By: Jonathyn Lopez
Torriel Harris aims to help women, especially women of color, achieve their full potential, overcome self-doubt, and command their career success. Having navigated her career challenges, from losing jobs to personal setbacks, Torriel is uniquely equipped to help others turn their careers around. Her work focuses on sustainable growth, visibility, and the mindset shifts needed to thrive, regardless of industry.
Torriel’s story is one of resilience and transformation. She lost her job within a year after moving from California to New York. For an entire year, she struggled with unemployment, lost her car, and was on the brink of losing her apartment. In a back-to-work program, she began helping other participants with job searches and resume writing, which led to a recommendation for a new role at a different organization. From there, she never looked back. Her passion for career development blossomed, and she has since built a business dedicated to helping women achieve sustainable career growth. In 2021, with encouragement from a best friend and supervisor, Torriel transitioned into coaching full-time, offering career guidance to women across industries.
Today, Torriel runs a robust Group Coaching Program to help women move beyond their career barriers and embrace their professional values. The program is divided into two options: an 8-week fast-paced version and a 12-week, more personalized approach that includes one-on-one coaching. Both programs are structured around three key phases: Clarity, Communication, and Commitment. In the Clarity phase, Torriel guides women to uncover their true career desires, strengths, and gaps. The foundational phase is designed to help participants explore their professional goals and better understand their career aspirations. It provides an opportunity to reflect on their skills and strengths. Following this, the Communication phase focuses on developing clear and confident messaging about their professional value. This phase emphasizes strategies for increasing visibility and effectively articulating career goals to leadership and colleagues, whether aiming for a promotion or considering a career transition.
The final phase, Commitment, focuses on maintaining momentum. Torriel emphasizes that motivation alone is not enough to sustain long-term career growth. In this phase, women may learn how to manage time, boost productivity, and create quarterly plans that keep their career progression on track, even when life throws curveballs.
Torriel provides a community space where career-focused women can connect and engage in personal and professional growth. She facilitates sessions on imposter syndrome and personal branding alongside her coaching programs. Initially focused on women in nonprofit and social impact roles, the community has grown to welcome participants from various industries. The group fosters a welcoming environment where members can share experiences and access resources to support their career development.
Torriel’s work focuses on helping her clients achieve meaningful career progress. Many of the women she works with transition into new roles within a few months, often experiencing increases in compensation. Beyond securing new positions, the focus is aligning careers with individual values, goals, and skills. Her approach emphasizes helping women build confidence and uncover opportunities that contribute to lasting career fulfillment.
Despite her success as a coach, Torriel’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. She’s faced the weight of imposter syndrome and self-doubt, particularly as someone without a formal college degree. “For much of my career, I was constantly faced with the struggle of proving myself, especially when competing for roles against people with degrees,” she reflects. “But I’ve always been resilient and never let those obstacles define me. I’ve learned to keep moving forward, no matter what.”
Her resilience was tested again recently when Torriel was laid off from her job. She took her coaching business full-time instead of seeing it as a setback. “I’ve always told my clients to bet on themselves, so it was time I did the same,” she says. Since taking that step, Torriel has encountered various new opportunities, highlighting the possibilities that can arise when embracing change and confidence.
For Torriel, the heart of her work is about empowering women to recognize how freaking dope they are. “You’re more than your career,” she says. “You’re amazing, and you have so much to offer. My role is to help you see that, break through the barriers, and develop a plan that aligns with your career goals.” Torriel believes every woman deserves to be paid for her expertise and to be in a role that respects and values her contributions.
Her coaching philosophy is rooted in the idea that personal empowerment is key. “I don’t believe in saying I empower you,” Torriel explains. “You empower yourself. I’m here to help you get out of your way when those mindset blocks appear.” Whether dealing with burnout, imposter syndrome, or the uncertainty of the next career move, Torriel’s coaching provides the tools and mindset shifts needed to move forward confidently. She aims to support many women in pursuing meaningful career growth in 2025. She is dedicated to helping women across industries build confidence, overcome challenges, and take steps toward lasting career progress. “If you’re committed to the journey, I’ll be there to encourage and support you every step of the way,” she shares.
Ready to take your career to the next level? Join Torriel’s free community, sign up for her coaching programs, and start owning your dopeness today. You deserve it.
Published by Mark V.
