From Engineer to Author & Coach: Simona Pappalardo on Courage, Change, and Authentic Leadership

In this episode of Hidden Chapters, I sit down with Simona Pappalardo, a global executive turned leadership coach, speaker, and author of Authentically Yours. Born in Milan and having lived in Scotland, Malaysia, and the U.S., Simona shares how every life transition holds hidden chapters waiting to be written.

We talk about navigating male-dominated industries, leading with empathy, and learning to trust herself despite doubt. Simona opens up about advocating for others, guiding multicultural teams, and embracing imperfect action in her career and personal life. We also dive into her shift from engineering to coaching, blending cultural traditions, and her deeply personal IVF journey. Her story is a testament to courage, authenticity, and giving yourself permission to shift.

This conversation is for anyone looking to embrace change, lead with purpose, and find their authentic voice in every season of life.

Fun full circle moment: I met Simona through her editor, Brunella Costagliola, who also worked with past guests Jose Raymundo and Chris Kruger. Her book Authentically Yours launched December 1st, and she once dreamed of it under a Christmas tree, now ready to inspire readers to live authentically.

Connect with Simona:
📧  simona@coachingwithsimona.com
🌎  https://coachingwithsimona.com/

📖 Purchase "Authentically Yours" on Amazon:  
https://a.co/d/3AGB7oc

Transcript

Genevieve 0:38

What does it really take to live authentically when every change, challenge, or setback seems to test your courage? Today's guest has navigated that journey across continents, careers, and personal struggles, and has lessons we can all apply. Hi, I'm Genevieve, and thank you for listening to Hidden Chapters. I'm so excited to have Simona Papillardo on the show today. Simona is a global executive, turned leadership coach, speaker, and now author of Authentically Yours. Originally from Milan, Italy, she now calls the world home and believes every transition holds a hidden chapter waiting to be written. She's lived and worked all over the world. Scotland, Malaysia, and now the US. And along the way, she's learned a lot about navigating life, work, and change with courage and authenticity. Her journey has taken her through big professional challenges, personal twists, and deeply transformative experiences that shaped how she sees courage, patience, and self-worth. These experiences inform the lessons she shares to help others embrace their own hidden chapters. I'm also grateful to have connected with Simona through her amazing editor, Brunella Costagliola, who also edited books from my previous guests and authors, Jose Raimundo and my husband Chris Kruger. And here's a fun little dream of Simona's. She's imagined authentically yours wrapped in Christmas paper under someone's tree, ready to surprise a friend, family member, or anyone who might need a little reminder to live authentically. The book officially launched December 1st, and her launch party's happening in New York City on December 9th. I'll share those details in the show notes. So Simone and I had the opportunity to meet in person at the Military Influencer Conference in September 2025. I'm so grateful she would take time to share her personal story with me, and I'm really grateful to get the opportunity to chat with her before the release of her book, Authentically Yours. So hi Simona, thank you for being on Hidden Chapters.

Simona 2:53

Hi Jenny. Thank you so much for having me on the podcast. I am so excited to be here. Thank you. All right, so I'm really excited to share your story. And so let's start from the beginning in your early chapters. So you built an incredible career in engineering, which is a field that's still mostly male-dominated. Can you take me back to what first drew you to that field and what that choice revealed about yourself? Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, I like to joke that I've been an engineer since I was five years old. And that's because that's when I decided that I would be one. And it was thanks to an anime cartoon. So back then, I'm originally from Italy, by the way. Um and so back then, we're talking late 80s on Italian TV. The cartoons were mainly coming from Japan. And so there was this uh cartoon called Giuni Peperina Inventa Tutto, which means Giuni, the little inventor, basically. Um, and she was an only child, except like me. And uh she decided that she wanted to have siblings, and so she builds robots to be her siblings. And I was like, Oh, how cool is that? I want to build my own siblings too. And I went to my dad and I asked him, Dad, who builds robots? And his answer was, honey, electronics engineers, and that was basically it. That's when I decided that I would have become an electronics engineer, and that's actually what I became. So, yes.

Genevieve 4:33

I love that because I think it's interesting too, you know, and we're growing up, we go through a couple of different stages. Like at one time, I say, Oh, I want to be an orthodontist, and then there was another, oh, I want to be whatever it was. But it's really neat that you really knew at a young age. And I love that cartoon. I remember reading that from your book.

Simona 4:51

Yes, it's um it's the thing that I think the fact of having that clarity early on, it never really made me question. Of course, there have been moments in my life a little bit where I wondered if I had what it takes. Um, but I had a dream and I was going after it, you know, and sometimes that's the most important thing, more than your attitude or uh whatever it is, is having that clarity, because with clarity comes drive, and with drive comes results.

Genevieve 5:24

I love that. Yeah, which is perfect that you mentioned that because that was going to be a question I wanted to ask you is in that space, being an engineer, did you ever feel that pressure to prove yourself? And how did you navigate those moments when the self-doubt tried to creep in?

