WOS Episode #24 Building Consciousness - Gladys Ato

Woman of Strength Podcast

Born in a rural, California town where being invisible was her main goal to ward off bullying peers, Dr. Gladys Ato has learned to be invisible no more. After a successful career as a higher education executive leader, psychotherapist, and consultant, she founded Bridging Consciousness, a personal development website that helps you rise above life's challenges and step into the limelight of your life. She mentors the next generation of thought leaders to grow their personal brand and reputation in the fields of personal development, wellness, spirituality, and leadership. In order to overcome several hardships and losses that left her secretly suffocating in a pool of depression, anxiety, and low self-worth for over 2 decades and burned out at 35, she had to infuse her life with the one thing she lacked inside: love. Once she did, she transformed from being a scared Latina girl to becoming: the first doctor of clinical psychology in her family, president of The National Hispanic University, the first 4-year university in the US for Latinos, board president of Instituto Familiar de la Raza, the first Latino mental health agency in San Francisco, board vice president of Kids’ Turn, a nonprofit helping families transition through divorce and separation. She used her losses as doorways to acceptance, understanding, gratitude, and forgiveness, which is the basis of her new book, The Good Goodbye. With over 30 years of public speaking experience, she inspires her audiences as a keynote speaker, panel speaker, and workshop leader at various organizational events. She's been named a Latina Leader by Hispanic Executive Magazine and a Women Worth Watching in Education winner by Profiles in Diversity Journal. She's featured in NPR, Thrive Global, Harness Magazine, Excelencia in Education, ABC 7 News, KRON 4 News, San Jose Mercury News, and Pajaro Latinoamericano. Today, she works with clients through private and group mentoring, online courses, and speaking engagements. You can find her strolling the streets of San Francisco with her pup, Lovebug, hunting for estate sale treasures, nourishing her passion for style, and satisfying her foodie palate. You can connect with Gladys here: Website: www.drgladysato.com Book link: http://bit.ly/thegoodgoodbyebook Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gladys.ato.9 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gladysato/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.gladys.ato/