We are on a mission to give people the knowledge and skills to become self-responsible, heart-centered communicators who create more connected, safe and trusting relationships at work and beyond.
It’s time for communication to get an upgrade.
We believe that communication has the power not only to inform and direct, but to heal and connect.
It is our goal to empower people and companies with the ability to have conversations that get things done AND build deeper, more meaningful relationships.
We do this by radically changing the way we think about the role of communication in our lives and providing hard skills that make a difference.
Our Story
We founded Proactive Conversations on a shared passion and vision to teach others the power of heart-centered communication.
It all began 6 years ago, when Belma hired Jessica as her coach to support her on the journey to leave corporate and launch her company, Work Bigger.
After completing the same training program through an organization called COR, Jessica and Belma were both exposed to the power of Non-Violent Communication.
They were each moved by the depth of the concept - its not just a way of communicating, it’s a way of BEING in the world.
Over the next few years, they independently practiced and taught the work to friends, family, clients and their communities. Their passion grew stronger and both saw the results in their own lives and the lives of the people they served.
One day, Jessica shared her vision to bring this work to leaders and companies and Belma was an Instant “yes!”.
Over the next year, the two shared their experiences applying the methodology and eventually, developed an evolved version that combined their previous training with their own experiences.
This is how Proactive Conversations was born.
Today, Belma and Jess are as passionate as ever about this work and are excited to share it with the world.
Meet Our Founders
Jessica Belsky
Co-Founder
Jess Belsky, M.S., is a Transformational Leadership Coach, Hypnotherapist and two-time founder.
In her 10 years as an executive and leadership coach and industry influencer, she has helped thousands of people. Her clients are high performers ranging from multi-millionaires and Fortune 100 executives, to heart surgeons and entrepreneurs.
Jess also has 17+ years of business consulting experience working with clients like Johnson & Johnson, Mondelez, ABInbev and Coca-Cola and has also taught and coached at the world's top universities such as Northwestern University, Stanford and University of Chicago.
Jess has an M.S is Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University, a B.A in Psychology from George Washington University, is a certified Rapid Transformational Therapist and trained coach specializing in leadership development, change management, learning and development, communication, mindset and emotional healing.
Belma McCaffrey
Co-Founder
Belma McCaffrey is an Executive Coach, Leadership Program Creator and a two-time founder. Belma has supported various brands with leadership development, teaming and wellbeing, including the billion-dollar luxury fashion brands, Chanel and Burberry, and organizations in media, food, and finance, such as Owyn, Oath, The Financial Times and Eisneramper.
She has also coached hundreds of individuals at all levels - from the C-suite to individual contributors, and her work has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Thrive Global and Inc.
She has an MBA from Baruch College, and a BA from Syracuse University. She's received her coaching and facilitator training from the NeuroLeadership Institute and COR, and she specializes in supporting teams and individuals with behavior change and emotional intelligence.
Prior to launching her own businesses, Belma spent 10+ years in business development and strategy roles at companies like the Associated Press, Conde Nast and GroupM.
Interested?
Schedule a free 30-minute consultation with one of our expert team members to explore if Proactive Conversations is right for you or your company.