Unraveling Ambition

“Whether you are an accomplished executive or a forest-bound seeker, stop a moment to take this vista in. In a sea of self-help, leadership, and coaching books, Valia manages to achieve that rarest of accomplishments—a book that is part inspirational inner prayer and part conspiratorial conversation into the wee hours with the most intimate of friends. Valia destroys our distracting distinctions of personal and professional and demands that we define for ourselves once and for all who we are. Unraveling Ambition will convince you that you need no book to find yourself and that your ease, your energy and your rhythm is already inside. Valia will help you stand for your Self. . . and not only win, but realize you’ve been winning all along.”

– Matthew Kwatinetz, Director, NYU Urban Lab and Senior Real Estate Executive, Film Producer

“So inspiring! With humor and heart, Valia helps readers understand the roots of their ambition so they can confidently design a purpose-driven life. Unraveling Ambition is a timely and indispensable companion for both emerging and established leaders in the post-pandemic era.”

– Robert Chatwani, President, Docusign

“Beautiful and brilliant. Jump in and you’ll soon find yourself asking, ‘Isn’t that how we all want to live our lives?’ Valia provides us with the exact moment to explore the question with purpose, peace, and pause. Unraveling Ambition will grab you from chapter one with an invitation that feels like a soothing and mesmerizing calling. We are all ready for this work and just needed this guidance—beautifully handed to us here.”

– Lisa Dallenbach, Chief People Officer, theSkimm

“Ambition is so revered, it’s rarely questioned. Valia takes it head on, using her own story in an authentic, effective provocation. Laying bare the false choices and inevitable consequences, she pivots—how do we resolve this tension? If you want to channel your ambition towards greater purpose and impact, she is a resonant, credible, and reassuring voice.”

– Marty Coyne, Founder & Principal, Matchstick, Inventor

“I sighed deeply many times as I recognized myself—the good, the bad, the past, the future—in the pages of Unraveling Ambition. Valia’s writing made me laugh, moved me to tears and made me think more clearly about the importance of balance and intentionality in leadership. She has turned the wisdom gained from her own personal journey into practical and tangible thoughts and actions that propel her readers more purposefully on their own journeys as leaders and as humans.”

– Brooke Gordon, Partner & Co-Chief Operating Officer North America, FGS Global

“Unraveling Ambition is more than a book on leadership. Valia has the voice of raw truth and love—she is ‘whisperer’ to us as we continue on our quest to find deeper fulfillment, make real connections with ourselves and others, and uncover true joy.”

– Connie Kim, Head of Learning & Development and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, Heineken USA

“Valia provides a refreshing and empowering perspective on leadership and ambition that challenges readers to rethink their approach to personal development. Unraveling Ambition offers practical insights and is an authentic guide to claiming personal power.”

– Archana Agrawal, Chief Marketing Officer, Airtable

“Unraveling Ambition has put, in text form, ideas and concepts that Valia has imparted to me that have changed my life. For years, I’ve tried to figure out how to best describe Valia. My career coach. . . my life coach. . . my spiritual guide. I’m grateful the world finally gets to enjoy Unraveling Ambition—leaders everywhere just got the answers to ‘unlocking’ the test.”

– Kyle Mosley, Media Executive

“Valia creates a beautiful space for her reader to engage with deep issues under her guidance. There is something so trustworthy and down-to-earth erudite about how Valia writes. The book is authentic, full of wisdom, funny, natural, kind—and with a very clear message of claiming personal power.”

– Irini Kalamakis, Senior Managing Director & Global Head of Strategic Partnerships, Omers

“If you are ready to begin your own journey of unraveling—or know someone who needs a nudge—this is the manual. I have personally and repeatedly witnessed Valia’s process transform lives and am amazed that her writing creates the feeling of listening. Valia has been a ballast in my life. She embodies leading by example. At the outset of a new engagement, she leads by immediately creating a safe space for vulnerability by sharing a personal story. You cannot ask of your team that of which you are not willing to do yourself. Her insides unquestionably match her outsides and I am thrilled that her gifts will now be able to be shared with a wider audience.”

– Crescent Muhammad, Managing Director, Council of Urban Professionals

“Like a long hug from an old friend, I immediately felt connection, comfort, and clarity while reading Unraveling Ambition. As a lifelong ‘good girl’ myself, I have often felt that my purpose in life was to please and be in service to others. Through Valia’s lighthearted and vulnerable storytelling, I was able to see that it’s okay to allow that version of myself to unravel, to expose, in order to allow a more aligned and powerful version to emerge.”

– Kacey Taormina, Residential & Commercial Real Estate Broker, Bravo TV Star, Entrepreneur

“As someone who has worked with Valia for well over a decade, let me tell you—Unraveling Ambition is a gift. It authentically channels everything we all need to hear right now in order to challenge the assumptions and actions we’re actually trapping ourselves with. Buy this book for yourself and devour it as I did. You’ll never stop thanking yourself. Then buy this book for everyone you know. You’ll be making the world a better place.”

– Kate Vanek, Global COO & CFO, True Platform