If you’re a high-achieving Black woman who is feeling:

✓ Fatigued

✓ Frustrated

✓ Overlooked

pact is here to help you:

✓ Lead with ease, authenticity, and steady confidence

✓ Maximize your leadership potential as you progress in your career

✓ Uplift others along the way

A High Impact Experiential Leadership Development Program Created for High-Achieving Black women

We are in the midst of an exciting and long overdue social awakening that has begun to transform the workplace – but not at a rapid enough pace.

We are also facing a dilemma - Black women don’t want to work for corporate America anymore. A recent study found 52% of Black women were considering leaving their company in the next two years.

Black women have been leaving the corporate world in droves, exhausted by excess scrutiny, discouraged by a lack of growth, and deflated from feelings of isolation.

That needs to change.

Through a series of intimate and dynamic virtual group coaching conversations, pact Leadership Coaching Circles provide strategies and support for driven Black women who desire and deserve more visibility, growth, and acceptance as they ascend in their leadership careers.

We believe when Black women Thrive, Businesses Thrive, Economies Thrive, and Communities Thrive.  

Research has shown that diverse companies are more profitable than their less diverse competitors. At pact, we guide aspiring Black women on how to amplify their leadership presence and use their positions of power for good as they ascend in their careers. 

THE RESULT:

A win for herself, her community, and her organization. 

Did You Know?

Black women are not seen as "leadership material", they are often underestimated and undervalued. They are evaluated based on where they are today rather than their potential. Black women are doubted rather than given the benefit of the doubt.


”My coach reminded me of who I truly am at my core and how to carry that personality and value system in a dynamic work environment.

The tactical tools she shared to meet day-to-day situations have lifted my confidence in being a leader. She can be your toughest critic but trust that this is with the intent to unlock your full leadership potential, and part of the coaching journey to get you there.”

— C-level Executive, Financial Services

Our Commitment for Black Women

Right now, the world of work can be exhausting for Black women who feel the constant pressure to be twice as good, all while navigating spaces that were not built for us.

Even when working for organizations that go out of their way to make us feel included, we often feel undervalued, undermined, belittled, and overlooked.

We believe that the world of work needs to change so that Black women are able to lead with confidence, ease, and authenticity.

We are on a mission to facilitate this change.

pact is committed to helping you, a talented Black woman in leadership:

  • Develop an actionable plan so you can fulfill your ambitious career goals

  • Learn essential tools and tactics necessary to position you for a promotion

  • Set yourself up for success and for the next stage of your career

  • Navigate the unique challenges that Black women face in leadership roles

  • Feel confident that you belong exactly as you are

  • Understand the brilliance you bring to an organization and how to leverage it

  • Enhance your skill set with curated development resources based on your needs

  • Be seen and stand out for your effectiveness and authentic presence

  • Make an impact and mentor others without compromising your values

  • Build a network of allies who support you without judgment or bias


“I have known my coach for over 20 years. Throughout that time, there have been many occasions when I have knowingly and, on occasion, unknowingly turned to her for Life and Business coaching. My coach’s ability to bring clarity and insight to a situation is one of her greatest skills. On more than one occasion, she has coached me directly into an opportunity. I would want my coach in my boardroom at all times, bringing her whole self, empathy, intelligence, pragmatism, and high levels of energy.”

— C-level Executive, Financial Services


Did You Know?

"Only 33% of Black women feel valued at work."

Introducing

A comprehensive, virtual leadership development program designed to support the career progression, acceptance, community, and tranquility of Black women in leadership.

Did You Know?

According to the US Census Bureau (2020) Black women make up 12.9% of the U.S. population, yet hold 4.4% of total management positions in the US and 3.11% of board seats in the Fortune 500.

While the number of Fortune 500 seats held by Black women increased by 18.8% from 2018 to 2020, for every board seat newly occupied by a minority woman, White women occupied nearly three new seats.

P: Progression

Despite a large pool of qualified candidates to choose from, the representation of Black women in the leadership ranks is underrepresented. Together, and through pact, we will change this by amplifying our knowledge, skills, power, and presence, so we are poised for the career progression we have worked so hard to earn.

