Global Coaching Works, LLC

10/22/2026

There is a difference between telling a story and reliving one.

Last week I gave the keynote at the Caiden's Hope Foundation Gala and shared something I have never shared publicly: my experience as a NICU mom. Our son arrived early and unexpectedly, and our time in the NICU is still the hardest chapter of my life.

When Wayne Keller asked me to speak a few months ago, I said yes right away. Ten years felt like plenty of time to have those memories neatly packed away. Then I sat down to write. I kept going back and forth between the speaker who wanted to tell the story well and the mom who had lived through it. Somewhere along the way I realized that healing doesn't have an end date. It is a process, and talking about it is part of the journey.

I've always admired people who turn their pain into something that helps others, and that's what I hoped to do that night. I talk a lot about authenticity in my work as a coach and speaker. This was a reminder that it isn't a technique. Asking something real of you can be emotionally demanding, and that's why people feel it deeply when they hear you.

We were lucky to have family and friends who carried us through those months. So many NICU families don't have that, and Caiden's Hope steps in for them with practical help and the reassurance that someone is in their corner. Please take a moment to visit https://www.caidenshope.org and support their work. Thank you to the whole team for trusting me with your stage.

And a big thank you to Stephen Ynostrosa for introducing me to this amazing organization.

10/12/2026

I've sat through enough speed networking sessions to know how they end: a pocketful of business cards and not one real conversation. So I designed something different - Beyond Business Cards, a facilitated networking program powered by storytelling.

The idea is simple. We skip the elevator pitch. Instead, we lean into our personal and professional stories to build real, authentic relationships. We put the titles and the business cards aside for a little while and ask a different question: who are you, really, and what are you carrying right now?

Last weekend at the Indian Women Professionals Fearless Conference, when I facilitated Beyond Business Cards, over 50 women said yes to that question. They shared stories, struggles, ambitions, and a few things I suspect they hadn't said out loud before. And they listened to each other with so much generosity. They went beyond the world of work, and connected on parenting and even their health. Some of them shared their stories for the very first time.

What moved me most was what happened after. Tables started their own WhatsApp groups. The Yellow and Red teams are already planning to meet again. One participant wrote that it reminded her that her vulnerability is a strength, and that networking is really about building community rooted in trust. My heart sang at the end of the session, watching people come together through their stories.

This is why I do this work. As a coach, and as someone who grew up between cultures, I've seen how often women, and especially women from our communities, are taught to lead with credentials and keep the rest tucked away. But connection doesn't happen at the level of the résumé. It happens when someone feels safe enough to be seen.

A big heartfelt thank you to Priya Menon for the work she does in bringing these incredible women together. Kudos to the IWP organizing team for weeks of preparation that made one day feel effortless. I loved receiving the beautiful plaque by Paddu Custom Creations!

Thank you to Hema Reddy for an inspiring keynote that set the room on fire. And thank you to every woman who showed up fearless, in the truest sense, by showing up as herself.

To those who shared such kind words afterwards: I read every one, and I'm holding them close.

08/24/2026

Have you ever been to a networking event that felt MORE like a party than actual networking? 🎉

Last Thursday at the Austin Women in Technology event, that's exactly what happened.

I had the joy of hosting a fireside chat with some incredible people about The Power of Storytelling in Networking. When I looked out into the room, I saw something beautiful — old friends there to support me, and brand new faces leaning in with genuine curiosity.

Here's what we explored: the 5 qualities that make a story truly land. Poignancy. Humor. Impact. Relatability. Wisdom. I shared a few moments from my own networking journey, and honestly? Leaning into vulnerability changed everything for me. Some of my most meaningful connections started because I got real with someone I'd just met.

Then we did something interactive using the Mosaic app where people shaped their own stories together. And get this — we discovered someone in the room was an opera singer. She performed for us, and there wasn't a dry eye in the place.

The evening ended with people paired off, sharing their stories one-on-one. Most people didn't even want to leave. They were still deep in conversation long after it was over.

That's the power of authentic connection.

If you're a woman in tech (or you want to connect with women in tech), Austin Women in Technology is THE community to join.

What's YOUR best networking story? Drop it in the comments — I'd love to hear it! 💬

08/18/2026

Quick, honest ask: SXSW community voting closes in a few days, and I'd love your help getting Anklets in the Boardroom onto that stage.

If you missed my earlier post—this is the interactive theatre production where we stage real stories of South Asian women's experiences with workplace discrimination, then invite the audience to step in and rewrite the scene. Two out of three people who've seen it left more ready to speak up at work. Half went on to start real conversations about workplace culture.

