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About Me
I help leaders communicate in a way that drives clarity, accountability, and results.
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Not through theory. Not through generic workshops. Through a proven framework built from decades of real experience leading teams, driving change, and sitting in the same rooms you sit in every day.
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I am the founder of Unshakeable Leadership and the creator of The Process to LOVE, a communication strategy used by leaders at Google, Boeing, Stanford University, and Bayer Pharmaceuticals. I am a two-time TEDx speaker, a Six Sigma Black Belt, and a certified Extreme Leadership Facilitator. I have spent my career at the intersection of communication, leadership, and human connection, and I have built a body of work that reflects all three.
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Because when communication improves, everything else follows.
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BUT HERE'S WHAT MY CREDENTIALS DON'T TELL YOU.
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The most important leadership lessons I ever learned didn't come from a boardroom or a certification program. They came from my Momma.
I came into this world to spread love and help people who are ready for change reach their highest potential.
Frances B. Champion became the first Black woman in California to adopt a child as a single parent on September 9, 1967. That child was me. And everything she poured into me, her stories, her wisdom, her insistence that I stand up straight and be proud, became the foundation for everything I now teach.
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When she wanted me to reflect on my behavior, she'd tell me a story with an impactful moral. Her stories moved me to change, open my mind and my heart, and take responsibility for my actions. That is where StorySync was born. That is where LOVE began.
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I came into this world to spread love and help people who are ready for change reach their highest potential. My Momma made sure of it.
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THE JOURNEY THAT BUILT THE FRAMEWORK
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I have never taken a straight path and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I joined the Navy at 18 and became Recruit Chief Petty Officer two days into boot camp. I climbed from a Help Desk role to Network Engineer to management in corporate America. I stepped off the path to the C-suite to go back to school, earned a BA from Mills College and an MFA from California College of the Arts, and walked into my first classroom as a teacher. I volunteered in Ghana. I earned my Six Sigma Black Belt. I facilitated Kaizen events. I taught at Chicago State University and Columbia College. I delivered two TEDx talks. I survived Stage 4 cancer and came out the other side in remission with even more clarity about why this work matters.
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Every one of those experiences lives inside the frameworks I bring to your organization.
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I am direct. I am honest. I have a wicked sense of humor and the inner spirit of a 12-year-old who refuses to take life so seriously she can't have fun. And I will leave you better and more empowered than I found you.
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That is the sole purpose for why I do what I do.
My Credentials
In additional to my life long expertise and honing of my natural skills and expertise...I also have these creds to my credit!
My Story
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I was born Kimberly Denise Mitchell on July 28 to a 16-year-old unknown mother, and immediately became a ward of the state of California.
On September 9, 1967 Frances Champion became the first Black woman in California to adopt a child as a single parent. And I became Glodean Champion.
I was always the tallest kid in the group! One of the best things my mom ever did was to insist I be proud of my height. She constantly reminded me to "Stand up straight!" I've been standing straight and proud ever since.
In 4th grade, I reached for a violin and the teacher handed me a cello. By high school I was also playing the upright bass, bass guitar, xylophone, bells, and cymbals! I was in every band Lynwood High School offered.
Prince's album, Controversy, changed my life. It taught me that being true to oneself is the most important thing we can ever do. Are you being true to you?
I graduated at 16 with no interest in college and no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Mom said, "get a job or go to college." So, I figured out a way to get a job as a Receptionist at a CPA firm.
I joined the Navy in 1985. Two days into boot camp I became the Recruit Chief Petty Officer, leader of my company. This experience revealed my natural leadership skills.
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In 1991, I moved to San Francisco. A few years later, I found a new career in Information Technology. I started at the Help Desk and worked my way up to Network Engineer before I found myself in management.
On November 29, 1996 I lost my anchor. Somehow, through my grief, I focused on the love she poured into me and the life she'd given me. I wouldn't be the me I am without her and I still thank her for it.