A: Acceptance

As Black women, we deserve to be recognized for our contributions and be seen for who we are. In pact, we practice radical acceptance. We also increase our awareness of the organizational context we are operating in, so we are better equipped to create the world of work we desire. A world where high-achieving Black women innovate, thrive, belong, and nurture the growth of others.

C: Community

In the world of work we are creating, there is enough success for each of us. In pact, we share our power for good in a way that inspires others to do the same. pact isn’t about fighting to keep our seats at the table. It’s about pulling up chairs wherever we are to influence, engage and lead while making space for others to join us. pact Leadership Coaching Circles forge connections that propel Black women as they face new leadership challenges.

T: Tranquility

Black women often have to work twice as hard to get half as far, which takes a physical, mental and financial toll. That’s why pact prioritizes giving Black women a tranquil space, full of ease to just be — with no filter or code-switching required, and no need to impress — as we learn, grow, and discover the true potential that is sometimes only visible once we feel free to remove our armor and lead with ease.

Did You Know?

A study by the Center for Talent Innovation found that leadership presence counts for 25% of what it takes to get promoted and that being perceived as leadership material is essential to be elevated into those coveted positions. 

The pact Curriculum

Through this 7-month high impact leadership development experience, you will:

  1. Identify where you are as a leader

  2. Create a vision for where you want to go and a plan to get there

  3. Receive intentional skill-building tailored to your Leadership Development Plan 

Month 1: Building Your Leadership Awareness 

Upon joining pact, you will complete a 360-degree assessment, and then receive a one-to-one 90-minute debrief via Zoom that we will use to inform your Leadership Development Plan.

Months 2: Getting to Know Your pact Circle

After completing your 360, you will be aligned with a thoughtfully curated pact Leadership Coaching Circle of no more than 11 other Black women from non-competitive organizations. During Month 2, you will get to know your Circle and collectively reflect on how we want to show up as leaders.

Month 3: Action Planning + Commitments

Using your 360 and your self-reflection, you will spend Month 3 identifying the ways that you need to shift as a leader, solidifying your Leadership Development Plan, and aligning with your Circle on your collective leadership priorities and group expectations.

Months 4 - 7: Integration + Development

During your next 120 days, your Circle will receive curated and targeted development resources to amplify your leadership mindset, behaviors, influence, and presence. Topics may include:

  • Decision-making

  • Delegating and prioritizing

  • Strategic networking

  • Microaggressions and advocating for yourself

  • Honing your leadership brand

  • Giving and receiving equitable feedback

BONUS Months 8 - 12: Accountability + 1-2-1 Leadership Coaching

As a bonus, when you graduate from your pact Circle at the end of month 7, we will follow up with you at regular intervals (1 month, 3 months, and 5 months later) to ensure that you are on track with your commitments and that your Leadership Development Plan is progressing as designed.

When you enroll in pact, you will receive:

  • A 360-degree assessment that is managed from start to finish for you by a confidential 3rd party. A full debrief of your assessment to create more awareness of growth opportunities to optimize your leadership potential and impact.

  • 6 monthly 2-hour virtual group Leadership Coaching Circles via Zoom - facilitated by two expert executive coaches.

  • Impromptu and scheduled Leadership Coaching Circles to discuss hot topics facing Black women in leadership.

  • A private and confidential community forum for questions, reflection prompts, and support in between pact Leadership Coaching Circles.

  • A fully customized Leadership Development Plan.

  • Access to a thoughtfully curated Circle and network of 10+ Black women committed to exploring and evolving their leadership presence and effectiveness.

  • A bonus of 3 post-graduation leadership coaching and accountability check-ins

Meet your Executive Coaches:

Michelle Awuku-Tatum
and Linda Maynard

Former work colleagues and ever since, dear friends, we were inspired to create pact by our own corporate leadership journeys and many, many coaching conversations with our clients.