These stories deserve a bigger room, and your vote helps put them there. It takes about a minute (you'll need a free SXSW account).

Voting closes August 23: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw27/community-voting-sxsw/page/community-voting/session/1784673720057001euqC

Thank you—truly. 🙏

08/13/2026

You don't build a network by collecting LinkedIn connections.

You build it by being brave enough to share your story.

The best networkers I know aren't the ones with the most followers or the slickest elevator pitch. They're the people who show up with authenticity—who share what shaped them, what keeps them up at night, what they've learned the hard way.

When you lead with your story, something shifts.

Instead of awkward small talk, you get real conversations. Instead of business cards you'll never look at again, you get relationships. Instead of surface-level connections, you get people who *get* you.

This is exactly what Beyond Business Cards creates.

Beyond Business Cards is a facilitated networking experience designed for conferences, HR & L&D events, ERG gatherings, and leadership summits. We replace the speed rounds and scripted pitches with something better: carefully curated sessions where attendees slow down, listen deeply, and connect over what actually matters—purpose, resilience, and the lessons that shaped them.

The result? Your attendees leave talking about your event long after it ends.

If you're hosting a conference, summit, or gathering where you want to create the kind of connections that stick—where people leave saying "That was different" and "I actually made real friends"—let's talk.

Interested in bringing Beyond Business Cards to your event? Email us at [email protected]

05/01/2026

Teams are assembled. Crews are forged.

In a team, people complete their tasks. In a crew, people complete the mission.

Every win is shared. Every obstacle is everyone’s problem to solve.

When these four things are present, when every person on a team is truly seen, heard, valued, and connected, something fundamental shifts.

The team stops being a collection of individuals and becomes a single, unified force.

That is a crew. And a crew is unstoppable.

Read our recent blog: https://bit.ly/build-a-crew

05/01/2026

Beyond collaboration, how do you build a team that truly becomes a crew?

In our latest blog, we explore what it takes to create deeper trust, stronger alignment, and a sense of shared purpose that goes beyond just working together.

Read more: https://www.globalcoachingworks.com/post/beyond-collaboration-how-to-build-a-team-that-becomes-a-crew

Most companies have figured out collaboration. They have the tools, the stand-ups, the shared drives, the cross-functional task forces. People are connected — technically speaking.And yet something is still missing. Teams are productive but not energized. People show up, do good work, and go home....

04/16/2026

Thank you Austin Network Group for hosting such a fun event!

Speaker, Sarah Mancilla, founder of Happy Chicks was inspiring! Learning about BiGAUSTIN was eye opening - kudos to your 30 years of service to the community. I’ll be back to hear more!

04/14/2026

Have you seen this yet?

Christina Koch — mission lead on the historic voyage to the far side of the Moon — gave a talk that I keep coming back to. She talks about the difference between a crew and a team, and it's worth every minute: https://youtu.be/WOTj6LOvmUA?si=Wwwks7bEO_sJWhfH

Here's the heart of it: a crew isn't just a team that works well together. A crew is connected — through purpose, through trust, through genuinely knowing each other.

That kind of connection doesn't just happen. It's built. And it's one of the most meaningful things I get to be part of in my work as a team coach.

When a group starts to feel less like colleagues and more like a crew — when people speak honestly, feel seen, and actually want each other to succeed — everything shifts.

Curious what that could look like for your team? I'd love to chat. Drop a comment or send me a message.

CRISTINA KOCH delivers a powerful and HISTORIC SPEECH after returning from the ARTEMIS II MISSION, marking one of the most important moments in modern space ...

03/28/2026

A case of one thing leads to another.

Our upcoming workshop, Navigating Power in the Workplace, that I will be co-facilitating with my amazing colleagues, Amanda Duarte, PCC, NBC-HWC and was inspired after directing and facilitating Anklets in the Boardroom - An Interactive Theatre Project by

After the show, some of the audience members asked me, “Why don’t we step into power more often even though we know we should?”

That’s the question that sparked Navigating Power in the Workplace. And in this reel, I share the goals and inspiration behind the workshop — and what I hope every woman who attends will walk away feeling.

Come attend this half-day experiential workshop for women who are ready to stop shrinking, stop second-guessing, and start leading from a place of real, grounded power.

Not the kind that is performed. Not the kind that requires you to become someone else.

The kind that’s steady, clear, and authentically yours.

Join us on Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 1:00 – 4:00 PM at the Lotus Bend Sanctuary

GET TICKETS 🎟️ HERE: bit.ly/navigatingpower-workshop

The workshop will be followed by a special Communi-Tea event by our sponsor, WISE Women Community.