Desiree Guilliard-Young on being in the room, taking up space, and focusing on the “how”.
Welcome, Desiree! Tell us a bit more about your work.
I am currently a speaker and consultant in the business development workforce. Workforce management with an emphasis on people/HR and culture. My sweet spot right now is the fitness industry, but I support businesses of all sizes. I’m building my consulting business as I go, working in sprints, with plans to finalize everything within two months. Before being a consultant, I spent 12 years in the corporate space, primarily in technology, working for AT&T and ADP in various capacities from level one to level five. I leverage that experience to transition from an owner/fraction HR Executive, supporting the board and founder as needed, to owner and full-time COO/CHRO with Sanctuary Fitness. I remained in this role until the acquisition of Sanctuary Fitness in May of 2023. During this time, Sanctuary Fitness went from a two-location, 25-employee, six-figure business to a four-location 50, 50-employee seven, seven-figure industry dominating brand within the LA market. After the acquisition, I was retained by management. I accepted a full-time position as the Dir of People within Fitlab for an entire year, providing change management and strategic HR/People Strategy support to the growing studio division.
How does your lived experience influence your approach to your work?
It impacts my approach, strategy, mentoring, coaching, organizational scaling, and the fabric of my being. I believe in diversity and representation. I also believe in diversity of experience and thought. My experience gives me a unique perspective and the ability to look at situations and challenges through multiple lenses, factoring in the impact of all. Because of my experiences, I am more intentional, present, and aware at work.
What do you hope to see from this industry as it evolves?
Continuous growth and improvement. I want to see the fitness industry lead the way regarding wellness and health. I’d like to see our innovation and inclusivity continue to increase. I’d like to see thought leaders of all backgrounds continue to push the boundaries on what is possible and think outside of the box.
What challenges are you facing with this work right now?
Specifically, the challenges women of color face daily in the workplace and not allowing that white noise to distract me from what I was put on this earth to do and my talents. I deserve the opportunity to be in the room and take up space. I’ve earned that, and I am responsible for bringing as many people along as possible with me. The challenge is the “how.” That supports that idea—the execution.
I’m also struggling with having the space to breathe and physically be present, being able to experience the things I enjoy, conversations with depth, music, art, and culture of all kinds. I need to have the space within my personal life to balance and make space for joy.
Last question: What's bringing you joy right now?
As cheesy as what I'm about to say, I find the most joy in bringing the best out of people and making them feel seen, understood, and heard. I like to leverage my experience to help others because my legacy is not my title or how much money I make but how I impact people's lives and how they feel around me. I've experienced my share of misfortune, illness, loss, failure, disappointment, insecurities, trauma, and heartbreak. But I've also experienced joy, success, thriving, favor, connection, life, encouragement, and peace. That is the journey of life. It ebbs and slows while being seasonal. I might not always have a say in what happens to me, but I will always have a say in my perspective and how I respond. There are two quotes that I discovered recently and love.
Accept the season because the weather always has to change. What can you learn and how can you grow where you are? If it never rained the plants are growing so learn how to find happiness in the rain.
You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails. It’s not about what happens to you, it’s about how you react and respond in that moment.
Desiree Guilliard-Young is a driven organizational leader and consultant with a passion for innovation with over eleven years of industry experience in client engagement, strategy, and business development. Her ability to collaborate and influence L1-L5 employees across business silos, assess complex business problems, and deliver value through strategic solutions makes her a versatile resource. She firmly believes that people are the most valuable assets in a company.