Julia M. Winston

Experience

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  Ann Taylor Loft

  Oct 2003 - Jul 2006

  Sales Associate

  LOFT taught me to sell in a way that wasn't sleazy. Prior to working at the LOFT I thought sales was one person bullying another into buying something. We've all had that pushy sales experience and I didn't want to become that. I knew they had to a way to sell that didn't feel so "sales-y".The Loft changed all that for me. In their associate sales training program, instead of teaching "sales", they taught associates how to "help her buy" using reflective listening skills, clarifying questions, and superior product knowledge. Turns out that listening to the customer's problem and then offering the solution that would best solve her problem is the best way to sell.I took to that methodology like a fish to water and as a result of my new found sales skills I became:~ #1 sales associate for my store for two years~ Top credit card account opener ~ Maintained one of the highest dollar per transaction numbers~ Steadily grew my sales per hour rateWhy was I so successful? Because sales the way LOFT taught it aligned with me helping women have a better relationship with themselves through fashion which as I state in my summary is part of my purpose. Show less

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  Perfect 10 Corporate Cultures

  Aug 2006 - Jul 2008

  When your God given purpose and your career align so perfectly, results will follow. After only 3 months of demonstrating my command of the curriculum, I was promoted to Director of Training. In addition to my responsibilities as a training associate, I also ~ Ran a team of trainers to maintain the training quality~ Created the train the trainer program~ Prospected new client business~ Co-created new behavioral based experiential learning programs for clients ~ Conducted performance reviews for training associatesIn this position I also learned the basics of coaching which I would later use in life. Show less After realizing the power in listening skills, I was fascinated when I learned that Perfect 10 Corporate Cultures specialized in soft skill communications training to leadership and management teams. I had to check it out.In a divine timing connection, I kept coming across the head of the company in various places. One day I met her in the parking lot after my shift at LOFT and just asked her a few questions.That conversation led me to sharpen my skill of help others have better relationships at work as a training associate.I taught leaders how to improve their communication skills with their employees, colleagues, and bosses so they could accomplish their organizational objectives. Using a behavioral, results oriented, people-centered curriculum, I taught/coached leaders how to ~ motivate their team, ~ effectively handle conflict~ improve their listening skills~ improve their feedback skills~ manage their stress~ develop the mindset needed to make change~ find the confidence to be a leaderThis translated into these results~consistently reached "excellent" rating on training effectiveness surveys~ increased clients confidence in their ability to be a better leader~ I became the sought after trainer for assignments ~ co-created learning experiences that were tailored to our client's organizational and development needsI had found a company and philosophy that allowed me to make a difference in the business world. Show less

  • Director of Training Development/Trainer

    Oct 2006 - Jul 2008

  • Training Associate

    Aug 2006 - Jun 2008
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  Mount Vernon Nazarene University

  Jan 2010 - Aug 2011

  Adjunct Instructor-College of Adult and Graduate Services.

  When life throws you curveballs you have to hit them out the park too.Professionally things were going well and when we found out were expecting, we were so excited to welcome our bundle of joy. We were NOT excited to welcome the equivalent to a mortgage payment in daycare costs though. I made the decision to leave full-time employment but still stay active in shaping future leaders.That decision led me to the College of Adult and Graduate studies at Mt Vernon Nazarene Universtiy, where I could escape mommy duty for a few hour each week and still teach and coach the leaders of tomorrow.It afforded me the added bonuses of learning the latest empirical data in my industry.I taught COM 1013G Interpersonal Communication--a study of communication theory and its value in interpersonal relationships. Special emphasis was given to the development of the communication process, appropriate techniques, and skills. I lead an andragogic environment that allowed students to: ~ discover their internal motivation and be self-directed~ bring their life experiences and knowledge to learning experiences~ be goal and results oriented~ be relevancy oriented~ be practical~ respect themselves and othersI still use the lessons taught in this class with coaching clients to this day. Show less

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  Brave Communication LLC

  May 2012 - now

  Speaker
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  Brave Leadership Consulting

  May 2012 - now

  CEO & Leadership Strategist

  BRAVE Communication LLC is now BRAVE Leadership Consulting, a boutique leadership development consultancy that focuses on giving leaders the skills, support, and courage to achieve results.Typical client problems:"I need to be more strategic but I put out fires all day long and never get any real work done,""The tension between me and my team is costing us time and money.""I want to advance in my career but I don't want to sacrifice my personal life,""I'm new to my role and I need help establishing credibility and trust.""I have a communication issue and I need help figuring how NOT to go off"These are some on the typical issues my clients face. Through a simple step by step process I show leaders how to go from "where they are" to "where they want/need to be" with a keen emphasis on BEING the right person as they make that journey and see measurable results. I helped one client increase her confidence by 333% in one session and that gave her the clarity she needed to complete a project that had been delayed 2 years.I helped another client gain 3 hours in her work day by properly diagnosing her time wasters and putting a plan in place to remove them.One client increased her leadership effective that resulted in her being promoted from interim director to director.Results my clients see:~ Increase in confidence~ Increase in productivity~ Reduction of stress~ Increase in job satisfaction~ Better working relationships with their staff and colleagues~ Reduced internal conflicts and wasted time~ The freedom to be BRAVE enough to be exactly who they need to be and do what needs to get done Show less

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  Forbes Coaches Council

  Jul 2016 - Jul 2018

  Official Member

  I almost blew this opportunity because of my poor mindset.When I got the email, I thought it was spam.The email came straight into my inbox and when I saw it I said to myself, "That's not real!"I ignored the email for about a week until one day I casually mentioned it to a business friend of mine and she said," Uh, Julia. That's a real thing."Why was Forbes reaching out to me?It turns out Forbes has an invitation-only Coaches Council for people they recognize as a leader in the leadership and career coaching industry. They wanted to talk to me about joining their Council.How cool is that?But almost missed it.Have you ever lost or almost lost a great opportunity because of a unexamined thought?Thoughts are powerful because they dictate behavior. This is why I focus a lot of my coaching work on helping clients examine their thoughts.I thought "what if" this Forbes thing is bogus. So I acted accordingly. I ignored it. But then using the same framework I use to help my clients think comprehensively, I thought " what if" this is real? I adjusted my behavior to align with my new thought and joined. Show less