Meet Marion
Your Guide to Rising Strong
"From counselor to coach I help women navigate career transitions, emotional resets, and life's unexpected turns with clarity, courage, and strategy."
Ready to see how resilience becomes reinvention?”
From Layoffs to Legacy: My Story of Rising Strong
My Story
I didn’t set out to build a six‑figure counseling and coaching business. I thought engineering would be my forever career. But life had other plans.
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After multiple layoffs, I realized that what felt like endings were actually beginnings. One of the hardest moments came when I planned a farewell celebration for contract workers — only to discover it was my farewell too. Fired. That sting became the spark that pushed me to chart my own course.
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Stress finally forced me to stop ignoring the signs. One morning, pain dropped me to my knees and sent me to the ER. My doctor’s advice was simple: “Quit your job.” At first, I resisted. I had bills, obligations, responsibilities. But deep down, I knew I was out of alignment with my purpose.
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My “Last Lunch” moment — the day I walked out and never returned — was the turning point. It was the day I chose myself, my health, and my calling.
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Today, I help women navigate transitions, rebuild after burnout, and rise with clarity and courage. What pushed me out of engineering became the foundation of Room to Rise.​​​
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Bio Marion Montgomery
Resilience & Reinvention Strategist
Founder of Room to Rise | Speaker | Author
Marion Montgomery is the CEO and Founder of MarionMSpeaks.com, a personal and professional development company dedicated to helping women rise with clarity, courage, and purpose. A former engineer turned educator, counselor, and coach, Marion knows firsthand what it means to rebuild after setbacks and align with your true calling.
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Her journey from corporate instability to creating a thriving six‑figure counseling and coaching business has inspired women across the country to find their place and live their best life. She has been featured in the Huffington Post, Houston’s Defender, and honored as the National Association of Professional Women’s VIP of the Year for excellence and service.
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As an author, speaker, and founder of Room to Rise Academy, Marion offers signature coaching programs, online courses, and empowerment events designed to help women Rise, Reclaim, Reinvent themselves their lives and career. Her best‑selling book, When Life Happens… Dare, Stretch, and Prosper, has been spotlighted on ABC, FOX, CBS, and NBC affiliate sites. Whether through coaching, speaking, or writing, Marion’s mission is clear: to help women rise stronger and claim the success they deserve.
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