Meet the Member: Dr. Loubna Erraji, Executive Coach

Dr. Loubna Erraji is a neuroscientist, adjunct Professor, author, radio and podcast guest speaker, and an ICF certified Executive Coach with 20+ years of global experience encompassing research, teaching, consulting, advising, and coaching executives.

Based out of New York City/New Jersey, she serves leaders at Fortune 500 companies in healthcare, banking, technology, and more, working for the likes of UBS, IBM, Deloitte, Merck, BMS, to name a few. She believes that everyone can be inspired to level up their career and life, and unleash their full potential.

She earned a Ph.D. at René Descartes University, Paris, in Pharmacology, an MBA in Pharmaceutical Management at Rutgers University, Newark, and did her post-doctorate training in Neuroscience and Genomics at Columbia University, New York.

Keep reading to learn more from Loubna's wide range of expertise in this week's Meet the Member feature...

FACC: You are a neuroscientist, adjunct Professor, author, radio and podcast guest speaker, and an ICF certified Executive Coach with 20+ years of global experience. How do your many fields of expertise help you in your work as an Executive Coach?

Having a wide range and global experience allows me to connect with my clients at different levels: educational, professional, cultural. I can connect deeply with my clients because I am a career switcher myself, have changed careers multiple times within different industries, have faced similar challenges, and understand what they’re going through. My coaching focuses on career transition strategies and executive leadership and emphasizes the importance of keeping a positive mindset, focusing on personal growth and work-life balance. As a professor, I am very passionate about seeing my students succeed and care very much about their progress; and the same goes with my executive clients. My neuroscience background allows me to help my clients move from identifying blockages to generating insights, then taking actions that lead to positive and sustainable new habits. I help facilitate positive change by improving their thinking and helping them see situations using different lenses. I encourage them to have insight-driven conversations, set clear goals, and build habits and routines that unlock new opportunities and translate into measurable results. I will finally mention that my purpose in life is to be a source of inspiration to anyone I work with. All my experiences have definitely helped me build a great combination of skills to support my clients at different levels.

FACC: At Advancis Consulting & Coaching, you work with high-achieving executives and entrepreneurs in multiple industries (pharma, healthcare, financial services, advertising, higher education, etc.). If you are able to share, what has been your favorite type of client to work with? 

Regardless of the industry, my favorite clients are the ones who know they have a purpose in life and want to make an impact that’s much bigger than themselves. These professionals are very committed to their success, are coachable, get the work done, keep a positive outlook, and are extremely focused. As a consequence, they go through a transformational and empowering process that allows them to build much more confidence and continue on their growth journey.

FACC: Drawing from your coaching experience, is there a specific type of person who is able to change compared to someone who cannot?

In order to see change, people need to be very committed to their success and progress overall. They are the ones who put in the effort, and my role as a coach is to guide and support. Everyone I have worked with has transformed drastically because they have done the work, were coachable, and kept an open mind about the possibilities. My clients go through a self-discovery process that allows them to reconnect with their passions, their values, and what’s truly important to them. By doing so, they are able to develop impactful value propositions and feel more empowered to make decisions and move to the next chapter in their careers and lives with certainty and a lot of confidence.

FACC: In these times of ’The Great Resignation’ in the post-Covid era, have you been noticing certain career transition trends with your clients?

I’ve noticed that my clients have been more selective when it comes to accepting interviews or job offers. They are not making career moves that do not align with their long-term career vision and life purpose. In other words, they are not just accepting what comes their way but taking the time to ensure that every career move is aligned with their short-term and long-term goals. They are taking a more proactive approach when it comes to asking for promotions, salary raises, and even creating innovative roles. They are also extremely clear about the importance of having a better work-life balance.

FACC: How does the critical, self-sabotaging internal voice (the voice of self-doubt or lack of believing) limit your clients?

The most common limiting beliefs I’ve noticed are self-doubt, lack of worthiness, and self-sabotage. My clients are extremely skilled but usually underestimate their achievements, do not position themselves powerfully, and lack the confidence to ask for what they want. They don’t feel empowered, they don’t communicate their expectations clearly, and feel that they are not deserving. When we work together, they start believing again in their ability to achieve anything they set their mind to, they realize their value and what they’re bringing to the table, they build more confidence to communicate their needs, and they trust that they deserve better positions. They are also more intentional and have more clarity about the actions to take.

FACC: We provide many networking opportunities to our members through customized introductions, segmented industry events, and online networking tools. Could you share with us a simple networking strategy our members could benefit from in our network?

A simple networking strategy I recommend is to be intentional about growing your LinkedIn network regularly. Identify professionals within companies and industries of interest and connect with 2 to 5 people (or more) each week. You can ask for 15 minutes of their time and connect via phone or zoom. By being more active on LinkedIn and growing your network, you will not only get more visibility but also build more confidence and step out of your comfort zone. Many of my clients are initially not very active on LinkedIn, and when they start expanding their network and post more regularly, they get more traction from recruiters and other professionals.

FACC: What are your business goals for 2022?

In 2022, my goal is to double the impact I made in 2021 by offering additional individual and group coaching programs to individual clients and corporations; developing additional partnerships with corporations in other industries (financial services, banking, healthcare); and expanding my impact to other geographies (Morocco and France to start) by connecting to leaders overseas.

FACC: How did you hear about the FACC-NY and what are you most excited about experiencing or discovering as a member of our network?

I heard about FACC from a friend who works at Suez. I am very excited to build additional connections and continue expanding my services.

FACC: Is there anything else you would like to share with FACC-NY Members?

So thrilled to connect with great people through FACC and look forward to serving as many as possible. Having a vision and setting clear goals is essential to our success. I’ll be happy to offer a complimentary career strategy session to anyone who’s interested in assessing their career situation and exploring what that might look like.