Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Wendy Perdomo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Wendy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Coaching Women of Color, LLC is more than just a business—it’s a healing journey and a labor of love that evolved over time. The story behind it is deeply personal. In many ways, it was born out of my divorce, which marked one of the darkest periods of my life. At the time of my separation, I was also in a senior role at the New York State Education Department as an Innovation Fellow. I was leading a large-scale professional development institute for the state and co-leading the rollout of a new tool I had developed for district and school leaders across New York. It was a high-stakes, fast-paced, time-sensitive environment, with little to no room for error. We were a two-person team, and the expectations were high. Amid all of this, I was personally unraveling—but I didn’t have permission to fall apart. I had to hold it together. Show face. Deliver results. I learned firsthand that as women of color in leadership roles, we are often not afforded the space to fully experience our pain. The stakes are too high, the bills still need to be paid, and society has taught us to carry the weight and push through—no matter what. So while I was professionally thriving, privately I was crashing. Then a dear friend invited me to attend a Landmark Worldwide training. I did some research, joined the Landmark Forum, and eventually completed their advanced training. Through that program, I began to water the parts of myself that had long been neglected. I started to understand what was truly possible for my life. Landmark opened the door to personal growth and transformation, presented through a lens I resonated with—training and coaching. I had always been a great listener since high school but now on my own healing journey I saw the power of what coaching could do from a personal accountability and transformation space. I decided to pursue a year long training as an Executive Coach with the Accomplishment Coaching Training Program and embarked on an even deeper dive into all things Wendy. When you do the work, the deep mirror work of looking at your wounds, it all comes up and out. I now was coming face to face with all the ways that I stopped myself and once I tapped into my own power, I felt a deep calling to do this work—not just for anyone, but for women just like me. Women of color leaders who are the salt of the earth, who have weathered one too many storms, and yet still manage to show up. I wanted to create a safe, soft landing place for us. A space where we are reminded that we have permission to thrive—not just survive. That on the other side of a breakdown, there is always a breakthrough. That joy, happiness, and peace are our birthright. We do not have to stay in toxic workplaces or situations that fail to honor our worth.
Coaching Women of Color is all of that.
Founded in 2017, Coaching Women of Color’s mission is to support women of color professionals in reclaiming their power, overcoming limiting beliefs, and taking bold action toward designing the life and career they desire. We envision a future where women of color leaders are fully represented across all industries—living lives by design, not by default—and serving as catalysts for positive change in their communities.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am an Afro-Latina woman of Dominican descent, and I founded Coaching Women of Color out of both lived experience and deep purpose.
After spending over 25 years working in the nonprofit, educational, and government sectors, I came face to face with a harsh reality—one that too many Women of Color know intimately, the culture of constant hustle. The unspoken expectation to do more while climbing the ladder. The sacrifice of family time, well-being, and self, all in service of a mission-driven job that is doing critical work.
And don’t get me wrong I have enjoyed my 9-5 and have always been proud of my work, but I began to feel that I wanted to do more and that my footprint on this planet extended beyond the work I was doing in a 9-5. That I had the capacity, talent and drive to do more during my lifetime and I intended to do so.
Through my own journey—and eventually as a certified coach—I got a front-row seat to the stories of other Women of Color. Women who were often the “only” in the room. Women who constantly questioned whether they were doing too much or not enough. Women who carried the weight of representation, the pressure to perform, and the burden of unspoken bias. Women battling against internalized doubt that was never theirs to begin with.
That’s why I started this work.
Because I saw the gap—and I knew that closing it would require more than performative diversity efforts. It would require:
Transformational coaching
Culturally grounded leadership development
Honest conversations about systems and structures and wellness
And an intentional space to center the lived experiences of Women of Color in professional settings
At Coaching Women of Color, we support Women of Color to lead without compromise, protect their peace, and cultivate careers that don’t require sacrificing who they are.
We offer services including:
Executive & Leadership Coaching
Custom Leadership Development Program Design
Team Development using the DiSC model to build stronger, more collaborative teams
Retreat Design & Facilitation for leadership teams, affinity groups, and ERGs
Employee Resource Group (ERG) Facilitation
Workshops & Trainings on topics including:
Executive Presence
Imposter Syndrome
Burnout Recovery
Salary Negotiation
Self-Advocacy
Psychological Safety
Addressing Bias in the Workplace
Setting Boundaries
Authentic Leadership
Organizational Consulting to support inclusive leadership, team culture, and professional development pathways
Speaking Engagements & Moderation
All of our offerings are built with cultural fluency, deep listening, and a trauma-aware, human-centered approach.
