Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Rachel Taylor Henderson.
Hi Mary Rachel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
At the age of 25, I found myself living in a remote town in southern Thailand teaching English as a second language and struggling to figure out “what I wanted to be when I grew up.” At that point, I’d had an enriching undergraduate experience as a philosophy major at Emory, worked at a law firm, and moved to Pennsylvania and worked at a financial services company – and, crucially for a born and bred Georgian, learned to drive in the snow.
Searching for direction, I decided I needed “real business experience” to complement my passion for and critical thinking skills from the humanities. So, I went back to school to get my MBA from Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech. I didn’t quite fit the business school mold, at least not in a way that brought job offers knocking down my door. As a people person with good interpersonal, communication, and writing skills, I chose to concentrate in Marketing to best use my liberal arts background. Moreover, I found that to enjoy my work, I wanted to market products I cared about and believed would help people. Two years, an internship, and many new friends later, I started in product management at the medical device company then known as Kimberly-Clark Healthcare.
I have spent the better part of the last decade in marketing and product management of medical devices, learning how to develop global business plans, work with international teams, develop, manufacture, and launch new products to meet specific market needs, and work with incredible people across the world. But something was missing. It turns out that what I really loved was not working with the products themselves but with the people who were using them – whether educating oncology nurses on the dangers of using the wrong personal protective equipment (PPE) when delivering chemotherapy to patients or helping eliminate the need for opioids by discussing the advantages of disposable pain pumps with anesthesiologists for patient-focused, post-surgery pain management.
Working in the medical field also intersected with my studies and investment in biomedical ethics. I began a leadership in ethics certification program last fall through the Healthcare Ethics Leadership Academy at Emory University. I have also joined the Healthcare Ethics Consortium (HEC) as their Education Coordinator and am delighted to be a part of an organization focused on improving healthcare by fostering collaboration and integration of ethics into healthcare delivery, medical education, and policy development.
My love for working with people and return to studying ethics led me to realize that I could transition from helping people through products to helping people directly. I partnered with a lifelong friend who shares my passion for empowering individuals and teams to find fulfillment both professionally and/or personally, and we began our coaching business: Taylor Moon Consulting. We focus on leadership development, support for entrepreneurs and small business owners, and my personal passion: coaching healthcare professionals experiencing burnout.
My vision is to use my abiding belief in the need for ethical leadership, passion for people, and extensive business experience to empower professionals to lead fulfilling careers and lives.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’d always envied those who started down a prescribed path to a profession, whether it was a doctor or a lawyer and stuck to it. However, I realize that not having a set route to follow resulted in many of the experiences that have shaped me and prepared me for success. Though it hasn’t been a direct route, and I’ve encountered my fair share of failures, setbacks, and dead ends, I’ve learned through those experiences. For instance, I now know how to live and travel internationally, communicate, and find connections when no one speaks the same language; how to be the only woman in the room and have a voice in critical business decisions; how to pursue and achieve goals with global teams by having cultural humility; how to combine my interests and values to pursue fulfilling work; and how to make the most out of corporate bureaucracy and hierarchy while advocating for my team.
As you know, we’re big fans of Taylor Moon Consulting, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Taylor Moon Consulting, we use our extensive expertise in marketing and product management, healthcare, and higher education to focus on individual coaching, leadership development, and business consulting. We love to work with clients who have an entrepreneurial spirit, are looking to grow personally and/or professionally, and want to empower themselves or their employees to be the best they can be. Our unique perspective comes from our grounding in both the corporate world and strong liberal arts background.
We are proud to focus on the whole person and offer packages tailored to individuals’ needs, whether you need help writing resumes and cover letters, combating burnout, or focusing on personal improvement. For businesses, we can help create scalable business plans, enhance workplace culture, provide leadership development at any level of the organization, or design educational training programs. Whether you’re a recent graduate, an entrepreneur, a healthcare professional, or a leader at an established business, we can give you the tools to empower you and make a plan to discover or realize your vision for more fulfilling work and life. We look forward to meeting you.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Hannah Moon, my business partner, who has courageously taken the leap with me to create the kind of business we’re passionate about and proud of.
Ashley Freeman, my business coach, who has guided me along the path to finding my career purpose and given me the support and encouragement needed to make it a reality.
Bill and Kerin McCallister, owners of McCallister Fitness & Functional Movement, who’ve modeled the bravery it takes to go out on your own, provided unconditional cheerleading, and posed the crucial question that led me to where I am today: “why take the path of least resistance?”
Nasia Haque, who got me through B-school and then gave me the book that shifted my entire perspective as to what I want out of life and what is possible in my career.
Kathy Kinlaw, whose mentorship and guidance at the HEC and Emory Center for Ethics has been integral to finding and pursuing what I’m passionate about in a meaningful way.
Sally Baker, an invaluable coach and guide on the side, who told me and then showed me how to “stop running up the down escalator” to find myself and the life I want to lead, as well as guided me through the Positive Intelligence program.
Jennifer Purdon, a leadership coach who introduced me to the profession of coaching as well as many tools and wise questions to uncover values, develop self-awareness, and grow as a leader. Crucially, Jennifer led me and my sister to pursue coaching training through the Coactive Training Institute.
My mentors and supervisors who have taken a chance on me, thrown me a lifeline when I needed it, taught me the ropes of business and marketing and supported my development as I grew in different directions.
All of my friends and family who have been incredibly supportive as I’ve jumped off the corporate ladder to pursue my goals of helping others.
Pricing:
- Personal Coaching Session: $150.00
- Personal Coaching Monthly Subscription: $500.00
- Business Coaching Session: $250.00
- Business Coaching Monthly Subscription: $800.00
- Business Coaching Retainer: $5,000.00
Contact Info:
Image Credits
STACIE RENEA PHOTOGRAPHY
