Dear Leaders, Members & Community Allies,
If you don't delegate, you break.
The truth? Delegation is a skill. But before you can master it, you have to understand why you're holding on so tightly and unlearn the patterns that keep you overwhelmed.
At AWL, we know that real leadership growth requires honest self-reflection. It's about examining the beliefs and behaviors that got you here, and being brave enough to let go of what no longer serves you.
That's why we lead with two brains.
As Co-founders, we bring distinct strengths to the work we do, Jen with her human-centered, emotionally intelligent lens, and Melissa with her emotionally intelligent, strategic, results-driven focus. But more importantly, we model what it looks like to examine our own patterns, question our assumptions, and unlearn the habits that hold us back.
Because sometimes the most powerful leadership move is understanding why you're doing what you're doing and choosing differently.
This month's G.U.I.D.E. spotlight is U – Understand and Unlearn
True growth requires critical reflection on what you've learned about yourself and the world.
Real change happens when you understand how your beliefs, experiences, and fears shape your leadership choices. It's about unlearning the patterns that keep you stuck, like believing you have to do it all yourself to do it right.
This is where transformation begins.
So this month, we invite you to pause and ask yourself:
🔹 What's the task you still struggle to hand off and what belief is behind that struggle?
🔹 What leadership patterns served you once but are now holding you back?
🔹 What would you need to unlearn to lead with more ease and trust?
This isn't about judgment, it's about growth.
Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, questioning old approaches, or ready to lead differently, transformation starts with the courage to examine what's really driving your choices.
And sometimes, as Jen shares in this month's update, that means understanding your patterns with overwhelm and unlearning old ways of coping that no longer serve you.
Let's explore what that looked like across August.
What We’ve Been Up To at AWL – August Update, from Jen:
Hello All!
July and August have been busy and as wonderful as busy is, there is the other side. There is the fatigue and pressure that comes with success and with leadership. We can implement strategy after strategy but the "other side" will often and most definitely come.
For me, I start to feel overwhelm and the ask of just one more thing is too much. Instead of avoiding this feeling and burying my head in the sand like an ostrich (which is how I have often dealt with things in the past), I step back and feel what I have to feel. I reach out and ask for help and I show my authenticity by telling the truth - I'm tired.
AWL is growing and with growth comes the need to refine processes - fun! (sarc). I've also made a major move to another city. I'm planning a wedding. I have an adult child that drives me nuts. Etc., etc.
Listen, life is going to keep lifein. It's how we dig ourselves out of the hole that matters at the end of the day.
And so, I also think of the wonderful friends I have who threw me a bachelorette party, the mother who sees I'm tired and makes a lot of my meals to make sure I eat, the other children I have who remind me that I'm not a screw up mom despite the inner critic who tries to convince me of that, the beautiful business that I get to co-run, the wonderful freedoms I have as a Canadian, the most patient partner in the world and so on and so on.
What we focus on grows. So, this may help you and it may not, but for those it helps - you're welcome - lol.
Jen's process to overcome overwhelm
- Sit it in it. Reflect. What's happening? What's important? Don't run from it. Feel it and experience it.
- Reach out and talk to someone - friend, counsellor, coach.
- Do one thing at a time. Break down the big things and make them small.
We are human y'all. And we will have periods of time when we are not operating at 99.99% - AND THAT'S OK. If you're at 60%, do your best at that 60%. If you're at 30%, do your best at the 30%.
Remember though, don't stay there. Sit there, reflect, and then move. Being stagnant and resting are not the same thing.
Rest, reboot, and get moving.
You got this.
Coming up:
- Finishing up Double Take - Live Linked In 30min educational bite size chunks to help you in your personal and leadership journeys. Please check them out. They have been recorded and are available for the replay.
- Will be recording more episodes of the upcoming podcast. If you have topic ideas please send them to us. Melissa and I would love to debate/talk about what's important to you.
- Training and Speaking - we've been hired to train and speak at various companies and educational institutions this coming month. LOVE this part of the work.
Exciting Collaboration: AWL is also supporting Adam Malamis with Blue Goose on an amazing project! Gartner projects that AI-driven search will account for 40% of all queries by 2026. This shift means the way people discover businesses, experts, and ideas is changing faster than ever. Traditional SEO alone will not secure visibility. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the emerging discipline that ensures your content is found, cited, and trusted by platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. In this AWL seminar, you'll see live demonstrations of how generative engines shape results, gain a one-page action checklist, and leave ready to apply GEO to your business.