For Women of Color: We offer one on one executive coaching where you will be supported to create the space, gain the tools, and have the support to lead from a place of power and wholeness. We help you set boundaries, define success on your terms, advocate for yourself, and stop over-functioning.
For Organizations: We help organizations through a customized approach of supporting leaders to align their people practices with their stated values through individual or group coaching, speaking engagements, team development sessions or developing leadership programming that will equip leaders to manage inclusively, foster safety and belonging and support employee wellness and growth.
What Sets Us Apart..
Identity-Informed: As an Afro-Latina founder, I bring the lens of lived experience to every space I lead, coach, and train in. That cultural fluency shapes how we design, listen, and serve.
Mission-Driven With Boundaries: We understand the pressures of working in mission-aligned spaces—because we’ve lived it. And we know that healthy leadership must include boundaries, sustainability, and care.
Depth & Data: We combine coaching psychology, leadership frameworks (like DiSC and Positive Intelligence), and equity principles with real-world nuance and empathy.
What We’re Most Proud Of…
We are proud of the transformations we’ve supported—women finding their voice, setting healthier boundaries, asking for what they deserve, and finally believing they don’t have to shrink to lead.
We’re proud of the leaders who rethink how they lead after engaging in our coaching program. Of the teams that move from toxic to transparent. And of the ripple effect that happens when Women of Color begin to trust that they are enough, just as they are.
What We Want You to Know
Coaching Women of Color is more than a service—it’s a sanctuary, a strategy, and a call to reimagine leadership on our own terms.
If you are a Woman of Color who has given so much to your work and are ready to return to yourself—this space is for you.
If you are an organization who is seeking to create greater team cohesion and truly moving your team from one that is functioning in silos to one that has a greater sense of team synergy, productivity psychological safety and sense of belonging, we can help you get there.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One lesson I had to unlearn is the “comfort trap” that can come with the “golden handcuffs” or a well paid salary. As humans we crave comfort. Additionally, I was not raised with a risk taking mentality so getting a high earning job with benefits and staying there until death do us part would have been great and likely the ideal scenario for my parents. As I tossed around the idea in earlier days of walking away from my 9-5 to start my own business, my mom would question it with an uncertainty that seemed more like apprehension instead of true curiosity. And that hesitation from my mom, also had me hesitating for a bit on making the full leap. Many of us have money wounds that we must unlearn that are passed down generationally and for my mom walking away from my steady paycheck was definitely a “what you talking about willis moment” … I am definitely dating myself, LOL.
However, when you have a purpose to live into and to bring forth as part of your existence, when the tug within is stronger and deep down inside you know that you can be doing more and are destined for more, comfort is not the path.
I have had to unlearn that my steady paycheck was not the only way I could reach a fulfilling life and give back.
And everything I have ultimately done in service of launching and sustaining Coaching Women of Color, as a business has involved being a risk taker, being the first, being bold, speaking up and out and it has been far from comfortable.
Starting a business and then sustaining it, is not overnight success. It takes discipline, consistency, business coaching support and mentoring, strategy and being honest about what you know and don’t know and getting out of your own way.
As an executive coach, I often am the person hired to support and solve but you will quickly learn that sustaining a coaching business requires you to be a learner and it is definitely one of the most humbling experiences that I live through every day and continue to live into daily.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I’ve had the privilege of a solid 25-year career in the nonprofit and education sectors, where I’ve worked alongside some really great humans who are both mission-driven, equity-centered and visionary leaders. I credit much of my growth to learning from those who modeled integrity, excellence, and values-based leadership.
From day one, my rule of thumb has always been to do excellent work. I don’t believe in mediocrity—especially when our work impacts lives, communities, and futures. I’ve held myself to a high standard in every space I’ve entered, not just because it’s expected, but because it’s a reflection of my values. I believe your work should speak for you before you ever enter the room.
At the core, I see myself as a servant leader. I lead from a place of purpose—not performance. My goal with CWC has always been to serve and empower others to see themselves as confident, capable, powerful leaders who are worthy of taking up space and claiming their value. That’s where my reputation has been built: in the moments where I’ve been able to hold space for people to reconnect with their authenticity and lead from that place.
I think people trust me because I don’t coach from a pedestal—I coach from presence. I meet people where they are, I listen deeply, and I challenge them to stop shrinking. I remind them of who they are, what they carry, and what they deserve.
At the end of the day, my reputation is rooted in alignment. I do what I say I will do. I show up with excellence, honesty, heart and integrity. And I hold the mirror up so others can see the leader that’s already inside them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coachingwomenofcolor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachwendyp/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyperdomoleadershipcoach/
