What does intentional inclusion really look like?

Dear Leaders, Members & Community Allies,

What does intentional inclusion really look like?

It’s more than a seat at the table.
It’s about how the table is set and who’s helping shape the menu.

At AWL, inclusion is a practice, not a checkbox. And in a world that often forces leaders to choose between structure and empathy, confidence and vulnerability, we believe the real power lies in the “and.”

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 lens, strategic, results-driven focus. Together, we model a leadership approach that is not only inclusive in values, but in practice. We don’t just talk about diverse thinking, we live it, co-create through it, and teach from it.

This month’s G.U.I.D.E. spotlight is I – Intentionally Inclusive

True inclusion doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s a choice.

A strategy.

A muscle.
It shows up in how we lead meetings, mentor others, advocate in rooms we’ve earned access to and how we keep growing even when it's uncomfortable.

So this month, we invite you to pause and ask yourself:

🔹 Where in my leadership am I defaulting to comfort over inclusion?
🔹 What perspectives, people, or practices might I be missing?
🔹 How can I make space for collaboration that challenges and expands me?

This isn’t about perfection, it’s about presence.

Whether you’re navigating change, building a team, or launching a new vision, inclusion begins with intention.

And intention begins with awareness.

Let’s explore what that looked like across July.

What We’ve Been Up To at AWL – July Update, from Jen: 

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!

Check out our speaker pages:
Jen’s Speaking Page >> awlpartners.com/jen-slay/ 
Melissa’s Speaking Page >> awlpartners.com/melissa-maloney/ 

📩 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. Let’s Get Intentional: Mastering Your Value Proposition & Personal Branding

📅 Monday, August 18th | 🕛 12:00 PM EDT | 💻 Virtual

What if you could communicate your worth without second-guessing every word?

Join us for this month’s Let’s Get Intentional session with Rikka Bouseh, President at Envol Strategies, who will walk 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. Rikka will help you move from vague talking points to strategic storytelling that sticks.

Here’s what you’ll gain:
✔ Your unique value proposition—crafted with precision and authenticity
✔ The “Power Intro” technique for making confident first impressions
✔ Brand alignment strategies across LinkedIn, bios, and beyond
✔ A framework for sharing your success stories with humble confidence

✨ Community members will also receive access to our exclusive live After Party on September 1st, 2025 at 12:00 PM EDT, where we go deeper into application, conversation, and connection.

(Must be a member of the Actually, I Can Leadership Hub™ to attend the After Party or to attend Let's Get Intentional for free.)

Register today: awlpartners.com/events

2. Small Group Mentorship Program in collaboration with Reimagine Leadership

We’re launching a small-group mentorship program with Julie Dupont of Reimagine Leadership—and we want to hear from you.

This will be a high-impact, intimate space for new and emerging women leaders who want to lead with more confidence, clarity, and courage and to grow together.

👉 Take 2 minutes to share your input

About Julie Dupont
Julie is 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.

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-mastermind

📩 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: 

1. As an individual, you can take advantage of the Multiple Payment option, basically splitting your cost over 3 months OR
2. 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. Summer Reset Series: Mind. Body. You. - A Collaboration  Between JamFit and AWL Partners

Don't let another quarter slip by feeling stuck, stressed, or uninspired.

Join other purpose-driven professionals who are ready to transform their mindset and finish 2025 with unshakeable confidence, renewed energy, and clear purpose.

Series runs July 23 – August 27, 2025, at JamFit GymIn person 1002 Beaverbrook Road, Unit A Kanata, ON, K2K 1L1, Ontario 6:00PM to 7:30PM EST

Limited spaces available – secure your spot today!

What you'll get:

• 6 transformational in-person sessions with award-winning therapist Jennifer Slay, MSW, RSW, including personalized tools to silence your inner critic, build lasting confidence, and create your vision for Q4 success
• Complete mind-body-spirit transformation experience featuring interactive workshops, vision board creation, gentle movement sessions
• Intimate group setting with like-minded individuals for meaningful connection, peer support, and networking opportunities that extend beyond the 6-week series

Topics we will dsicuss: 

1. Managing Your Inner Critic

2. Self-Love & Emotional Resilience

3. Stress Reset: Finding Calm in the Chaos

4. Building Confidence That Lasts

5. Manifesting with Intention

6. Mind-Body Alignment for Success

📍 Learn More and Register here:  https://allwomenleadinc.mykajabi.com/offers/SoFezRZx/checkout 

+1 .  NEW: Double Take with AWL – Weekly Power Sessions

Starting in July, we’re hosting free 30-minute virtual sessions called Double Take with AWL they will be led by Jen and Melissa.

