Case Studies
Ishma Zahur
Director, Business Optimization & Vice Chair, Diversity & Inclusion Council at Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)
How Ishma Zahur Gained Confidence and Clarity to Land Her Next Senior Role with Teresa Vozza’s Insight
Ishma is an experienced public sector executive. In her current role as the Director of Business Optimization Services at WSIB, she runs a team of change management specialists, business advisors, and process specialists, whose mandate is to help improve the way WSIB delivers service.
Ishma is also the Vice Chair of the company’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council. “It’s a passion of mine,” she says. In addition, she’s a mentor with the MAX Muslim Awards for Excellence.
At a crossroads in her career
Despite Ishma’s expertise and accomplishments, three years into her role with her previous employer, she found herself unhappy and anxious at work. That’s when she sought out an executive coach.
Self-reflection drives growth
After joining Teresa Vozza’s coaching program, The Crucible, Ishma has gained a better understanding of herself. She’s also gained greater confidence and clarity when it comes to the kind of career and life she desires. Her anxiety has decreased drastically, too.
Landing her next senior role
When Ishma decided to leave her previous role, she finally had the tools to approach her job search differently, thanks to Teresa’s guidance. “It's been liberating,” she says. The work has paid off, resulting in Ishma landing a new role as Principal Consultant at Optimus SBR. A role she starts in January 2023!
“Teresa has helped me understand that validation should come from within.”
From unhappy at work to thriving in a new role
Ishma’s impressive career path has included roles at WSIB, the Ontario Public Service, Big Four consulting firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte—and now, a brand new position at
Optimus SBR. She has a track record of success in various fields, ranging from management consulting to internal audits and operations.
All of this work has paid off, resulting in Ishma landing a new role as Principal Consultant at Optimus SBR.
Even Ishma’s family has noticed her increased confidence, and their interactions have improved as a result of her time in The Crucible.
“I believe in myself more now,” Ishma says. “I think a lot of us, as women, seek external validation. Teresa has helped me understand that validation should come from within.”
“Teresa helped me clearly define what I want and what I don't want. I have a heightened sense of confidence.”
Continuing on her path of learning
Ishma has decided to stay in The Crucible for another year. She’s even recommending coaching to her friends.
“It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made. I'm very results driven, so when I saw the results and how I feel intrinsically, it just made sense to continue,” she says. “I’m still learning and I haven’t reached my destination, so I want to have Teresa’s guidance along the way.”
Ishma’s advice to other executive women wondering if they should work with a coach? The objective, third-party perspective is invaluable.
“Hearing from someone who's not a family member or a friend, who can ask you questions without that emotional baggage, is extremely helpful,” she says. “A coach knows what kind of questions to ask and can read between the lines to understand what you’re truly saying.”
Working with a coach also helps avoid ruminating and spinning your wheels, Ishma adds.
“A coach like Teresa gives you the tools to get to the solution,” she says. “She’s great at helping you see the value in yourself.”
“What sets Teresa apart is her profound understanding of executive dynamics.
Her impressive experience and unparalleled coaching go beyond surface-level. She helped me transform my communication skills, navigate complex career challenges, and show up into my role with a newfound confidence. Where others miss the mark, Teresa reveals what truly matters and creates a deep connection.”
Anouschka Bruggeman, GM | General Motors Canadian Regional Manager
Jennifer Wright
Executive Director, Communications at General Motors Canada
How Jennifer Wright Found Her Voice and Increased Her Impact with Teresa Vozza’s Guidance
In her role with General Motors Canada (GM), Jennifer leads a team of communication professionals, and oversees all engineering, technology, and brand communications.
She’s a seasoned pro when it comes to navigating a fast-paced environment while also managing complex corporate and public policy issues.
Jennifer is a Board Member of the Durham College Foundation, and is passionate about mentoring women in the automotive industry. She’s married with a daughter and son, and she’s a licensed fitness Instructor and an avid fundraiser for SickKids.
Moving past the dark side of the high achiever DNA
As a woman in a corporate, predominantly male workplace, Jennifer constantly felt like she had to prove herself and work harder to get noticed. Burnout, blurred boundaries, and prioritizing work over family were just some of the issues haunting her, and she knew it was time for a change.
Finding a community that inspires growth
After realizing how powerful having an executive coach could be, Jennifer joined Teresa Vozza’s group coaching program, The Crucible. The program provided Jennifer with the trusted environment she was looking for to openly share her challenges with other like minded women.
Taking full command of her voice
With Teresa’s guidance, Jennifer has been able to improve her skills as a leader, become a better mother and wife, and show up every day as the woman she wants to be. She’s made an even bigger impact in her professional life, and she’s taking more vacation time than ever before.
“Teresa is a true believer in how our thoughts impact how we show up. When someone challenges you to do that deep work, you start to unpack the magic and let go of everything weighing you down.”
Creating a profound inner transformation
Jennifer is the epitome of a corporate superstar. She’s responsible for leading the automotive industry giant GM’s profile and reputation in Canada. She heads up a team of 13 employees, and together they oversee all elements of communications for the company.
