Palo Alto Networks

Senior Project Manager

Project Success Academy℠

Course Instructor

Velvet Vision

Founder

Raytheon Technologies

IT Project Manager

Fulcrum Technology Solutions

IT Project Coordinator

University of Houston

Program Manager

Project Manager | Helping Women Land Tech PM Roles | your PM bff

In 2024, I noticed something: most mid-career project managers weren’t underqualified. They were under-positioned. They had the skills, experience, and drive, but weren’t landing six-figure project management roles because hiring managers couldn’t see their value.

That realization led me to build the Velvet Vision framework. It helps project professionals position themselves as the obvious hire before they ever apply.

This isn’t resume tweaking or chasing certifications. It’s about clarity, strategy, and execution. My clients stop blending in, start leading with confidence, and step into roles that pay them what they’re worth.

Who I Work Best With:
I work with project managers in the U.S. and Canada who:
• Have at least 3 years of project management experience
• Are ready to step into $100K+ roles
• Want to be seen as leaders, not task managers
• Value clarity, execution, and accountability

This program is not for people who are brand new to project management, unwilling to take ownership of their growth, or looking for a quick fix.

Results so far:
• Clients have collectively secured $313K in salary increases with an average uplift of $44K per person
• On average, clients land offers in 3.3 months (fastest in 68 days)
• ROI consistently exceeds 800%, with some clients covering their investment in the first paycheck

If you’re a project manager in the U.S. or Canada ready to earn more, lead more, and finally get seen, you don’t need luck or endless hustle. You need positioning.

No fluff. No guessing. Just strategy that gets results.

👉 Apply to work with me: https://calendly.com/d/cm7j-vb9-kvr

Yonelly G.

I walked into the interview knowing I didn’t meet half the requirements.

And I could feel the room had already met candidates who "looked better" on paper.

For a moment, I wondered if I was wasting everyone’s time 
(including my own)

So I redirected the conversation.

Instead of defending my gaps, I told them how I lead when things get messy.

And that’s when the interviewer leaned in.

She wanted someone who could steady the work when the plan stopped matching reality.

It became really obvious when I stepped into the role.

The biggest problems were alignment issues and broken communication loops.

Most people lose confidence when they see a job spec they can’t fully match.

But at senior levels, you’re rarely hired for a checklist.

You’re hired for your ability to lead through uncertainty and make progress visible again.

--
If we haven’t met — I’m Yonelly Gutierrez.
I talk about the moments, setbacks, and wins that shaped my career, so you can grow with more confidence in yours.

Yonelly Gutierrez

Senior Program Manager | Helping Founders Stabilize Delivery Without Adding Headcount

Most leadership challenges happen with people who don’t report to you.

But few people are ever taught how to lead without authority.

“Can you get everyone aligned?” becomes the real test of leadership.

And many feel stuck because they’re relying on authority they don’t have.

I hear this concern from professionals across roles and seniority levels.

Here are 7 ways to lead without formal authority:

1. Lead with Clear Direction
 ↳ People follow clarity
 ↳ State the outcome before discussing tasks

2. Listen Longer Than You Speak
 ↳ Listening creates instant influence
 ↳ Ask: “What’s your view on this?” and give space

3. Remove Friction for the Team
 ↳ Support builds trust more than authority
 ↳ Spot blockers early and simplify the next step

4. Make Expectations Simple
 ↳ Confusion slows collaboration
 ↳ Keep instructions short and confirm understanding

5. Share Credit Generously
 ↳ Recognition motivates teams to work with you
 ↳ Highlight contributors in meetings and updates

6. Build Relationships Before You Need Them
 ↳ Influence grows through consistent touchpoints
 ↳ Check in without an agenda and offer help early

7. Stay Calm When Things Shift
 ↳ Composure reassures your team
 ↳ Take a breath, focus on solutions, and keep your tone steady

Leading without authority grows easiest when people trust your judgment and your consistency.

♻️ Repost to help your network
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7 Ways to Lead Without Authority

Strong PMs do not stay stuck because of skill.
They stay stuck because their system hides them.

Teams rely on delivery.
But they do not create visibility.

No shared framework.
No consistent feedback.
No common language for outcomes.

Strong PMs do the work.
Leaders never see the impact.

That is a system problem.
Not a talent problem.

When teams build visibility into how they work, everything changes.

Work becomes easier to read.
Communication becomes lighter.
Decisions become faster.

I build those systems.
If your PM team is strong but unseen, DM me.

The first call told me everything.
People talking over each other, frustration leaking through every answer, and a customer who’d clearly had enough.

