Unlock

Unlock is a personal branding and digital marketing agency dedicated to helping professional coaches craft digital reputations they love. Our mission is to empower coaches to build standout personal brands that not only reflect their unique expertise but also attract the clients and opportunities they truly desire.

At the helm of Unlock is Dr. Stacey Gonzales, founder of SG Creative Connections, LLC an experienced educator, advisor, and coach. After two decades of award-winning leadership in Illinois' largest school districts, Stacey now focuses her expertise on helping coaches clarify their messaging, elevate their online presence, and connect with the right audiences.

What sets Unlock apart is our tailored approach to each coach’s journey. We don’t just build brands—we help coaches embody digital reputations they love, rooted in authenticity and influence. With Stacey’s certification as an Erickson Solution Focused coach, she skillfully uncovers hidden potential and guides clients toward deeper personal and professional alignment. Combining visionary strategy with practical processes, Unlock ensures that every coach we work with leaves a lasting digital impression.

Founder

SpeakrBrand

Supported growth from $1M ARR --> 2.5M ARR in 7 months.

Operational Strategy & Execution:

Develop and implement scalable processes to support business growth and efficiency.

Oversee the creation and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for various roles, including Growth Strategists, Content Strategists, Project Managers, Business Development Representatives, and Account Managers.

Team Management & Development:

Lead, mentor, and develop small team of both US and off-shore talent, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and high performance.

Coordinate task assignments and manage project timelines using tools like Google Sheets, Notion, and Asana.

Process Improvement:

Identify areas for operational improvements and implement innovative solutions to enhance productivity and workflow.

Utilize data-driven insights to refine processes and strategies, ensuring alignment with company goals.

Collaboration & Communication:

Work closely with the Director of Marketing and other key stakeholders to align operational initiatives with marketing strategies.

Facilitate clear and effective communication across the organization, ensuring all team members are informed and aligned.

Client Management:

Support team members in developing and executing excellence in client work.

Ensure high levels of client satisfaction by maintaining excellent service standards and addressing any issues promptly.

Performance Measurement:

Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure operational success and identify opportunities for improvement.

Implement feedback mechanisms to continuously improve processes and service delivery.

Innovation & Creativity:

Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies to keep SpeakrBrand at the forefront of the digital marketing landscape.

Encourage a culture of innovation and creativity within the team, promoting the development of new ideas and strategies.

Medical Learning Institute, Inc.

Supporting Revenue Goals -->

Develop and implemented strategic plan to ensure all OKRs and KPIs drive revenue growth and foster a culture of accountability and achievement.

Implement streamlined project management techniques to ensure alignment and the timely submission of grant proposals, minimizing delays, and optimizing resource utilization.

Empowering Growth -->

Weekly executive coaching and advising with the co-founders to increase communication, remain focused on goals, and provide space for exploration.

Design and deliver tailored training programs and workshops, enhancing leadership growth for staff members.

Provide individualized coaching and mentoring, empowering staff to take ownership and drive scalable growth within MLI.

Facilitate cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing, nurturing a culture of continuous learning and professional development.

Streamlining for Success -->

Conduct comprehensive assessments of operational processes, identifying areas for improvement and implementing efficient systems that align with the organization's long-term vision.

Provide operational expertise and oversight, optimizing resource allocation and supporting performance metrics to track progress toward revenue goals.

Establish streamlined systems and processes that improve operational efficiency, communication, and collaboration, enabling MLI to scale effectively and secure grant awards successfully.

Executive Advisor & Consultant

On Deck

I am honored to be an Execs On Deck Fellow. The On Deck Fellowship is a curated community of entrepreneurial people in the technology industry.

On Deck Fellow

Multiple

After leaving my 20 year executive leadership role in public education, I wanted to build my competence in the for-profit world. By immersing myself into the tech start-up space, I have worked with various technology companies as both a consultant and individual contributor. These experiences gave me a solid working understanding of how remote tech companies build and scale their processes, products and people. I can see how these first-hand experiences in sales, marketing, customer success, and product have been necessary in order to help me transition confidently as a well-rounded executive advisor, coach, and consultant.

