Sharnell Watts-Smith is one of Connecticut’s leading life coach strategists for
women and girls. She has more than 20 years of experience as a consultant
and mentor in both secular and spiritual sectors and knows firsthand, the
struggles of dealing with extreme life-challenges in an effort to achieve personal
goals.
Born the daughter of teen parents and raised in New Haven Connecticut’s
urban community, Watts-Smith experienced numerous childhood challenges
that caused her to battle with low self-esteem, depression, promiscuity and
other self-destructive behaviors. By the age of 13, Watts was a rebellious
teenager who had given up on any hopes for a positive future. Believing she
had nothing to lose, Sharnell began to succumb to her dismal surroundings.
With no place else to turn, Sharnell began to look inward. Through the support
of her loving family and her own self-examination, she realized that in order to
understand her life’s purpose, she needed to develop a relationship with the
One who created her. Sharnell’s quest led her on a path of spiritual awareness
and renewal that became a journey that changed her life’s perspective forever.
Today Sharnell is a corporate executive with a background that includes more
than 17 years as a mid-level manager and corporate coach successfully
overseeing multi-functional teams for a Fortune 500 Healthcare conglomerate.
Sharnell holds dual certifications from Case Institute
(www.thecaseinstitute.com), a national coaching institution based in Florida.
In 2007, Sharnell founded Dreamgrlz Inc ™ , a nonprofit empowerment
program developed specifically for girls between the ages of 12-18. With a
Facebook base of 450 friends and a Twitter following of more than 1000
supporters, DreamGrlz has created a cutting-edge culture of Girl Power that
has reinvented the way girls feel about themselves and their communities.
An expert workshop facilitator, Sharnell has developed a comprehensive series
of specialized curriculums and programming with topics that include:
- Self-Empowerment for Teens
- Sexual Abstinence and Development Kit
- The Body, Soul & Spirit Connection
- Bullying
- Peer Pressure
- Growing Healthy Relationships
- Sexual Violence & Terrorism
- Career Options & Design Strategies
- The Runaway Prevention Survival Kit
- Human Trafficking Prevention
DreamGrlz Inc., has mentored some 300 empowered girls in the Connecticut
area alone, with active alumni who have gone on to pursue higher education to
become career leaders in a variety of industries.
DreamGrlz has participated in Princeton University’s Young Women’s
mentoring conference, At the Well, and has provided coaching programming for
the Young Women’s Clubs of America (YWCA), Cromwell Public Schools,
Manchester Public Schools, Hartford Public Schools, New Britain Park and
Recreation, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, New Britain Housing Authority,
The Community Builders Inc., Jumoke Academy, among many.
Corporate sponsors for Dream Grlz Inc. include City of Hartford, Aetna Inc.,
Hartford Hospital, Hartford Public Schools, etc.
As a sought-after speaker, Sharnell shares the benefits of her experience and
insight from a holistic perspective. Her keynote presentations, breakout
sessions, national conferences, empowerment teas, school assemblies, one-
on-one coaching sessions and developmental workshops help women and girls
to recognize and cultivate their inner strength in order to set, develop and
implement the life goals they seek to launch out and pursue!