Daily Inspiration: Meet Benah J. Parker, Ph.D.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Benah J. Parker, Ph.D..

Hi Benah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I attended my first leadership training program at 14 yrs old. I was immediately entranced by the idea that leading, motivating, and inspiring others is something we can study and learn to do better. By the time I was 30, I had a Ph.D. in social psychology with a focus on exploring how we manage the various roles and social identities we all have – all the pieces that make up our self-concept and identity – and the impact that has on achievement, performance, and resilience. After several years in various non-profit and corporate roles, I gave myself the best 42nd birthday present I could think of. I started my own coaching and consulting business, Level 42 Consulting, to focus full-time on what I most loved doing – helping high-performers do what they love to do even better while ensuring they don’t lose themselves or the focus on their own lives.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Life is full of struggles, but when we view them as opportunities to learn and change, we don’t have to let them drag us down. So far, the biggest challenge I’ve encountered was being diagnosed with breast cancer at 35. I underwent a bilateral mastectomy, reconstruction, chemo, a divorce, ten years of long-term medication to keep cancer at bay, and several other surgeries. I delayed starting my own business for many years because I believed that my medical history would require me to always be on an employer’s insurance plan. Luckily, I challenged that limiting belief and found the solution I needed to become an entrepreneur. (And I’m celebrating 13 years cancer-free in August!). Since launching Level 42 Consulting in 2017, I’ve had the usual start-up and entrepreneurial concerns about learning how to find the clients I’m excited to work with, managing the day-to-day workload as a solopreneur, marketing myself and my business, building personal and professional networks, finding team members to help scale my business, and so on – but they have all been opportunities to learn new skills or find resources and other providers to help me solve them.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a social psychologist and executive coach. I help high-performing leaders transform their life and career so they feel aligned with their own goals, have boundaries and balance, and get their life back. So many of my clients have spent their lives doing everything they believe they should do to be successful, and they have been! They have the fancy title, nice offices, and great paychecks; they lead teams doing important work. But they are also burned out, stressed, overwhelmed, uninspired, and unmotivated. They may hide and wear the mask of perfectionism or struggle with imposter syndrome. They may spend their time daydreaming about an entirely different career or have no idea what they truly want from their life, but they believe they can’t make a change because too many people are counting on them to keep doing exactly what they’re doing.

I get to help them explore what matters most to them – not to anyone else – and figure out how to make that a reality. As an executive coach, I get to be their accountability partner to ensure they take regular small steps that lead to long-term change. I also get to be the person who shines a spotlight on the pieces they are hiding from themselves and others – those patterns and habits or limiting beliefs that keep them in their comfort zone and playing small. As a psychologist, my expertise helps my clients understand how their life patterns have gotten them to the high levels of achievement and success they have already experienced and how they prevent them from moving to their next level.

My Life-Aligned Leader program focuses on four core areas to support high-performing leaders:

1. Alignment – Get clarity on your ultimate vision for your life so you can feel fulfilled and in control again.
2. Balance – Create boundaries for your time and energy to build a solid work/life balance.
3. Confidence – Manage challenging relationships while recognizing and communicating your needs.
4. Transformation – Use the strength of new habits to become the leader and person you have always wanted to be.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I’ve learned a lot of lessons along the way, some of which I keep learning repeatedly. The most important of these is the value of asking for help. Like many of my clients, I approach most experiences with the belief that I can either already manage the challenges ahead or figure them out on my own. But between the cancer experience and the wisdom of aging, I am often reminded that just because I probably can do something on my own, that doesn’t mean it’s the best, most efficient, or most effective way to address it. Asking for help does not make me any less of anything, and it often means I can achieve more than I would have alone. Besides, the people who show up for you when you are brave and vulnerable enough to ask for help are amazing humans. They want to provide their expertise and support, too!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://level42consulting.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benahparker/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@benahparker

Image Credits
Valeria Kar