About CLJ
A company built on one belief: leadership transformation begins within.
CLJ Leadership Transformation helps leaders and organizations grow from the inside out. Through coaching, development programs, consulting, speaking, and on-demand learning, we turn self-awareness into lasting leadership impact.
Who We Are
More than coaching. A methodology for transformation.
CLJ Leadership Transformation partners with individuals, teams, and organizations who know that skill alone does not create exceptional leadership. Our work brings together disciplined coaching, leadership development, real-world business experience, and an inside-out approach designed to turn self-awareness into stronger leadership impact.
Whether through coaching, development programs, consulting, speaking, or self-directed learning, every CLJ experience is designed to help leaders unlock potential, build capability, and create change that lasts.
Transformation begins within
Lasting change in how you lead starts with clarity about who you are and how you show up.
Awareness drives impact
How you land with people shapes every result you get. We make that visible and workable.
Leadership is a journey
Growth isn't a single event. It's a practiced, supported path toward the leader you're becoming.
Meet the Founder
Vanessa Hopkins, CPC, ELI-MP
Founder | Executive Coach | Speaker | Advisor
Vanessa Hopkins is an executive coach and leadership transformation consultant who helps leaders think more clearly, show up more intentionally, and connect more effectively so they can elevate people, strengthen organizations, and create lasting impact.
She brings more than 20 years of leadership and advisory experience across strategy, operations, client leadership, marketing, culture, and organizational transformation, including work with Fortune 500 organizations, government agencies, and growing businesses. Her perspective is grounded in the realities of leading teams, advising senior stakeholders, navigating complex client relationships, and helping organizations move through change.
Vanessa saw that the leadership breakthroughs that mattered most rarely came from technical skill alone. They came when leaders became more aware of how they thought, how they showed up, and how others experienced their leadership. That insight became central to CLJ Leadership Transformation and its belief that leadership transformation begins within.
Known for listening beneath the surface and connecting dots others may not immediately see, Vanessa helps leaders clarify priorities, strengthen emotional intelligence and resilience, deepen trust, and turn insight into sustained action. As AI reshapes work, she also helps leaders use technology thoughtfully while preserving human judgment, trust, and connection.
Vanessa is a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP) through iPEC. She holds a BA in Marketing & Communications from Governors State University and is pursuing her Executive MBA through Quantic School of Business and Technology.
- Certified Professional Coach (CPC), iPEC, an ICF accredited training program
- Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP), iPEC
- Member, International Coaching Federation (ICF)
- Trained in the Core Energy Coaching™ methodology
- Diversity & Inclusion Certification, Cornell University
- 20+ years in corporate marketing and advertising, leading, mentoring, and coaching senior leaders and teams
Certifications
The Value Behind the Credential
The Difference Formal Coach Training Makes.
Leadership coaching asks people to examine decisions, behaviors, relationships, and sometimes deeply held patterns. The training behind that work matters. Vanessa’s CPC and ELI-MP credentials reflect rigorous coaching education, supervised practice, assessment expertise, professional ethics, and a commitment to helping leaders create meaningful, sustainable change.
Combined with more than 20 years of real-world leadership experience, that foundation gives CLJ clients something important: a partner who understands both the human dynamics of leadership and the realities of leading inside complex organizations.
Rigorous Preparation
Professional certification requires substantial education, practice, observation, feedback, and demonstrated competency. That preparation gives clients confidence that the coaching process is grounded in more than instinct, personal experience, or good intentions.
A Proven Coaching Discipline
Certified coaches are trained to use structured coaching principles and techniques that help clients think more deeply, uncover patterns, challenge assumptions, and move insight into action. The value is a disciplined process designed to support meaningful, sustainable growth.
Professional Ethics & Boundaries
Formal coach training emphasizes confidentiality, ethical conduct, appropriate boundaries, and clarity about the role of coaching. That gives clients greater peace of mind that the relationship is being handled with professionalism, care, and respect.
Accountability to a Higher Standard
Certification represents a commitment to demonstrated competencies, continued development, and professional standards. While credentials alone do not determine the quality of a coach, they provide an important level of assurance that the practitioner has invested in learning how to do the work responsibly and effectively.
What that means for you
A partner who is trained to hold the room when the conversation gets hard, who works from a proven methodology rather than instinct alone, and who pairs 20+ years of real corporate leadership experience with formal coach training. That combination is what sets CLJ apart.
See Vanessa in Action
Vanessa in conversation.
Watch Vanessa bring the CLJ perspective to life in a featured interview on leadership, energy, and showing up authentically.
Let's start with a conversation.
Whether you're an individual leader, an organization, or planning an event, the first step is the same. Reach out and we'll explore what transformation could look like for you.