Simona 5:41

Yeah, I mean, of course, it's a very high-demanding field, right? Like, and especially because as as you briefly mentioned, I grew in my career to a pretty high place. Like, if you consider the corporate ladder, I definitely uh led teams of hundreds of people, global teams. So, yes, the pressure was on. Um, but I think that one of uh the thoughts that really um encouraged me along my career is at a certain point, it's better to make a decision than trying to strive for perfection. That anyway, as human, we will never be perfect. So that's that's what has always guided my career. I know that not all the decisions I've taken have always been perfect. But think about how much more it would have costed me, my team, and my company if I was never pulling the trigger, you know? Um, so that's also something that with leadership, I think, comes also that ability to um understand when you are getting more data and when you're getting uh paralyzed by analysis. There is a subtle difference between the two. Um, so I think I'm fairly good at that. Um, I'm sure that there are people out there that will say, like, ah, maybe that time you would have you should have waited a little bit longer and collect more data, but but still, um, I think in I was in the ballpark of, you know, just make the decisions at time. Um that's that's what matters, right? You can never be perfect, and knowing that enables you to again drive and get the results.

Genevieve 7:26

Yeah. And did you ever have, because I remember reading in your book, but did you ever have those moments where you were like, I don't know if I can do this? Is this is this what I'm supposed to be doing?

Simona 7:35

Is this well, yes, of course, right? I mean, uh, like in the books, uh, there are some episodes specifically that I talk about, um, where I don't know, I destroyed a jig in the lab, right? And everyone is like, no, we need the jig and we don't have it anymore. I'm like, uh crap, you know. Um, so yes, there have definitely been moments like that. Um, but I think once again I was determined, and I think that that's something really, really important uh to realize that hey, we are all humans, we make mistakes. Yes, there have been a couple of days in my career where I ended up in the breast room crying, hiding, right? Like, oh my god. But yeah, but yeah, you I recompose myself a little bit, and I'm like, okay, this is acting. Let's make him better moving forward, right?

Genevieve 8:31

Yeah. Yeah, I loved reading early in your career, you had advocated for some of your Malaysian colleagues. And so can you uh share a little bit about what that moment had taught you about leadership and courage and standing up for others? Because that was early in your career.

Simona 8:51

Yeah, I think that's uh probably one of the most defining moments, if not the most defining moment in my career. I think what has happened at that time really shaped where I was going as a leader. Um, and so just to briefly uh explain what was going on, I was an expat in Malaysia at that point. It's like I was like three years out of college, no more than that. And uh I was there with the purpose of uh upgrading the labs, upgrading the skills, training my colleagues and all that. And after a couple of months, I was there, I realized that there were some less than ideal uh conditions. They were not exactly safe, right? And so in that moment, well, first of all, a lot of self-doubt in the sense of like, okay, one second, I've been here for two months, three months. How do I realize that this is happening only now? You know what I'm saying? And there is a technical reason, uh, in the sense that the operations in this was called the WEC lab. So it's we were using chemicals and acids to open up semiconductor parts. And so because that is not excellently the highest uh um skill part of the analysis, I was much more focused on what's called the electrical lab, that where you do some other activities to characterize circuits and all that. So there was a reason why I never excellently spent a lot of time in the wet lab. Yeah. But that's the technicality part, right? Like, nevertheless, I was there, and why wasn't I aware that something important like that happened? And then after the self-doubt came the uh-oh, and now what do I do with this? Right? Like I've been three-year-old out of college. I am, let's say, at the bottom of the totem pole in some sort of way, right? So do I stick out my neck and potentially attract uh, I don't know what I was gonna try. Like, would I attract anger and resentment from my superiors and all of that? Right. Or vice versa, um, this is what I have to do no matter what, no matter what the consequences are, because it could be dangerous. I mean, these are very um dangerous acids, and yeah, an accident could have happened sooner or later, right? And so the reason why that moment is so fundamental in the way I um define leadership even to this very day, 20 years after, is because it's when I've learned that you need to take care of the people that um you're leading, right? And so I I truly believe that I have always embodied an empathetic type of leadership, and a leadership that also helps recognize diversities, right? Like these people, it's very easy just because they were my Malaysian colleague to say, oh, they're different from me, or they have different rights from me, or something like that. And instead recognized that at the at the bottom they were humans, right? And and that was the thing that made me realize that it didn't matter the career that I was gonna have and the career implication. The most important thing was taking care of them as human beings, as brothers and sisters, uh parents or sons, uh, whatever, right? Um, and and and yes, it's still to that that to this very moment, I think, a fundamental um part uh of who I developed as a leader, for sure.

Genevieve 12:49

Yeah. Now I can see how that would be a pivotal moment in your time because you're younger trying to have a voice in an established company. Yeah.

Simona 12:59

Absolutely. I was 27, just to give you context. So, yes, you are far from home, right? There is basically nobody really that can even give you advice. Like you are the only one that is living uh that experience, right? You your seniors are back in Italy, like you don't have, I mean, you don't have your family around, you don't have your friends around, you don't have your, let's say, the colleagues that you have had in the past, right? That were my Malaysian colleagues, but ultimately, um, do you know how they say that sometimes leadership can feel lonely? Yeah, yeah, it can, absolutely. I can because I was the one that had on one side the opportunity to really give these people a voice and some power, let me say. And on the other side, though, everything fell on me, right? So, yes, that's definitely very, very true.