GM has deep roots in Canada, dating back to 1908. Jennifer has been with the company for over 25 years, since her time as a post-secondary student. Upon graduation from university, Jennifer started in her first role as a GM employee in 1997. From there, she rose up the ranks and has been in her current position since 2018 — but with new levels of success came new challenges.
In this story, you’ll learn how Jennifer’s crucible moment became a critical life and career inflection point that led her to create a transcendent life and career. Let’s dive in.
Overcoming perfectionism, overwork, and burnout in a male-dominated industry
Being a high achiever can reap many rewards — but it also has a dark side, which Jennifer can relate to.
As a woman in a corporate, predominantly male workplace, she spent most of her time as a high achiever focusing on “strengths” like getting things done, working beyond what was expected of her, and people-pleasing. Her colleagues always called on her for help because they knew any work she took on would get done with excellence.
Two words, friends: golden handcuffs.
Despite her success, Jennifer constantly felt like she had to prove herself and work harder to get noticed. She started to ask herself: at what cost? Burnout, blurred boundaries, and prioritizing work over family were just some of the issues haunting her.
At the same time, Jennifer was going through complex, status- and- role-related challenges at work. She began to feel a yearning to find someone with credibility who she trusted to help her navigate through these issues. She felt like she’d spent a great deal of her career surrounding herself with people who were fine with her staying stagnant. It was time to try a new approach.
Finding a trusted coach who’s walked the walk
Throughout her career, Jennifer had the opportunity to take women-centred leadership courses, but she began to realize how powerful having an executive coach could be. This realization was in part due to her conversations with Teresa Vozza, Executive Coach and Founder of Crucible
Jennifer and Teresa attended university together but lost touch over the years, as often happens when busy family life takes off. But the two stayed connected on social media and Jennifer started to notice how deeply the content Teresa was sharing resonated with her.
“She was speaking in a vulnerable voice about the unique professional challenges we face as women, especially in corporate. I felt like she was speaking right to me,” Jennifer says.
After attending a free workshop Teresa was running, Jennifer decided to start working with her. She felt a strong connection with Teresa and didn’t see the need to shop around for a coach.
While Jennifer initially sought coaching to deal with one particular issue, she says the purpose has become so much grander than that now.
“I thought going into this that if Teresa could give me the magic ingredients to get what I wanted, that would be a measure of success,” Jennifer says. “As our coaching relationship has evolved, I don’t even care about that anymore. She’s challenged me to think way bigger.”
An open environment to be raw and vulnerable
Jennifer is currently a participant in Teresa’s group coaching program, The Crucible. She first signed up for nine months in 2021, and has recently signed up for another six months.
“Teresa approaches her work from a place of deep research and experience. It’s also so practical and real, and she’s vulnerable and relatable. That’s what makes her coaching so impactful,” Jennifer says.
In The Crucible, Jennifer is surrounded by women who push her to evolve more. She loves the private one-on-one sessions with Teresa where they hone in on issues. But the power of like minded women discussing one another’s challenges in the group coaching sessions also results in a ton of learning.
“It’s a safe place to be raw and vulnerable,” Jennifer says.
“There’s such power in gaining a renewed sense of confidence that you have influence and authority over the way you’re approaching your work. It’s liberating when you arrive at that moment.”
An unapologetic advocate for women professionals
With Teresa’s guidance, Jennifer has been able to improve her skills as a leader, become a better mother and wife, and show up every day as the woman she wants to be.
“I’ve taken full command of my voice and the impact I can have on others,” she says. “I don’t think I ever would have done this in the way I’m doing it without going through Teresa's curriculum.”
Jennifer has always had a passion for teaching, coaching, and inspiring women — and working with Teresa was the spark she needed to act on it. So, she started an informal monthly networking group inside GM. It began with her own team, and it’s grown to over 95 women in the company. It’s a place of trust where women can talk about barriers in the workplace, and how they want to show up and work together.
“I didn’t have a lot of female role models at work. I want my legacy to be that I helped bust down roadblocks so other women didn’t have to face the same challenges I did,” Jennifer says. “I want to be an advocate — to help women show up in a bigger way, find their voice, and be the voice in the room that everyone listens to.”
Jennifer is now receiving personal notes from women in the group about the impact it’s having on them. She was also asked by the President of GM to join the company’s Canadian Executive Council. And, she’s asserting more control over the type of work she wants to focus on.
“Before working with Teresa, I was treating every request as though I had to attend to it,” Jennifer says. “Now, most of my time is spent on high value, strategic work. And, when my team sees that the head of the department trusts in the team and can detach from work, it gives them permission to do so too.”
Jennifer has learned that as a high achiever, while she’ll always give her very best, that doesn’t have to mean sacrificing her health and wellness. She’s no longer absent from family life in the evenings, taking work calls after hours, or working on vacation.
“In 2022, I’ve taken more vacations than I ever have in my 24-year career,” she says. “I’m 100% present with my family and completely disconnected from work. I’m happier.”
