Journey to Authenticity & Impact
A good bit of wisdom earned
I’m Cynthia Farrell, and my life path makes me the leader I am today.
BACK ROADS & COW MANURE
My values come from growing up in a Midwest farming community. Honor the natural ebb and flow. Take the path less traveled for the views. Work hard. Do what you say. And learn to recognize sh*t when you smell it.
THANK YOU MEAN GIRLS
For more than 30 years, I carried baggage from being bullied. Now I value how it shaped me. It built my empathy, courage, and passion for inclusion. I’m a better leader, consultant, and person because of my middle school experience.
TOUGH AND TRUE FEEDBACK
Early career, my manager cared enough to (gently) tell me if I didn’t change my cynical attitude, no one would want to work with me. In my heart, I listened. I changed. And I learned the value of blending compassion with candor.
ENERGY GIVEN & RECEIVED
It’s people & energy that replenish me, and the crowd feels it when I present and facilitate. From dynamic keynotes to crazy-effective workshops, I love to make an impact by motivating and engaging groups of all sizes.
CRYING ON THE FLOOR
The first time I laid people off, I told the survivors that it was OK to be sad. That I was sad. That I’d cried. Their response: they thanked me for my honesty. What did I learn? Vulnerability matters.
“Cynthia has the courage of a warrior and the drive of an athlete coupled with the empathy of a friend, especially in times of need. Hiring her to support you will be one of your best decisions.”
Joe KirbyPresident, Schwan's Home Delivery
WORKING FROM ‘OM’
20+ years into my career, and I needed to find fulfillment outside of work. Cue yoga teacher training. What I learned shifted how I lead, and influences how I coach and advise leaders. Just enough woo to make you curious.
AUDITORS MAKE ME STABBY
Promoted to HR SVP, hardest 2 years of my career. Low point was the 401k audit (ugh, auditors!). But I learned — I’m so glad I did it. Part of the learning was to focus on my loves: leadership and culture.
MANTRA MEETS MINDSET
“The outcome you want may not be the outcome you need.” If I’d gotten a desired promotion, I wouldn’t be an entrepreneur living in Colorado. Trust the process. The outcome you want may not be the outcome you need.
110 WEST GROUP
Meridian. Pathway. Through-line. The dream for this business came on a trip to Bozeman, close to the 110th West line. A line that crosses mountains, rivers, deserts. That’s me — I’m your steadfast guide to seismic impact.
MY COMPASS = YOUR RESULTS
After decades in corporate, I’ve earned the cred to back up the theory. I understand your pain points and have solutions to move you forward. When you’re looking for your through-line to greater success, let’s talk and get you on the path to better business.
Choose Your Path(s)
“Cynthia can relate with others of all different backgrounds, life experiences and roles. She adapts her style while sticking to her principles and being true to herself.”
CHROConsumer Packaged Goods Company
Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is
So you get the results you seek
- Certified Executive Coach (ACSTH-ICF)
- EQ-i 2.0/360 certified
- DiSC (Full Product Suite) certified
- Bridges Leading Organizational Transitions certified
- CCL Channel Partner
- Profilor 360 Partner
- M.Ed. in Human Resource Development from University of Minnesota
- BA in Communication from Luther College
- RYT-200 Yoga Teacher Certification
You’ll Hear Me Say Them
You’ll repeat them because they’re true
➸ Culture is built on behavior — not beer. Too many companies spend money on window dressing and call it culture. Then you talk to employees and find out it’s toxic. We build you culture around behaviors, not the benefit flavor-of-the-month.
➸ Let me tell you how the hog ate the cabbage. Candor + compassion is my commitment. I’ll be direct and tell you what you may not want to hear. But I’ll do it in a way that you can consider and reflect on.
➸ Be a leader, not an a**hole. This should be common sense, right? But it’s not. I’ll let you know when and how your behaviors make others want to avoid you, and we’ll work together on the shift.
➸ Well, rat spit. It says so much with so few words. Disappointment, frustration, confusion. Nothing is attractive about rat spit. When I say this, we acknowledge the truth, lighten the mood, and move forward.
Let’s partner to bring these truisms to your organization, and organically find others that are true to you. As we do that, we’ll continually move forward on the path to developing leaders, teams and culture that build your business & make it better. (And did I mention we’ll have fun while we do it?)
Cynthia Farrell
Owner & Principal, 110 West Group