Genevieve 13:56

Well, uh speaking about culture differences, I do love that you have your Italian culture and that reading about in your book your different culture of living in Italy. But I love that you also studied in Scotland, and then you had spent time in Malaysia, of course, and then now live in the US. So you have quite the cultural experience. So I want to hear how those experiences have shaped your sense of identity and understanding of yourself, because you have you're quite the world traveler. I'm jealous.

Simona 14:30

I am is uh something that I've done uh from the very early. Like I was fortunate that I've defined what my profession was gonna be when I was five, right? And at the same time, thanks to my mom, I started studying English, right? Which again was an eard off. We're talking late 80s in Italy, yeah. It was an eard off, right? And so because my mom was a preschool teacher, she basically already understood that young kids uh um have a map are better off in studying languages, and that's why and that's why she wanted me to study English from from the my early days, let's say. And so that then opened up a series of opportunities, studies, all study holidays, right? Yeah, um I I had my first trip alone in Ireland actually when I was 11, right? That's right, yeah. Yeah. So it was with my school, the school organized this study holiday, but it was the first time that I was traveling without mom and dad. And now also my parents have always encouraged me to travel, also with them, luckily. Um, so it's not that it was my first time out of Italy or anything like that, but it was the first time by myself, right? So that was like really compounding uh, let me say stress for my little old mirror. Yeah, well, yeah.

Genevieve 15:57

And we didn't have cell phones back then.

Simona 15:59

We did not have cell phones. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. I still remember like uh thinking about buying uh these cards that they used to sell so that you could uh pay uh ahead of time for the calls. My my mom was giving me that, and then I needed to find a public phone, you know, like very different. I studied in London, so I remember those days, yeah. Yeah. Um, and so with with that though, it came also the opportunity to meet again people of other culture. Even more importantly, uh, when then I went to Scotland and all that, I moved also from being uh housed in a dorm to being housed with a family, right? And so I remember um, oh, the food is different. Uh and remember, I wasn't speaking English like I do today, right? Like even asking for small little things was a challenge, right? It was definitely being outside of my comfort zone, yeah. But you know, that's also what I have personally felt. Like travel for me is really the way to push myself out of my comfort zone. Yeah, um, and so that's I think is the thing I've always uh tried to recreate at very different level, right? Like at until 11 years old, the 13 years old, the 15 years old, Europe was already a big place, right? Different languages and all that. Then when I was in my 20s, after finishing uh my university and all of that, it became like, okay, now I want to experience the US, I want to experience Asia, right? Then Malaysia was the consequence of also where my company was located, right? But I wanted to experience really the world, right? Um, and that's what I what I still do, because this is the reality of living uh in a place where you were not born. There is still some few things uh that sometimes surprise you, you know what I'm saying? You're like, oh, this is different. Now I'm so excited, my daughter is free. So I have no idea how the school system in the US works, you know. I mean, I don't I have no idea. Of course, I've heard stories, right? But I've not lived it on my own skin. And now I'm preparing for like, oh, and my child will go to school, right? It's gonna be another learning experience for me through her. You know what I'm saying? Well, if I if I if she was going to school in Italy, there was no learning, like she would go and she would do exactly the same thing that I was doing back then, but now this is also opening up new worlds for me, right?

Genevieve 18:43

Because it is a cultural difference. The the school system in the US is very different from that. Now, will she be in a public school or private, maybe? You will.

Simona 18:54

I think we will, of course, she's only three. She just started preschool, so we still have a couple of years to figure that out. But yes, interesting enough, you're asking, because just this weekend I was talking with my husband about public, private. What does it mean choosing a private public school school over a private school here in the US? It's a very different situation that if you choose public or private in Italy, right? Um, so we were discussing that is true, yeah.

Genevieve 19:23

Public and private in other culture or other countries is a bit different than what the US, yeah. Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Yeah, no, that's that's always a hard decision. You know, I I go back and forth with the girls, you know, at public school. I was fine in public school, but the generations are different, the world is definitely different. So there's a lot of things that even I'm navigating going, wait a minute, okay, we didn't do this in school, or you know, so it's I get what you mean, but that's interesting because you have that experience of being a kid in a different country. So you know what that's like. But yeah, you're gonna get to have a different experience with her. Absolutely.

Simona 19:59

Yeah, she will have a locker. I never had a locker, by the way.

Genevieve 20:04

Well, you know, it's funny is I had a locker when I was younger, and now I know how to do the combo. And now the girls don't have lockers, they have them in the school, but they don't use them, they just use your backpacks, so they don't know all the combos and things like that. So I said, now I still can remember my locker combos and the little things, you know, the simplest things that we had back then. Oh, I love that. So because you've traveled and now you're living in the US, leading multicultural teams comes with its own lessons. So, what have you learned about the empathy, the communication, and finding common ground that has shaped your approach to both your work and now life?