Some of these included:

Director of Partnerships - Insight Advance/Teaching Channel - Development of sales process and strategy for recently acquired edtech product. Prospect, qualify leads, and build sales pipeline. Cross-collaborate and strategize with sales teams in newly developed business via company merger. I learned how challenging sales is without a team approach.

Marketing Director - Preceptor Connector - Bootstrapped edtech early stage start-up dedicated to assisting transitioning teachers discover new career opportunities in the tech space. Oversee team of 5 marketing volunteers to produce all digital marketing assets for blog, website, social media, and podcast. I learned marketing is an evolving skill set and stories with education are the best way to attract your ideal audience.

Product Advisor - Zero - Bootstrapped edtech early stage start-up dedicated to supporting students social emotional learning. Worked closely with product and data team to ensure alignment. I learned young founders need lots of support to understand how to lead teams and scale a tech company.

Various Technology Start-Up Roles

The EdUp Experience

Develop end-to-end education podcast. From sourcing and securing guests, designing and developing digital marketing assets, and ensuring quality sound production.

Tech Stack:  Notion, Canva, Garage Band, G-Suite

Podcast Host and Producer

Consolidated High School District 230

Oversee and support individuals and educational systems during a time of educational change while ensuring fiscal responsibility. Inspiring all staff to design student-centered learning opportunities through relationships is at the center of the work I do daily. 

Oversee all of the Curriculum and Instruction and some special programs such as CTE, the libraries and summer school. Developed a digital learning program, a program review process, and a curriculum cycle, to name a few, in order to ensure consistency and fidelity in all of our programming.  By directing the work of the Division Chairs and Associate Principals, built a strategic protocol and framework in combination with a curriculum mapping software to ensure fidelity when it comes to best-practices in research, learning, and design.

Assistant Superintendent of Instruction

Indian Prairie School District 204

- Establish the vision for instructional technology within the district and conduct program evaluation of various technology initiatives.
- Participation in the development of an online consortium with several other area school districts. This is the first of its kind in Illinois.
- Direct and oversee the work of 35 librarians and 35 technology integration liaisons in every building.  
- Supervise and mentor instructional specialists at the district level on special teacher assignment.
- Build leadership capacity at the district and building level.
- Identify district instructional technology needs and develop professional development and leadership to implement district-wide opportunities for staff.
- Manage the instructional technology budget and work closely with technology services to support the work of teaching and learning in the district to ensure equity and innovative solutions.

Director Of Innovation / Chief Academic Officer

Northern Illinois University

Develop  asynchronous and synchronous online learning environment for numerous graduate level courses for the Educational Technology Research and Assessment (ETRA) department for students looking to gain their TS Type 10 Certificate and Master in Education degree.  Ability to utilize motivational theory to present various discussion board topics and to promote best-practices in online teaching pedagogy and curriculum.  Responsible for monitoring student progress and assessment data.

Adjunct Instructor / Graduate Assistant

Joliet Township High School

Responsible for the evaluation, supervision and staff development of approximately 45 high-school teachers and one administrative assistant in various disciplines while working collaboratively with both the district and building administrative teams to ensure implementation of the district’s strategic plan and school improvement plan.
	
- Lead and promote a culture of collaborative and professional learning teams
- Mediate and facilitate discussions between teachers, parents, staff members, and other stakeholders to ensure privacy and problem resolution
- Plan and direct professional development for 1:1 technology integration for all district teachers
- Assist with state standardized testing procedures, textbook registration, new student registration, progress and report card distribution, and graduation requirements
- Development of the Academy Roundtable; a collaborative leadership group of teachers and students which plan and participate in community service opportunities
- Assist in the development and implementation of an online learning environment for students in a 1:1 learning environment
- Continually make fiscally responsible decisions and maintain accurate budget records

