Terentia Browne: Chemical Engineer to Leadership Coach & Entrepreneur
She dreamt of becoming a doctor, but chose chemical engineering instead.
This is the story of Terentia Browne, founder of Impel Talent, and my latest guest on the Clocking Out podcast!
๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ Watch on YouTube →
๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ
Born and raised in Durban, South Africa, during the final years of apartheid, Terentia was the first grandchild on either side of her family to attend university.
Raised by her single parent mom who often told her:
"๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐๐ฐ๐น๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐."
She listened.
Then studied chemical engineering, one of the toughest disciplines out there, despite never having met an engineer in her life!
๐ฅBaptism of Fire
Her earlier career began with grueling night shifts that eventually led to a stress-induced hospitalization.
She persevered.
Climbed the corporate ladder.
Until February 2019, while attending a leadership residency in a Dubai hotel, when she was confronted with a single question:
"๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ?".
She realized that her true "happy place" was coaching & developing people, rather than maintaining technical systems.
After receiving a "Rising Star" award in New York and gaining her mother's blessing, she quit.
Flew back to South Africa to launch her new business, then COVID hit.
With no office, no clients, and no roadmap, she sat in her apartment and built a leadership program from scratch.
Her first sale was $300.
By the end of that same year, she had sold that program to Airbus that propelled her business to the next level!
Today, Terentia helps Fortune 500 leaders become world-class leaders.
Other things we talked about:
โ Turning down a "dream" promotion because she wasn't willing to leave a team she loved
โ Telling her mother she was walking away from the degree she'd sacrificed everything for
โ What it really means to fly two planes at once, and knowing when to let go of the one you're on
I just loved this story as it relates to me in so many ways… I’m now planning a trip to meet Terenetia soon in Durban.
Want to learn more about her clocking out story? Listen here:
