Dr. Vickie Shields launches coaching practice after higher ed career

Dr. Vickie Shields, former Nevada State University provost and executive vice president, is expanding Transformative Strategies Coaching with a focus on life, career and executive coaching. Her new work builds on three decades in higher education and comes as she prepares for a consulting role at a major Kansas university and a new book project.

Why it matters: - Dr. Vickie Shields is turning decades of higher education leadership into coaching aimed at professionals who feel stuck, burned out or ready for a new chapter. - Her work targets a common career inflection point: leaders who have achieved success but want clearer purpose, better balance and a more authentic path forward. - Her experience spans executive leadership, culture change, mentoring and research on self-image and confidence.

What happened: - Close Up Radio featured Dr. Vickie Shields, M.A., PhD, founder of Transformative Strategies Coaching, in an interview with Jim Masters on Aug. 19 at 2 p.m. Eastern. - Shields is based in eastern Washington and now works as a life, career and executive coach and culture-change consultant. - Shields previously served as provost and executive vice president at Nevada State University. - Shields recently left full-time higher education leadership after turning 60, saying she wanted to be closer to family and address health needs.

The details: - Shields said she wanted to focus on mentoring, leadership development and culture change, which were the most rewarding parts of her career. - During more than 30 years in academia, Shields worked on policy, emergency preparedness, trust and resilience among faculty and staff. - Shields said her coaching process uses deep discovery and strategic personal planning informed by academic research and intuitive insight. - Shields specializes in helping clients who feel stuck after a setback or after reaching a major career goal. - Shields described helping one client who had been demoted from a high-level academic position by shifting the client’s focus from winning the old role back to building the best life possible for herself and her family. - Shields is a feminist media scholar who taught women in media, qualitative methods and communications. - Shields wrote "Measuring Up: How Advertising Affects Self-Image," a book about how media images shape self-perception and confidence. - Shields said early life experiences and social messaging continue to affect professional confidence and decision-making. - Shields is working on a new book, "The Wisdom You Already Carry: How Your Life Has Been Preparing You for What Comes Next." - Shields is preparing for a consulting engagement with a major Kansas university, where she will serve as a culture change agent for one of its largest academic units. - The Dr. Vickie Rutledge Shields Quiet Room in the Nevada State University library honors her legacy and provides a retreat for students and faculty. - More information is available through the company’s announcement, the book listing, the Worldwide Women’s Association page, and the radio episode.

Between the lines: - Shields’ shift reflects a broader trend of senior leaders moving from institutional roles into advisory and coaching work later in their careers. - Her emphasis on reconnecting with earlier life strengths and values suggests a coaching model centered on identity, not just resume strategy. - The emphasis on women’s advancement and authentic self-assessment positions her practice in the leadership-development and reinvention space.

What’s next: - Shields expects to keep growing Transformative Strategies Coaching while adding new consulting work. - Her upcoming book will extend the same message she gives clients: experience, reflection and self-knowledge can help shape the next stage of life and work. - Her public profile is likely to grow through radio appearances, published features and continued consulting engagements.