Aviva Leebow is the founder of Empower Leadership, a coaching and development firm dedicated to helping driven CEOs and business owners unlock their highest potential. With a background in corporate leadership and a passion for people development, Aviva has built a transformative practice that blends mindset, strategy, and peer learning. Humans of Fuzia is proud to feature her story as part of our mission to uplift voices that inspire, empower, and push boundaries. With a global community of 5 million members working towards a world rooted in He-for-She and She-for-She support, Aviva’s journey offers powerful lessons in resilience, purpose, and authentic leadership.
Q. Aviva, what inspired you to start Empower Leadership after spending years in the corporate world?
A. I wanted ownership — the ability to set the direction, build something aligned with my vision, and make a meaningful impact. While I value collaboration and others’ ideas, I wanted to create an environment where I could shape the work, the outcomes, and the influence I wanted to have in the world. Starting my own venture allowed me to do that in a way working within someone else’s framework never could.
Q. Who do you typically work with, and what kind of leaders are drawn to your approach?
A. I work with driven CEOs and business owners who have big visions — people committed to growing their businesses, helping their teams thrive, or pursuing purpose-driven goals. They’re humble, open-minded, and they understand that they can get further, faster by not doing it all alone. Whether through coaching or through peer groups, they value shared experience and collective wisdom.
Q. What benefits have you seen your clients experience when they work with you?
A. Many of my clients already have incredible ideas, but they sometimes limit themselves without realizing it. Coaching and peer groups help them think even bigger, identify blind spots, make better and faster decisions, and avoid missteps that come from working in isolation. With outside perspective, they gain clarity, confidence, and a sense of momentum in their journey.
Q. Entrepreneurship comes with moments of doubt. Did you ever struggle with self-belief while starting out?
A. Absolutely — and so does every leader I’ve ever worked with. If someone claims they’ve never had doubts, they’re probably not being honest with themselves. Building a business is hard. It’s not a straight path. There were days I questioned whether I was qualified, whether I was the right person, or whether I could handle it. But grit, community, and the right support systems make a huge difference. We all experience imposter syndrome — what matters is pushing through it.
Q. Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently in the early days?
A. I wish I had trusted myself more. In the beginning, I tried to follow what others told me I “should” do instead of leaning into what genuinely worked for me. While peer input is valuable, not everything fits every person. You have to take what resonates and leave the rest. Your path is your own, and your methods should be too.
Q. The coaching and leadership space is highly competitive. What are the biggest challenges you see for new coaches entering the field?
A. The hardest part is getting started and trying to do everything for everyone. The truth is — you shouldn’t. Find your niche and stay in it. Know who you can serve best, and be okay letting go of the rest. Scarcity mindset makes you want to take every client, but abundance mindset helps you build a business aligned with your strengths. Be aware of who you’re truly helping, and who might be better served by someone else.
Q. How do you personally define success — both professionally and personally?
A. Success for me is building something larger than myself: a business with multiple coaches, facilitators, and leaders who can benefit from my administrative structure and experience so they can focus on the work they love. I want to empower others to start and scale their own coaching journeys while creating meaningful impact for business leaders everywhere.
Q. Is there a legacy you hope to leave behind through your work?
A. My favorite way to put it is: I want to be part of many people’s stories without ever needing my name to be known. If a leader transforms their business or changes their life because of an idea sparked in coaching — even if no one knows I was the catalyst — that’s the legacy I want. An invisible impact that ripples across organizations and generations.
Q. How do you stay grounded and continue learning as a founder and thought leader?
A. Learning never stops. I learn from my clients, from peers, from conversations, from content, from AI — truly from everywhere. Growth-minded people surround me, and that environment keeps me sharp. I rely on tools that help me stay present and human, like AI handling backend tasks so I can focus on people. Every day offers something new to learn if you stay curious.
Q. What has been one pivotal decision that changed the course of your entrepreneurial journey?
A. Believe it or not, I originally planned to start a metal fabrication company because that was my background. But a coach challenged me by asking why I was building a business based on what I knew instead of what I loved. That question changed everything. It pushed me to create Empower Leadership — a business built on coaching, development, and people — the part of my career that always energized me the most.
Q. What keeps you motivated during uncertain or challenging periods?
A. Momentum, peers, and mindset. Having people to talk to when things get tough is invaluable. And the Outgrow methodology, which I’ve adopted and now teach, has brought predictability and certainty into my business. Small, consistent, proactive actions lead to steady results. It has reshaped the way I think, work, and show up.
Q. Is there anything exciting coming up that you’re currently working on?
A. Yes — I’ve started public speaking again. Since getting certified in Outgrow and realizing how transformative it is, I’ve been doing talks for CEO groups and business communities to share practical, actionable insights from the methodology. Everything is available in the book, but speaking about it allows me to bring it alive and help more leaders experience its impact.
“In the best stories of transformation, you may never know my name — but if I’ve helped spark a new idea or belief in someone’s potential, that’s the legacy I want to leave.”
Connect with Aviva Leebow:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/avivaleebow
https://www.empoweruleadershipgroup.com/
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