Who am I?

About Michelle 👋My background

You can learn more about me on my website, my LinkedIn and from my Instagram or through my Podcast, but to sum up quickly: I’m a former HR executive from Tech/Venture Capital/Private Equity who has worked at start-ups, growth, and established companies. I’ve been a recruiter, sat on hiring panels and promotion conversations, acted as a business partner on behalf of HR, while also running and scaling other HR related strategies and shenanigans internationally. I’ve also held roles as a Chief of Staff and in Sales. I have my MBA from Duke University and I’m an ICF Associate Certified Coach.

I have worked in some really tough and cut-throat work environments, and interacted with some extremely senior level and renown industry executives in the course of my corporate career. Getting thrown into the deep end accelerated my business knowledge and sharpened my knowledge of the game. Through my experience, I supported and had visibility into how public company CEOs and executives think and operate, as supported executives (as in, #3 and #4 in line to the CEO) from companies like Google, Goldman Sachs, Uber, and Sprint - while in my late 20’s/early 30’s. While I aggressively climbed the ladder and had to learn and adjust quickly, I realized that my ability to support individuals was limited from an HR capacity, which is why I left to become a coach and consultant - so now, I’m liberated and take all that I know to serve others more deeply (sharing juicy life, work and career nuggets that corporations and executives don’t want you to know 😉).

Personally, I identify as a second generation Chinese American, coming from a family of refugee immigrants, with a deep fire in my belly to help others unleash their fullest potential and bridge the gap - I know what this feels like and am passionate about this mission because I literally started from the bottom (literalllllllly). I am lit up and energized when helping others, advocating and standing up for the marginalized, under represented groups and underdogs - it fuels me. I’m on a mission to empower others and help them live their best life at work and at home.

What makes me different? Why me? 💡

I’m a rare mix of HR/Recruiting professionals with an MBA background, and formal training in coaching. This means:

• From my HR experience: I know how the company operates from a hiring and org development perspective. I can quickly spot out my client’s blindspots, identify the skill gaps, help them connect the dots, and position their messaging so they can convey their strengths and value to the company

• From my business background and MBA education: I’ve been conditioned to think strategically and analytically, which is uncommon for your typical coach. This “thinking” brain balances me out from all the “feeling” fluff (even though I am not so secretly woo-woo). Basically, I can talk shop, keep up with intellectual conversations, and not afraid to challenge and think outside the box where needed

• Coaching wise: I’m kind, empathetic and compassionate and I am trained to listen closely, recognize thought patterns, ask thoughtful questions around it, and create a safe space for my clients. My coaching style is very human centric, as I know how intimidating and exhausting constant business, work and career talk can be. I love to create a sense of psychological safety for my clients

Long story short - I hold high standards for myself, no fluff and no bs, and continue to strive for growth and improvement. I’ve been told from my clients that I know my stuff and provide a fresh perspective, PLUS I’ve been able to help them on a deep, soulful level (been told by some clients I’ve completely changed their lives too 🥰). I know we’re all busy people, so if you want to fast track your results and get out of limbo, work with me. 💥

Who do I coach? 😎

I coach individuals across all levels of an organization, across different industries, functions, locations, and age. I’ve coached individuals who are both employed and unemployed, from people who have not graduated college to Stanford Post-docs, from junior level Analysts to senior level leaders.

A common characteristic and thread that I’ve seen within my clients: not only are they deeply motivated, kind and compassionate, most of my clients describe themselves as “type A,” ambitious and driven (even if they might not always feel it when coming into coaching, which is normal!). They are smart yet low-ego, and also value social justice, equity and inclusion. I’d like to say are pretty dang woke ;) Other common threads I’ve realized from my clients are that they are keen on mental and emotional health and value the importance of it.

Some fun professions of my clients: R&D lab technician, NSA engineer, high school advisor, in-house designer, patent lawyer, Data Scientist, SaaS channels partner executive, marketing and HR… to name a few! I love the diversity of backgrounds of my clients where I am able to learn a lot about their profession, industry and work (minus the NSA engineer, I honestly have no idea what she works on).

Is there a certain industry or sector that you specialize in? 🏬

I am industry and sector agnostic. I believe the fundamentals of a successful career transition and the foundations of becoming a successful leader at work, stem from the core and all looks similar. What’s more important than industry, is understanding the function within an organization and how it fits in as part of the bigger ecosystem, which I have a strong understanding due to my HR and business experience.

As an aside, some of my clients seek me out because of my tech industry knowledge (i.e. they want to get into tech/work in tech), but this is not always the case. I have coached across other industries including but not limited to: biotech, education, government, manufacturing, supply chain

What’s it like working with me? 🔥

As a coach, I’ll be your cheerleader, your kick in the butt, your challenger, your teacher and guide.

In our sessions, you’ll smile, laugh, cry (don’t worry, it’s alllllll good), think, strategize, feel challenged. I’m all about helping clients get lit up and re-energized in their path.

