Lead through organizational challenges with peace and purpose

We cultivate strong leaders and strong teams to foster strong communities

First Years is a coaching and leadership advisory group advancing racial equity and societal change through partnerships with mission-driven leaders and teams in the first years of change or growth. We are a network of strategists, coaches, and pathfinders who believe that leadership doesn’t have to feel isolating and all-consuming.

We support leaders and teams in the known and unknown challenges of transition and disruption. We leverage lived experiences, relationships, and the interplay of personal values and organizational mission to strengthen leadership capabilities and drive desired outcomes.

How we can work together

Through team or individual coaching, we partner with senior leaders to build capacity and enable sustainability by:
• Increasing clarity, energy, and purpose around the role of a change agent.
• Strengthening executive communication to improve trust, collaboration, board engagement, and management of diverse and inclusive high-performing teams.
• Challenging limiting beliefs and practicing courage in pursuit of professional goals.
• Developing customized practices and specific skills that increase effectiveness.
• Helping you frame challenges that lead to inclusive solutions.
• Providing problem-solving, conflict-resolution, situational leadership, and specific-issue strategy.
We work with people-leaders to build strong, diverse, and inclusive teams that advance positive and sustainable change. Trainings and coaching equip managers to develop practices that include:
• Defining goals and expectations, and aligning staff engagement around them.
• Adopting rigorous people practices, including hiring, retention, and attrition.
• Cultivating an impact-oriented, inclusive culture, centered in continuous learning and a solutions orientation.
• Facilitating change management.
• Grounding all in a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Leadership is like a box of chocolates…
We will partner with you to navigate dynamic challenges and opportunities to accomplish your mission. This may include:
• Creating unique/situational learning and engagement experiences.
• Leading mission-critical special projects or pilots.
• Thought-partnership and problem-solving.

Our Approach

We understand that you are managing multiple priorities and need responsive and effective, partnership-oriented support. You can expect us to work deeply, collaboratively, and confidentially in the following ways.

We get in your business and quickly become well-versed in your organizational leadership, culture and history. This includes efficient discovery processes, such as observing you in action while conducting interviews or sharing internal messaging.

Hands-on

Actionable

We will help you address big, tough issues with specific and concrete recommendations. For example, we will never merely recommend that you have a difficult conversation; we’ll draft talking points and rehearse the conversation to set you up for breakthrough success.

Grounded in Equity & Inclusion

We help you apply an equity lens to your work. Sometimes that means working with you to set goals and actions steps. Other times that means coaching you on providing high-stakes feedback across lines of difference, or leading anti-bias training for your team.

Direct with Love

We believe everyone deserves peace and feedback at work, especially senior leaders. We will call it like we see it, affirm you, and work with you to develop solutions and practices that build your leadership and your team. We are in it with you.

Outcome-oriented

We assess how everyday culture and management practices impact your ability to advance your mission, particularly through seasons of growth or uncertainty.

Founder, Managing Director

TSJ believes in the transformative power of values-based leadership to address society’s most dynamic social problems. She strengthens leaders and teams by centering the value of lived experiences and collective knowledge to build bridges between ideas, decision-makers, and communities to do the most good for Black and Brown communities that have been disproportionately impacted by inequity.

Curious, an authentic leader, and a social impact entrepreneur at heart, TSJ conceptualizes, adapts, and leads teams to execute breakthrough ventures or initiatives from proof of concept to scale. Her work leverages 20 years of experience in startups, government, and non-profit management to support and develop mission-driven leaders and teams. TSJ loves working with leaders to steer their organizations through complex situations, building and rebuilding, and cultivating diverse, inclusive, and resilient teams.

TSJ is an unbound Black woman, bolstered by her incredible faith and her love for the limitlessness of Black and Brown people. She is the proud daughter of Haitian immigrants, a forever New Yorker, and a lover of big ideas and possibilities. TSJ is a graduate of Boston University and Harvard University. She loves good food, good jokes, and good times with friends and family.

Tanya St.Julien (TSJ)

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