Register Today. If you want more details, email us at hello@awlpartners.com
In August, Melissa was in full strategic mode! She continued co-hosting our popular Double Take LinkedIn Lives, providing those bite-sized leadership insights you've all come to love. On the client side, she supported an organization with inter-department communications training, worked with a client on business development strategy to increase their funding opportunities, and helped another client identify new sales processes for their growing sales team. Behind the scenes, she's been setting up for our exciting new season while preparing for a very busy September packed with speaking engagements about Ways to Bring Emotional Intelligence to Your Leadership Style. And yes, she's been working on some very exciting top-secret projects that we can't wait to share with you soon!
Special Invitation from Melissa: She's excited to be the Featured Guest at Little Engines LIVE - a uniquely uplifting small business support & networking event on Monday, September 15th at 6pm at Goodwill Industries (255 Horton Street, London). We have 4 complimentary tickets available for anyone in London who would like to attend as our guests!
It's going to be an inspiring evening of connection and conversation.
Email us at hello@awlpartners.com if you'd like to join us!
We are busy and loving it!
Talk soon!
With gratitude,
Jen
P.S. Our FALL 2025 bookings are filling up quickly. If you’d like us to come meet with your team, let us know, we’ll customize a leadership program just for you!
We offer custom workshops, keynotes, and leadership development for companies and communities that want to elevate their impact.
📩 Reach out to us at hello@awlpartners.com to explore what’s possible.
4 Upcoming Events + 1 LinkedIn Live You Don’t Want to Miss
1. Reclaim Your Career Confidence with Career Coach Tanya Reynolds
📅 8/28/2025 7am EST | 💻 Virtual | 🆓 FREE
Lost your job? Feeling Stuck?
Career setbacks can shake anyone's confidence — and make you question your skills, your value, even your direction.
But here's the truth: your strengths didn't disappear. You still bring knowledge, talent, and experience that employers need. Sometimes you just need space to reconnect with them.
That's what Reclaim Your Career Confidence is all about. In this workshop, you'll:
✔️ Rediscover your strengths and transferable skills
✔️ Build confidence to take action
✔️ Reframe the layoff experience
Your next chapter is waiting — let's make sure you step into it with confidence.
📍 Register TODAY
2. Let's Get Intentional: Your Story, Your Future 📅 Monday, September 8th | 🕛 12:00 PM EDT | 💻 Virtual
Join us for another transformative "Let's Get Intentional" session with Wannie Oduwole, Financial Planner with TD Wealth Financial Planning, who reveals how to transform your life goals into financial reality and build unshakeable confidence for every stage of your journey.
With her expertise in wealth management and passion for empowering women, Wannie understands a fundamental truth: women today control more wealth than ever before, yet face unique challenges that require strategic planning.
The difference between financial uncertainty and financial empowerment? A wealth plan that works for your story.
Discover how to navigate the earnings gap, plan for longer lifespans, and balance caregiving responsibilities while building the confidence to own your financial future.
This isn't just another virtual session - it's where financial wellbeing creates true empowerment.
What you'll gain:
✔ How to turn your life goals into achievable financial reality
✔ Strategies for navigating unique challenges women face in wealth building
✔ Confidence-building tools for every stage of your financial journey
✔ A personalized approach to owning your financial future
Join us for an hour of transformational insights that will revolutionize how you think about money, wealth, and your financial future.
Register today: awlpartners.com/events
3. Actually, I Can Leadership Masterminds - Waitlist Now Open
These small-group, high-impact mastermind tracks are designed to meet you where you are—and take you further.
Now enrolling interest for Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026 cohorts.
Choose your track:
✔ The Emotionally Intelligent Leader - Meets for 8 sessions (1 per month every 1st Wednesday) beginning Wednesday October 8th from 4PM to 530PM Est.
✔ Business Development & Growth - Meets for 10 sessions (Once per month every 1st Wednesday) beginning Wednesday October 8th from 8AM to 10AM EST
✔ The Confident Leader - Meets for 8 sessions (Once a month every 2nd Tuesday) beginning Tuesday September 16th from 8AM to 9AM EST
10 spots per cohort. Morning + afternoon times.
