In this Career Stories episode, I chat with Elyse Verkuylen, a past client and now a people leader working in transformation and operations - about the winding, messy, and meaningful path to leadership.

Elyse shares how growing up with limited resources shaped her resourcefulness, why she calls herself “career promiscuous,” and how she intentionally curated a leadership journey that aligns with her values and vision (even when the path didn’t always make sense on paper).

In this episode, we talk about:

- The power of building leadership skills before you have the title

- Why curiosity and self-direction are career superpowers

- How Elyse uses coaching to build self-sufficiency and momentum in her team

- What it means to be a servant leader (and why it’s so damn hard)

- Letting go of perfectionism and leading from the back of the room

- Why emotional intelligence and self-awareness are non-negotiables for modern leadership

This episode is packed with insight, humility, and real talk that will inspire any new or emerging leader to reflect, reset, and take that next brave step.

What did you think of the episode? Was it helpful or is there something else you want me to cover? Send me a DM on Instagram or LinkedIn - I would love to hear from you.

Links and Resources Mentioned:

VIP Leaders Leadership Program - the signature program that helps you strengthen your leadership identity, build trusted influence, and level up your emotional intelligence to become a leader people actually want to follow.  Join the waitlist for the next round starting in September.

Connect with Elyse:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elysewalker

Are we connected? If not, connect here:

Website: tashpieterse.com

Instagram: @tash_pieterse

LinkedIn: tashpieterse

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