Ten years ago, I took a leap of faith.
After decades as a teacher, principal, and district leader, I had been blessed with opportunities to lead, to learn, and to witness both the incredible potential of our schools and organizations and the barriers that so often hold them back. What I saw again and again was this: the greatest transformation happens when people are invested in, when leaders are supported, and when equity is not an afterthought, but the foundation.
That conviction is what led me to create The Valbrun Consulting Group.
I didn’t have a blueprint or a clear roadmap-just a vision. I wanted to create space where leaders could come to be challenged and supported, where organizations could find a thought partner to help them innovate, and where the hard work of creating equitable environments could be done with both courage and compassion.
At the time, I knew I had already walked in so many shoes—as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, turnaround coach and central office administrator. I had seen systems from the inside, and I knew how hard it was for leaders to hold everything; the pressure to improve student outcomes, the weight of systemic inequities, and the responsibility of leading people through change.
I believed (and still do) that when we really invest in people, we create ripple effects that change entire organizations, entire systems and entire communities. And I wanted to be part of that change.
That’s why the mission of The Valbrun Consulting Group has always been personal. Our work isn’t just about offering services. It’s about co‑creating solutions, working side by side with leaders to uncover what their organizations need most and helping them build the capacity to make that vision real.
I’ll never forget those early days. The first calls. The first contracts. The first time someone said, “We trust you to guide us.” From those first moments, we started building something bigger than I could have imagined.
Over the past decade, we’ve:
- Built an extraordinary team – Every consultant at TVCG is a former educator, someone who’s been in the trenches and knows the realities of this important work.
- Expanded our reach – What began with providing professional development and leadership coaching, grew into strategic planning, board development, retreat planning and facilitation, and culture transformation work.
- Partnered with courageous organizations – From school districts to nonprofits, foundations to community groups, we’ve had the honor of working with leaders who aren’t afraid to ask the hard questions and do the hard work. Proudly, many of these same clients, I can also now call friends.
Most importantly, we’ve seen the impact. We’ve watched organizations shift their cultures. We’ve seen leaders find their voice and their confidence. We’ve witnessed what happens when centering on people isn’t just a line in a mission statement, but a lived commitment.
Being the CEO of The Valbrun Consulting Group has taught me more than I could have imagined.
I’ve learned that real change takes time and intention. Much like I help our clients to do, I too have had to lean in, listen, and stay with it when the work gets hard. (Entrepreneur life is not for the faint of heart!!!)
I’ve learned that partnership matters. Our role has never been to “tell” leaders what to do. It’s to walk beside them, to coach, to question, to challenge, and to cheer from the sidelines.
And I’ve learned that this work is deeply human. It’s about relationships, trust, and courage and helping people see themselves not just as they are, but as they could be.
As I look back on this decade, the one word that keeps coming up for me is gratitude.
I am grateful to the incredible clients who invited us into their work and their worlds. I am grateful to every leader who trusted us to hold space for their growth. I am grateful to the brilliant team members who poured their expertise, passion, and heart into this mission.
I am also grateful for the chance to do work that matters, to wake up every day knowing that what we do at TVCG can help shape stronger leaders, healthier organizations, better schools, and more equitable communities.
This 10‑year milestone is also a turning point.
While I can’t say with certainty what the next decade holds, I remain committed to deepening our impact. We’ll continue to coach, to design, to guide—but we’ll also keep innovating, listening, and learning. The world has changed since we started, and we plan to keep evolving too.
What won’t change is our commitment. We will always center equity. We will always believe in the power of people. And we will always show up as partners to those doing the work.
Ten years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the path we would take. This milestone makes me proud and humbled by the trust so many have placed in us over the years.
Here’s to the next ten years of growth, courage, and impact.
Thank you for believing in this work, for believing in us, and for believing in what’s possible.
— Valda Valbrun
