Today we’d like to introduce you to Neena Newberry.
Neena, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
How did I get where I am today? I’d like to say that I had a well-thought-out plan for my career. Well, I actually did—until I didn’t. For years I was convinced that I wanted to be a doctor. But once I was in college and saw my brother going through medical school, I realized I didn’t want it badly enough to invest that many years in my education or to have that level of debt. So, I decided to go into healthcare through the business side instead. That’s what led me to work for Deloitte in Houston after getting my MBA at the University of Texas.
I started out in Deloitte’s Strategy practice to help organizations develop strategies to compete in the marketplace but later shifted to Operations consulting because I didn’t want to just develop strategies. I wanted to help implement them. From those experiences, I realized the value of having the right people in the right roles with the right skills. So, I moved into our Human Capital consulting practice to focus on developing top talent.
When I was up for partner in consulting, I decided that consulting wasn’t the right path for me long-term. So, I moved into Human Resources to leverage my experience for Deloitte. It gave me an opportunity to take a national role on Deloitte’s US HR Executive Committee and help shape our talent strategy for the 34,000 employees at the time.
Four years later, after navigating through major transitions at the firm each year, I decided it was time to reevaluate. I knew I needed to design the kind of life I wanted without giving up my passion. So I took the leap into entrepreneurship. Had you asked me even three months before then, I would have had no idea that I was about to start my own company.
As I look back on my career, I have made major career changes every 3-4 years guided by two questions: What do I really want to do? What’s the worst that could happen if I pursue it? Although the overarching theme in my career may not be obvious, it’s always been about helping organizations and leaders get results they couldn’t before – whether it’s business or career results. I simply love driving high performance and also have a particular passion around helping women be successful. The exciting part for me now is that I get to be innovative and creative in my own company to do it.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It is rare for entrepreneurship to be a smooth road for anyone. When I left Deloitte and started my company in 2008, I had no idea that just three months later the economy would tank and then Hurricane Ike would shut Houston down. So, you can say that my business started off with a big bang. Trading a nice salary, bonus and executive position for major unpredictability and shifts in the business world were not what I had in mind. Don’t get me wrong, I know entrepreneurship involves uncertainty but this was at a whole other level. I told myself that if I could make it during this kind of business environment, I could make it in the long run.
Then, two years after I started my company, I had to re-launch my business after deciding to move from Houston to Dallas for family reasons. The timing was tough professionally but was definitely the right move as I look back on it now.
In the last two years, I took on my next big challenge when I decided to venture into the world of technology to expand my reach. For me, developing an app was all about giving more people access to the tools and resources that have helped so many of our executive coaching clients get unprecedented results. Knowing that I needed to supplement our expertise to do this, I engaged a technology company. After some tough experiences, I realized that this partnership wasn’t going to be the right fit for the long-term and that sunk costs are just that. So, I made some important decisions to course-correct, and life has improved dramatically.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Newberry Executive Solutions – what should we know?
I can’t believe that this July marks ten years in business! It has gone by unbelievably fast. Our passion for what we do shows in our results: 75% of our clients get promoted or have a major increase in responsibilities within 12-18 months of working with us. We know what drives high performance and how to help people make change on the job in a way that works for them and their companies. I have to say that there is nothing like watching someone step up, once they see and truly owns their strengths. That’s when exciting things really start to happen!
From executive coaching to our leadership development programs and products and the New Lens® app, we have so many ways to help individuals and organizations get results they couldn’t before. We work primarily with Fortune 100 companies but also invest time to give back to others locally and globally. Locally, I serve on committees or boards of United Way, the Dallas Women’s Foundation, Akola, and the Dallas Children’s Theater.
Globally I teach and mentor in the Women’s Initiative Fellowship Program at the George Bush Presidential Center, spearheaded by Laura Bush. This program empowers women to catalyze change in the Middle East. My career has turned out to be nothing like I imagined. It’s been a wild ride, with unexpected twists and turns — and I’m having the time of my life.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
It’s hard to embark on a journey like this without others in your corner, and I am so fortunate to have had a lot of support from friends and family along the way. I have my parents to thank for role modeling what courage and tenacity looks like, and for teaching me some foundational entrepreneurial skills at a young age as I worked in the family business with them. My brother and sister have shown their unwavering support and encouragement for years. And, of course, many of my former colleagues at Deloitte continued to be cheerleaders as I have kept moving down this road.
Contact Info:
- Address: 14902 Preston Rd, Suite 404-118
- Website: www.newberrysolutions.com
- Phone: 713-822-3032
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: neenanewberry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewberryExecutiveSolutions/
- Twitter: @newberrycoach
- Yelp: Newberry Executive Solutions
- Other: Newberry Executive Solutions
Image Credit:
George W. Bush Presidential Center, Hines, Dallas Business Journal
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