At the end of the day, I’m here to help you through your situation, which will entail responsibility, growth and work on your end - but we will make sure to make it an enjoyable and memorable experience and have lots of fun too!

How do we know we’re a good fit to work together? 🧲

I’m keen on making sure there is a good fit and strong connection, both ways.

I don’t care how much money you make, your age or what you look like, how long you’ve been unemployed for, what your title is, how many fancy degrees or certifications you have, whether you feel “broken” or “at rock bottom” or how impossible it all feels - in one word, all I care about and how I evaluate whether we’re a good fit is if I feel you are coachable - eager, ready and willing to do something about your situation.

If you are open to trusting and surrendering to the process, committed to doing the work, knowing to put your ego away, willing to take feedback and question the perception in which you see things…. then you’ll do absolutely amazing and can achieve any result you want (not only during our time together, but also in life too). My best clients are ambitious, driven and committed - they might feel like an underdog or renegade, but they have a fighting energy within themselves.

On your end, I also ask you to consciously evaluate whether I am that right person for you too.

Questions about Coaching

How quickly can I expect results?

Obviously this will depend on a number of factors, like your level, your geographic location.. and of course the work you do in terms of mindset and action. That said, virtually clients start seeing results and shifts within the first week of working together, because they start acting, thinking, perceiving and communicating differently, which yields different results. Also, hint hint: the more belief you have in yourself (and the sooner you’re able to tap into that energy), the faster you’ll start moving forward.

What results can I expect? 🎯

It depends on what you’re looking to achieve. At the minimum, you can expect:

• clarity, increased confidence, and an elevated sense of self awareness!

• new strategies, techniques, approaches to immediately test and implement

• finding own, unique authentic voice and style

• career and work related tips and tricks aplenty

• getting in-tune and being aware of your special secret-sauce

Others, if it suites your specific situation:

• a dusted up resume that is ATS and recruiter friendly (I provide the feedback, you work through the edits)

• practiced interview (STAR) stories, and feedback on areas to work on

• mechanisms to handle work related stress

• skills to set stronger boundaries at work!

• new hire onboarding plan

• exit, transition strategy and game plan

• negotiation skills and talking points on how to approach compensation discussions

What results, specifically, have people achieved? 🚀

Here are a few of my favorites!

• “A” was a first generation college student and Latina, with 2 masters degrees, holding a ton of mind drama about not being qualified given the fact that she was 14 months unemployed. She was trying to make a pivot and transition from traditional healthcare space into tech (during early stages of COVID when a lot of layoffs were happening) and had faced a lot of adversity. “A” came to me, having worked with a previous coach before, actively in the interviewing process but getting frustrated. During our 2 month engagement, she landed a role at her ideal company and locked in a great salary. Throughout our time together, we worked on her mindset and empowered “A” to know and recognize her worth.

• “B” had worked at one company for the duration of her 16 years of professional experience. She came to me feeling stuck and frustrated about the numerous organizational changes she was experiencing, unsure of how to handle the re-org challenges plus not knowing where to start in her job search (given she had never worked anywhere else and didn’t know how to approach it) By the end of our 2 month program working together, “B” had built up a healthy interviewing pipeline. From our program onwards, she has kept me updated and has then moved onto final stages with an organization.

• “C” was a woman of color, unemployed in her late 40s, who had worked prior with an outplacement firm, yet still was looking for career transition support. “C” was having a hard time speaking up in the professional setting, felt qualms about being an immigrant and found it challenging advocating for herself during interviews. During our time together, we worked to empower her to see her own strengths. She ended up landing a role during our 2 month program and crushed the salary negotiation process.

• “D” came to me feeling directionless and confused about what to do with her career. She came from a competitive and high achieving family of engineers and felt lost that she didn’t fit the mold. During our time together, we tapped into and discovered what she was most excited about; turns out she was passionate about writing and design related work, and since then has made amazing strides to turn her vision into reality. Not only has she secured an exciting full time role, but also has taken on some new freelancing projects, design clients, and kicked off her blog.

• “E” worked came for an ‘a la carte’ session; she had an urgent situation, working through an offer evaluation and negotiation. As a minority woman of color, she had not negotiated before (even though she had worked in HR and saw what it looked like on the other side of the fence). After our session, she left the conversation feeling confident and prepared to the negotiation head on, resulting in more than a 30x return on investment from coaching, with a 5-figure+ increase in her offer.

Everyone’s results and outcomes will be different, depending on what their goals are, and what they are looking to achieve! That’s why at the onset of our engagement, we set out clear topics and themes to cover, so that we’re clear on your personal agenda.

Do I need a program, or should I just do individual a la carte sessions? ❓

My program is geared to provide a very high-touch, bespoke and comprehensive end to end experience. It helps keep you on track and moving forward (accountability), whereas the a la carte sessions are more situationally based. Going through this program builds and touches on different aspects of where you need help - speeding up the process of rewiring your mind.

