In Dele Downs Kooley's military family, Christmas traditions are reinvented every couple of years, from reindeer food to Snoop on the Stoop. Despite being told single mothers couldn't start over, she took a huge risk to relocate with $1,500 and forged a path to a six-figure income.

"I chose not to listen to the stories that we tell ourselves, that society tells us, that condition us to not want more. I chose to create a plan, measure my progress against it, and build the life of my dreams." - Dele Downs Kooley

Dele Downs Kooley is a life and leadership coach, certified coach, and author of Inspiring Women Professionals Who Boss Up. She brings 20 years of experience from her Air Force family, Department of Defense, and three law enforcement agencies to her work.

Dele had been tasked with taking a huge risk; leaving her 20 year marriage with $1,500 and her daughter, uprooting her life and starting fresh. She had a goal and a plan, and despite the fear and the doubt from those around her, she followed it. After months of hard work, she managed to find a job, make a home for her family and build a life of her dreams. She had to adjust her plan many times, but her ambition and resilience allowed her to overcome all obstacles. Taking the risk was the best decision she ever made.

In this episode, you will learn the following:

1. How did a blended family, with a Jamaican-born mother, manage to move and create traditions around the world?

2. How did the speaker create a plan to start over with $1,500 and no job prospects?

3. How did the speaker manage to defy industry math and reimagine her career to earn a living wage?

Resources:

https://delekooleycoaching.com/

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

Doni Aldine on Third Culture Kids

Martine Kalaw on Being a Stateless Immigrant, DEI and Corporations

Jake Sasseville on Moving to Costa Rica to Start a Retreat Center

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Chapter Summaries:

[00:00:02]

A World of Difference is a podcast for those who are different and want to make a difference. Deli Downs Kooley is a life coach and leadership coach. She's here on the show today to talk about her personal journey.

[00:02:01]

This year, all of the children will be home for the holidays. The family has added snoop on the stoop to their collection. The kids hide their own snoop dogs and go about the day trying to find them. For many, it's a gift to be able to take some time off and enjoy family.

[00:04:31]

I'm Jamaican by birth. I was born in Jamaica. And moved to Kansas, of all places. Grew up in international schools, and so did my husband. We spent 20 years raising our family in Southeast Asia. Love it. Military family.

[00:06:22]

Author of book, inspiring Women Professionals Who Boss Up. Her story starts with $1,500.04 suitcases and one girl. She left her 20 year marriage with the biggest risk she's ever taken. Would recommend the book to anyone looking to inspire a young woman or an ally.

[00:14:48]

The author was told she wouldn't be able to start over when she moved to the U.S. Nine years later, she has remarried and her family is thriving. What inspired her to write the book? The people who took a chance on her.

[00:23:55]

I'd been offered many jobs where I could work at a higher level, a higher capacity, but my pay wouldn't increase. So I started thinking again about what might a different life look like. How could I reimagine my career again in a way that serves me well?

[00:26:42]

Did you find that there was bias around you as a woman? Was there a motherhood penalty that you feel like you faced? As a single mom in particular, there's the single mom tax that works against single parents. When you're open and transparent, your working relationships are much better because of it.

[00:33:45]

Research shows men are seen for their potential and women have to show all the experience and sometimes double the experience. As women, be more open and honest about your aspirations. Be clear about what you want. When you are, it's much easier to find sponsors.

[00:43:08]

Sometimes our energy is on the things that we have absolutely no control over. Instead, focus on what we do have control over, our plan. If you're focused on the outcome, then you don't get tripped up in the details.

[00:53:34]

Every job I've ever had was because I knew someone. It's the who you know, that makes such a difference. There's more than one way to connect to the hiring managers resources for jobs that you're interested in.

[00:56:20]

The bias that impacts women, single moms, first generation, all of those things. Deli Downs is running a New Year's special, Career Catalyst, where she has a coaching package that is currently 60% off of my coaching rates. How can you accelerate your progress in 2023 and beyond?

[01:01:39]

She's someone who's overcome some adversity and found some handles on how to walk through that. Please reach out to her for coaching. Read her book, glean from her wisdom and her years of experience both abroad and back in her home country.

[01:03:04]

I know many of you have made some New Year's resolutions. I have my own board of advisors, so to speak, of people I've brought around me. The end of the year and the beginning of a new year is the chance to kind of reset some things. Let us know what you're saying goodbye to from last year.

Become a patron of this podcast, and enjoy free merch. Join other patrons of this podcast at Patreon.

**********

Dele Downs Kooley (sounds like Deli) is the master of the pivot and your fast pass to the front of the line! She has a diverse background complements of her 20 year adventure as an Air Force family member and Department of Defense civilian, working at three law enforcement agencies, and navigating corporate America at some of the largest names in the business. Her career roles centered on communications, training, finance, program management, and leadership & development. Dele gives to her community through her roles as President of the Board of Directors for No More Under, a non-profit focused on drowning prevention; and sits on the Board of the Leader Transition Institute, a non-profit focused on military transition assistance. She has most recently added the title of author to her list of accomplishments with the December launch of her book project along with other authors: Inspiring Women Professionals Who BossUp: Learning the Ways of Women on the Rise Making an Impact

As a certified Leadership + life coach, she uses the lessons she learned along the way to help herclients find clarity on the life they want to live, create intentional pivots, and how to achieve their goals as quickly as possible. She speaks often on the topics of personal development, career transitions, mentoring, resilience, Diversity & Inclusion, and inclusive hiring at companies such as Amazon, Expedia Group, Microsoft, the Women in Tech Regatta, and The Bicycle Leadership Conference.

Dele's superpower is networking and connecting people to create magic! When not working or coaching her clients to create the life of their dreams this busy mother of five can be found outside enjoying the Pacific Northwest or at a live sporting event with her family.

Dele Downs Kooley

Founder, CEO; Dele Kooley Coaching

(425) 628-8495

ddownskooley@microsoft.com

New Years' Special: you can get 60% off by going to delekooleycoaching.com to book a free session, and ask Delle about the Career Catalyst Package you heard about on the podcast.

Find Dellee on Instagram and LinkedIn

How Women Rise is a book Delle mentioned that impacted her.

******

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