WOI Keynote: How Trauma Makes Us Stronger
“It was a painful realization years later to understand that I had been groomed."
OLYMPIC VALLEY, CA—During the opening session at the GlobeSt Women of Influence conference at the Everline Resort and Spa, Erin Aldrich-Shean, Founder of Ascension Coaching & Consulting, Olympic high jumper, former CRE executive, and performance, mindset and career coach, shared a deeply personal journey of transforming pain into purpose.
As a former Olympic high jumper and CRE executive turned performance coach, she recounted how a traumatic experience shaped her career trajectory.
“I vividly remember the day I told my parents I wanted to be an Olympian,” Aldrich-Shean began. “They supported me wholeheartedly, trusting my coach to guide me. What they didn’t know was that my coach, a married man, exploited my vulnerability at 16. It was a painful realization years later to understand that I had been groomed.”
Confronting this past, Aldrich-Shean embarked on a journey of self-discovery and healing. “I faced a critical decision,” she explained. “I could bury this trauma or confront it head-on. Despite the challenges, I chose to speak out publicly through SafeSport, ultimately ending his career and empowering other women.”
Reflecting on her career path, Aldrich-Shean spoke about her transition from commercial real estate to founding a coaching company. “I realized my purpose was to advocate for young girls and women,” she shared. “This journey taught me the power of turning pain into purpose.”
During the panel, Aldrich-Shean also emphasized the importance of diversity in teams and the importance of having people around you who support you. “Choose mentors who champion your growth,” she advised. “Having support is crucial, especially in navigating challenges in your career.”
Her advice for women who might be pivoting in their career today, is to get a coach and to help you set goals and push forward. She also encouraged the audience to look back on their career and find what was the happiest time of your career and see what it entailed. “Our job as coaches is not to tell you what to do. It is to ask the questions and prompt you to think about things in a different way in order to arrive at the right conclusion.”
For Aldrich-Shean, a woman of influence is someone who can empower other women in the industry and help them rise to the top in a world that is often so male dominated and having a positive impact on the world around you.