How did I get here?
Hey there wonderful human! Thanks so much for dropping by.
I am Heang Forbes, Certified Career Confidence and Empowerment Coach and Mentor for corporate women who want to build career success with fierce empathy, courage and kindness.
How I came to be here…
I am of Chinese-Cambodian descent, a daughter of refugees who migrated to Australia in the early 1980’s. Growing up as a first generation immigrant, I had to straddle two very different cultures from a young age, while also trying to work out who on earth I actually was at the same time.
I grew up believing that if I worked hard enough at anything, I could make it anywhere. My parents instilled in me a hard work ethic, perseverance and resilience - how could they not? They survived against all odds for me and my brother to have the life that I have. And I am eternally grateful for that.
From completing (surviving?) high school, to becoming the first member of my family to graduate from University, I proceeded to work towards my dream of having a corner office in a lofty high rise city building. Before I’d even had the chance to throw my cap in the air, I secured a graduate position at a Big Four Bank.
I was ecstatic. Finally.
I was on my way to fulfill my career dreams. The dream of being…..a banker?
I don’t even think this was what was on my mind at the time. All I knew was, I was on my way to big things. I didn’t know what those big things were yet, but it felt amazing.
What I have learnt since…
Over the last two decades, I watched my beautiful, sparkly snowglobe of a dream corporate career spin, bubble and swirl around and very, very slowly, settle into something that I could barely recognise. One minute, things were swirling and moving ever so gracefully and easily toward, what I thought was, my dream. And, the next minute, it was collecting dust, sitting still, stagnant and unmoving. Was this what I really wanted?
Do you feel me here?
I’ve sat through enough leadership meetings, town halls and big calls to know that you are not alone when it comes to feeling like you have no idea how you ended up where you are. Feeling like, you have completely lost the passion and zest for your career that you had when you started this journey.
When I started my career journey, as a young Asian woman in a predominantly white, middle aged male environment, I had to deal with sexism, racism, ageism and sexual harassment in the workplace.
It was something I did not expect and it was certainly something I was not prepared for. And the fact that women still have to deal with this in workplaces today, is truly unacceptable.
So the “battle” to prove myself and my worth in the workplace began.
I experienced…
the joy of being promoted - but was I really the right candidate?
the despair of not getting the role I interviewed for - of course there was someone better. I’m sure he will do a much better job.
the agonising tension and unknowing of constant restructures and organisational reshuffling - did I perform well enough to keep my job this time?
witnessing promotions based on relationships and favouritism rather than merit
hearing the office water cooler talk that sounds like “she’s too weak to cut it on the leadership team”, or “I will never be promoted because I can’t behave like a man”.
Does this sound familiar?
I see you.
I have learned a thing or two over twenty years in navigating the corporate and leadership landscape.
And what I know now with all of my heart, is that stepping into leadership and success does not require us to disguise ourselves or to be someone that we are not and to behave outside of our integrity.
When I realised that these insights were the pathway to step into leadership in a way that truly embraces our unique selves and the value that we have to offer, I pursued my desire to help other driven career women through mentoring and coaching.
This is what gets my snowglobe swirling again.
What I’m all about now…
I am now here to help career driven women like you, to reclaim their confidence in the workplace so they can step into their leadership potential.
To reignite their passion and purpose in their careers.
To reconnect to their power with ownership and control the direction of their future.
And to do so with compassion, courage, kindness and understanding, because this is what is needed in the workplace right now.
If this sounds like the kind of woman you are and desire to be, know that I am here to support you in the best way I can.
Leaning into my 20-years of corporate leadership experience in the banking and finance industry, along with my mentoring, coaching and lived experience of all the things you are facing, feeling and going through, you can reignite your purpose and passions.
Let me help you get your snowglobe swirling again.
This is what my coaching is about….
I’m here to support career driven women like you to reignite and reclaim your passion, purpose and power. My coaching methodology is based on effective, heart-centred and action-based coaching with foundations of NLP practices, intuition, energy and Human Design.
The way I work with my clients to enable them to live on purpose is by guiding them to uncover and learn their unique blueprint, so that they can have a deeper understanding of their own why and create ways to thrive as themselves authentically.
I truly believe that deep down, you know who you are. You know what you want. You know the answers to the burning questions. I’m simply here to witness you, shake up your snowglobe and to help you examine all the moving parts that are swirling about.
Doesn’t that sound like fun?