Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Garofalo.
Hi Gabrielle, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Wow, my story is a beautiful one, and I’m proud to say I’ve curated a life I love. AND? It’s totally different than I ever imagined.
When I was little, I dreamed of being a singer and performer. Broadway was my obsession, and I took every opportunity to sing or perform for anyone I could captivate. My first solo was in kindergarten, and I sang again at my high school graduation. Yet? My parents encouraged me to focus on “a real career,” so I headed to college to explore the liberal arts and ultimately landed in the world of advertising during the heyday of the early ’90s. And let me tell you—it was a blast! I learned how to pitch, build brands, create taglines, and buy outdoor media. That chapter gave me the skils to follow my curiosity, which inspired me to create a new agency division for what we now know as experiential marketing.
In the mid-90s, I shifted my career focus to media, working for <i>Newsweek</i> and then relaunching the beloved Condé Nast magazine<i> House & Garden</i>. Toward the end of that decade, I made a bold move and became one of the first solopreneurs I knew. And I got the best gigs! I helped produce the inaugural New Yorker Festival (where I had the surreal privilege of slow dancing with Robin Williams). I worked with Vanity Fair during Oscar season, Vogue for events like Fashion Rocks, and Billboard Magazine at the Billboard Music Awards. I even had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with Oprah.
By 2014/2015, I was wooed back into the corporate world to launch and lead the Global Branded Content team at <i>The Wall Street Journal</i>, overseeing offices in New York, London, and Beijing. Fun? Absolutely. Soul-sucking? Even more so. When my role was suddenly and unexpectedly dissolved and I was let go, I teamed up with an old friend to buy and rebrand a local food festival in Portland, ME. The original vision was to scale the food festival into markets across the country, and the next two years were filled with learning, adventure, and tons of good eats. It was a BLAST, and I loved being back in the epicurean space. Around that same time, I started a food blog called A Lady Walks Into a Bar for JerseyBites.com. Eventually, and timed beautifully, just before COVID, I sold my stake in the festival—and took the leap to become a certified life coach. Since then, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients and developed my next big idea: The Global Joy Project, aimed at teaching people how to sustain joy every day—even in a chaotic world. In addition to that work, I continue to offer strategic marketing and business development consulting.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
How long do we have?? LOL. The road has been anything but smooth. Every career and position I’ve held has come with its own struggles—personal, professional, or often both. One always affects the other.
I had a good laugh recently when I found old journals from my early 20s, back when I was working at the advertising agency. Page after page, I read about how HR or one of my bosses was upset with me for something—how I dressed, the way I spoke, or even how I managed to offend office mates by not inviting them to lunch. (Cue the eye roll.)
And then there was the tightrope of navigating male/female work dynamics before there was any Me Too movement. I vividly remember trying to adjust my personality to fit the corporate world, all while being sexually harassed or approached by older male bosses—the same men who held the keys to my career growth. There was no roadmap, no HR support, and certainly no one to help me figure out how to handle those situations. These were men I worked with every day, whose opinions shaped my trajectory. Somehow, I made it through.
Obstacles weren’t just a part of my early years—they showed up at every turn along my career path. There were unhinged bosses who called me on my honeymoon, business partners who completely reneged on our shared vision, and even being let go after building a division that earned $65 million for News Corp. Every one of these so-called setbacks turned out to be fertile ground for learning, growth, and ultimately moving closer to my true path.
What is meant for you will ALWAYS find its way.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work with overstressed clients and organizations to navigate their most complex challenges through daily practices centered on joy. In addition, I offer strategic marketing, experiential production, and business development consulting. With the breadth of roles I’ve taken on throughout my career, a colleague once referred to me as a “human incubator,” while another described me as a “Swiss army knife”—no matter the need, I likely have the skillset or tool to contribute.
What sets me apart is my ability to approach challenges from a bird’s-eye view and articulate clear, actionable pathways forward—no matter where the issue lies. Sometimes it’s a team dynamic, other times it’s a skill gap, and often it’s uncovering blind spots.
I’m incredibly proud to have built a career on word-of-mouth business, with coaching clients who experience life-changing breakthroughs and business clients who return year after year to continue our work together.
I bring experience, confidence, passion, collaboration, and joy to everything I do—and I think that’s a winning combination. As a coach, in particular, I’m not offering a “one-size-fits-all” program. My work is deeply customized, tailored to each client, and best experienced one-on-one or in small, intimate group settings.
At the heart of it all, I want to be of service. If I’m not the right fit to help an individual, group, or organization, I’ll find someone who is. My priority is healing and growth—not just for my clients, but for the world at large. I believe abundance comes in many forms, and I trust it will follow when the work is done with integrity and care.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Yes, I’ve learned that we are each responsible for our own mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. I’ve learned that being vulnerable and getting comfortable with discomfort are essential parts of building resilience. I’ve learned that true strength and courage come from owning every part of yourself—the messy and the magnificent.
I’ve learned that spending time with those you love is non-negotiable. That forgiveness and grace are transformative practices. That resilience is one of the greatest qualities you can cultivate.
I’ve learned that betting on yourself—even calling for a life “do-over” well into your 50s—is always the safest and most rewarding gamble. I’ve learned that I am worthy of every dream I can dream and every beautiful moment I create.
And perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned that life will keep “life-ing.” The world will spin on, with all its humanity—the good, the bad, and the most horrific. The real questions are: How much fun can we have? How much joy can we create and experience along the way? We cannot choose what happens however we can always choose how we respond to what happens…words to live by.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gabriellegarofalo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielle.garofalo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabrielle.garofalo.73
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellegarofaloinc/
- Youtube: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC10VRLS6aG73iKfAkOjs0aw/videos/upload?filter=%5B%5D&sort=%7B%22columnType%22%3A%22date%22%2C%22sortOrder%22%3A%22DESCENDING%22%7D
- Other: www.rebirth23.com