Put in a situation that could have easily pitted us against one another, we instead chose to become one another’s most loyal advocates as we advanced separately and yet together in our careers.

We created pact to symbolize the commitment required to support Black women to fulfill their ambitions and take charge of their leadership journey. We work to understand your organizational context and culture, because we know the context for Black women navigating their environment is unique.

We each have 20+ years of experience in the corporate world and in our executive coaching practices. Together, it is our honor and privilege to cofacilitate your leadership development as you prepare for your leadership journey.

“Michelle has provided excellent coaching and mediation services to senior executives in our agency. She brings the right balance of active listening and proactive advice to complex business challenges. I would recommend Michelle most highly.”

— CEO, Marketing & Communications Agency

Hello, I’m Michelle, and I have bold dreams for Black women.

I am on a mission to build a corporate world where more women who look like me are leading the way, guiding us toward a new era of conscious, equitable, and profitable business with confidence, ease, and authenticity.

I am a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), with an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelors degree in Process Technology & Management Studies from London South Bank University in England.

As an Executive Coach, I help high-achieving leaders show up as their best selves and create workspaces that inspire, motivate, include, develop, and show care for the teams they lead.

I live in New York City with my husband and my toughest clients to date, our 11-year and 9-year-old daughters.

MORE ABOUT MICHELLE

“Michelle is insightful and her attention to detail truly makes me feel heard and seen. Michelle does a great job facilitating and provoking thought.”

— Member of Women’s Executive Networking Circle

“Linda’s ability to understand where I need support is second to none.  She is a natural listener and knows just the right questions to ask to tease out the necessary information.  I really value our sessions as I know I will come away lighter, more focussed and moving forward.”  

— Founder, Global Outsourcing Agency

Hi, I’m Linda, and I have a big vision for Black women.

I envision a future where Black women boldly step into their highest level of leadership potential, unburdened by the armor they’re used to wearing as they make a profound difference in the world of work.

I hold a Level 7 Qualification in Executive Coaching and Leadership Mentoring from the Institute of Leadership and Management, an MBA from the University of Birmingham, and a Bachelors degree in Business Studies from Staffordshire University.

As an internationally experienced Executive Coach, I discover and help deliver the potential in everyone, enabling their personal journey and bringing their dreams and aspirations to life, so they strive for their own excellence and advance their leadership careers.

MORE ABOUT LINDA

"Through her unique coaching style, which is delivered with experience, empathy and attitude to succeed, Linda has supported me through the transition to become an effective leader who is not only comfortable to stake a claim in this space, but also one that can proficiently and confidently make a difference. The coaching received to me during this time was inspiring."

- VP Procurement, Transportation Industry

TRUSTED BY:

Our first pact Circle launches in January 2023.

Our first priority is to ensure we have a dynamic pact Circle of Black women who are committed to their own development and the collective development of their fellow members.

We will launch the 360 assessments in January 2023 and our virtual pact Leadership Coaching Circles will begin in February from 12 - 2 pm EST on:

2/8, 3/8, 4/12, 5/10, 6/21 & 7/12

Here are your next steps if you want to join or learn more about pact:

  1. Complete the application below.

  2. Our team will reach out to you within two business days to schedule a follow-up chemistry call.

  3. We’ll chat for 15-20 minutes about your leadership journey and discuss what you hope to accomplish with pact. 

  4. When you decide to join, we will send you the pact confidentiality agreement and invoice.

  5. We will start the 360 process as soon as you enroll, with the goal of completing your individual 360 debrief before our second pact Leadership Coaching Circle.

  6. Our monthly pact Leadership Coaching Circles will begin on February 8th, 2023 to July 12th, 2023, from 12 - 2 pm EST.

  7. As a bonus, we are offering our first cohort three complimentary individual coaching and accountability sessions between August - December 2023 to support your progression.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Because of our commitments to a pact Circle of safety and confidentiality, we do require an application to ensure there are no competitive situations, conflicts of interest, or values misalignment. Once we receive your application, we will schedule a 20-minute call to get to know one another and ensure pact is a mutual fit, and if so, you will be invited to join a pact Circle.