Each cohort is limited to 10 spots with morning + afternoon time options. Flexible 3-installment payment plans are available—book early to secure your seat and spread out your investment.
📍 Learn More and Register here: https://awlpartners.com/leadership-masterminds
📩 Interested, but not yet ready to decide just yet? Join the WAITLIST . Also, if you want to explore which mastermind is the right fit OR to inquire about early bird discounts, email hello@awlpartners.com
"I would love to attend these masterminds or send someone from my team, but with all the shifts happening right now, training is a priority but our budgets are slim."
DON'T WORRY we have two options for you to explore:
- As an individual, you can take advantage of the Multiple Payment option, basically splitting your cost over 3 months OR
- For teams. we can work with you to develop a custom quote if you would like more details on how we can support you, email us hello@awlpartners.com
4. NEW: Monthly Leadership Circle - September Launch 📅 Monday, September 22nd | 🕛 12:00 PM EDT | 💻 Virtual
Introducing Monthly Leadership Circles!
Join us for an inspiring Leadership Circle featuring Becky Malacaria, a seasoned marketing executive with nearly 30 years of experience building powerful partnerships and creating meaningful community impact.
From spearheading an $18 million capital campaign for Humane Society London & Middlesex to executing marketing campaigns across 27 radio stations and 3 television stations, Becky brings a wealth of real-world leadership insights. Her journey spans high-profile events like the JUNO's, CCMA's, and World Figure Skating Championships, plus her recent role as Partnerships Specialist with a global tech company.
Discover how Becky navigated major career transitions, built strategic partnerships that delivered results, and created lasting community impact while teaching the next generation of leaders.
Don't miss this chance to elevate your leadership journey and connect with like-minded women leaders!
💰 $19.99 per session (FREE for Actually, I Can Leadership Hub™ members)
📍 Register here: https://allwomenleadinc.mykajabi.com/let-s-get-intentional-sessions
+1 . FINAL Double Take with AWL – Weekly Power Sessions
We're wrapping up our incredibly popular Double Take with AWL LinkedIn Live series!
These free, 30-minute virtual sessions have delivered bold insights, real talk, and fast actionable takeaways every Tuesday at 12pm EST throughout the summer.
📣 FINAL SESSION: September 2 – Conflict Isn't the Enemy: How to Face It, Not Fear It 📅 Tuesday, September 2nd | 🕛 12:00 PM EST | 💻 Live on LinkedIn
This final power session will equip you with the tools to navigate workplace conflict with confidence and emotional intelligence.
📍 Join us live - no registration required, just show up at 12pm EST. On our LinkedIn, check the events section for details.
Missed our previous sessions? All replays are available on our LinkedIn page. Catch up on topics like:
- Leading with Empathy
- Setting Clear Expectations
- Building Confidence
- Accountability Without Being the "Bad Guy"
- Manifesting with Intention
Thank you for making this series such a success! Stay tuned for what's coming next.
💡Resource Alert! - Replay: "Mastering Your Value Proposition & Personal Branding"
What if you could communicate your worth without second-guessing every word?
Missed our awesome August Let's Get Intentional session with Rikka Bouseh, President at Envol Strategies? Don't worry, the replay is now available!
Rikka walked us through how to articulate our value with clarity, confidence, and authenticity, without sounding boastful or overly polished. Whether you're leading a team, pitching to investors, building your business, or updating your LinkedIn profile, how you talk about your work matters.
Because knowing your worth is one thing. Communicating it with confidence is everything.
This exclusive replay is available now in the Premium Resources section of the Actually, I Can Leadership Hub™.
Find it here:
▶ Leader’s Circle + Trailblazing Library
▶ Align with Equity Library
Remember, The Authentically Yours Community has evolved into something even more powerful Actually, I Can Leadership Hub™.
It’s a renewed commitment to support real growth for real leaders.
Inside the Hub, you’ll find:
✔️ CPD-accredited monthly leadership sessions
✔️ Time-saving tools, templates, and resources
✔️ Coaching, counselling, and curated content
✔️ A community built to grow with you, not perform at you
Whether you're stepping into leadership or scaling your impact, the Hub is designed to meet you where you are, and take you further.
