My name is Lesley and I’m from Newark, NJ. I hated my name growing up because it always sounded strange to me compared to other little girl’s names. As it turns out, the meaning has some significance. The name Lesley has Celtic, Gaelic, English, and Scottish Origin; one of the common meanings is “From the Gray Fortress”. It also doesn’t hurt that gray is one of my favorite colors.
I’m blessed to have some pretty amazing people in my life; all brilliant and gifted in their own ways. Some of these people have even tapped into their gifts and found their purpose. It’s beautiful to watch someone light up and beam with pride when they talk about a project or a cause that they champion.
I’ve always admired that in other people but for a long time, I actually felt kind of sorry for myself. “What’s my thing? Why don’t I have something that excites me that way? What’s wrong with me that I can’t find anything to be that passionate about?” These questions were swirling around in my head until I realized it was right under my nose the whole time.
From offering advice on personal situations to helping someone add structure to a business idea to helping resolve conflict, I’m extremely passionate about helping people in any way that I can. Helping people gain clarity and/or achieve their goals is a tremendous source of gratification for me. Identifying this passion led me directly to my purpose. It’s truly rewarding to consciously and intentionally live in this purpose.
DISCLAIMER: I don’t claim to have all the answers. I’m merely a person blessed with the gifts of objectivity, practicality, authenticity, and fierce honesty. My goal is to create a safe place, an environment where people will feel comfortable being vulnerable and seeking help to work through life’s challenges. … a virtual fortress if you will. (See what I did there?) My mission is to help people gain perspective, which will ignite them to work towards becoming better, more fulfilled versions of themselves. I recognize that when engaged in self-improvement, people need understanding, not judgement. If I’m able to help at least one person, my self-discovery was well worth the journey it took to get here.
““If you’re thinking “Who am I to do this?”, I’d say, Get at it, Show up every day, work towards it, earn that right.””
This journey ignited my desire to learn more about ways that I could more formally be of assistance to others. My purpose is to be a source of safety to people seeking light and clarity without judgement. This is what led me to the field of coaching.
Through Gray Fortress Professional Services, my goal is to help people both personally and professionally by offering the following services. Click the links below for additional information.
Conflict Resolution Coaching
Small Business Consulting
