We were lucky to catch up with Shenelle Dubose recently and have shared our conversation below.
Shenelle , thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?
I’ve always been a rule follower. I followed the American dream to the letter: go to school, get a good job, stay there for 30 years, and retire comfortably. In fact, I thought I was taking a risk by leaving my family to go to college, following the path that was mapped out for me. They told us what classes to take, what jobs we could get, and what life would look like if we stayed on track. And honestly, it worked — I became an educator, settled into a middle-class life, and for a time, I thought I had everything I needed.
But the truth is, what we often think of as the “secure path” can become a cage. Following the path that others have laid out feels safe, but it creates invisible limitations. I was living a life that checked all the right boxes, but I realized those boxes weren’t mine. My dream wasn’t to feel exhausted at the end of every day, sacrificing time with my family just to get by. It wasn’t to outsource parenthood because I was working 10-hour days while trying to squeeze sleep and personal time into what was left of a 24-hour day. The so-called safe route was slowly costing me my joy, my health, and my relationships.
I realized that the real risk wasn’t in leaving my job — the real risk was staying where I was, settling for a life that no longer fit. So, I made the decision to take a bigger risk to create a bigger reward. After nearly 20 years in education, I decided I didn’t need to start over — I just needed to do what I already knew in a new way. That’s when I started my education consulting business.
It wasn’t easy, but I discovered that risk isn’t something to be feared — it’s a door to freedom. The risk of leaving the familiar allowed me to design a life that aligns with my values and my vision. And more than anything, it taught me that playing it safe isn’t really safe at all — it’s a trap. It’s the illusion of security that keeps us small and convinces us we should be satisfied with “just enough.”
True security comes from betting on yourself, trusting in your expertise, and daring to believe that what’s waiting on the other side of risk is not just survival, but abundance. I realized that the biggest risk I could take was staying in a life that no longer fulfilled me. And now, every day, I get to live the reward of that leap — with more joy, more time, and more freedom than I ever thought possible.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
At the heart of my story, I’m just like so many others—someone with a dream, working to bring it to life. But along the way, I discovered something powerful: we don’t have to limit ourselves to just one dream. Many of us grew up in a time when having one dream was supposed to be enough, but as times change, so must we. I found myself stuck in a job that no longer fulfilled me, drained of time, and sometimes scrambling just to make ends meet. I was caught between what I was “supposed” to do and what my soul was longing for.
That’s when I made the decision to take a bigger risk. It wasn’t easy—stepping into something new, building a business, and becoming my own boss stretched me beyond my comfort zone. But in that discomfort, I found my power. I now run a thriving education consulting business where I help school leaders show up as their highest selves. I guide them to get clear on their goals and align their teams with the school’s mission. The key isn’t just about running a building efficiently—it’s about empowering leaders to lead authentically so they can bring their whole selves to work and, most importantly, home.
This work has also opened the door for me to help other educators transition out of the classroom and start their own consulting businesses. Too often, teachers and leaders walk away from the system after 20, 30, or 40 years of service, leaving behind strategies and expertise that are still incredibly valuable. My role is to show them that just because they’re ready for something new doesn’t mean their experience goes to waste. I’ve done exactly that—rather than letting all my years of knowledge and results fade away, I recycled them, turning lessons learned into strategies I now share with emerging leaders and educators.
What excites me most is seeing the transformation in the leaders I support—especially those who were ready to quit, exhausted and burned out, or on the brink of not having their contracts renewed. Helping them realign with their purpose, tend to their emotional and mental health, and step back into leadership from a place of authenticity is what drives me. It’s about getting them back to a place where they can show up at their best, not just for their schools, but for themselves.
My brand is all about helping schools and educators focus on what truly matters. In education, there will always be more work and never enough answers, and that can easily distract us from the things that actually move us forward. I work with leaders to help them narrow in on the most important priorities—the ones that will bring the quickest, highest-impact results. The work will never stop, but if we focus on doing what matters most, and doing it well, we’ll get the outcomes we need without sacrificing ourselves in the process.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, three qualities have been instrumental in my journey: resilience, clarity, and relationship-building. Each played a key role in helping me transition from a traditional career to building my own consulting business, and they remain essential in how I show up every day.
1. Resilience:
Resilience isn’t just about pushing through challenges—it’s about learning to navigate uncertainty and stay grounded even when things feel overwhelming. When I started my business, there were moments of doubt and discomfort, but resilience kept me moving forward. I learned to embrace the unknown and see setbacks not as failures, but as lessons.
2. Clarity:
Having clarity on who you are and what you want is essential. I had to get really clear about the kind of life I wanted and how my work fit into that vision. It wasn’t enough to just build a business—I needed to align it with my values and long-term goals.
3. A Growth Mindset:
The willingness to grow and adapt has been crucial. Transitioning from the classroom to consulting required me to unlearn old patterns and be open to new ways of thinking and working. It’s easy to stay where we feel comfortable, but growth only happens when we’re willing to step into the unknown and embrace change.
For anyone just starting out, my biggest piece of advice is to give yourself permission to grow. It’s okay not to have all the answers. Lean into the process, trust your instincts, and stay open to new opportunities and relationships. The journey is rarely a straight line, but with resilience, clarity, and the right relationships, you’ll find your way—and it will be worth it.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Yes! I’m always excited to collaborate with individuals and organizations aligned with my mission. I’m looking to connect with folks who are interested in selling their services to schools, colleges, and community-based organizations. If you have an audience that includes educators—whether they are teachers, college professors, athletic directors, or anyone affiliated with education—I’d love to explore ways we can collaborate.
Collaboration could look like co-hosting events, providing value to your audience through workshops or speaking engagements, or even building joint programs that support educators transitioning into consulting or leadership roles. My goal is to empower educators at every level to realize that they can leverage their skills and expertise in new, impactful ways.
If you’re reading this and are interested in collaborating, please reach out! You can connect with me directly via email at shenelle@educatorsmovingon.com. Let’s join forces and make a difference together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.educatorsmovingon.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/educatorsmovingon
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/educatorsmovingon
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EducatorsMovingOn.Official
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