One of the founding principles of Moxie is to lead with authenticity. We encourage people to show the hard work behind their triumphs, the accidents alongside the curated. This is second nature for Sydney Jackson-Clockston.
Sydney has this way of speaking that is laid back and soft, yet energetic. Listening to her, you get the impression you’re only hearing a fraction of her brilliance, that this is just the tip of the iceberg. She’s honest yet optimistic—she’ll tell it like it is, and she’ll also tell you why it’s going to be ok. All of this makes her an amazing coach.
Sydney is the Founder of Citrine Unlimited, her coaching and consulting business. As a Transformative Coach, Sydney offers personal and professional coaching, self-guided challenges, and courses to folx in Denver and beyond. She helps people approach their lives from a place of clarity and confidence.
“Old business used to tell you you had to leave your personal life at the door, silo your personal life from your professional life,” Sydney says. “That’s not true.” When working with clients, Sydney takes a holistic approach. She realizes that what happens to us outside of work is not sealed off from how we behave on the job. The idea is antiquated and, quite frankly, patriarchal.
Instead, Sydney encourages people to embrace who they are in order to show up fully, both in their jobs and in their personal lives. Not only does it make more sense as humans to see our personal and professional selves as part of the same whole; it also makes sense as a business strategy.
“We know our consumers are getting smarter. They want to see who we are authentically.” Instagram influencers and sleazy sales promises have made us wary, increasing the demand for authentic human connection. Sydney works with people to feel comfortable and confident enough to bring that authenticity to the table. Frequently, that means she’s dealing with Imposter Syndrome.
Have you ever landed a job or an opportunity that you felt totally unqualified for? Or maybe you’ve worked with a client and were constantly afraid of being found out for not knowing what the f you were doing? Ya, that beauty is Imposter Syndrome. It’s the pattern of internalizing doubts and feeling like you’re not cut out for something. I’m pretty sure every entrepreneur on the planet has had a serious relationship with that bae.
Sydney loves working with clients on Imposter Syndrome because the transformation can be huge, especially for womxn and BIPOC folx. Imposter Syndrome tends to impact non-male and non-white people more because, well, everything: pervasive white supremacist culture, partiarchal standards, systemic racism, #45…. That’s precisely why we need people like Sydney to break through that false narrative of doubt. We need non-male, non-white people to get empowered, and she’s the one for the job.
“As a coach I’m here to stretch people, to push them to think outside the box,” Sydney says. “Because of my lived experience as a Black woman, I’m able to stretch people even further than maybe what a white coach would be able to, depending on their lived experience.”
Sydney’s life experience includes being a Black life coach in Colorado, which means working in a heavily white-dominated industry in a heavily white-dominated state. She’s had to confront the depths of self-doubt just to introduce herself at a networking event. “Being a black person in Colorado, when I walk into a room, every time I assess ‘Is this room meant for me?’”
Having done the hard work herself, Sydney now wants to help other people work through these challenges. In addition to one-on-one coaching, she also offers self-guided group challenges. On deck right now is 30 Days of Gratitude, 21 Days to Finding Courage During Tumultuous Times, and a womxn’s group called Goddess Connection.
In every program or session she leads, Sydney brings that down-to-earth, optimistic perspective. And for other BIPOC folx trying to make it in a predominantly white industry, she’s got some words of wisdom: “Keep in mind that you are breaking glass ceilings for other folx behind you.”
Sydney encourages professionals of color to mentor someone coming up in their industry so they can share the wisdom and connections. There’s a certain magic that comes from a BIPOC person learning from another BIPOC person; there’s shared cultural understanding and experience that just isn’t available if they were being mentored by a white person. “When I’m working with other Black women, we can inherently understand each other and speak a language that just flows,” Sydney explained.
Given all the scenarios in which people of color don’t see themselves represented, having a coach or mentor who looks like you can be revolutionary. And even if you’re white—maybe especially if you’re white—working with a coach of color is an important step towards equity. Us white folx need to see more non-white folx in positions of expertise and authority. We need to normalize following BIPOC leaders, hiring BIPOC consultants, listening to BIPOC experts. Why not start by working on ourselves at the same time?
If you want personal or professional guidance with Sydney, check out Citrine Unlimited. You can get a taste of her style by taking her mindset course for free.
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