Simona 20:46

Yeah. Um, well, first of all, I will say that having had the opportunity of leading global teens is definitely a blessing. I consider it an incredible uh opportunity and an incredible blessing. And it is what has ultimately enabled me to come to the conclusion that not only we are all humans, and so all of us have certain needs, but that also each and every one of us is different. And so, as a leader, I think that my job when I was leading large teens was absolutely um enabling them to be their own the best version of their own self, right? And in order to do that, I cannot, I could not treat them all the same, right? And so, yes, we are all human and there are certain commonalities among all of us, but I think that really understanding what it means to adapt to cultures means understanding that we are all different, yeah, and using what is called the platinum rule. Yeah, so the golden rule is this idea of uh treat others like you would like to be treated, the platinum rule is treat others like they want to be treated, right? And this speaks to the fact that each and every one of us uh wants to be treated differently. It's you cannot apply, and that's why leadership is so hard, but it's also so I would not say the word I want to use the word magical, because it's deciding in each and every single moment how to act, yeah, it's not it's not a cookie-cutter kind of situation. It's not that today I do this and I'm gonna be successful. Tomorrow I have to do something completely different to be successful. And so seeing people for who they truly are, their full potential, and enabling them to bring it to fruition, it's an honor, right? And and and a blessing, as I said. So that's that's what I think it has taught me, mainly to appreciate every one of us for our peculiarities. And yes, of course, the commonality that we are all humans, but each and every one of us is different, and and we need to respect each other because of that.

Genevieve 23:26

And I appreciate you saying that too, because I think that is hard in a leadership position. But because you have had that opportunity to learn so many different personalities and cultures that when you have realized that not everybody can be ruled the same, not everybody can be talked to the same, that it really makes a better empathetic leader because they understand and they're honestly trying to understand best ways to communicate with those people rather than try to fit in just one way or one approach.

Simona 24:00

And by the way, I use the word culture that makes people immediately think about maybe nationalities, which is true. Like nationality is a big element of culture, but it's not the only one. And so that's what a lot of different things. Uh-huh. I want to stress that also gender or professional backgrounds or education, yes, family, right? All of these things contribute to our own specific culture. And so it's not because maybe I lead, I don't know, two Americans or two Italians. Now they need exactly the same thing, absolutely not, right? Um, and so being able to, let me say, peel the onion of all of these elements is work, is absolutely work, right? But it's also amazing because then you really empower people to be the best version of their own self, right?

Genevieve 24:55

Absolutely. No, I love that. And in speaking about different cultures, you and your husband. I loved reading about in your book how you met you met your husband, and you also have some cultural heritages that you guys got to mix together. So, how has even your different cultural backgrounds taught you about blending traditions while still trying staying true to yourselves?

Simona 25:22

Yeah, yes. So, my my husband was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and I met him when I was uh an expert over there. Okay, I'll tell you first, as a joke, uh how we blend these in our marriage. Well, every night we have to decide if we're gonna cook rice or we're gonna cook pasta, right?

Genevieve 25:46

Very, very important questions to ask, yes.

Simona 25:51

Um, and I like to make that joke. Of course, now we have been married almost 15 years, so hopefully by now we have figured out the menu. But the reason why I like to make that joke is because it tells people already things that you give for granted, right? Now all of a sudden they are not granted anymore. Right? Like, like this idea of what do I cook tonight, I think for a lot of couples that have um similar background is is not really even a question, you know what I'm saying? Because well, we have always been eating these in my uh family of origin. You have probably eaten the same thing, we just cook that, right? And of course, now I'm trivializing it a little bit, but it shows, right, the truth about dealing with diversity, which is uh it's much more work. But it also means that you come up with a better decision, right? Yeah, like there are studies actually that proves this. This is not just Simona saying this, but there are really studies that say that it's more painful for diverse team to come up with a uh with a decision, uh, but the decision is better in the end because you have vetted more options, you have vetted more points of views, and you have come up with a better decision. And so that's how I would describe my relationship with Mick. It's excellent, sometimes I think it's harder a little bit. When I come, I'm and I mean, I'm not, of course, a person that likes comparison because I want to be my own self, but at the same time, I think it's natural, right? For us as human beings sometimes. So when I compare maybe the relationship of some of my friends, I imagine them much more linear, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, instead, because I've chosen a person so different from me, sometimes it's harder, right? Yeah, but I truly believe that that's why we have accomplished what we have accomplished as a couple. Um, I say it in the book, right? Like I am the CEO and he's the chief strategy officer who accompanied because yes, he's the dreamer, he's the one that has wild ideas, much more than me. I am much better at executing, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, but but but we play by our strengths, you know, and that that makes it really, really special. Um, and so yeah, that's that's what living with a person different from you looks like.

Genevieve 28:30

No, I love it. And see, I grew up, my mom is uh one of five, but all of her siblings all had wonderful interracial marriages. So we brought so many different cultures, food and practices of different things. So we have all of the different cultures. And so when I married Chris, then of course all the foods that I remember from eating and and some of the traditions that we had. So now talking about Thanksgiving, kind of planning ahead of some events that are happening for the church. And my oldest daughter leaned over at me and she goes, Mom, we're having lumpia for Thanksgiving again this year, right? And I go, Oh yeah. You know, we have the traditional turkey and all the other things, but lumpia, which is that Filipino dish that most people know, you know, it's it's a staple. So my daughters are like, Nope, it's a Thanksgiving and a Christmas thing, and we're gonna eat it. And that's not going away. I go, absolutely. And my husband's the same, you know, he's gotten so good at mixing up the meat that he's become my taste tester that now he's like, nope, you're missing something. So I'm like, he's he's learned all those years we've been together, he's learned. But I love that. I love having just different cultures, as you're right. It's it's a different viewpoint, and sometimes they are very different, but they bring so much more to that. So I love that. Well, I want to go ahead and shift a little bit because I'm interested to hear about your season shift. Can you tell me about that moment that you realized that one season was ending and another one was needing to begin?

