Hi, my name is Julie. I founded Radical Lotus to develop leaders who rise above challenges and create meaningful impact.

MY “WHY”

I’ve been fascinated by human behavior my entire life—why people think and behave the way they do, what drives them, what holds them back. This curiosity led me from Yale’s psychology program to Columbia Business School, then into 20+ years of leadership development work where I discovered something profound: change requires tremendous discipline, commitment, grit, and self-compassion.

As a coach and consultant, I’m in awe of my clients every day. What I love most is helping leaders find their own resilience. While each has a unique story of adversity, they also have an incredible capacity and willingness to transform their lives. The most rewarding moments in my career have been watching my clients—like lotuses—rise up from the mud, bloom out of the darkness, and radiate into the world. Their journeys inspire me, and honestly, they encourage me to make positive changes in my own life too.

The real turning point came at Delta Air Lines, where I watched leaders navigate unprecedented change—through the COVID-19 pandemic and the CrowdStrike crisis. The ones who thrived weren’t necessarily the smartest—they were the most adaptable, the most authentic, and the most rooted in their values. That’s when I knew: traditional leadership training wasn’t enough. Leaders needed something deeper.

This is precisely why I named my company Radical Lotus. Choosing a fulfilling life—one rooted in purpose, wellness, and joy—is a RADICAL act in a world that rewards conformity. And just like the LOTUS, we too have the ability to rise from the mud, bloom out of the darkness, and radiate into the world. I founded Radical Lotus to develop leaders who do exactly that.

MY BACKGROUND

My career has been dedicated to understanding what drives leadership excellence and helping organizations develop it. To that end, I’ve spent 20+ years developing leaders across Fortune 500 companies:

• General Manager, Delta Air Lines (2019-2025)—Led enterprise global leadership strategy, designed programs for 100,000+ employees (4.8/5.0 satisfaction)

• Senior Faculty, Mentora, formerly Institute for Personal Leadership (2013-2019)—Delivered keynotes and coaching to Deloitte, MetLife, Unilever, United Nations, Verizon Wireless, World Bank

• Adjunct Faculty, Columbia Business School (2013-2019)—Supported the delivery of leadership elective “Personal Leadership & Success” to MBA, EMBA, and Executive Education students

• Senior Consultant, Deloitte Consulting (2009-2013)

I hold a BA in Psychology from Yale and an MBA from Columbia Business School. I’m also a Columbia and ICF-certified executive coach and hold certifications in CliftonStrengths (Gallup), Hogan Assessment Systems, Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), and the Association for Talent Development (ATD) Creating Leadership Development Programs.

MY PERSONAL SIDE

When I’m not pursuing my purpose of developing leaders, I’m practicing what I preach. You’ll find me pursuing wellness by cooking Korean food and learning BTS dances, and finding joy in creating beach-themed art, singing in a band with my husband, and adventuring with our two daughters.