Today we’d like to introduce you to Angie O’Donnell and Sue Williamson.
Our story goes back to 1990 in Zurich, Switzerland, where we were working as summer interns as part of the Babson MBA program. That summer was full of exploration and our friendship was firmly grounded in a rich personal experience. Over the next 25 years, we grew our respective careers and our families while remaining in close contact no matter where we were living and working. We were always there for one another during life’s big milestones like Angie’s wedding, the births of our children, and the many anniversary and birthday dinners over the years. When Angie got the job offer to move to Hong Kong with Bank Boston, Sue was the first person she called to help her decide; and when Sue needed support with her career choices, Angie was always a phone call away. That close bond served us well when Angie decided to start a coaching practice in 2003 and become an entrepreneur, and again when Sue decided to leave her corporate role in 2007 in the interest of finding a way to own and operate her own business. Both of our fathers were successful entrepreneurs so we understood what it meant to launch a business, how it would be all-consuming in the early years, and that we may not see a decent paycheck in the near-term. As friends do, we talked about how each of us was looking for “the next version” of our professional lives. Soon after Angie’s practice gained momentum, we had one of those serious life discussions about Sue joining as a partner and together building a business that would satisfy our desires to help people reach their potential – and we decided to go for it. That was 10 years ago, and we’ve had the enormous advantage of being friends first; in fact, one of our operating agreements is that our friendship will always come first, which means we can make decisions quickly, assess opportunities knowing the other person’s preferences, and seamlessly share the responsibilities of a growing business.
Has it been a smooth road?
Yes, we’ve had a few bumps along the way. Starting a coaching business in 2007 wasn’t ideal timing given the global meltdown that was about to take place in 2008-2009; but of course, we didn’t know that then so our spirits were initially high. We soon discovered though that budget dollars for coaching were no longer available, and through a referral from a friend, we started designing and delivering leadership development workshops at Harvard’s Kennedy School. This was our entrée into the broader world of leadership development. Angie’s prior experience running global leadership programs in financial services companies really helped us get traction, and Sue’s experience as a compensation expert was another point of leverage for us while the economy was tanking. As a result, we were able to support our fledgling business in the first few years with project work and leadership workshops. Ironically, those early workshops led to a suite of 20 unique workshops that have become a critical part of our business, and we’re now able to blend workshops and coaching to create customized leadership programs. So our biggest obstacle early on forced us to make lemonade from lemons!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with 3D Leadership Group – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
3D Leadership Group specializes in leadership development; specifically through individual and team coaching, leadership workshops, assessments used for leadership development, and an expertise in developing executive presence. We are known for our carefully selected team of experienced coaches, our high-touch, high-impact approach to our client service, and our expertise in assessments, including our experience using them and our broad toolbox of certifications in these assessments. Additionally, we offer a very cohesive experience for our clients, which is different than many other coaching firms that have large networks of loosely affiliated coaches.
What sets us apart is our intention to build a deep and lasting relationship with each of our clients. To be more than a vendor or an external consultant, but rather be the person they call when they need a sounding board on any issue. Over the past 10 years, many of our clients have moved companies and they always bring us with them, and we think that’s a testament to the depth of our relationships.
Contact Info:
- Address: 396 Washington Street, Suite 207
Wellesley, MA 02481 - Website: 3dleadershipgroup.com
- Phone: 781.453.9800
- Email: info@3dleadershipgroup.com
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