📍 Explore individual and Employee Resource Group/Team membership options here → HERE
Want help building a leadership plan that protects your energy and supports your values?
Let’s talk: hello@awlpartners.com
Coaching ≠ tips. Counselling ≠ venting.
You don't need more leadership hacks.
You need a space to shift how you think so confidence and clarity last.
What's one mindset you'd love to shift at work?
At AWL, we know the difference between surface-level fixes and deep transformation. Real change happens when you address the thinking patterns behind your challenges, not just the symptoms.
Coaching is for when you're ready to examine and shift the mindsets that keep you stuck. It's about rewiring how you approach goals, decisions, and leadership so your confidence becomes unshakeable.
Counselling is for when you need to process and heal the deeper beliefs holding you back. It's about creating space to understand why certain patterns exist and transforming them from the root up.
Both help you think differently. Both create lasting change.
Here's what we've learned: the most effective leaders don't choose between strategy and healing, they integrate both. That's why most of our support plans combine coaching and counselling, because real leadership requires both performance and presence, both clarity and capacity.
💡 Because here's what we know: the patterns that got you here won't get you there.
That's why we designed our hybrid approach to address the whole leader, not just the professional persona.
📩 Curious to know how this path can support you? We're here to help. Let’s talk: hello@awlpartners.com or visit awlpartners.com/coaching-and-counselling.html
You’ve seen the what—now let’s pause on the why, and choose what’s next with intention.
We believe leadership isn't about having all the answers, it's about having the courage to examine the questions we're not asking ourselves.
This month, we've practiced what it means to understand our patterns, unlearn what holds us back, and choose growth over comfort.
Because the future isn't built on perfect leadership. It's built on honest leadership. The kind that says "I'm tired" when you're tired. The kind that examines why you're doing three people's jobs. The kind that unlearns old patterns to make space for new possibilities.
So here's your reminder:
▶ You don't have to keep doing things the way you've always done them.
▶ Understanding your patterns is the first step to changing them.
▶ And you're not transforming alone, we're building this with you, every step of the way.
Until next time, stay curious about your "why," stay brave enough to unlearn, and stay connected to the leader you're becoming.
Rooting for your growth, always,
The AWL Partners Team
We help people and teams grow smarter with their emotions to work better and achieve more.
P.S. Missed last month’s newsletter? Catch up here and keep the momentum going: LAST EDITION
Actually I, Can Hub Member Business Spotlight:
Reimagine Leadership & AWL Partners Collaboration
Julie Dupont (Reimagine Leadership) & Shirley Brooks (AWL Partners)
What happens when two powerhouse leadership experts join forces?
You get the Actually I Can™ Leadership Academy - Power Moves Collective.
Julie Dupont of Reimagine Leadership brings her expertise as a Principal Strategist, facilitator, and certified coach specializing in team development, EQ, and authentic leadership. Her contagious enthusiasm and courageous conversations make her a leader worth learning from.
Partnering with our own Shirley Brooks, they've created something truly transformational.
Introducing: Actually I Can™ Leadership Academy - Power Moves Collective
A curated mentorship space designed for women identifying leaders who are ready to lead with more confidence, clarity, and emotional intelligence.
This is not just another leadership course. It's a transformational small-group experience rooted in real conversations, real strategies, and real growth. Power Moves Collective sessions are peer support groups that will help you thrive, cultivate confidence, and decide what to do next.
🔁 How it works:
This program meets once per week BEGINNING OCTOBER 20TH to DECEMBER 8th for 1 hour AT 11AM EST
Topics include:
- Assertive Communication and Conflict Resolution
- Boundaries in leadership
- Confidence and executive presence
- Navigating imposter syndrome
- Leading through change
- Strategic communication and more
Who it's for: Women-identifying professionals and emerging leaders who want to grow their impact, connect with like-minded peers, and step into leadership on their own terms.
📣 Space is limited to keep it intimate only 8-10 participants per cohort.
Whether you're leading a team, growing a business, or preparing for your next move, this space is for you.
📩 Still have questions before registering? Reach out anytime at hello@awlpartners.com, we're happy to help you choose the right path.
Spots are first-come, first-served. Once they're gone, they're gone.
Remember, all 1 month or more Packages come with free access to the Monthly Virtual Personal Development Webinars "Let's Get Intentional" that are CPD accredited.
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