You’ll also get more compounded value out of a program (not just price wise), as I get to know you and your background very intimately, give you individualized support, and can spot out your unique strengths and areas of development, troubleshooting and nipping thought errors in the bud when they arise. You’ll also get more bells and whistles in the program which you can find here. The feedback from my clients has been that the assessments have significantly helped them to see drastic changes within themselves.

Lastly, I should mention that my a la carte availability is subject to availability, so I can’t guarantee I will always have this option available nor can I guarantee a spot on the calendar, which can be challenging especially if dealing with an urgent or timely situation. With the program, you have access to me immediately (via Slack) to ask me anything or share updates as they arise.

If you are still unsure which is right for you, you are welcome to try out a one session a la carte session and go from there.

How do I go about booking a la carte sessions? 🗓

You can send me an email to coordinate and check on availability. An initial introductory call is required prior to booking the call. You will then be sent a contract and an invoice for payment. Payment must be remitted within 24 hours to reserve your time slot.

How often do we meet? 📅

I work with clients on an individual basis within a time period of 6 months, inclusive of 9 sessions, typically meeting every other week. Why? Because it’s important to build up momentum, resilience, habits and progress AND allow yourself time to process and apply what you learn.

A lot of clients come to me saying that TIME is a concern for them, making it challenging to focus on career development, career planning or job transitioning (oh procrastination), especially if they are managing a full time job. Coaching week over week creates accountability, which then drives momentum and movement forward.

At our first kick off session (which includes a roadmap overview), we lock in a standing time for our sessions. It’s important to nail down a time and make it a priority, otherwise, we make excuses, drag our feet and put this work on the back burner. Coaching in general is designed for accountability, and these sessions build upon one another and help gear you towards greater clarity, momentum, and progress - It’s designed in a very intentional way!

What if I can’t commit to finishing the program during the assigned time? 🕐

Don’t worry, I will work with you on this! I understand that life and things happen - so am completely understanding if we need to space a session out. I also am wary that people move at their own pace and may need a gap to process things. If I think your pace is about avoidance, a block, or self sabotage, I’ll dig - lovingly. Otherwise, I’ll trust my client to be transparent about what’s coming up for them, pacing wise.

What if I find a role or position in less than the amount of time it takes to complete the program? 🙌🎉

Go you! I love when this happens! If that’s the case, we would work on what that next step is. Maybe it’s an onboarding plan, maybe it’s setting strong boundaries, maybe it’s tackling imposter syndrome, improving your leadership style, how you’ll go about forging new relationships at work/managing a team,. Whatever it is, we will spend our time coaching on your areas of needs (there’s always something to work on, right?) on it so that you are set up for success in your next role.

How does pricing work for coaching services? 💰

My program is a standardized flat rate inclusive of all the content, Slack support, assessments, and review of materials (resumes, Linkedin, etc). You can find transparent pricing here.

Do you offer payment plans or financing? 💲

Yes! We can finance out and break into installments. We can go over this during our call.

If you are an organization

Let’s chat more in detail so I can go through and carve out a more distinct project scope of service.

“I want to do it, but the investment is steep for me”

Yep. Absolutely! I thought I should mention this in the FAQ because this thought might ring especially louder for clients who are in a transitional crossroads (i.e. knowing that they want to resign), which might lead to feeling the financial pressure, therein creating all sorts of stories in their minds. Career, Work and Money are all inter-related, and it starts by examining what’s the relationship you have with money (in particular, the emotions).

If I may jump into coach mode for a second: get clear on what’s the MATH and what’s the DRAMA. Once clients are able to see that money is simply something we ascribe meaning and value to, they can shift their entire perception of money and eventually learn to command it (which therein helps with salary/negotiation conversations, and beyond). It starts with managing the mindset, which is what coaching is all about.

If you really want to do coaching but foresee this as a blockage to making the investment in yourself and want to explore this further, feel free to bring it up during our strategy session. I’ll coach you through, no strings attached (caveat, I don’t care whether you sign or not, but as long as you feel good about your ultimate decision and know that you’re making the best choice for yourself, not coming from a place of fear or scarcity).

What else should I know?

Some helping professions create an unhealthy co-dependent relationships; I strive for the opposite. As much as I love my clients and would love continuing to tag along on the journey, I value self reliance, self coaching and sustainability. It is my goal that clients are able to think, act, problem solve, and hold themselves accountable for the long run - without me.

The work we do together lays the foundation; it’s like a training ground, training wheels, whatever you want to call it. Clients are ultimately responsible for their own results, applying their learnings, and maintaining their momentum. Making that 1% small shift every day is what yields a long lasting, compounding return on investment.

But of course, it goes without saying: clients have the opportunity to re-renew at the end of the engagement, and/or schedule touch up a la carte sessions!

Still have questions?

I know this isn’t an exhaustive list, so if you have further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me: hello@michellekyu.com.

I can’t wait to get acquainted! ⚡️