Shelley Pernot

My story in a nutshell…including the twists and turns my career has taken and most importantly, why I love what I do.

For years, I lived my life unconsciously. From a distance I looked successful, but I moved from one task to the next – busy, stressed, unfulfilled, and not sure why I was semi-miserable. On the outside everything looked great. On the inside – not so much.

Originally a small town girl from east Texas, I worked my way up through the corporate ranks, for many years was the only woman at the decision table, earned an MBA from a top European school, and succeeded in a well-paid job in risk management in London. I had arrived…..kind of. But no matter what I did I couldn’t shake a general feeling of emptiness.

My Credentials

  • Masters and Bachelors from the University of Texas at Austin in Accountancy

  • International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach at the PCC level

  • Graduated from the esteemed Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) program

  • Served as a faculty member for the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) program

  • Served on the Austin, Texas Board of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as Treasurer

  • MBA from the Erasmus Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands

  • Served as a faculty member for the University of Texas Center for Professional Education (UTCPE) and NYU Professional Pathways

  • Certified yoga instructor and incorporate mindfulness practices into my coaching methodology

  • Published first book in 2017, Running on Empty: An Irreverent Guide to Filling Up with Mindfulness

  • Completed the High Passes of Everest trek in 2016

Discovering Mindfulness

In 2009, I moved back to the United States and discovered yoga by accident. After a few months, I knew something was different. I was different. I wasn’t drinking and eating too much. No longer was I quite literally pulling my hair out from stress. I lost weight and got fit. This yoga/mindfulness thing was definitely working for me!

Feeling uninspired in my job I decided to take a sabbatical so I could study yoga and travel to Africa. When I returned to work, I was fueled with a renewed energy to follow my passion for development. I made an abrupt change in my career and went from risk management to leadership development. In my new role, I created and taught programs aimed at helping folks understand their strengths and learn how to leverage them.

I made positive changes and saw dividends in areas outside of my career, too. The more energetically I embraced my passions, the more everything changed. Ever since I had completed my coach training, I had dreamed of having my own coaching business. That dream was realized in 2015 when I took the plunge and launched True North Coaching and Development, specializing in career and leadership coaching.

My Coaching Philosophy

As you can tell, I love my work! And I would love to work with YOU.

I will create a safe space for you to explore what’s holding you back. I will challenge you ever so respectfully but firmly to reach your potential, and I will enthusiastically champion your successes, of which there will be many. And I promise there will also be plenty of joy and laughter. Just because we’re working hard, doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, right? I encourage you to check out the testimonials from some of my clients to see what they say about working with me and the value of coaching.