— About the Founder

Two decades in HR. One conviction that won't quit.

Two decades in HR. One conviction that won't quit.

I'm Esma - an HR leader turned ICF-certified coach. I built Groundwork to Thrive because I spent 20+ years watching brilliant young hires walk out the door for reasons no exit interview never captured.
The problem was rarely pay. It was almost always the same: nobody helped them become the professional their first job actually required them to be.

20+

Years in HR leadership

ICF

Certified ACC coach

NYC

Based
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— The Origin Story

Why I left the HR sidelines.

A short version of how a 20-year HR career turned into a coaching practice for the people I wanted to support.
For two decades I sat in the rooms where the decisions are made - hiring plans, performance reviews, severance conversations, restructures. Startups, professional services, manufacturing, private equity portfolio companies. The industries changed. the pattern didn't.
The exit interviews always said something polite: growth opportunity, better fit, different direction. But sitting across from them in those final conversations, I kept hearing the same real reasons underneath — "I never felt like I belonged here." "I didn't know how to ask for what I needed." "Nobody told me this was normal."
"I'm not here to fix your onboarding deck. I'm here to develop the human inside the new hire — before your culture decides for them."
— Esma, Founder
— Coaching Philosophy

Four convictions I won't compromise on.

Twenty years of HR rooms and three years of formal coaching training narrowed down to a short list. Everything Groundwork to Thrive does, you can trace back to one of these.

Develop the person, not the role.

Job descriptions change. Self-awareness, emotional regulation, and professional judgement compound for a lifetime. We start there.

The first 90 days decide the first 10 years.

Patterns set early. The habits a graduate forms in months one through three quietly determine how they show up at month 36 - and whether they're still with you.

Coaching is not advice in a suit.

I don't tell early career professionals what to do. I help them build the muscle to figure it out - so they don't need me, or anyone else, to keep doing it.

Ethics over retention metrics.

Ethics over retention metrics.If the fit is wrong, I help people leave - well equipped and clear, not bitter. Real retention is a byproduct of honest development, never its goal.
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— The Path Here

Where people decisions get made.

Twenty-plus years across five industries - each one teaching the same lesson from a different angle.

Into professional services

Built and ran people operations through a pandemic at a mid-size services firm. Learned what retention actually costs.

Manufacturing & PE

HR leadership across manufacturing and private-equity portfolio companies. 50 to 500 employees, multi-state.

Pandemic pivot

Led people strategy through remote transition. Watched early career hires struggle hardest with no in-office scaffolding.

ICF Certification

Trained and certified through an ICF-accredited program.

Groundwork to Thrive

Launched the 90-day cohort program for NYC organizations. First partnerships with talent networks and academies.

SHRM-SCP Ceritification

Trained and Certified through SHRM accredited program. Currently serving as Chief Operating Officer while coaching cohorts across the NYC metro area.
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— Partnerships

Working alongside the networksyoung professionals already trust.

Groundwork to Thrive doesn't try to reach early career professionals alone. I partner with the academies and networks already doing the hard work of building this generation's careers.
— Beyond the Work

The off-the-clock version.

Because the coach you hire is a whole person, and you probably want to know who that actually is.
BASED IN
Long Island, NY
COACHES FROM
A small home office
MOST-READ SHELF
Behavioral psychology
WEEKEND RULE
Phone in a drawer until Sunday afternoon
ALWAYS CARRIES
A real paper notebook
QUIET AMBITION
A book, eventually. Maybe.
— Let's Work Together

Think we'd build something
good together?

If your organization is hiring early career talent in the NYC metro area and you're tired of watching them leave at month 18, I'd genuinely like to hear about it. No deck, no pitch - a 30-minute conversation.

Book Your Consultation

A 30-minute conversation to see if we're a fit.

  • info@sonamconsulting.com
  • Connect on LinkedIn
  • Long Island, NY · Serving NYC Metro
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