About Paula
Twenty-eight years inside.
Now in your corner.

I spent 28 years at Wells Fargo — long enough to see every version of the corporate story up close. I managed people from their first job to seasoned senior leaders. I spent fifteen years getting things done at the senior-executive level through influence rather than authority, which is its own education. I navigated three major re-organizations and kept teams steady through all of them, including years of leading people I rarely saw in person, scattered across time zones.
Along the way I noticed something that never stopped bothering me: the most capable people were so often the ones most convinced they weren't ready. Talented professionals waiting for permission. Doubting themselves out of promotions they'd already earned. Staying quiet in rooms where their answer was the right one.
That's why I became a certified coach — and why I coach the way I do.
What I believe about careers
- Practical wins. Insight matters, but action changes careers. Every session ends with something concrete to do.
- Your skills are more portable than you think. Most people underestimate what they already know how to do. Half my job is translation.
- Confidence is built, not found. It comes from evidence, language, and reps — all of which can be deliberately practiced.
- The system has rules nobody writes down. Promotions, visibility, politics, re-orgs — I've watched how they actually work for almost three decades, and I'll tell you plainly.
Who I work best with
Mid-career and earlier professionals who are ready to move — toward a promotion, a new direction, or simply a version of themselves that stops playing small. If you want a cheerleader, I'm not your coach. If you want someone in your corner who's honest, practical, and completely invested in your growth — let's talk.