We recently had the chance to connect with Neena Newberry and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Neena, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
Developing stronger leadership skills doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. It just has to be done differently.
Despite companies spending over $360 billion globally each year on leadership development, the ROI continues to pale in comparison. Short-term programs that check a box constantly compete with approaches that truly make change and learning stick (like executive coaching and more in-depth programs).
So many organizations operate as if consuming leadership content—whether through expensive workshops, online courses, or books—equals learning. But development is about so much more. Learning happens when relevant content is delivered in a way that’s digestible, actionable, and timely—and when people have the opportunity and support to practice and apply what they’re learning in their real-world context. That’s why executive coaching and other intensive hand-on experiences and programs historically work so well.
But now, with the rapid evolution of technology, there are innovative ways to help people be successful in a way that’s affordable and that results in real change on the job. I never thought we would venture into developing our own technology but here we are with the New Lens platform which truly accelerates development at scale. Yes, it is possible! It’s been so rewarding to broaden our reach to develop individuals at all levels and build on our executive coaching and consulting work.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m the founder and CEO of Newberry Solutions, a leadership development firm that’s spent the last 17 years helping leaders and organizations achieve high performance and get results they couldn’t before. Before launching this business, I spent 14 years at Deloitte Consulting as a strategy, operations, and human capital consultant, and later served as an HR executive. All of that experience shaped how we work today—rooted in business realities, tested in complex environments, and focused on strategies that make a real difference.
Everything we do (executive coaching, consulting, speaking, New Lens) is about performance, impact, and growth that lasts. I also am passionate about helping women be successful. I’m thrilled about our track record: over 75% of our coaching clients get promoted after working with us. We know what it takes to elevate performance to the next level—because we’ve helped leaders do it again and again in really complex, dynamic environments.
That proven success is what led us to create New Lens, our leadership development platform that is designed to scale what works. We took the most effective elements, tools, and strategies from our high-touch coaching and packaged them into a digital experience that delivers relevant content in digestible ways—and makes it easy for people to apply what they’re learning in the flow of work. In addition to putting a coach in your pocket, the experience integrates so many principles of what makes coaching effective.
I never imagined we’d step into the technology space, but the opportunity to expand and democratize access to meaningful, practical development was too powerful to ignore. Our goal with New Lens is to make high-impact leadership development available to people at all levels—not just a select few—and to embed it into every day.
Whether we’re coaching senior executives, working with emerging leaders or leadership teams, or rolling out scalable programs through New Lens, our mission is always the same: help leaders grow so their organizations can thrive.
Beyond that, I believe in giving back. I’ve served on numerous nonprofit boards over the past twenty years and continue to leverage my skills and expertise to address needs in our community.
Outside work, family and fun are really important to me. I have one son and a big extended family that loves spending time with each other. My sense of adventure and quest for fun has taken me to some interesting places too—racing on a Formula 1 track, hiking rim to rim in the Grand Canyon, and piranha fishing in the Amazon, to mention a few.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
Without question, it was my parents. As children, they became refugees during the partition of India and Pakistan. As adults, they migrated twice, finally settling in the U.S. Hearing their stories and watching them rebuild their lives taught me and my siblings some of the most important lessons about work—and life. As kids, we learned about tenacity, resilience, and the power of belief. When we came to the US, my dad would have had to go back to school to re-earn his two master’s degrees. He decided to buy a business instead, and that became a family affair as we all worked together to build a life here. While we couldn’t control everything, we always had choices about our own attitudes and how much energy and effort we were willing to invest in creating a successful future.
My mom instilled in us the belief that anything is possible if you’re willing to work hard. That stuck with me, and over time, it became the foundation of how I approach both life and leadership. One of my personal mantras comes from Wayne Dyer: “I’ll see it when I believe it.” To me, that means everything starts with belief—that what you want is possible, even if you don’t know how you’ll get there.
That mindset has shaped my journey as an entrepreneur and leader, and it continues to guide the work we do with others: helping people see what’s possible for themselves and equipping them to take the steps to make it real.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Trust your gut. But know this: if you’re too busy, too scheduled, or too stressed out, you’ll lose touch with it. Create space to actually hear yourself—especially when the noise around you gets loud. You have more insight and intuition than you realize, and even if you don’t always get it right, the learning will be invaluable.
The worst that can happen is that you’ll need to change direction—and that’s not failure, it’s growth. Every step, even the uncertain ones, will teach you something that moves you forward. Trust that you’re building something meaningful, even if you can’t see the full picture yet.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
They’d say I care deeply about having genuine relationships—being present, staying connected, and showing up authentically for the people in my life. I value honesty, real connection, and doing meaningful work that makes a difference—both at the big-picture level and in the everyday moments.
Giving back and lifting others up has always been really important to me, especially now that I’m in a stage of life where I have more to contribute. Whether it’s through mentoring, community involvement, or simply helping someone take their next step, I believe we all have a responsibility to leave things better than we found them.
And above all, I care about walking the talk. It’s easy to say the right things—but I try to live in a way that reflects what I believe. That alignment matters to me, in both life and leadership.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
When I left a successful 14-year career at Deloitte Consulting and started Newberry Solutions back in 2008, it wasn’t because someone told me to—it was because it was the right next step to pursue my passion. I wanted to help people step more fully into who they are, help them achieve what truly matters to them, and make a real difference in the companies they work for.
Like many others, it wasn’t a straight path to get here. I navigated in different directions, explored different roles every 3-4 years, and followed my passion. During my 14 years at Deloitte Consulting, I moved across four different groups—strategy, operations, human capital, and internal HR leadership. At one point, I even left the firm entirely—only to be recruited back. Each move brought me closer to what I love and helped me get clearer on how I wanted to make an impact.
Everything we’ve built in this company—executive coaching, leadership development programs, workshops, and our New Lens platform—has been in service of helping people elevate their performance and achieve success. Even the name New Lens and its tagline says it all: “See yourself, help others see you, and lead through a new lens.” It’s about awareness, authenticity, and the courage to lead differently. We’ve created something special, as evidence by our roster of Fortune 100 companies and track record of success.
And here’s what I’ve learned along the way: when you’re doing what you love, you become more creative, more resilient, and ultimately more successful—because your work is aligned with who you are. I never thought I would be regularly contributing to Fast Company and Fortune, but what a wonderful opportunity to share strategies that help others lead more effectively, grow their impact, and succeed in a meaningful way. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been recognized with over 16 awards for our impact (including a designation as an as an Inc Power Partner), our New Lens platform, and services. I’ve personally been named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Texas and to the Dallas 500, recognizing the most powerful business leaders in the region.
And truthfully, I never could have imagined that this is how my career—or this company’s evolution—would unfold. It’s been unexpected, challenging, and incredibly rewarding. I’m grateful every day to be doing work that matters, and to help others do the same.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.newberrysolutions.com
- Instagram: neenanewberry
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neenanewberry/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NeenaNewberry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewberrySolutions
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@newberrysolutions/featured
Image Credits
Neena Newberry supplied all the images. No credits to submit.
