My Journey
Marie Carmel’s remarkable journey embodies her struggles and resilience, highlights her dedication to public service and advocacy, her ability to navigate and overcome challenges while balancing multiple roles. She demonstrated leadership and left a lasting legacy through the enduring positive impact she made throughout her career.
As a teenager, I left my native Haiti to join my parents and siblings in the US. As a Haitian immigrant, I faced the daunting task of learning English alongside my siblings. My father’s nightly record player lessons and my parents’ dedication and drive to assure we learned the language and culture became our gateway to a new life, a constant reminder of our parents' sacrifices. High school was challenging, but the Haitian community at school provided support. I became the first in my family to attend college, enrolling in the nursing program at City College of New York. However, my passion lay elsewhere, leading me to Brooklyn College to major in Sociology with minors in Psychology and French, aiming for a career as a social worker.
While my path took me to social services, it wasn't as a social worker. Instead, I started with temporary positions, then a bank teller role, eventually rising to Customer Service Representative. This experience fueled my desire for public service, leading me to a Child Protective Specialist (CPS) position with the government. Here, I investigated child abuse and neglect cases, visiting homes in low-income communities where safety was often a concern.
Throughout my career, my unwavering focus was on the children we served. As a Property Manager, I prioritized repairs in apartments with children, to ensure their safety. Even while inspecting buildings in the neighborhoods of New York City, my aim was always to improve living conditions.
Driven by my passion to serve, I pursued a Master's in Education with a focus on guidance and counseling while juggling work, motherhood, and evening classes. My dedication extended beyond my own studies. As an Assistant Commissioner at HPD, I coordinated emergency services for New Yorkers and have been recognized for my tireless efforts and desires to serve.
I was fortunate to reach high-level positions that brought new challenges, new understanding, appreciation and respect for others and their struggles. Throughout my career, often the only woman and person of color (POC), I felt a sense of intimidation. It took some time to overcome self-doubt. Through self-evaluation and training, I gained the confidence to feel comfortable and prove my place at the table, always remembering the reason I was there. As Associate Commissioner in Child Welfare, I regularly visited children's centers, reminding myself and my team of our purpose: serving families.
My goal was always to work with integrity and to be committed to serve and to do it with passion, particularly for children and families. I work hard to champion the empowerment of staff from underrepresented and underserved communities, masterfully restructuring organizations for lasting efficiency. Addressing families' needs was one of my most rewarding experiences and I needed to assure our organization's structure supported this effort.
Becoming a coach…
My leadership strengths lie in team building, restructuring operations, training, developing and coaching staff. I would say my efforts have always been to stabilize neighborhoods, homes, and lives. I take pride in helping women of color, developing staff, and positively impacting families. My advice is simple yet powerful: be passionate, give your best, and maintain balance.
Coaching and empowering others has always been my deepest passion. Encouraged by my staff, I pursued a coaching career and became a Certified Professional Coach through the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) while still working full-time. This journey begun in 2014, led me to become a Certified Professional Coach in 2015 and have transformed not only my ability to better coach others but also my own self-awareness.
Since 2016, I've served as an internal coach, first within my agency at all levels, then expanding to provide pro bono support to various staff in city agencies and other sectors. In 2023, I launched my coaching business specifically focused on supporting and empowering women and women of color to achieve their leadership potential.
Witnessing a leader's transformation from hesitant to confident, guiding their team to success, is incredibly fulfilling. It's a testament to their resilience and the ripple effect of individuals reaching their full potential.
My passion for leadership development stems from the simple belief that everyone deserves the chance to shine. My coaching provides a safe space for women and women managers from underrepresented communities to thrive and unlock their full potential.
Seeing their growth and the positive ripple effect it creates on strengthening teams, empowering individuals and communities, fuels my dedication to this work.
Are you ready to step into your power and make a lasting impact?
Schedule your discovery call today and let’s embark on a transformative journey together.