Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Nelson.
Leah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I came from a military background which is how I got to San Diego. After I left the military, I stayed in the leadership space and went into Executive Coaching and Corporate Consulting. I started Nelson Leadership Inc in 2004 and have been working in leadership development, executive coaching and corporate consulting ever since, building my practice one client at a time.
I specialize in working with family-owned businesses, partnerships in the areas of Culture, Communications, and Transitions, such as generational transitions. I help executives to optimize their organizations by helping them leverage their strengths and understand what’s tripping them up so they can make strategic changes and increase their ROI. I am one of the founding volunteers for the Veterans In Business non-profit and founded the Veteran2Veteran Business Cohort, which is sponsored by SDGE, SoCal Gas and Southern California Edison. This program is now in its 3rd year. I lead several other peer-to-peer leadership cohorts for the Townsend Leadership Group and have also had the privilege of working with the Metropolitan Water District and the San Diego Regional Airport Authority.
In addition to Executive Coaching, I also have extensive experience in leadership training and development as well as small business development. I work with many privately held companies, non-profit organizations along with governmental agencies, in industries including aviation, biotech, construction, cybersecurity, distribution and manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, higher education, law, professional services, real estate, recruiting and technology. I use Emotional Intelligence extensively in my practice and am also a certified CAPA Pro affiliate and a member of the ProVisors Business Community.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My strategy has always been to build my practice one client at a time. Sometimes that goes faster and sometimes that is a slow process. During the 2008 economic recession, I lost my father and a close friend and that greatly impacted me during that time. Here we are in another time where there are multiple stressors: CoVid, the economic impact of the pandemic, riots, fires, etc. What I learned ten years ago that has helped me now and led me to start the V2V Business Cohort is the importance of community and staying connected to others. While this is an awful circumstance we are in currently, I am much better connected.
Even though this time my mother is elderly and I’m helping to care for her, I am surrounded by other business owners who have forged a strong bond and we are all helping each other thru this. Most importantly, I am able to provide this sense of support and community to my clients. Neuroscience says that when we feel deeply heard, we are 30% more likely to solve our own problems. Being able to empathize with my clients and also help them capitalize on their strengths while identifying opportunities for growth has been very fulfilling to me and invaluable to them.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am most proud of the quality of services I deliver to my clients. What sets me apart from others is my ability to understand what is under the surface and really hear someone and where they are coming from. I use empathy, active listening, emotional intelligence and insight along with years of business experience to guide and partner with my clients.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Hearing testimonies of clients, for instance, V2V Business Cohort of how this program has helped them personally and in their businesses.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4716 Maple Ave, La Mesa, CA 91942
- Website: www.nelsonleadership.org
- Phone: 7605217919
- Email: [email protected]
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