Owning her bold voice as a thought leader
For the first time, Jennifer sees possibilities for her career. Leading communications for GM during a time when the industry is pivoting toward electric vehicles is both exciting and challenging.
“I have a huge professional undertaking ahead, and the things I’m learning enable me to approach it and guide my team in my own way,” she says.
Jennifer plans to keep growing her own personal coaching practice through the networking group, using the tools she’s learning in The Crucible.
“I think I can make a difference. It lights me up,” she says.
And, she’s referred her sister and colleague to join the program.
“Every senior woman should have a career or executive coach to work with,” Jennifer says. “It has a huge impact on your ability to safely discuss issues in your personal and professional life.”
“What I love most about Teresa is her ability to see – and help me see – the 'big picture' with a fresh and clear perspective, while also providing targeted, actionable strategies I can use right away.
She sees her clients as a whole person – with dreams and goals and a life outside of work – which makes her counsel much more valuable and resonant as you consider your career in the context of your broader life.”
Lauren Round, AVP, Marketing and Communications at Securian Canada
Shannon Felice
How Shannon Filice Landed a New Role and Salary Increase with Teresa Vozza’s Coaching
In this story, you’ll learn how Shannon found her way to Teresa Vozza’s life-changing coaching program, The Crucible — and to a new career that she loves.
After a decade in the public sector, Shannon felt stuck in her previous role. She was frustrated by the sector’s slow pace of planning, execution, and change. This was especially problematic given that her position included change management, among other responsibilities.
“The public sector is a great fit for a lot of people, but my passion is around delivery and getting things done,” Shannon says. “It was difficult to do that in my previous role. I felt like I was dragging everyone up a hill.”
In addition, Shannon couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t living up to her fullest potential. She knew she had so much more to offer. She wasn’t learning or growing, or being challenged.
“In a way, because of this, I ended up focusing on the negative aspects of work,” Shannon says.
She recalls a distinct memory of one of her mentors at work pulling her aside and asking what was going on — saying he could tell she wasn’t happy.
“When someone you care about, trust, respect, and who knows you well enough to call you out does so, that’s a real eye-opener,” Shannon says. “Being unhappy at work meant I wasn’t my best self there. I pride myself on my leadership, and I don’t think I was able to be the best leader.”
To make matters worse, the feeling of dissatisfaction was bleeding into Shannon’s personal life during a time when she was trying to focus on raising young children. Something had to change. Since she’d worked with coaches before, Shannon knew she needed a coach to help guide her through this difficult time.
“I needed someone to help me clarify my goals, uncover challenges, fears, and barriers, then put a plan in place to overcome all of that,” she says.
Shannon was seeking a coach who understood both people and careers.
When Shannon came across Teresa Vozza in a local mothers’ Facebook group and saw that Teresa was offering free consultations, she knew right away that was what she needed.
“I appreciated that Teresa had been a chief human resources officer,” Shannon says. “That was meaningful to me because she was an executive who understood people and careers. Then you add her coaching training onto that — it was like this trifecta of what I personally needed.”
Shannon walked away from her very first session with Teresa with a plan that made her feel like she had control and clarity. She knew she wanted to continue their work together.
A place and time for deep work
Shannon worked with Teresa one-on-one for six months, then moved into her group coaching program, The Crucible, to continue to learn and grow in a different way. During this time, Shannon left the public sector and moved into a new role. While this particular role didn’t work out, she didn’t have to go through the experience alone.
Shannon’s 20-year career in the corporate world has spanned healthcare, hospitality, insurance, and government. She spent the last 10 years at the director level in the public sector, specializing in corporate strategy, change management, project management, and transformation — as well as coaching and mentoring teams to high performance. With Shannon’s professional experience and passion for helping people, she now coaches others in their pursuit of success.
Despite Shannon’s experience and accomplishments, two decades into her career, she found herself putting an organization’s needs before her own. In record time, she had gone from a top performer to a workaholic, chasing perfection and validation.
Shannon knew something in her life had to change. Since she’d worked with coaches before, she decided to seek one out to help guide her through this difficult time. “I needed someone to help me clarify my goals, uncover challenges, fears, and barriers, then put a plan in place to overcome all of that,” she says.
Shannon’s work with Teresa led her to develop new skills, land a private sector role that she loves, and start her own coaching practice. Teresa’s coaching also helped Shannon balance her goals and desire with her new family life. “I was deeply broken and I took back control of my life,” she says.
“Since working with Teresa, I’ve been more intentional. I’m better able to cope and respond as opposed to react to situations.”
“My whole self was enriched as a result of working with Teresa.”
“Teresa is a gem in the coaching world, and what makes her unique is her ability to meld both professional and personal aspirations—and she does this with empathy and grace.
In the Crucible, she really challenged us to learn and grow as it relates to our conditioned tendencies, and I walked away with important tools I can use at work and at home.”
Deborah Sikkema, Chief People Officer - Business Transformation | Leadership & Strategy | Culture & Engagement