Simona 29:58

Yeah. Um, yeah, I would say that I mean, I was very happy at that point in my job. It was, I would say I was at the peak. It was 2019. And I think these ideas started dawning on me that everything that I wanted to do, I've done. Like at that point, I was leading a large team, I made it to the rank of executive. And and that started, you know, a little bit of a tickling sensation. Like, okay, what's next? You know what I'm saying? And already in the past, I was like, okay, this is, I mean, I loved my job, I loved it, and I will always speak high. Highly obvious. I was the person that was waking up Monday morning being like, I get to do this. Like, I know how incredibly fortunate I am to be able to say this. I loved it. I loved it. But at a certain point, right, I recognized that first of all, it was a very high-demanding job. I mean, yeah, I was traveling a lot physically, so physically, jet lags, this kind of stuff, right? Like, yeah, I'm like, how long can I keep up with this? And at the same time, uh, I was feeling like, okay, I mean, I've already accomplished everything I wanted. So what do I want to do with my life? You know, I have one life and I'm super happy I lived this life. But is this the only thing that there is going to be for me, professionally speaking? And so I think that there was a seed, there has been a seed for a very long time, but the seed met fertile ground, let's say, when I started experiencing coaching as a coachie in the corporate world, right? So we started having coaches coming in um to run workshops and things like that. I'm like, oh wow, that's so cool because I've always enjoyed teaching as a leader. I was helping set up others uh uh for success. I have been a mentor for a very long time, and I'm like, oh, coaching. So this could actually become my next phase, right? I never saw myself as a teacher in the sense that I'm not, I don't think I'm that good with young, young kids, or or better, I I think I am good, but you know, there is something special about teachers' patients, for example, that I don't particularly have, I'll be honest, right? So I wanted like I want to be a teacher, but for adults, what does that look like, right? And I thought that coaching is not exactly teaching. As a coach, you help people figure out what they want, right? And and that's an important distinction, but yes, you still help people um become successful. And by the way, define what success means specifically to them, right? Because everyone has a different definition of success.

Genevieve 33:03

Absolutely.

Simona 33:04

And so I remember telling my husband we were vacationing in Italy, it was the it was Christmas 2019, actually, telling him, I think I have it in me, a second career as a coach. But back then it looked like a very far dream, honestly speaking, because I was, as I said, I was busy, fully engaged with my career as a corporate, as an in the corporate, as an engineer and all of that, right? How the heck am I gonna start? I mean, I'm traveling around the world a ton. How the heck am I gonna even get the coaching certification? You know, there is there is uh um courses you need to take, and they last long, and they have a lot of uh paired work, uh teamwork, and all that. So, like I cannot do this when I'm constantly in a different time zone, right? And then guess what? It was Christmas 2019, and in a couple of months, everything came to a still everywhere in the world because the COVID pandemic hit, right? And of course, it was terrible. I mean, I I do realize that um that moment was not easy for a lot of people, and people have lost their lives, so I I I'm very careful when I talk about that phase, right? But the reality is also that for me, in some sort of way, opened up an opportunity, right? Yeah, because now I'm stuck at home, and yes, of course, I still have my job and I have to deal and lead the teams remotely without being ever able to go and see them, by the way, which was another difficult uh task. That was such a weird time frame for all of us, yeah. It was a very weird time frame, but the reality was that Saturday and Sunday, I wasn't in an airport, I was at home, right? Right, and so that's when I started at least like, you know what? Why don't I invest this time to at least get my certification? Right, and I still thought that it was like a 10, 15 uh years project out, yeah. But I was like, you know what, let me still at least get the certification, right? And then one thing led to the other. Like when I got my certification, then there was a former colleague that by chance already made the same change. And so he offered me to coach for him here and there, nothing too um too much, nothing too much, right? Because I had a full-time job, but still trying to, how do you say, wet my feet a little bit in his new? Yeah, a little too, yeah. And I and I really felt like, oh, I love it, right? Yeah. And then five years, four years forward, four, five, whatever, years forward, um, different things happen in the company I was working for, restructuring again, all consequences of COVID. And real life, like right now, businesses are going through a lot of transformation because COVID has really changed the way we do business, right? Right. And so I realized that there was no space for me there. Honestly, even if there was a space for me there, why stay? Like I've always been the person searching for the next opportunity and doing something different and all that. So I'm actually very fortunate that we came to the conclusion that there was no space for me anymore. Because that was like the sign, like I felt like, okay, all the planets have aligned, and this is my moment to really try something completely different. And I've been at this now for 15 months and I couldn't be happier. And I, as I like always to say, I wouldn't change a bit of my past 20 years. Going back, I would still redo Excel the same career choices because that's what brought me here to this point of doing what I do with the experience of those 20 years in corporate that are useful not only to serve my clients, but are even more important for serving my own self because now I know why I'm here, you know? Right. And so they are very instrumental. And it looks like it's a completely different path, but to me is like just the continuation of my path. And so very, very excited about being a coach.