These are fast, bold, and brilliant sessions designed to spark leadership insights and guide you toward action.

📣 Think of it as your weekly mindset reset, snack-sized strategy with EQ & soul.

Schedule & Topics:

• July 29 – Leading with Empathy: The Secret Skill You’re Not Using Enough

• August 5 – Say It Clearly: How to Set Expectations That Actually Stick

• August 12 – Confidence 101: Building It, Showing It, Owning It

• August 19 – Accountability Without Being the “Bad Guy”

• August 26 – Manifesting with Intention: From Vision to Action

• September 2 – Conflict Isn’t the Enemy: How to Face It, Not Fear It

📍 These free, 30-minute virtual power sessions delivering bold insights, real talk, and fast actionable takeaways will be hosted same time ever week at 12pm live on our LinkedIn, check the events section for details.

No registration required, just show up at 12pm EST. We are looking forward to seeing you weekly for these leadership and mindset resets.

Did you miss the first two sessions? That is OK!! Here are the links to the replay: 

Quieting the Inner Critic with Jen Slay: REPLAY LINK

Process = Power with Melisssa Maloney: REPLAY LINK

💡Resource Alert! -  The Conflict Resolution Checklist

What if navigating workplace conflict didn’t have to feel like walking on eggshells?

What if you had a simple, emotionally intelligent framework that helped you stay grounded, while guiding your team through tension with clarity and care?

Introducing the Conflict Resolution Checklist, now available exclusively inside the Actually, I Can Leadership Hub™.

This practical tool walks you through:

✔ How to calmly acknowledge tension before it escalates
✔ What to say to create space for multiple perspectives
✔ How to separate intent from impact without defensiveness
✔ The exact language to identify root issues and co-create solutions
✔ And what most leaders forget—how to follow up meaningfully

Whether you’re a new manager, a team lead, or an HR professional, this checklist helps you lead through conflict with confidence, not avoidance.

Because emotional intelligence isn’t just for the good days.
It’s how we lead through the hard ones, too.

Access this exclusive tool now in the Premium Resources section of the 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 

Support That Meets You Where You Are 

One helps you grow. The other helps you heal. At AWL, we believe leadership requires both.

Coaching is for when you’re ready to move forward, refining your goals, building strategy, and stepping into your next level.

Counselling is for when you need to pause and process, navigating challenges like stress, grief, or burnout so you can lead from a place of wholeness.

You don’t have to choose one over the other. Real leadership isn’t just about performance, it’s about presence, clarity, and capacity.

💡 In fact, 82% of senior leaders report feeling emotionally exhausted.

That’s why we offer integrated support so you don’t have to carry it all alone.

📩 Curious which path is right for you? 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 inclusive leadership is more than a value, it’s a verb.

This month, we’ve practiced what it means to welcome tension, challenge assumptions, and invite both/and thinking into every room we enter.

Because the future isn’t built on binary leadership.
It’s built on wholeness, on the two brains we all carry.

The strategic and the soulful.
The visionary and the vulnerable.
The planner and the feeler.

And when you give yourself permission to lead with all of it?

That’s where the real growth begins.

So here’s your reminder:

▶You don’t have to choose between being emotionally intelligent or business-minded.
▶You don’t have to shrink one part of yourself to succeed.
▶And you’re not leading alone, we’re building this with you, every step of the way.

Until next time, stay curious, stay courageous, and stay connected to what makes you whole.

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: 

Evocative Life Coaching Solutions Inc.

Owner and Hub Member: Jackie Mieres-Johnston

What happens when a woman decides to stop waiting—and starts living her purpose? You get leaders like Jackie Mieres-Johnston.

Jackie is a transformational coach, speaker, and long-time student of success principles. As a certified coach with the Brave Thinking Institute and the founder of Evocative Life Coaching Solutions, she’s spent over 16 years helping women break free from limitations and step boldly into the lives they truly want.

And now, she’s inviting others to do the same.

🌟 Introducing: Dreams to Reality Mastermind

A 4-week, high-impact experience for women ready to stop playing small and start moving with purpose.

This supportive, empowering mastermind is for you if:

✔ You’ve spent years doing everything for everyone else—but feel stuck when it comes to your own dreams
✔ You’re craving clarity, confidence, and a personalized plan to move forward
✔ You’re ready for community, accountability, and expert guidance in a safe space

Only 10 spots are available to keep it intimate and impactful.

Jackie’s work is a beautiful reflection of what happens when women say yes to themselves and at AWL, we’re proud to celebrate her leadership in action.

📩 Reserve your spot or learn more: LEARN MORE HERE