Building Administrator - Academy Coordinator

- Organized and established a successful district instructional technology initiative through professional development training and creation of an instructional technology Professional Learning Community
- Led district-level committees and decisions involving instructional technology vision and strategy, building-level decisions, standardization of best practices, and project governance oversight
- Managed administrative, legal, and financial functions for district technology initiatives
- Developed strategies to improve instruction, online safety, and professional development
- Identified potential weaknesses and provided guidance and solutions to stakeholders 
- Substantially contributed to instructional technology integration at all levels and all disciplines
- Improved and strengthened relationships between other departments and the technology department
- Developed and implemented district online safety initiative and “technology coaches” teacher leadership program
- Launched “ENGAGE” technology conference which included over 30 presenters and over 200 attendees
- Developed a comprehensive SharePoint district training program for all district administration

Instructional Technology Coach

Co-Taught five sections of freshman English with special education teacher. Served on the English Subject Area Committee. Constructed English curriculum aligned to the ISBE state standards. 
- Multiple grant and scholarship awards for teaching and learning initiatives
- Organized all Freshman Advisory activities and chaired various school-wide events
- Model classroom and mentor for new teachers

English Teacher

Turn your expertise into profitable business | Strategic positioning for leaders who want to build authoritative personal brands | Top 30 Tech Innovator | 20 years in c-suite managing 8-figures | Spiritual Seeker 💫

Many experienced leaders and coaches struggle to position themselves as thought leaders, attract clients, and grow their businesses. 

Without a clear message and client attraction strategy, even the most experienced professionals lack consistent clients.

I help thought leaders and coaches build profitable, sustainable businesses by clarifying their messaging, increasing their visibility, and building a cold outreach strategy.

I spent 20 years as a c-suite executive leading some of the nation's largest organizations.

Now, I’ve helped hundreds of coaches, consultants, and executives grow their visibility, increase their impact, and scale their businesses.

The biggest challenges most executive coaches face:

→ No strategic marketing. Relying on hope instead of a system.

→ No clear offer. Struggling to articulate who you help and how.

→ Inconsistent visibility. Failing to show up with confidence and clarity.

→ Not leveraging LinkedIn effectively. Posting without strategy or engagement.

→ No client attraction system. Lacking an outreach system  to book new clients.

These gaps cost the best coaches time, energy, and revenue.

Here’s how I help:

→ Optimize your LinkedIn presence to build credibility and authority.

→ Clarify your positioning so the right people know exactly what you do.

→ Send cold outreach to drive business growth so you can close more clients.

The result: More opportunities, more revenue, and a business that works for you.

I’ve built my own successful brand and business. 

I’ve helped build 25+ brands and hundreds of websites. 

We can teach you how to do it, or my team will do it for you.

If you’re ready to stop wasting time on social media and start building a business that reflects your expertise, let’s connect.

Saying YES was easy.

When Nicole Waters invited me to co-host this event with my friend and colleague Erica Horowitz, MSW I knew we were opening up something special.

And, now, I turn this invite over to you.

It will be a time of pause.

Connection.

Reflection.

An invitation to yourself, your intentions and your intuition.

Because sometimes we just want to be with our sisters to:

- get back into flow
- relax into a new rhythm 
- listen for what's next for us

I've been holding space and facilitating groups for 20+ years, yet this one seems like a special moment.

Maybe it's because you will join us.

Maybe it's because something is waiting for you.

Maybe it's because choosing to step in will open up more.

You really don't need a reason.

Consider the fact you are reading this the reason.

You're invited.

You're welcomed.

This event is free and offered in the spirit of helping conscious female leaders open new connections within.

Stacey Gonzales, Ed.D.

Business and Community Leader | Professional Coach | Event Producer | Business Development Professional

Happening this Wednesday - an Amplify Women Tampa Bay virtual self-care workshop, HER VOICE, AMPLIFIED.  Join us as we share in an immersive, self-discovery experience for women ready to shake off what no longer serves them and reconnect with their truth. Through guided movement, embodied reflection, and facilitated conversations, participants will practice asking for what they want with clarity and confidence. This is a shared space for somatic reset, emotional alignment, and authentic expression. Come as you are with comfy clothes and open hearts.

Stacey Gonzales, Ed.D. Erica Horowitz, MSW Nicole Waters @525coaching #525coaching

COMPLIMENTARY REGISTER HERE
https://lnkd.in/eA2m8e-E

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