for the Black Law Students Association of Canada while on Bay St.
Catherine helped give me the confidence to embark on a new path... I am very thankful to Catherine for her dedication to helping me flourish personally and professionally, and I could not speak more highly of her as a coach.
~ Lawyer (2015 call)
I wanted to make a significant pivot in my career but didn't know where to start. Catherine's approach to coaching is thoughtful, practical and inspiring. She helped me to understand where I wanted to go, generate new ideas on how to get there, and most importantly, take action. I can't recommend her highly enough!
~ Lawyer (2014 Call)
Working with Catherine has been nothing short of amazing. She helped me develop the
confidence and skills that I need to excel in my career and personal life. I learned so much about
myself through the exercises that were given, and I was able to do so because of the comfortable
space that she provided. Catherine is attentive, supportive, caring, professional and intelligent.
Her wonderful qualities are reflective in the service that she provides. She tailored my
experience and I was able to leave each session learning much more than I expected. I cannot
express enough my gratitude for her support and dedication towards my career. Highly recommended!
~ Lawyer (2019 call)
I was very low in confidence and was reconsidering my career when I sought help from Catherine. The grueling challenges and obstacles I faced since graduating from law school broke me down into desperation. From our first meeting, Catherine immediately recognized my true value and potential, something I had long forgotten. She helped me develop a plan whilst providing immeasurable positive support and guidance. Not only did she restore my once forgotten dream of becoming a successful lawyer, but she also encouraged me to become the best version of myself. I initially wanted to get my “big break” and land a great job, but I achieved that and more.
~ Internationally Trained Lawyer, 2018 Ontario Call
The coaching process helped me to refine my strengths and personal narrative for use during my job search. It gave me an opportunity to reflect on my personal experiences, defining moments in my life, and hear an objective assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. I thought that the coaching process met and even exceeded my expectations. I found that each session was driven by my current circumstances and determining the next steps. The coaching has helped me to become more confident throughout the process. I feel more motivated and focused in my search than I was at the beginning.
~Lawyer (2019 call)
When embarking on a career change, sometimes all you need is one person in your corner giving you the confidence to make the leap--someone who has a wealth of experience, and an understanding of the difficulties you face when striking out on a new path. Catherine was that person for me. I met her when I was in the middle of making a career and life change, and she not only made me feel like I was capable of succeeding, but took the time to get to know me as a person, making sure I was doing what was right for me. She is not only patient, caring, and knowledgeable, but a truly incredible person. Anyone would be lucky to have Catherine in their corner.
~ Lawyer (2018 call)
Catherine is a fantastic coach and a pleasure to work with. I came into the sessions with a lot of ideas and Catherine did a fantastic job of focusing me on what makes me happy and helped me identify what I value most in a job. She also has a fantastic network of people from her previous positions and was amazing at finding people who would be willing to chat about their roles and experiences. It was a great experience and I definitely recommend her if you are looking to make a change, but are having trouble starting!
~ Lawyer (2016 call)
Catherine is patient, kind and empathetic, with an ability to connect with an individual and get a sense of what approach works for that person. In the short amount of time I spent with her, I felt that she really heard me and my frustrations, and was able to provide realistic, proactive advice moving forward in my job hunt to produce results. Being held accountable helped me to get back on track with my job search. I could not be more grateful to Catherine and will certainly recommend her wholeheartedly to others.
~ Internationally Trained Lawyer, 2008 NY Call, 2016 Ontario Call
TESTIMONIALS
Business Professionals
~Executive Vice President
Catherine as a career coach has been a refreshing and empowering experience. Her approach to career development is thorough, authentic, and tailored to your needs. I often joked that her sessions felt like therapy counselling, because her calm presence and engaging questions, constantly challenged me to think deep about what I wanted from my career and life.
Catherine exemplifies what it is to be a coach. She listens, encourages, and guides you in finding success. I appreciate the fresh perspective Catherine brings, and I wholeheartedly recommend her career coaching.
~ Business Analyst, MBA
I didn’t anticipate Catherine’s coaching sessions to be so based on emotional-behavioural reflection and analysis, but in hindsight, focusing our efforts here certainly resulted in more significant understanding of my goals and progress towards them, than had we followed a more prescriptive approach. During our sessions, Catherine consistently provoked important self-reflection with challenging questions, but did so in a way that always left me feeling highly motivated and capable of accomplishing the action items we discussed. Thank you Catherine!
~Consultant, Financial Services
When I first connected with Catherine, I was going through a difficult employment period. My confidence was low and I did not see any possibility of recovering anytime soon. Catherine, on the other hand, was optimistic and helped me create goals to get me back on my feet. She encouraged me not to ruminate over the past and reminded me that playing into assumptions would be my downfall. And she had the best quote to get me started! In less than two weeks, I am now employed with an organization that aligns more with my interests, and I must say, had it not been for Catherine’s unwavering support, especially when I continued to doubt my own merit, I do not believe I would be employed where I am now.
~ Administrator
Your inspiration and guidance as my coach has profoundly inspired me to take action and achieve planned results.
I called Catherine, strangely enough, right after I received a long awaited promotion at work. I turned to Catherine when I realized that promotion wasn't an automatic cure-all for the imposter syndrome that I was feeling more often than I'd like. Catherine helped me determine what kind of leader I want to be, and guided me to becoming a bolder, more confident contributor in my organization.
Catherine has an incredible way of listening without judgment, asking the perfect questions to tease out the true issue, and making thoughtful, practical suggestions on how to address the issue in both focused and broad ways. Investing in a coaching package with Catherine was definitely an investment in my own career. Thank you, Catherine!
~ Project Manager
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Please note that my response to your message may be delayed - I'm currently fully booked and anticipate availability for new clients in June 2024.