We had the good fortune of connecting with Becky Berry and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Becky, what role has risk played in your life or career?
In a world that judges us by outcomes, I focus on going after what speaks deeply to me and pursue that whenever I can. That makes taking risks easier. Plus, full disclosure, I was born a risk taker.
3 examples come to mind.
First. When my son went into middle school, I decided to go back to work and I wanted to do my own thing. Always a risk.
I was a full-time volunteer at this point, focused on making sure that school communications went out to our families in as many native languages as possible (we had 12 different languages in the school at the time). The ESL teacher always included me in meetings about the effect on immigrant children of entering a new school.
I was struck by the fact that when non-English speaking immigrant students entered middle school as their first American school, it could be almost impossible to get through middle school and succeed in high school. This was particularly true for students whose parents did not have a great education and could not assist with homework. Because if you didn’t turn in your homework, it was almost impossible to pass your classes.
That seemed insane to me, so I decided to do something about it. I was determined to create an after school program called Graduate! that helped those students be successful at school. And, let me tell you it was hard. I went back to some of the people I’d approached about translating the newsletter. I talked to everyone I knew. I pitched a fit in my kitchen that July and yelled “This is [expletive deleted] going to work.”
And I continued to talk to everyone about what I was doing. And, in a random phone call about Boy Scout carpool, I told a friend I was working on this. She was on the board of a non-profit that focused on helping immigrant students in elementary school. TWO days later she called back and asked if I could use $30,000 in my program because they had lost one of their locations.
3 weeks later we were up and running in a local middle school. That program ran from 2004 until COVID killed it in 2020.
It was a risk to do my own thing. It was a risk to talk to everyone I knew and ask for help. And taking that risk changed everything for those kids.
The 2nd example came from necessity when I became a special education paraprofessional at that same elementary school. My son had had cancer in middle school, and we needed bulletproof benefits. So, I called the principal of the elementary school and asked about a job. Obviously, he knew me (honorary teacher!). He asked me to become a special education parapro. I freaked out, called my sister, who was a teacher at the time, and asked if she thought I’d be good at it. She said yes, and I was off to the races.
That job changed my life. As I moved from being a parapro, to obtaining my masters degree and becoming a special ed teacher, I was reminded over and over that I have a gift for lifting people (kids and adults) up, helping them to believe in themselves, and trusting themselves to take risks.
As a matter of fact, in his notes on my final observation before I quit teaching (after 7 years in education), my principal wrote: “Mrs. Berry’s students are not afraid to take risks.” Those students? 5th grade boys who read at 1st and 2nd grade levels. They asked questions in the inclusion classroom and weren’t afraid to make mistakes.
I found out that my coaching helps people learn to take risks.
Number 3. In 2014 I quit teaching and became a career coach. My husband passed away unexpectedly in 2013, and I just couldn’t do special education any more. When I announced in February at school that I was leaving, everyone wanted to know what I was going to do next. I told them the truth, I had no idea. They all knew I had to work, and they were worried that I didn’t know what was next.
Then, while walking with a girlfriend, talking about startups (I’d been involved in several startups before I became a stay-at-home mom) she said I should have my own startup and I should be a career coach.
I had no idea what a career coach was, but it resonated with me. At a deep level, I understood that I could be a great coach. In June 2014 I started coaching and haven’t stopped yet. Intuitively, I understood that coaching called on all my previous careers (6 of them), my experience as a volunteer, and everything I believed in around supporting other humans.
Now I’m an executive career coach who works with women who are determined to have maximum impact at work. They are allies and leaders who understand the importance of lifting others up. They also learn to take risks.
Risk-taking brought me here.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My mission is to help women reach the potential they’re afraid to admit that they have. And that’s what I do.
I’m an Executive Career Coach for Women.
My superpower is accepting people just as they are. You might think that, as a coach, I’m laser focused on changing people. Nope.
Instead, I’m laser focused on helping women come back to themselves – the women who’ve gotten lost in all the noise from work and a society that robs them of their impact by insisting that women should work harder but be smaller to succeed.
My gift is understanding people quickly and seeing the power they’ve forgotten they have. My talent is in witnessing that power, validating it, and helping clients reclaim it. I champion clients to themselves.
