Palo Alto Networks

Senior Project Manager

Project Success Academy℠

Course Instructor

Velvet Vision

Founder

Raytheon Technologies

IT Project Manager

Fulcrum Technology Solutions

IT Project Coordinator

University of Houston

Program Manager

Project Manager | Helping Women Land Tech PM Roles | your PM bff

In 2024, I noticed something: most mid-career project managers weren’t underqualified. They were under-positioned. They had the skills, experience, and drive, but weren’t landing six-figure project management roles because hiring managers couldn’t see their value.

That realization led me to build the Velvet Vision framework. It helps project professionals position themselves as the obvious hire before they ever apply.

This isn’t resume tweaking or chasing certifications. It’s about clarity, strategy, and execution. My clients stop blending in, start leading with confidence, and step into roles that pay them what they’re worth.

Who I Work Best With:
I work with project managers in the U.S. and Canada who:
• Have at least 3 years of project management experience
• Are ready to step into $100K+ roles
• Want to be seen as leaders, not task managers
• Value clarity, execution, and accountability

This program is not for people who are brand new to project management, unwilling to take ownership of their growth, or looking for a quick fix.

Results so far:
• Clients have collectively secured $313K in salary increases with an average uplift of $44K per person
• On average, clients land offers in 3.3 months (fastest in 68 days)
• ROI consistently exceeds 800%, with some clients covering their investment in the first paycheck

If you’re a project manager in the U.S. or Canada ready to earn more, lead more, and finally get seen, you don’t need luck or endless hustle. You need positioning.

No fluff. No guessing. Just strategy that gets results.

👉 Apply to work with me: https://calendly.com/d/cm7j-vb9-kvr

Yonelly G.

Goodbye, Pepe. 🕊️ 

I found Pepe while biking around Houston a few years ago. He was an emaciated stray walking in the middle of the street with no collar. 

I told him, “If you don’t bite me, I’ll take you home.” He didn’t, and that moment changed both of our lives.

At the vet, we learned he was filled with heartworms and parasites. We treated him, gave him care, and he recovered. But his heart murmur never went away. Over time, it grew worse. 

Still, Pepe never lost his spirit. He was goofy, curious, and bold. He’d chase the big dogs like he was one of them, always convinced he could keep up.

Today, we had to say goodbye. His heart finally gave out, and we made the painful decision to let him rest.

You don’t always get to choose when someone or something comes into your life, but you do get to choose how you show up for them.

Even with a weak heart, Pepe lived with joy. And that’s a lesson worth carrying forward.

I will forever miss you my sweet boy.

Yonelly Gutierrez

Helping PMs land 6-figure roles faster | Join my waitlist (link in bio) | Featured by Favikon as a Top 10 U.S. PM Creator.

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$40K → $135K+ in 4 Years (and No, I Didn’t Get Another Cert)

In 2021, I was making $40,000.
Working in education.
Stuck, underpaid, and tired of waiting...

I knew I had to pivot fast.
So I studied nights. Got my PMP and CSM.

↳ Landed my first IT role as a Project Coordinator.
↳ Then moved to Raytheon as an IT Project Manager.
↳ Now I’m a Senior Project Manager at Palo Alto Networks
↳ leading multi-million dollar delivery for a Fortune 500 client.

Here’s the wild part...
To go from Project Manager → Senior Project Manager,
I didn’t get another certification.
I didn’t go back to school.
I didn’t grind in the same role hoping someone would notice.

↳ I executed at a different level:
I positioned myself as a strategic leader, not a task executor
I turned delivery into business impact leadership cared about
I learned how to create visibility without  playing politics

That’s what gets people promoted.

And I'm helping other mid-level PMs do the same.

I put together a free PM Promotion Playbook that maps out what I used to get promoted and how you can too.

Grab a copy here: https://lnkd.in/gAmUhu3b

Let’s turn your current role into your next one.

The higher your visibility, the more people project onto you.

They’ll question your credibility.
They’ll assume you haven’t earned your place.
They’ll talk to you like you didn’t build what you built.

That’s not about you. 
↳ It’s about what your growth reflects back to them.

When I first started showing up online, I thought staying quiet protected my peace. 

Now I know boundaries do that better.

Receipts protect your business.
Composure protects your brand.
Confidence protects your energy.

The goal isn’t to avoid friction. 

The goal is to stay so rooted in who you are that friction can’t move you.

Your success will always trigger someone who hasn’t faced their own.

AI Isn’t Replacing Project Managers. 

It’s Replacing Those Who Refuse to Evolve.

If your projects look the same with or without AI, your value is shrinking.

AI now 
-forecasts risks before humans flag them.
-predicts schedule slips with data.
-builds status updates in seconds.

The PM who uses AI leads with insight.

So ask yourself…

👉 Are you using AI to clear your plate or to sharpen your decisions?

Because the next wave of promotions will go to PMs who manage intelligence.

🧐How are you using AI to lead smarter projects?

I went from $40K to $135K+ without an MBA or additional certs.

I didn’t work harder.
I just stopped being invisible.

Now I’m teaching the system that helped me step into senior roles and I’m giving it away for free.

Inside this free session:
✔ How to make your work visible to the people who matter
 ✔ How to speak like a strategic leader, not a task manager
 ✔ How to handle senior conversations with clarity and confidence
 ✔ The 5-part framework that helped me go from overlooked to undeniable

This is built for mid-level PMs who are doing the work but not getting the title.

If that’s you, grab a spot here: https://lnkd.in/gXqjFXXt

Spots are limited to keep the session high-impact.

Control is a signal, not a personality trait.

Looking calm ≠ being naturally composed.
Looking calm = promotion trigger.
Executives read presence faster than resumes.

That’s what we drilled in Monday’s live session. 

