Purpose
Helping nonprofit and educational leaders bridge personal fulfillment and professional impact so they can lead with confidence, clarity, and care
Vision
Thriving, impactful leaders and communities
Core Values & Beliefs
People
People are whole, resilient, and resourceful.
Leadership
Leadership starts from the inside out.
Learning
Learning unlocks limitless possibilities.
Psychological Safety
People must feel safe to learn and thrive.
Presence
Here and now is the seed for new possibilities.
Awareness
Awareness is the first step towards understanding.
Michelle Watson-Grant, Ed.D., CMC
Jonlieu's Founder
Dr. Michelle Watson-Grant unleashes potential and transforms organizations by helping leaders engage in self-discovery and learning that elevates their leadership impact while connecting deeply with what gives them greater fulfillment.
Leveraging her 30 years of experience in education, Michelle is now a certified master coach, educator, and the founder of Jonlieu (pronounced “Jon Loo”), a company dedicated to helping leaders thrive.
Michelle is passionate about developing the potential in leaders and offers one-on-one coaching, team coaching, and transformative educational experiences. Known for her relaxed demeanor, she’s often “the calm” in the midst of her clients’ chaotic storms.
Prior to launching Jonlieu, Michelle held various roles in education including textbook author, teacher, and adjunct professor. She would later become a highly successful school district administrator who led cross-disciplinary teams at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. In this role, she not only accelerated the learning and development of those teams and increased productivity, but also, she and her teams developed a new district-wide curriculum that improved instruction and student learning. In 2017, Michelle received the Award for Excellence in District Administration.
Though she excelled and made a significant impact in the district, ultimately, work-related stress led to Michelle having one of the worst Sickle Cell Disease flare-ups she had ever experienced. That’s when she knew it was time for a transition. While tending to her well-being she pondered entrepreneurship as a new pathway to continue supporting the leaders and teams she admired.
Around the same time, she started volunteering to support leaders in the non-profit sector and quickly discovered that educational leaders and non-profit leaders often face the same types of challenges—high stress, high stakeholder expectations, low budgets, limited support, and constant transitions, to name a few. She decided to expand her services to support these leaders through professional coaching, facilitation, and education, focused on personal and professional fulfillment and impact.
Michelle’s coaching and educational expertise makes a notable difference for her clients, like Union Capital Boston, a non-profit that assists under-resourced residents. Michelle worked with their leadership director to develop a community-focused leadership program and curriculum while also increasing the leader’s capacity to support team learning and development. With a people-first approach, Michelle helps individuals, teams, and organizations to grow their leadership impact while staying connected with the fulfillment that sustains it.
She holds a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature and received a Master’s in Education, Teaching and Learning and a Doctor of Education from Nova Southeastern University. She is a Certified Master Coach from the Center for Coaching Certification and is a proud member and credentialed coach with the International Coaching Federation. She also holds professional certificates in Navigating Transitions, Team Development Essentials, Design Thinking, and Agile Project Management.
In her free time, Michelle enjoys gardening, nature photography, and writing children’s stories.
"The name Jonlieu is a heartfelt homage to my grandfather, John Lewis, a beloved community leader. Known for his unwavering support and entrepreneurial spirit, he was a beacon of hope in challenging times. Unable to read or write, he mastered countless skills and always found a way to find solutions where others saw only obstacles. Jonlieu is more than just a name. It’s a nod to my grandfather’s legacy, and a reflection of my commitment to replicating it. The "lieu" also signifies my aspiration to stand in his stead, cultivating leadership not only in myself but in every individual I serve, and the people they serve, creating an ever-widening ripple effect of positive change."
How Jonlieu Helps You Grow
Think. Be. Do.
Our offerings are designed to support your leadership from reflection to action.
Leadership
Coaching
1:1 support that deepens self-awareness, unlocks your inner resourcefulness, and supports meaningful, sustainable growth.
Team Development & Facilitation
Custom-designed experiences that strengthen trust, connection, and collaboration across your team.
All services are rooted in research-backed practices and the International Coaching Federation’s principles and ethics.
Jonlieu's Compass
"Think. Be. Do." is the guiding principle at Jonlieu, where leaders cultivate the power within – thoughts, emotions, and actions – to deepen personal transformation for greater fulfillment and impact.
THINK
Identify and challenge limiting thought patterns and beliefs.
BE
Explore and practice ways of being that nurture emotional intelligence and well-being.
DO
Take purposeful, values-aligned action to make a positive impact.
Let's Chart Your Course Together.
The best way to start your Jonlieu journey is to connect with Michelle today. In a 1:1 chat, we can discuss your aspirations in more detail, and explore how Jonlieu can be your closest ally in your voyage towards more fulfilling, impactful leadership.