The hallmark of my coaching is fiercely standing by clients as they come back to themselves. I witness and validate their struggles and the harm that resulted. We excavate the massive will and power they used to keep going.
Then, I accompany them as they stake their claim to standing in their truth and power at work and in their lives.
Working with me is hard and not for the faint of heart.
I’m proud and excited to say that all of my clients are leaders. I’ve recently added focused Power and Leadership coaching to help women claim both their power and their leadership. Research shows that female leaders increase productivity, enhance collaboration, inspire dedication to both the company and its mission, and improve fairness.
Unfortunately, women leaders are overlooked because they don’t act the same way men do (bet you’ve heard that before). In my Power and Leadership coaching, I accompany women on their journey to increasing their confidence, understanding their power, and honing their leadership. This leads to enhanced executive presence and more powerful roles at work.
Along the way I’ve learned that women need to have their experience validated. They encounter so much gaslighting in their work lives that they forget their power (they don’t really forget it; it’s intentionally stamped out). When clients share their experiences with me, and I empathize with them, they find themselves re-aligning with their strength, resilience, and, yes, their power.
I’ve also learned that, when women (me included), learn to embrace the power of our experience, wisdom, and knowledge, we can move mountains and find lucrative work that aligns with our best selves.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. I’m actually a native of these ‘burbs.
When friends come to the area, I always start by taking them to my favorite restaurant, Never Enough Thyme, in Alpharetta City Center. They have a fabulous lunch and dinner menu with the best chicken salad anywhere – and they have quiche! Plus, several of my favorite people work there, so introductions are in order.
Then we’d go to the Alpharetta Arts Center where they host workshops and shows for local artists. I love taking people to show openings!
Next, I’d go to The Scene Art Gallery in North Point Mall. One of my multi-talented clients is a painter and displays her work there. There’s always so much to look at (and maybe purchase!).
We’d have dinner at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill where the food is always delicious and service exceptional.
Then, we’d wrap up on my screened-in back porch, enjoying wine from Fermented Wine Boutique in Alpharetta.
I also love heading into midtown and the High Museum of Art. Their special exhibits are always thought-provoking and stunning. The permanent collection is always interesting, too.
For lunch we’d go to Einstein’s Atlanta – a great restaurant only blocks from the High Museum.
Then we’d head to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. I’ve only recently started visiting there and am always stunned by the displays of native flowers and plants and special exhibits keyed to the seasons.
Then, around 3 (because Atlanta traffic), we’d head back north and stroll around Avalon shopping center, stopping in at Posman’s Books then having a drink and appetizers at Branch and Barrel.
Finally, we’d go to dinner at Mambo’s Café, also in Alpharetta. They have a great bar (mojitos!), scrumptious Cuban and Peruvian food, and some of the best flan I’ve ever had. I’m addicted to their Cuban sandwiches, churrasco, and Tallarin Verde.
I’m a big reader, so I also love taking visitors to our local independent bookstores: Read it Again Bookstore in Johns Creek and Johns Creek books.
I also love heading to Decatur to explore Charis Books & More, the campus of Agnes Scott, and Café Alsace for an authentic French lunch in a beautiful, tiny, French bistro.
And, since we’re close to downtown, I’d round out our trip with a trip to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historical Site. It’s a powerful and humbling place.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m dedicating my shoutout to all of the people who’ve supported, mentored, loved, encouraged, and watched me get to where I am today. My parents, Mary Sidney and Joe (Dad has passed), my 5 younger brothers and sisters (Suzy, Jeannie, Randy, Jody, and Andrew) who taught me about negotiations and consequences, Mary & Martha’s Place where I found my place in feminist theology that informs everything I do today, and my Book Club (Carolyn, Kelly, Nicolette, Gina, Sylvia, Aileen, Debbie, Heather, Catherine, and Jane) where I’ve been a member for 20+ years, and my bestie, Stefanie. All of these people have provided me with a community that is the foundation of everything I do. They hold me accountable, lift me up, and wonder what I’ll do next.
Website: https://beckyberrycoach.com
Instagram: @beckyberrycoach
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckyberrycoach
Facebook: beckyberrycoach
Other: She’s Not Done Yet, Conversations with Women Over 50 Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/132VbGwCzT9bHtAUKBcibo