Genevieve 37:39

Yeah. And I think that's really interesting too, is you know, you these things all happen for reasons that just helped encourage that next step. And you're right, you know, you don't want to sit back and go, well, that wasn't useful. Everything that we've done in our life, the experiences that we've had, they all help us build to that next step and that next thing. So it is it has definitely set you up for what you another love that you have, and you get to reinvent. So in asking that, so letting go of that one career that you had mastered is no small thing. And I know that you absolutely loved it. So, what surprised you most about yourself in that transition? And how did you navigate that emotional side of stepping into something completely new?

Simona 38:26

It wasn't easy. You are absolutely right. Um, I still remember my first networking event when I didn't have my title anymore. Oh, yeah. I mean, I would say I'm a very good networker, I'm not a shy person, I speak and all of that. And I'm like, uh, who am I? You know, and I I mean, I remember that. Um, yeah, and and well, till uh last month, I was, you know, like six months ago, like that was the answer I was giving because I still needed that crutch of who I was. Do you know that nowadays? Uh, of course, I've written the book and I I write and I've written about my career and all that, but do you know that I almost forget to tell people my 20 years because now I'm just a coach. And it's not just a coach, I am a coach. I am I am a coach. Yeah. Right? There is no need to say, like I used to say, like, well, after 20 years, climbed in the corporate ladder, now I'm right. I am fully embracing that now. But yes, at the beginning was very, very hard. Um, there have been times in which I have also questioned, like, am I throwing it away? Like all of my effort, it wasn't easy, you know what I'm saying? I mean, I worked hard to reach the level that I reached. And I'm like, why am I restarting back from scratch? Am I crazy or something? But I'm discovering sides of me that have always been there that in some sort of way couldn't come out in my previous profession, right? Yeah, it's very interesting to me. I've always like I said it even before, talking about me and my husband. Like, I always consider myself great at execution, and that's absolutely true. Yeah, but I'm actually realizing I can be very, very creative. Yeah. Very, very strategic. And as a leader, of course, at a certain level, you always need to speak strategy in a corporation. But nevertheless, there is always someone above you in big corporate. Now I get to, now I get to decide, I get to do, I get to follow my gut, you know what I'm saying? And I'm inventing the business, and and all of the personal sides of Simon are coming together, right? Because now I coach expats, and this speaks about my love for traveling, to live in different countries and all that. And I also help them with the professional side of things, right? Because typically expats and expats spouses um maybe come to the United States and they have to reinvent their career. And I am certainly suited now because of my corporate career. So it's very interesting how all of these elements that seem so different from each other, they are perfectly calming to create one big picture. And I absolutely love that.

Genevieve 41:29

And I love that too, because there are some people that they'll get into a career until they retire, and then there's nothing new. But those ones that I do get to hear that they change, it is just a little an adjustment, but it's so interesting that you get to tap into those other things and discover your new self, but discover something new.

Simona 41:50

See, that's why I also wrote the book. Yeah, like in the end of the day, hopefully, the readers will feel that the book is also to um give you permission to try something new, to release and the first chapter is all about remembering the kid that when you were five or eight, whatever that age is, what did you really want to want to be? Because after that, society starts telling you, you need to earn money, and you need to be this and you need to study that and all of that. But I do believe that each and every one of us, deep in our core, know that we are meant for more, right? Absolutely. And so that's that's what I hope to achieve with the book, honestly speaking, giving people permission, and I also challenge a little bit people to get themselves that permission to dream bigger because our potential is much higher than what we live by every single day. There is so much more each and every one of us can do.

Genevieve 43:01

Yeah, and no, you're right. If we can get a little bit out of the comfort zone, stretch ourselves a little bit and see what else is out there. Absolutely. Well, I love also in your book, I want to uh say thank you for your vulnerability with this particular topic because I know it is something that a lot of women do go through. So I think that's gonna really resonate with audiences that will be listening to uh our conversation as well. So I'm peeling back a layer and we're gonna go deep into a little bit more of a personal time in your life where you had to process some things and um some self-worth questions and patience with yourself. So we're gonna talk about the lessons from in vitro fertilization. And so Simona did a great job with sharing a little bit of her experience. And so, if you don't mind talking through that journey that you went through, and can you share a moment when that trust was hardest to maintain and what helped you to move forward during that time?

