Shannon Cochran-Yzquierdo: The Courage of Authenticity and Coming Out

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

– Maya Angelou (from Shannon's website)

My guest today is Shannon Cochran-Yzquierdo of  Coaching Courage.  Coaching Courage works with leaders, teams, and organizations to reframe the way they see themselves.  Its services include leadership, career, & mentor coaching, strategic communications consulting, facilitation, and motivational speaking.

Shannon is passionate about inspiring and motivating leaders to embrace their courage as they transition into their best selves. Her clients build and strengthen their “courage muscle” and find increased awareness around their own behaviors, which supports their journey of transformation into a courageous leader. Shannon’s use of situational role-play and direct communication are her key strengths. 

She supports and empowers women, minorities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community to strengthen their leadership capacity.  She is a blend of Hispanic and Caucasian heritage, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and an active volunteer with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, where she voluntarily shaves her head each year to raise money and awareness for children’s cancer research.

• Coaching Courage, LLC Website
• Blog post: The Onion Story 
• Shannon's Personal St. Baldrick's Page.  There is a link to a video about Emily's journey after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. She just graduated from college and is doing fantastic! There are also some photos from different events at the bottom of the page and children who Shannon shaved in honor and in memory of. 
• Listen to Shannon as a guest on the Transformational Leadership for Transformational Times Podcast
•  Courageous Leadership in Action : No One Said It Would Be Easy, a dynamic workshop conducted by Shannon and co-instructor, Jessica Robledo.

Resources:

• The Trevor Project: 24/7/365 support in the US
• Trevor Space: International Digital Support Community for LGBTQ+ young people
• Befrienders Worldwide: Find a helpline by Country
• Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays: PFLAG.org
• Suicide Hotlines by Country
• It Gets Better Project:  The It Gets Better Project inspires people across the globe to share their stories and remind the next generation of LGBTQ+ youth that hope is out there, and it will get better.
• Human Rights Campaign
•  Sage USA: Advocacy for LGBT Elders
•  Matthew Shepard Foundation
• Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

www.makelifelessdifficult.com

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