We covered actual strategy that changes how leaders see you.

Every attendee walked out with additional resources & everyone saw where they’re falling flat.

You signal control when you…
-know what matters
-won’t fold under pressure
-operate at the next level

That’s what gets you tapped.

🙅🏻‍♀️ Not busywork.
🙅🏻‍♀️ Not loyalty.
💁🏻‍♀️ Control.

MONTEVISTA SOLUTIONS, INC.

Project management consultant and educator

Contracts include:

Developed software product documentation as a wiki as well as manual format. linux environment with open source tools to convert documentation in source repository to wiki pages.

Provided part-time consulting services for product development, project management, and marketing.

•	Evaluated company’s project management software product and recommended new features to satisfy project managers’ needs and gaps in the marketplace.
•	Redesigned product’s user interface and specified functional behavior.
•	Produced marketing materials and support documentation. Scripted and recorded how-to screencasts.
•	Developed processes and procedures to streamline development.

Project manager for client’s portion of a multi-vendor project for major telecommunication company that implemented a speech-enabled application for field technicians. Produced technical documentation for speech-enabled application development product.

•	Fostered cooperative working relationship with customer’s project management team and field technician representatives.
•	Coordinated integration of software component with other vendors’ contributions.
•	Evaluated and managed change requests and defect reports. Developed plans based on work estimates. Supervised acceptance process and negotiated issues.

Served as project manager and assistant to project engineer on power management system replacement project to coordinate and manage power generation along the Mid-Columbia River. Project included implementation of new power management software system, remodel of dispatcher data center, construction of backup data center, and upgrade of sensors and communication equipment in the field.

•	Assembled plan that incorporated all aspects of the project, including software implementation, construction, and field work.
•	Updated and revised plan base on status.
•	Assisted project engineer and team with software system evaluation and selection.

Project Manager and Technical Writer

27 published books and training courses including:
•	Your Project Management Coach, Wiley,2012
•	Project Management Fundamentals, Lynda.com, 2011
•	Successful Project Management, Microsoft Press, 2011 Society for Technical Communication Distinguished Award, 2011
•	Project 2013 Essential Training, Lynda.com
•	Microsoft Project 2013: The Missing Manual, O’Reilly (Apex Award of Excellence for the 2007 and 2010 editions)

•	QuickBooks: The Missing Manual, O’Reilly, Editions from 2005 through 2014 (Intuit's Official Guide to QuickBooks) Apex Award of Excellence, 2005, for QuickBooks: The Missing Manual
•	QuickBooks 2012 Essentials, Lynda.com, 2011
•	QuickBooks 2010 Essentials, Lynda.com, 2009
•	Quicken 2009: The Missing Manual, 2009

•	Better Investing Stock Selection Handbook, 2004, Society for Technical Communication Distinguished Award, 2004; Apex Grand Award, 2004

•	Personal finance articles for Interest.com and Bankrate.com
•	Better Investing Web Watch Column, August 2000 to Present

Published Author and Trainer

convergent group

Managed utility projects and programs. Managed technical support, technical documentation, and training resources.

consultant

McDonnell Douglas Telecommunications

Consultant

I like to think I was in the middle of the bell curve when I was at MIT -- but everyone there seemed so much smarter than me. Luckily, I’m keenly curious and love to learn how things work. Turns out my superpower is digesting complex topics and making them simple for others to understand.

My mission is to help people grow their careers by learning new skills and mastering software tools. Topics like project management, bookkeeping, and software tools can be quite dry, so I work to explain them clearly and with a dose of humor.

My workdays run the gamut from recording LinkedIn Learning courses to helping companies incorporate project management and Microsoft Project into their environments, to writing and speaking. No matter what the assignment, I maintain my high standards, solve problems with creativity, and – most of all – do what I say I’m going to do.

After a close call with becoming a workaholic, I have an eclectic collection of hobbies: improv and sketch comedy, travel, cycling, and aerial dance.

Bonnie Biafore

Project managers lead assessment efforts to determine whether requested changes are appropriate and beneficial for their projects. A Change Mindset is needed to do this well. This Project Pointer describes ways to embrace a change mindset and improve project success. #projectmanagement #projectpointers #bonniebiafore

LinkedIn Learning rock star, project management consultant, and Microsoft Project guru. More than 6 million online learners!

View newsletter: Bonnie's Project Pointers

Managing change is a fundamental aspect of project management. Project managers must lead assessment efforts to determine whether requested changes ar

Open article: Leadership Skills for PMs: Edition 5 – A Change Mindset by Bonnie Biafore • 3 min read

Leadership Skills for PMs: Edition 5 – A Change Mindset

Experienced PMs go beyond delegating and coach their team members. This enables better outcomes on current and future projects. This Project Pointer describes the keys to coaching as a project manager. #projectmanagement #projectpointers #bonniebiafore

Project managers lead people who perform project tasks and create project outcomes. So, delegation is fundamental. Experienced PMs go beyond delegatin

Open article: Leadership Skills for PMs – Edition 4 – Coaching by Bonnie Biafore • 3 min read

Leadership Skills for PMs – Edition 4 – Coaching

When you add a new member to your project team, it’s a good idea to evaluate their performance so you can address any negative impacts quickly. Here are ways to monitor project and team member performance after a personnel change. For more info, check out my Project Pointers newsletter article. https://lnkd.in/dH4bKXnT

A difference of opinions doesn't always mean conflict. Learn how to recognize different drives and ideas, and work through them. This is from our Office Hours with Marlene Chism, From Conflict to Courage. Find the full event in the comments below.

The justification for a project isn’t always obvious. When the team is struggling to agree on project justification, here are some trade-offs to consider. For more info, check out my Project Pointers newsletter article. https://lnkd.in/gS42dh82

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