After many years in Corporate America I stepped off my path to the C-suite and returned to the classroom. I graduated with a BA from Mills College and an MFA from California College of the Arts in 2008.
Mills College reconnected me to my inner artist and educator. In 2007, this photo along with three others were published in the book, Black Artists in Oakland.
In 2008, my photographic exploration into colorism, The Brown Paper Bag Test, was featured in the Color(')s Within: The Inner Splendor of the Black Female exhibit.
My first short story, Heathens, was published in Woman's Work: an Anthology.
In 2010, I walked into my first classroom as a student teacher at City Arts & Tech Charter School and discovered my love of educating children.
In 2008, I moved to Chicago to finish my novel. I began teaching at Chicago State University in 2009, as well as Columbia College. There's nothing more rewarding that enlightening young minds.
In 2011, I followed my love of educating young minds to Ghana where I was a volunteer English teacher for an orphanage in the village of Bawjiasi, about 60 km NW of Accra.
I found teaching opportunities in the best places. One of my favorites was as Workshop Leader for the Neighborhood Writing Alliance in Chicago.
In 2013, I worked for the BEST leader of my career and he introduced me to Lean Six Sigma. We became the Continuous Improvement team and I excelled at leading Kaizen events.
I helped this group of IT professionals improve the company's NPS process to increase and effectively measure NPS responses.
I used compression planning to help the team of Job Developers set their regional goals and outline their plans for future events and activities.
2019
Graduation day from the Extreme Leadership Certification workshop! I love these folks!
The Communicate Like a Champ workshop with the Senior Leadership Team at VOX Network Solutions!
My keynote speech on leadership at the Extreme Leadership Experience, 2020. It was a tribute to my mom, my 1st Extreme Leader.
On March 24, 2021, my debut novel was published. It has receive great reviews and been considered a "catalyst for change, love, and greater understanding.
In 2021, I drove from my home in Monterey, CA to as far south as Macon, GA. Along the way, I talked to people about love and all the things that connect us. Over 200 people agreed LOVE is the bridge that connects us.
In 2022, my vision of being on the TEDx stage came to fruition - TWICE. In "The Power of Place and Purpose in Our Lives" I share how moving to Monterey, CA saved my life.
My second TEDx, "Enough with Race Already, It's Time for a New Social Construct, came six months after the first one. This is one of my favorite talks and was the introduction to my L.O.V.E. Method to the world.
And, as life goes, we all get hit with an unexpected life challenge that takes our breath away. In some cases, threatens to take our life. in Nov 2023, mine was Stage 4 Lung Cancer, which spread to my brain, adrenal glands, and gut.
Rather than let cancer control my life, I took control of it. I accepted its potential outcome (death or remission) and focused on remission. Then I wrote this book, actually two books in one! This one is to help and inspire cancer patients.
And this one, which is on the opposite side of It's All About You" is for the support people in the cancer patiens life. It's tips and tricks on what to say and do to be thebest support to their person.Oh! And I'm in remission by the way!
What People Say...
"Glodean was able to see great abilities within me, more than I could see in myself, and helped bring it out of me. She has taught me that if I believe in something, do it. And if it doesn’t work out, it’s always better to ask for forgiveness."
AIMEE, PROJECT MANAGER
"I was amazed by Glodean's level of professionalism and knowledge. Her ability to facilitate with multiple people and personalities was impressive. Her witty sense of humor and outgoing personality really made the day enjoyable!"
JENNY, CAREER EDUCATION / OUTREACH SPECIALIST
"If I had to pick one of Glodean's best traits, one...more important than her unrelenting positive attitude or uncanny ability to meet unrealistic deadlines, it would be her clarity. She can express a concept in as many ways as the listener needs to hear in order to understand."
ELIZABETH, ENGINEER
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There's rarely a dull moment in my life. Whether it's the work I do, the people I meet, the books I write, the art I create, or the places I travel, there's always a lesson to be learned or inspiration to share. If you want the news hot off the presses, subscribe now! I promise not to inundate your inbox.