Michelle Braden, CEO & Exec. Coach

• Emergenetics, Emotional Intelligence and Giving and Receiving Feedback 
• Firo-B
• Influence Style Indicator
• Workplace Big 5
• Benchmarks 360 Suite
• Change Style Indicator

Michelle has coached and trained leaders and teams for over 20 years. She is the founder of the Authentic Leadership Summit, the Emerging Executive Leadership and Conversational Oxygen Programs. Michelle has also served as a panelist for the World Coaching Conference. Michelle is a certified coach with PCC credentials from the International Coaching Federation, is a Master Certified Executive Coach with the MEECO Leadership Institute, holds a PhD in Leadership/Management and is the author of three leadership books: Stand Out, Dare to Make a Difference, and Bottom Line. She is also a long-term thought-leadership contributor to several blogs/publications including: Forbes, Thought Leaders, Lead Change and Leadership Courseware.

Michelle is committed to partnering with leaders to identify their motivators, drivers, values and principles that increase their awareness of who they are and how they want to be known as a leader. She works with leaders to uncover both productive and challenging behaviors that may be enhancing their leadership or holding them back from being the leaders they want to be. Ultimately, leaders are motivated to set and achieve their highest goals. 

One of the many things that sets Michelle apart as an executive/leadership coach is her own broad experience as a leader. She has leadership experience in the corporate arena including healthcare and executive recruitment, small business, nonprofits and education (in both private and public sectors). She has often been labeled as a “visionary leader who has the ability to create a plan and inspire people to move the vision forward.”  Michelle's down to earth approach, strategic business sense, and interpersonal relationship skills put people at ease and inspire leaders to gain the most from their coaching and training! 

Michelle’s areas of coaching/training expertise include: Executive, Leadership, Women in Leadership, High Potential Coaching and Developing Executive Presence. She has worked with leaders at all levels, from emerging executives in non-profits and small businesses to C-Suite leaders of large organizations and Generals of our military forces.  She has partnered with a large variety of organizations including The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Coty International, Ford Motor Company, Brighthouse Financial, WorldStrides, InterContinental Hotel Groups, Salesforce, The Federal Reserve Bank, Morgan Keegan, Capital One, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business, Battelle, General Dynamics and LexisNexis to name a few. 

Michelle has also been a keynote speaker for organizations such as Virginia Government Finance Officers Association, National Organization of Rheumatology Managers, Virginia Recreation and Park Society, and SHRM.  She has also worked with many leadership focused groups in the non-profit arena and with women in executive leadership, including the Women's Leadership Program at the Darden School of Business. Michelle has also executive coached special operations forces in transition through The Honors Foundationand coaches for the Mandela-Washington Fellow's Program for African Leaders in Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership, or Public Management.

Michelle is married to Steven Braden and proud mother to Anthony and Rebecca, Erica and Zane, Josh and Aida,  and their golden retriever, Levi.  She is now a grandmother (Lollie) to six grandchildren... Micah, Matias, Eden Grace, Ari, Ezra and Sol.  She enjoys getting out in nature, working in the yard, reading, writing, running, hiking, camping and meaningful conversations with family and friends. Michelle has lived in 13 states and finds she easily adapts to any culture.

Proudest Professional Achievement and Why?
Taking the leap and working through the fear of leaving corporate America to pursue my passion and start MSBCoach. I wanted to focus my energy on partnering with leaders to identify how to lead from their true center.

Proudest Personal Achievement and Why?
Raising my kids is definitely my proudest personal achievement. I am so pleased to see the young, independent adults they have become.

Three words someone else would use to describe me:
Passionate, Driven, Resourceful

I consider a day a success if:
I have given 100% whether it is to my family, my clients, or a project I am working on.

The toughest challenge I’ve ever faced is:
The toughest challenge I have ever faced is going through a divorce after 15 years of marriage.

Favorite Quote:
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”- Henry Ford 

Books