Photo of the sign outside my workshop room at the 2019 Obama Foundation Community Leadership Corps program. Caption reads: "A Change of Heart: Steward Leadership by Rayshauna Gray."
Date: 04 Aug 2019
Location: Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago, IL.
The Heart Work Is… began in 2017, during a period when I was balancing roles at Harvard Business School and Tufts University — and quietly unraveling under the weight of imposter syndrome. The familiar symptoms were all there: self-doubt, anxiety, burnout, and the quiet, corrosive stories many of us inherit about worth, belonging, and success.
I created the framework as a way to make sense of my own inner landscape. What I didn’t expect was how deeply it would resonate with others. What started as a personal healing practice became a workshop series grounded in honesty, values, and community care. It invites participants to examine the roots of their imposter feelings, understand how societal narratives reinforce them, and rebuild their sense of self with clarity and compassion.
In 2019, I connected with the Obama Foundation. Since then, The Heart Work Is… has supported hundreds of people across the country — from youth leaders in Chicago to community organizers in Hartford — as they unpack personal wounds, challenge inherited myths, and reconnect with the stories that make them who they are.
Each session becomes a room full of revelations. People cry, laugh, breathe deeper, and see one another — and themselves — with new gentleness and strength. Participants leave with practical tools, reflection materials, and a renewed sense of possibility. I created this framework at a moment when I felt fractured. Now it serves as a space where people can uncoil, be witnessed, and begin again. That’s the real heart work.
Workshops are available in 45-, 60-, and 90-minute formats, with optional follow-up materials for continued reflection. If your community or organization would benefit from this work, you can reach me through the Contact form here. Partner institutions include the Obama Foundation, Google, Harvard, General Assembly, Boston GLOW, and dozens of organizations and academic institutions across the country. Read all about the journey on LinkedIn.
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