Community Spotlight: Michela Gaviorno Taylor

As 2022 approaches, we are spotlighting several members of the Realize Change community who have experienced professional and personal growth over the past year.

Michela Gaviorno Taylor (she/her) is a member engagement professional who seeks to use her gifts of empathy and kindness to help others reach their potential. 2021 was a game-changing year for her. Read on to learn about how she let go of people-pleasing, asked for what she wanted, and got it.

Tell us a little about you. What are you into? What kind of work do you do? And what are your special skills and strengths? 

My career has been centered in the non-profit world. I previously worked for a women’s health non-profit in Washington, DC. I’ve spent the last 5 years working for a trade association in Alexandria, VA.

My work experience is in the volunteer management and member engagement space. The aspects I enjoy most about my role is managing volunteers as well as creating educational resources and networking opportunities for adult learners. My superpowers are empathy and my organizational skills, which serve me well in my career.

On a personal level, I serve as a mentor for LearnServe International for a program that coaches high school students in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, to design and launch their own “social ventures” to benefit their neighborhoods and schools. In my freetime, I enjoy spending time with my husband and rescue dog. I also enjoy taking walks and trying new crafting projects.

That sounds like fun! As you reflect on the past year, where were you at the start of 2021, in terms of your professional and personal journey?

There were many uncertainties in my life at the start of 2021. My husband was graduating from medical school, and we were anxiously awaiting the news about his residency match location. Through 2020 and up until March of 2021, I was unsure if we would be uprooting our lives in DC to move to another state.

In addition to the uncertainty of our future location, I found myself constantly asking “Is this the career path for me?” I’ve always felt that I’ve fallen into every job I’ve had post college. I accepted the first full-time role I was offered, and after that, I’ve stayed with my current organization for almost 6 years. I haven’t been working in my field of study from undergrad and I felt unsure about what next steps I should take.

You are definitely not alone in asking those big questions this year. Now that we’re at the end of 2021, what has changed for you on an inner and outer level? 

Through many vulnerable conversations, I was able to grow exponentially both personally and professionally. For me, coaching impacted my life like a domino effect.

The most important (and difficult) lesson I’ve learned was that I had a habit of self-sabotaging by de-prioritizing my aspirations and health for fears of failure and judgement. I was not setting boundaries for myself and felt consistently drained of energy. Breaking that habit has been an ongoing challenge, but I’m committed to continuously improving. As I’ve come to learn, saying “no” is an act of love. 

In practicing boundary setting, I’ve also found my voice. I’m less hesitant to share my ideas or provide feedback. I’ve also started to question my inner critic and allow myself the space to feel proud of my skills and professional accomplishments.

I’ve also learned new tools for strategic planning and project management. This has helped me improve in my current role and these skills certainly contributed to my recent promotion.

Congratulations on your promotion!! How did that happen?

It was a lot of hard work and growth that lead up to my promotion. I went above and beyond in my role and had received very positive feedback about my performance and dedication from many of volunteers I’ve worked with. I utilized the strategic planning, project management, and time management skills I learned through coaching. However, the reason I received my promotion was because I had the courage to ask for it.

I was transparent with my supervisor – asking her about my opportunities for growth within my current organization. I also told her that I aspired to move to the next level in my career and to be fairly compensated for my work and was looking for a salary increase as well. It was a great conversation and I found that my supervisor was appreciative that I was transparent about my goals. In addition to increased responsibility, my promotion comes with a 20% raise!

Kudos to you on asking for what you wanted and needed. It has been a joy to work with you through the reVision coaching program! How has this experience affected the way you approach your work, relationships, and sense of self?

I have a whole new level of self-confidence I didn’t have before. I feel that I can take on almost any project or challenge. I also have developed better relationships both personally and professionally by being empathetic, transparent, and setting boundaries. I feel like the best version of myself – I should have done this way sooner!

What advice do you have for other women+ who are seeking to use their gifts for good?

Don’t be afraid to get uncomfortable and ask yourself hard questions. Sometimes these breakthroughs are what drive us to another level of success. I also encourage you not to stay silent. We all have something amazing to contribute. Use your gifts and introduce them to the world!

If you had a 10-billion-dollar foundation, how would you change the world?

If I had a 10-billion-dollar foundation, I would use it to help disrupt the cycle of poverty for families. I would support public school systems, to ensure every student has the resources they need to be successful, I would also use it to fund programs to support families in every way necessary.

What are your new year’s intentions for 2022?

My intentions are to actively prioritize myself in 2022. I plan to block off time in my schedule for personal projects, my wellness journey, and for creativity. When I prioritize myself, I am the best version of me.