my story
I quit over text
Hi, my name is Nada.
I’m the founder of Unleashing Your Awesome, a career coaching community, where I help people transition into 6-figure jobs they love without ever having the title or feeling like a fraud.
My clients have landed at companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Dell, Redhat, Slalom, and the list goes on.
They also come from around the world: US, Canada, UK, Mexico, Australia, Malaysia, Switzerland, and Singapore.
November 2018, I texted my boss, “I quit”. That was before I started Unleashing Your Awesome.
I was 35 years old. Female immigrant with a six-figure salary in tech. Leadership position at top consulting firm. Great boss. And on my way to an executive position.
But I was unhappy. I felt empty, like a robot.
My parents groomed me for Straight A’s, prestigious schools, dedication to work, and corporate ladder climbing. I worked weekends; I worked til midnight. I traveled continously for 15 years.
And truth be told, I didn’t understand the concept of enjoying my work or even my life.
But I started wanting more…
When I texted my boss, “I quit,” it was partly because of office politics. But more deeply, because I never felt like I was in my zone of genius.
I wanted to find a career in my sweet spot.
After quitting I was scared.
It was the first time I’d ever left a job without ever having a new job secured.
Scared of not finding a job.
Scared of not figuring out what job I would love.
Scared of running out of money.
Then my fears came true.
For the first time, I kept getting rejected from one interview to another. For two months!
I’d never been out of a job. Not for a DAY.
So out of desperation, I went back to what I hated. Did lots of agile coaching contracts.
And hired a career coach to answer the question:
WHAT JOB WOULD I LOVE?
WHO WAS I?
Then came the worst day ever. Jan 3, 2020.
Out of work, with a 106-degree fever. My boyfriend and I get into a dramatic fight, and he packs in a hurry and moves out. It’s heart crushing.
I get on a call with my career coach and say:
“My boyfriend left me. I have a high fever…and I hate all the jobs we’ve been talking about.”
My poor coach! She guides me through a meditation exercise to help me visualize my future career.
And all I could think of is the beach.
The following day, while looking outside a window at a coffee shop,
I finally figure out what I want to do with my life!
I call my coach. “I want to help people like me, who don’t have a family, who are in a new country…I want to help them feel connected. I want to continue to be a coach, but I’m not sure which type of coaching.”
She responds, “Okay! There are three types of coaches; Relationship Coaches, Career Coaches, and Life Coaches.”
“Well, definitely not a relationship coach!” I exclaim.
Career Coach – that’s for me!
I felt helpless throughout my career; I was tired fo companies determining my fate and I had the desire to help others drive their career rather than let organizations determine it for them.
So I got my career coaching certification and became my career coache’s apprentice for an entire year.
My first client was an immigrant from Nigeria. Recruiters lowballed him with $75K offers, even though he was Head of IT. Other coaches were pushing him to accept a lower pay.
I said, “That’s ridiculous. Go big! You deserve a six-figure salary. I don’t care what everyone else is saying!”
Because of coaching with me, he got a job making more than $200K.
And I realized
CAREER COACHING IS MY SWEET SPOT!
Today, I leverage my 15 years as a Product Manager and Agile coach to help professionals build fulfilling careers.
