Today we’d like to introduce you to Tynetta Dance.
Hi Tynetta, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey into coaching and leadership development wasn’t something I stumbled into, it was something I built intentionally, step by step.
I’ve spent decades leading in both the public and private sectors, navigating complex environments, managing teams, and driving results. From the outside, everything looked successful, but internally, I knew there was more. I saw it not just in myself, but in so many high-performing individuals around me, people who were capable and accomplished, yet still lacking clarity, confidence, or a true sense of direction.
That realization pushed me inward.
I started doing the deeper work…getting honest about who I was, what I wanted, what I valued, and where I needed to grow. And through that process, I began to develop what is now my UnlockU 7 Principles for Purpose Driven Growth. These weren’t theories I pulled from a textbook—they were principles I lived. I leveraged them to make decisions, to set boundaries, to pivot, to grow, and to align my life and career with purpose.
I walked the talk.
And that’s what makes this work so real for me…I am my first success story.
UnlockU Coaching and Consulting was built from that lived experience. What started as a personal transformation became a framework I now use to help others gain clarity, build confidence, and take intentional action in their lives and careers. From there, I expanded into writing my book, workbook, and journal series to give people practical tools to not just feel inspired, but to actually do the work and see results.
Today, I lead executive coaching programs, facilitate workshops, and partner with organizations and universities, but at the core of it all is this: I help people align who they are with how they show up in the world.
Because when you do that, everything changes.
And I’m just getting started.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all, it hasn’t been a smooth road. And honestly, I wouldn’t trust it if it were.
Like many entrepreneurs, I started while still managing a full-time leadership role, which meant long days, late nights, and learning how to truly operate within my boundaries, something I now teach, but had to master the hard way. There were moments of exhaustion, moments of doubt, and moments where I questioned whether I was stretching myself too thin.
And layered into all of that…I’m a mom of three.
That part of my journey has been just as intentional as building my business. I’m not only working to create something meaningful professionally, I’m also committed to demonstrating to my children what it looks like to work hard, believe in yourself, and truly know your worth. But just as important, I’ve had to learn how to be present, how to protect time with each of them individually and show up fully for us as a family.
That hasn’t always been easy. There were moments where I had to reset, recalibrate, and make tough decisions about where my time and energy were going. But those moments reinforced one of my core beliefs, success means nothing if you’re not aligned in the areas that matter most.
Professionally, one of the biggest challenges was shifting from being a leader inside an organization to building something of my own. In corporate spaces, there’s structure, recognition, and a clear path. Entrepreneurship requires you to create that structure for yourself, and keep showing up even when results aren’t immediate.
I also had to push past fear…fear of visibility, fear of putting my work out there, and fear of whether people would truly receive the message the way I intended. Writing my book and launching my journals required a level of vulnerability that stretched me in a completely different way.
But through all of it, I didn’t just go through the challenges, I used my own UnlockU framework to navigate them.
I leaned into understanding who I am and what I want, I stayed grounded in my values, I leveraged my network, I set boundaries, I chose collaboration over comparison, I owned my worth, and I committed to a growth mindset, even when things felt uncertain.
That’s why I can speak about this work with confidence—because I’ve lived it in every role I hold: as a leader, an entrepreneur, and a mother.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but it’s been purposeful. And every challenge has strengthened not just my business, but who I am—and the example I’m setting for my children every single day.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
UnlockU Coaching and Consulting is a purpose-driven coaching and leadership development firm designed to help individuals and teams gain clarity, build confidence, and take intentional action in their lives and careers.
At the core of my work is the UnlockU 7 Principles for Purpose Driven Growth framework, a model I created not from theory, but from lived experience. I leveraged these principles to transform my own life and leadership journey, and today I use them to help others do the same. That’s what sets my work apart…I don’t just teach it, I’ve lived it. I am my first success story.
Through UnlockU, I specialize in individual and team coaching. I work with individuals who are ready to get unstuck and aligned, and with organizations that want to strengthen leadership, improve communication, and build high-performing, purpose-driven teams.
What makes my approach different is that it’s both reflective and actionable. I don’t just inspire people, I guide them through a process of self-discovery, help them define a clear purpose, and equip them with practical strategies to move forward with intention. My clients don’t leave with just ideas, they leave with direction, structure, and a plan.
I’ve expanded this work beyond coaching into a full ecosystem that includes my book, workbook, and a growing journal series. These tools allow people to continue the work daily, creating consistency, accountability, and real transformation over time.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is the alignment. Everything connected to UnlockU, from the coaching experience to the content I create, is rooted in authenticity, integrity, and purpose. I’ve been intentional about building a brand that doesn’t just look good, but actually changes lives.
What I want readers to know is this: UnlockU is more than a coaching business, it’s a movement. It’s about helping people stop going through the motions and start living and leading with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Because when you unlock who you are, everything else begins to align.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is alignment, being clear on who I am, what I value, and making sure how I live, lead, and show up every day reflects that.
For me, that shows up in two major ways: my family and my purpose.
As a mother of three, being present and intentional with my children matters deeply. Not just being there physically, but truly seeing them, supporting them, and creating space for each of them to grow into who they are individually, while also nurturing who we are together as a family. I’m very conscious that I’m not just raising them, I’m modeling for them what it looks like to believe in yourself, to work hard, to set boundaries, and to know your worth.
At the same time, my purpose-driven work matters just as much. I’ve experienced firsthand what happens when you operate without clarity, and what changes when you step into alignment. That’s why I’m so committed to helping others do the same. It’s bigger than coaching for me, it’s about impact, legacy, and creating ripple effects in how people lead their lives, their families, and their organizations.
Why does this matter so much to me? Because I’ve learned that success without alignment doesn’t feel fulfilling. You can achieve all the things and still feel disconnected if you’re not grounded in who you are.
So I choose alignment, every time.
It keeps me grounded, it keeps me focused, and it allows me to build a life and a business that I’m proud of, while showing my children and my clients that you don’t have to choose between success and fulfillment, you can have both, intentionally.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.UnlockUcoaching.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/UnlockUCoaching
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/UnlockUCoaching
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/tynetta-dance-unlocku-coaching-and-consulting
