There are layers in all things. Awareness, memory, emotion... there are distinctions in experience that when perceived independently, add additional value to the whole of what we observe.

The same is true of people. How often do we believe we know someone, only to become all the more intrigued and impressed when we look at the various aspects of who they are, where they’ve been, and what they’ve done and are doing...

Enter Shirley Moulton, entrepreneur, author (she’s currently working on several books on authentic living and self-mastery), and founder and CEO of The ACADEMi of Life. I had the real pleasure of presenting a workshop this spring for The ACADEMi, and the even greater privilege of getting to know Shirley, her work, and her vision for an organization dedicated to lifelong learning and bringing out the best in each of us.

Born and raised in Jamaica, Shirley pursued her business education in the United States, quickly rising to top leadership positions in both the energy and IT fields. In less than a decade, she was running her own multi-million dollar company and being honored with an impressive array of awards for leadership and service. While her business acumen and passion for her work has been widely noted, it is her benchmarks around integrity, authenticity, and decency that she is most proud of both personally and professionally.

“The joy in our exchanges, the joy in life... how do we lose that as we evolve into these larger corporate entities, as we climb the ladder of promotions in the professional world? In much of business and life, there is a struggle between the authentic person you are and the thinking, reasoning person you need to be to exist in these capacities.”

Indeed, who are we without the attachments that we so often identify as ‘who we are’? For so many of us, it is the quest for labels and accolades of career and company that leave us lifeless in our own lives.

The answer for Shirley is being firm in and true to yourself and what you stand for, in business as in life: “You don’t need to step into your brand. First, step into your greatness. From there, execute.”

“When I sold my Technology Company (Universal Solutions, Inc), I realized that I had only developed my external persona, which was attached and valued based on what I did and what I had acquired in life, but I had not built my internal value.”

It is this inner value that is the focus of The ACADEMi. In Shirley’s words, “we are a Social Enterprise focused on curating wisdom to develop the inner state, wealth, and spirit of a human being. The journey to the inner self requires a commitment to the unknown that takes courage. It is my life's purpose and my passion. It's a deep honor and a privilege to lead.”

Founded on the principles of E. F. Schumacher, The ACADEMi is dedicated to providing the insights and training that much traditional education lacks. “All through school and university we are given guidance about life and knowledge, yet this guidance generally has little relevance to the things that we care about or the way we conduct our lives...the way life is really lived.”

From neuroscience to self-expression to art, from philosophy to meditation to advertising, Shirley’s commitment is to gather the world’s thought leaders for lectures, ‘how to’ classes, and intimate conversations that bring practical and enduring value to our lives, our work, and our relationships. Recent and upcoming guests include Peter Buffett, Elizabeth Gilbert, Jill Bolte Taylor and Kevin Roberts, each speaking to not only their professional experience and endeavors, but to their vastly more important and educational experiences of being alive.

“You can’t pursue happiness. Happiness ensues from a life of meaning and purpose.”

Words of wisdom from a woman who knows.

To learn more about Shirley and The ACADEMI of Life, please visit: www.theacademioflife.com