131 Leading with Courage and Inclusivity with Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham

In this episode, I sit down with Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham, JD (she/ella) who is a loving, inclusive leadership strategist, awakening courage and amplifying culture every day. Valerie is the founder/CEO of Promoting Good. Prior to founding her seven year old firm, she practiced preventative law at a non profit where she founded and managed a medical-legal partnership addressing health-harming legal needs. Today, she leads a team that is using proven and evidence-based frameworks to build workplaces where everyone can thrive.  Outside of work, Valerie is an active volunteer, in addition to serving on several non profit boards, she is the co-founder and co-director of Casita Cultura Latina, a non profit that amplifies Latino culture and conversations about equity in central Massachusetts.  She's a proud Mexican immigrant. She has a B.A from Boston College and a JD from Boston University School of Law.  Valerie and I talk about her journey from Mexico City to Massachusetts, where she transitioned from a management role selling industrial hardware to practicing non-profit law for 17 years before founding her own consulting company, Promoting Good. We dive into that gut-wrenching moment when you know it's time to leave a job, even when loyalty makes it hard to walk away, and how sometimes leaving creates space for others to shine. Valerie opens up about creating workplaces where people feel safe to speak up, the challenges middle managers face when caught between company values and daily realities, and why staying true to your values is crucial during uncertain times. She shares her excitement about launching a new inclusive leadership assessment tool that helps leaders pinpoint their strengths and blind spots, and why giving honest feedback early makes such a difference. We also chat about her plans for 2025, including taking groups of women to experience her native Mexico, and her personal focus on bringing more play and growth into her life and work.  Don't forget to rate and review this podcast and share with others! CONNECT WITH VALERIE LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriezolezziwyndham/ Promoting Good: https://www.promotinggoodllc.com/   GET ARIVEE'S BOOK: Your TIme to Rise: Unlearn Limiting Beliefs, Unlock Your Power, and Unleash Your Truest Self  Grab your FREE Boundary Toolkit: 3 Proven Strategies to Reclaim Your Time, Boost Your Energy and Feel in Control in just 7 Days. Click here to get it now. Join Arivee's  women empowering women email community for inspiration, motivation, and  actionable strategies from Arivee in your inbox. This community gets first access to all of Arivee's coaching programs. We're focusing on how to live that one beautiful precious life that you were meant to live- with meaning, joy, aliveness, and fulfillment.  Instagram: @ariveevargas LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ariveevargas/ Grab more FREE resources and learn more about Arivee's coaching programs: https://www.ariveevargas.com/