Tanya Simpson

Tanya Simpson is a best-selling author and dynamic speaker whose expertise is preparing and empowering high-potential professionals to become impactful leaders at the next level. Her debut book, Up from the Water, is already receiving praise from reviewers around the world.

Tanya is an attorney, a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), and a Certified Professional Life Coach. In her twenty-five years of leadership in the legal and financial services industries, she has developed and implemented organizational change management strategies to lead teams through restructuring and merger and acquisition activity while successfully maintaining employee engagement and retaining top talent.

Tanya holds an MBA from the University of San Diego and a JD from Florida State University. She also holds Product Strategy and Strategic Change Management certificates from Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University) and a Mergers and Acquisitions certificate from Columbia Business School.

Tanya lives in the small mountain town of Twain Harte, California, with her Belgian Malinois dog, Sequoia, and tuxedo cat, Zoe.

Up from the Water explores themes of resilience and personal transformation. What inspired you to write this story?
The inspiration for writing Up from the Water is not unique to me. So many of us wake up one day and look around our careers and our lives, or something happens to upset the applecart, and suddenly we get this unshakable feeling that we are not doing what we’re called to do. We might not even know exactly what that is, but we know for certain that this isn’t it. What’s worse is that we have no idea how to get from over here to over there without going all the way back to the beginning to start over, and at this point in life, that’s a long way back! Up from the Water is the story of my journey. My hope is that each person who reads it will find something in the book that touches them and inspires them along their own unique journey into and up from the water.

The title of your book is evocative and symbolic. What does "Up from the Water" represent to you?
Most of us tend to live our lives on the surface level, especially in a modern, Western culture that is dominated by social media. While we project a public façade of having it all together, most of us privately sojourn through life feeling hopelessly lost. Through weathering life’s storms, we’ve been dismasted, our sails have been shredded, our rudders have been broken, we’re taking on water, and we find ourselves adrift, tossed about at the mercy of wherever the currents and prevailing winds take us. It is only when we are willing and brave enough to cut the tether to our broken boats, jump overboard, and dive fully beneath the surface, leaving behind all of the lies that we’ve been told and the lies that we’ve told ourselves about ourselves, that we can emerge above the water and rise into the identity of who each of us is uniquely called to be.

The narrative delves into overcoming adversity. What is your advice to others when trying to face past demons and personal traumas?
If you want to rise up from the water, it is imperative that you first dive into the water and deal with all of the deep things that are hidden in the water below. You might be down there a while, and that’s okay. Take as long as you need to wash away everything that is no longer serving you and leave those things in the water. it is only then that you can break free from a life lived on the surface and truly rise up from the water.

What message or feeling do you hope readers take away after finishing Up from the Water?
Up from the Water was really written to be a gift. My purpose for writing Up from the Water is that there will be something in here that speaks hope to each person who reads it – and that’s likely going to be something different for everyone. If there’s someone out there who’s feeling a little adrift or a little lost or who just needs a hand to grab hold of, my prayer is that Up from the Water can serve as a lifeline for that person to reach out and to know that there’s someone who’s been there who can help them to rise up and step into the fullness of their own unique calling journey.

Writing a book often brings its own challenges. What was the most rewarding or surprising part of your journey in writing this memoir?
Writing Up from the Water has been an unexpected privilege along an unlikely journey. Of course it brought a great sense of accomplishment, but it was also quite humbling, and suddenly very real. You see, Up from the Water is a memoir – it’s my story and it’s a very personal story – and once your story is published, it’s pretty much out there for all the world to read!
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Tanya, what's next?
I’m doing a lot of keynote speaking these days, as well as coaching and consulting. As a keynote speaker, I share strategies that empower and equip leaders and professionals to embrace and leverage change with grace and integrity to maximize both their own potential and the potential of their teams. As an executive coach and career transition consultant, I guide seasoned leaders and high-potential professionals to step into the fullness of their God-given power to successfully navigate pivotal career moments and achieve next-level success. Whether they’re stepping into a new leadership challenge, navigating an unexpected career event, or pivoting to an entirely new path, I offer individual coaching, group programs, and immersive VIP experiences to help my clients identify their calling, capitalize on their superpowers, and accelerate their transition into an impactful career role.

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Purchase the book here: https://amzn.to/46oD2vc