Simona 44:07

So I think it was excellent more or less at the same time as my career reached a peak. Yeah, not only I started thinking about what was my next season professionally, but also the desire uh of entering a new season personally came up. Because I started feeling like this desire of really wanting to pass it down to someone, all the wisdom and the knowledge that I've acquired. Yeah. And so that's that's when I started feeling strongly that I wanted to be a mom, right? And so, interesting enough, for us, it wasn't necessarily hard to get pregnant, but was much harder to get a healthy pregnancy, right? Which also posed some X, some different, let me say, challenges. I know that is very hard for women that don't manage to get pregnant, but my experience was actually even different from that, in the sense that I was getting pregnant, but then the pregnancy wasn't viable, I was not moving along. Uh, and so that also it's like from an hormonal standpoint, physical standpoint, it's also a different experience, right, than not getting pregnant at all. Anyway, to make a very long story short, um we understood that we needed some help. And so that's when we decided that we needed to go through the in vitro fertilization route. Um, and so once again, I always a person that practice a lot of gratitude in our life. And the reason why I say gratitude is because even if I talk about one of the biggest struggles of my life, at the same time, I did recognize wow, I'm so fortunate that I live in the 21st century and science can help me, you know. Like till, I don't know, 50 years ago, this wasn't even a thing. No, right? And so think about all the probably millions of women that in the past had just to accept their faith, or even worse, even denostracize from society, right? Because they couldn't carry children. So with all of that, I I want to say how much gratitude I felt, but at the same time, of course, right? You start questioning so many things, like, what does this mean? Is it that I am not meant to be a mother? Am I better off not being a mother? I mean, all those kind of thoughts, no matter what. I think you can be, as I said, as grateful and as centered, and but those things come up for a lot of women that go through that journey. I think that, well, two things I would say that really helped me were first of all, the support of my husband, uh, the fact that he reminded me that no matter what, we were a family and we were we had each other, and it didn't matter if we were having uh a child or not. We would it was it was still us, right? So that really grounded me and helped me a ton in understanding that my life wasn't over, you know what I'm saying? Because when you decide that you want to have a kid and that kid is not coming, yes, it can feel like what else is there, you know what I'm saying? And and so it can be, especially for us women, I think, uh very, very deep thoughts, let me say. And so the fact that Mika uh Mick reminded me of that really, really helped. Uh and the other thing was uh luckily I was also going through my coaching certification at the same time and all of that, and that's when I learned the importance of trust in the process. And that's what, in the end of the day, I would say leadership is all about. Still driving the action even when the outcome is not certain, right? The reality is if I didn't have the courage and I didn't push myself and didn't go through IDF, Sophie wouldn't be here today. That's the reality. I I know for a fact, right? Um, but it's also true that I could have done all of that and never be blessed with a child, right? And realizing that that's part of life sometimes, especially for someone like me, that was used to be measured on our accomplishment. Like I'm an engineer, right? Like you do A plus B, you get C. You know what I'm saying? That's what my company used to tell me. You need to deliver results. Um, things like that was really uh a major shift, also in my mindset. But again, it's another layer of what leadership really looks like to me today, which is uh having the courage to drive, even if you cannot always be certain of the outcomes, because uh at least you have discovered something in the journey and you are not stopped by your fear, right? And again, um, we have been fortunate that in our case the outcome was there, and Sophie is here with us today, right? Um, but but that's the learning. And by the way, the reason, as I explained in the book, the reason why Sophie is named Sophie is because it means wisdom in Greek. And and I read that think it represents, the name represents what she represents to me, and my wish to her in life is to have wisdom, right? Which is ultimately the ability to uh understand which is which, right? Sometimes that's that's what what wisdom is all about, and so that's that's the reason behind the name.

Genevieve 50:12

And I just I loved that when I read that through you. I know that we all go through some pretty hard things in life, and we can get pretty down. And when you were when I was reading that, I was just admiring it how you had made that decision. Well, if I if I'm not a mom, that's I'll be okay. You have to really come to that where you you don't get down on yourself and you go, I'm I'm failing at this, or I'm I'm not good at this. And I think that I admired that the most just reading your your part of how your journey went through because that that's a hard spot. We all have stories where we've been through hard situations and we've gone down on the depression roads and things. We go, well, you know, I'm I'm quitting now, and and we can get down on ourselves. But what did you learn maybe about the patience or self-worth along the way? What did you learn about those and facing your disappointments?

Simona 51:11

The only the only thing that will really stop you is when you give up on yourself, you know, and so this is also, by the way, a lot of the work that I do with a lot of my clients. Um it's about decide sometimes uh people struggle to make decisions, right? And I guarantee you, as a coach, I really hear it in their voice and in what they tell me, if they are stopping from doing something because they don't want to do something, or if it is fear that is stopping them. And those are two very, very different things, right? Yes, because if you don't want to do something because you don't want to do it, fine. But guess what? Typically that doesn't even come up in a coaching conversation because you have already made the decision by yourself, right? Right. The decisions that come up during a coaching conversation are all those decisions that where you struggle because there is a piece of you that tells you I want this, but there is a piece of you that tells you I'm scared of doing this. Right. Absolutely, yes. And calling it with their own name, it's incredible. Like people just immediately know. Maybe they have been at it for weeks, right? And then they immediately know when you call it out that they are stopping because of fear, they immediately know what they need to do, and suddenly the fear is gone, right? Um, so that's that's I think that's also wisdom, right? We were talking about wisdom, and that's what I've learned. Um, and you were asking specifically about patience, right? Having the patience of realizing that as human beings, sometimes we're scared, right? And extend yourself some crace, but calling it with their own name, don't make excuses because once you call it with its own name, then suddenly fear is gone and you can you can move on.

Genevieve 53:20

So music can be a powerful motivator, and I love music, and I know you do too. And you mentioned Lose Yourself by Eminem has been one of those songs that has helped you through some of your toughest moments. I have got to know what has that song been like for your journey and how's that resonated with you? And do you still play it pretty often? I know it.

