About Us

Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

Smile, but not too much.

Be nice, but not soft.

Be assertive, but not pushy.

Ask forgiveness rather than permission,

but know your place.

Be tough, but don’t be a bitch.

Be one of the guys, but don’t look like you’re trying.

Look great all the time, but never sexy.

Dress like a man,

but for heaven’s sake don’t wear a pantsuit!

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Our Story

Inspiration often comes in the way we connect the dots.

As we each followed the 2016 Presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, we could not understand how so many people, especially women, were not able to see Hillary for the extraordinary human that she clearly is. Hillary could not seem to get it right on the campaign trail. She was either too buttoned up or too emotional. Her staunchest detractors believed that she was untrustworthy (and possibly eating babies; thank you Marjorie Taylor Greene!). And then it was the pantsuit! Hillary was one of those early champions of women in leadership, who like many of her predecessors, eschewed femininity in most of its forms in order to be taken seriously as a leader. The pantsuit became a symbol for the ways in which modern leadership requires women to contort themselves into masculine or at least de-gendered caricatures in order to be successful on a corporate, national, or global stage.

When we reconnected in 2018, the seeds for the book had already been planted. We had first worked together in the 90’s when Patricia was early in her career as a professor and scholar in the field of organizational communication, and Lisa was her student. Now, Patricia’s body of work includes a vast amount of research on women’s voices and the complicated roads they traveled to be heard in their relationships and work lives. Lisa has coached hundreds of executives and helped companies across industries to create cultures that enable people to thrive at work. As they reminisced about their thirty years of work in organizational communication, feminine energy, spirituality, and leadership, an idea sparked—maybe they could write this book together. Friendship, community, passion, and a deep desire to make a meaningful impact on the world sealed the deal over drinks on the inspiring cliffs of Laguna Beach.

Meet The Team

Lisa Schenk, Ph. D.

Lisa Schenk, Ph.D. has over thirty years’ experience as a consultant and executive coach helping leaders, their teams and companies thrive. She has taught at the Annenberg School and the Marshall School of Business at USC, Northwestern University, and the Drucker School of Management. Her articles have been published in academic texts, including The New Handbook of Organizational Communication and Modern Organizations and Emerging Conundrums. She is the co-founder and President of Conscious Capitalism, Los Angeles, an organization committed to the idea that business done well, is good for society.

Five years at McKinsey and Company in the 90s gave her a solid understanding of what was expected of a leader–a set of attributes so typically male that she spent the first half of her career helping women lead more like men. She has encouraged both male and female leaders to explore their more feminine energy. Some of Lisa’s clients include Netflix, United Airlines, the Gap, VanCleef & Arpels, Princess Cruise Lines, DaVita, Amgen, and the University of Southern California.

Patricia Geist-Martin, Ph. D.

Patricia G. Martin, Ph.D. has been a dedicated professor for over thirty-five years. She has researched the storied experience of sexual harassment, workplace wellness, integrative medicine, and trauma survivorship. Patricia has a national and international reputation as a scholar and storyteller, presenting at over one hundred and fifty conferences in the U.S, Cuba, The Czech Republic, Australia, Italy, Ireland, and England.

Her expertise has been shared in colloquiums or short courses at over fifty universities or organizations. Patricia has received twenty-four teaching awards, including the Francine Merritt Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Lives of Women from the National Communication Association. Patricia has published five books, either co-authored or co-edited.

Lisa Schenk, Ph.D. has over thirty years’ experience as a consultant and executive coach helping leaders, their teams and companies thrive. She has taught at the Annenberg School and the Marshall School of Business at USC, Northwestern University, and the Drucker School of Management. Her articles have been published in academic texts, including The New Handbook of Organizational Communication and Modern Organizations and Emerging Conundrums. She is the co-founder and President of Conscious Capitalism, Los Angeles, an organization committed to the idea that business done well, is good for society.

Five years at McKinsey and Company in the 90s gave her a solid understanding of what was expected of a leader–a set of attributes so typically male that she spent the first half of her career helping women lead more like men. She has encouraged both male and female leaders to explore their more feminine energy. Some of Lisa’s clients include Netflix, United Airlines, the Gap, VanCleef & Arpels, Princess Cruise Lines, DaVita, Amgen, and the University of Southern California.

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Our Collaborator

Outi Harma