  • The financial investment is $9,995. Payment plans are available. The investment covers your 360-degree assessment, 1x90 minute 360 debrief call, all pact Leadership Coaching Circles, community networking and support platform, and 3x accountability check-ins post-graduation. The time and energetic investment is a minimum of 2-3 hours per month for 7 months to attend the various pact Leadership Coaching Circles, though candidly, the more time you commit to your leadership development, the more ROI you will get from your pact Circle.

  • Absolutely. We have scripts that we use in our Executive Coaching practices all the time that we’d be happy to share with you so you can inquire with HR and/or your leadership team for reimbursement. Please email us at hello@myfactorcoach, and we’ll send that to you.

  • You have a lot on your plate already, so we’ve partnered with a third party to manage the entire process for you. We will ask you for 10-12 names and email addresses. We are happy to help you identify potential evaluators, but after you give us their contact info, your work is over.

  • In pact, we are making a commitment to you, and we’re asking that each member make a commitment to themselves and to their pact Circle to attend all sessions. Each pact Circle will establish group expectations and social norms, and we will ensure everyone is comfortable with how we will treat missed sessions.

  • To protect your privacy and confidentiality, and to ensure that all participants feel safe and comfortable showing up as their full and authentic selves, our intention, unless a Circle agrees otherwise, is that only the introduction and closing recap from our pact Leadership Coaching Circles will be recorded. Our pact Circle dialogue will never be recorded. Any relevant resources or takeaways will be shared post-session.

  • At this time, we don't have any plans for any in-person sessions so that we can accommodate leaders globally. Should that vision change at any point in time, we will definitely let you know.

  • A big reason why we have an application process is so we can make sure that we don't have competitors in the same Circle. In addition, all pact members will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement as part of ther pact participant agreement. We also expect that all pact members will abide by their Circle’s norms and expectations for confidentiality and all other matters.

  • You are a good fit for pact if you are an high-achieving Black Woman who has been recently promoted, you’re looking to get promoted, or if you’re looking for a safe space to develop your leadership presence and acumen. You are a good fit for pact if you have been looking for a leadership development program (or if your organization volunteered you for one) that caters specifically to the unique needs of Black women to do independently and/or with company support.

  • While perhaps stating the obvious, you are not a good fit for pact if you are not a Black woman and if you’re not comfortable with receiving Leadership Coaching in an intimate small group. You’re also not a fit for pact if you’re content with the notion that it’s a requirement to be lonely at the top, and that there’s only space for one Black woman there.

  • We’re glad you asked. Properly sourcing and citing the statistics we use in our work is important to us. So here is a list of resources you can feel free to review if you feel called.

    Source: Frankel, B. (2020). On the verge: How to stop the tidal wave of multicultural women fleeing corporate America. Working Mother Media.

    Source: Henderson, K. (2019). Why Creating A Diverse Workplace Will Help Companies Thrive. SearchWide Global.

    Source: Dixon-Fyle, S., Dolan, K., Hunt, D.V., Prince, S. (2020). Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters. McKinsey & Company.

    Source: Bowers, C. (2021). Exploring the Intersectional Experiences of Black Women in Non-Profit Leadership: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study. Northcentral University.

    Source: Hofman, Y. (2022). Black women aren’t being respected at work – here’s how HR can lead the change. People Management.

    Source: Fortier, M. (2012). New Study from the Center for Talent Innovation Reveals How to Get Promoted Now. Center for Talent Innovation.

    Source: Missing Pieces Report: The Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards, 6th edition. (2021). Deloitte.

    Source: Being Black in Corporate America: An Intersectional Exploration. Coqual (Formerly The Center for Talent Innovation) (2019)

    Source: Black Women in the Workplace, by Camille Lloyd. Gallup Center on Black Voices (2021)

Are you a high-achieving Black woman looking for more progression, acceptance, community, and tranquility as you navigate your leadership journey?

Are you ready to lead with ease, authenticity, and steady confidence?