Simona 53:43

I do, yes, I do. So the movie Eight Mile came out, and the song is from the soundtrack, right, of that movie. And it came out when I was in uh in the university, I was in college, right? And so I was under a lot of stress of uh performing for exams uh and studying and making sure that my marks were great, and and you know, it's it's a stressful time and engineering, it's it's a tough one, it's a tough horse, right? Yeah, and so the reason why I love that song is that idea, like he sings, uh, you get one opportunity, right? And and that was it for me, like this idea that you get only one opportunity. Now, don't take me wrong, life is full of opportunities, right? But each and every one is unique, and you never know if it's gonna come back to you, that opportunity. And so I think that that song really made me think about trying my very hardest all the time, uh, so that I can maximize that opportunity. And and I still like live by that, you know? Like when there is an opportunity, I look at it and I'm like, okay, maybe this scares me a little bit, but when is the next time this is gonna happen? Right? And so I go for it. Well, I think a lot of people, unfortunately, maybe in front of an opportunity, they're like, oh, I'm not ready. Well, when aren't you gonna be ready? Because for a lot of people, the answer is never, you know, like they never think about that, and instead is like, well, when the train comes, you catch the train, ready or not, you know what I'm saying, and see where that brings you. So I think that's exactly what the the song and the movie talks about, right? And then look what happened to Eminem because he he took that opportunity.

Genevieve 55:45

No, it's true. You got one shot. Uh-huh. Um so your story reflects staying authentically through every pivot that you've been through. So, how have you maintained authenticity even when stepping into something completely unfamiliar or challenging?

Simona 56:10

Sometimes I like to talk about making the decisions and the choices that make you look make you feel good when you um wake up in the morning and you see yourself in the mirror. Right. And so I think each and every one of us know what that looks like, and that's what authenticity to me looks like to me, is this idea that it's so much easier to bear the consequences of anything if you know you did it because that's what you were meant to do. Right? It's like we talked before about the story of my Malaysian friends. Uh look, yeah, I could have not rocked the boat and not take the risk on my career, right? But look at it, I would have never been able to mirror to be to be in front of a mirror and be happy with what I saw, and that would have dampened me for the rest of my life, right? While instead I took my shot I was met with the most understanding um point of view, and I mean I was supported by the company to fix the situation. So it's not that my career took a dent or anything, but even if so, right, that look at how much it has helped me understand what leadership is all about, right? Um, so I would have always found another job, you know what I'm saying? But I would have never been able to live with the idea that I had some power and I could do something for these people, and I didn't take that, right? So to me, that's that's what authenticity means. Like just you know it deep within you, and once you peel the layer of not hearing your fears, but hearing your own true self, that's what when you become really authentic and you act authentically.

Genevieve 58:21

Yeah. Well, your book, by the time we release this, will have been out, and it is called Authentically Yours. And so you explain what that means to you now. If someone listening is in the middle of their own reinvention, feeling scared, unsure, or out of place, what would you like to tell them?

Simona 58:42

In the book, I explain very, very clearly that courage is a muscle.

Genevieve 58:46

Yeah.

Simona 58:48

And uh, as every other muscle in your body, you need to train it. And that's uh what in one word, in one sentence. I mean, the book is uh, you know, 13 chapters, right? A memoir in its full form with coaching questions at the end of each chap of each chapter to help you put it into your own life, the the learnings from data I extract from these episodes, right? But if I have to summarize the book uh in one line, that I hope that people really take away is courage is a muscle, and you need to train it every single day. What so what does that look like to you specifically, right? That's that's the question that I hope the book have people start asking themselves and start taking action to figure that out so that then they can really expand uh their courage muscle and they can live the life that they authentically want.

Genevieve 59:54

Such good advice, Simona. Thank you so much. Well, I will make sure to have that link where people can purchase your book, perfect for the holiday season. And if anyone is more interested in getting some coaching from you, uh best places to reach you just is from your email.

Simona 1:00:13

Uh my website, uh www.coachingwithsimona.com.

Genevieve 1:00:22

Perfect. And I will have that in the show notes too. Well, thank you so much. It was so great to have you on and get a little share a little glimpse of your life with everyone. So yeah. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me. I'm really, really excited. I've been About being part of the Hidden Chapter podcast, so thank you so much. Of course. Sometimes the chapters of our lives that feel messy, uncertain, or even painful hold the most important lessons. Simona's story reminds us that embracing those hidden chapters is what allows us to step boldly into who we are meant to be. What I loved most about Simona's journey is that reinvention isn't about starting over. It's about taking everything you've learned and using it to live more courageously and authentically. Her experience shows us that patience, self-worth, and authenticity aren't destinations, the choices we make in each chapter of our lives. So, in reflecting for a moment, where in your life have you been waiting for the perfect moment to show up, reinvent yourself, or take a brave step? How could you start embracing that next chapter today, just as Simona did in her journey? If you want to celebrate Simona's journey or give a loved one a meaningful reminder to live authentically, her book Authentically Yours is out now, and her launch party is December 9th in New York City. All details are in the show notes. If this episode resonated with you, come join me over on Substep. I'd love to hear which part of Simona's journey spoke to you most. Until next time, here's to embracing every chapter, especially the hidden ones, and stepping into them with courage, curiosity, and authenticity.