What Guides My Work

Grounded, human-centered work shaped by clarity, care, and curiosity.

About

I’m MaryEllen Giombetti — a facilitator, consultant, and New York Times–published writer working at the intersection of meaningful work, human systems, and care.

I partner with individuals, organizations, and communities to support development, growth, and thoughtful movement forward — whether navigating change or strengthening what’s already in place.

My work is grounded in the belief that clarity, dignity, and care are not “soft” concepts, but essential conditions for sustainable progress and healthy systems.

How I Work

The work I do creates space for reflection, conversation, and intentional action. It’s designed to support people and organizations as they think more clearly, make more grounded decisions, and move forward with purpose.

Rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions, I focus on facilitated conversations and advisory support that meet people where they are and honor the complexity of real life and work.

Culture of Care

A Culture of Care is a way of working and relating that centers clarity, dignity, and shared responsibility — supporting people to grow, navigate change, and make thoughtful decisions together.

It recognizes that our collective health and success are shaped by the systems, relationships, and environments that surround us, even when something isn’t happening directly to us.

It’s both a mindset and a practice — choosing to take thoughtful action now, with the intention of leaving people, places, and systems a little better than we found them.

A Culture of Care is inclusive rather than exclusive, and treats the act of addressing challenges as an essential part of determining a forward-moving path.

This framework guides how I partner with people, teams, and organizations across all of my work.

Perspective

How we think, speak, and move through the world — individually and collectively — shapes the systems we build and the cultures we sustain.

The words we choose, the spaces we shape, and the stories we tell influence how we show up, what we value, and how we work together. My work is grounded in creating human-centered, values-driven ways of working — where clarity leads, curiosity is encouraged, and care is not an afterthought.

This perspective informs how I approach facilitation, consulting, and 1:1 work across personal, organizational, and community contexts.

Experience & Context

My background spans facilitation, consulting, writing, and end-of-life work — experiences that continue to inform how I approach leadership, culture, and care.

Before founding Empowered by MEG, I spent years in corporate roles and public health, including work with the American Cancer Society. In 2009, I stepped away from burnout and began building a practice centered on clarity, dignity, and more humane ways of working and living.

Over time, both professional training and lived experience — including navigating grief, loss, and major life transitions — have shaped how I show up in this work. These experiences deepen my perspective and ground my approach in steadiness, empathy, and respect for complexity.

How I Show Up

Everyone deserves space — to care for what matters, to move at a thoughtful pace, and to be met with dignity and respect.

That belief has shaped my work across communities and industries, from public health and organizational settings to facilitation, writing, and end-of-life support. In all of these contexts, personal and professional, my approach remains consistent: grounded, attentive, and informed by both empathy and strategy.

I work with people navigating complexity — in life, in work, and in moments of change — and I do so with the understanding that clarity and care are not extras, but essential conditions for meaningful progress.

Credentials & Certifications

  • ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC)

  • Certified Coaches Alliance
    Certified in: Career, emotional intelligence, transition, stress management

  • Certified End of Life Doula
    Larner college of medicine
    University of Vermont

  • Bachelor of Arts

    Syracuse University

“What sets MaryEllen apart … is her commitment to inclusivity and diversity. She understands the diverse range of individuals who make up a corporate culture … There is no alternative to the enthusiasm she brings for a true team-building experience”
— Butcher Box: Amanda Gray, Women’s Internal Network Leader

working together- explore ways to work with me:

Private 1:1 Work · Facilitation & Consulting · Community Programs

Tools & Resources