Lovely To Meet you
I used to make bad decisions under pressure for a living. I just didn’t know it at the time.
For nearly two decades I worked in corporate finance across Pharma, Kellogg, and Ferrero Candy, Managing the P&L.
My job was to make the call while the numbers were still moving. I was good at it. I got promoted for it.
Then I got promoted late in Q3 after someone quit. I had approved headcount. Instead of hiring, I quietly did the empty job myself.
When you’re the first in your family to get this far, asking for help can feel like handing the seat back. I kept a granola bar in my drawer and no water on my desk, because water meant getting up.
We hit the deliverable. I got rewarded. And nobody noticed the decision I never made.
That’s what I talk about now. Not burnout as a personal failing, but the defaults leaders run on when the pressure is on, and what those defaults quietly cost them and the people who report to them.
I’m Sophia Mikelions, the Principal Consultant behind Gearing Together, a Chicago-based speaking, consulting, and workshop practice. My DisruptHR talk, “Your Best Leaders Are Burning Out, But You Have No Clue,” ranked #1 globally.
I bring keynotes and workshops to associations, ERGs, and leadership teams ready to stop rewarding the setting that’s hurting them.
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Howard University | Syracuse MBA | DisruptHR #1 Globally | 20 Years in Corporate Finance
My Mission
To help leaders catch the decisions they make on autopilot under pressure, before those defaults cost them their energy, their judgment, or their team.
I believe leadership starts with leading yourself first. The hardest decision is usually the one you already know is right.
Teams & Leaders I Support
I partner with organizations that want to keep their best people sharp under pressure, without burning them out to get there.
My keynotes, workshops, and leadership resets are built for companies who recognize:
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Their top performers are delivering, but making decisions on autopilot to keep up
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Leadership teams are stretched thin and still “pushing through” instead of deciding what to stop
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ERGs need programming that speaks to real pressure, not surface-level solutions
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Retention problems often start with a decision nobody made: the hire that didn’t happen, the work that never got cut
I specialize in supporting high-capacity women in corporate environments where the bar is high, the workload is constant, and the cost of over-functioning is quietly stacking up.
If you’re looking for a speaker, facilitator, or leadership partner who gets the grind and knows how to shift it.
You’re in the right place.
Featured Podcast Guest:
Speaking on Burnout, Boundaries & Leadership