I’ve walked into tough programs before, but this one felt heavy in a different way.

I stopped taking notes halfway through.
There was no point collecting “updates.”
The issues weren’t in the tasks.
They were in how people were working around each other.

After the call, I started checking in with folks one by one.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱? 
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬? 
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨?

It took about a day to see the pattern.
A bunch of small things pulling in different directions...

-Different definitions of done.
-Priorities that didn’t match.
-Risks everyone recognized but no one wanted to own because it would start another round of blame.

It was drift left alone too long.

I pulled the whole thing onto a single page.
Then I walked teams through it.
(to ensure we're talking about the same thing)

The customer communication needed the same reset.
The tension eased a bit once they knew what to expect from us.

The following weeks weren’t exciting.
Most of it was clearing out old decisions that never really got made.

You don’t notice progress at first.
Then suddenly the calls feel lighter.
People stop hedging.
You hear less contradiction and more “okay, that makes sense.”

Around day 41, the project finally stabilized.

Finally steady enough to move without bracing for the next hit.

Most “red” projects are teams trying to do good work inside a setup that no longer supports them.

Once you fix the setup, the work finds its rhythm.
People do too.

Program Director II

Assist alumni and current students with career services including job search strategies, resume writing, mock interviewing, professional networking, etc in person and via phone.
   
Provide information about university resources, demographics, and services to professional/student organizations, employers, students, and faculty, and community stakeholders.

Develop relevant workshops and activities based on employer insight, professional development resources, student/alumni challenges, and the economic outlook. 

Track alumni career services subscription trends with regards to month-to-month changes, alumni majors, years after graduation, and employment needs.
  
Develop and publish a quarterly UH Alumni CareerLink newsletter providing workforce development articles, resources, career-related events, and professional development opportunities. 

Design and coordinate the collection of the employment surveys for recent graduates reaching a response rate of ~60 percent.   Data is maintained in Baseline and statistics/graphs are constructed and shared with faculty and staff and posted on the UCS website and all university stakeholders. 

Track student and alumni outcome data/success stories to display on the University Career Services (UCS) digital signage and the website.

Assistant Director, Alumni Career Services

Facilitate a college success course for first-time in college (FTIC) students deciding their major and exploring their career options.   The curriculum includes Career Exploration, Time Management, Study Strategies, and Financial Literacy to promote and support success throughout their academic and professional careers.

Instructor: CORE 1101 - College Success 

Assist employers with connecting with qualified student candidates. Provide career counseling to College of Technology students looking to improve their marketability and enhance their opportunities to gain valuable work experience.

Assist students with job search services including job applications, critiquing resumes, and/or letters of interest in person and via TechConnect.  Provide information regarding university resources and professional/student organizations.

Manage the Symplicity career service management system (TechConnect) allowing students and employers to connect and share opportunities.   

Conducted resume writing and interviewing workshops  
Organize two college-wide career fairs per year consisting of over 70 employers and 631 students.
Increased career fair employer participation 33% from Fall 2012 to Fall 2014.  

Recruit employers for College of Technology students informing them of the programs and degrees offered.  Research salary trends, job descriptions, required credentials, and track high demand occupations.  

Initiated the design and promoted marketing materials for the Career Management Software (TechConnect) utilized by employers and students.  Develop ways to effectively advertise student talent and employment openings, including incorporating a QR-code feature.    
Initiated the development of  a surveying instrument and process to collect employment data each semester  

Collaborated with graphic designer to develop an infographic titled “Where do Our Coogs go?” displaying College of Technology alumni placement successes listing the students’ major, their employer, and their current job title.

Career Counselor

Houston Community College (HCC) Alumni Advisory Board

The Houston Community College Alumni Association promotes meaningful engagement and continuing relationships between HCC and its alumni through programming and membership. The HCC Alumni Association strives to support, serve, inform, and involve alumni of the College, ensuring they have a lifetime connection to HCC and its mission.

Founding member

Initiatives for All

Initiatives for All (IFA) promotes higher education in Houston's Hispanic community and assists all individuals in their pursuit of a college degree.

President/Chief Executive Officer

BBDO New York

Performed under contract for BBDO New York as a Principal Performer for a "Developing Health Foundations" website commercial for a General Electric and El Centro de Corazon clinic partnership.

Principal Performer 

Texas Workforce Commission

Assisted customers with basic job search services through effective use of the resource library.  Critiqued job applications, resumes, and/or letters of interest.   Provided information about community resources and supportive service availability.  Inform customers about of job search/resume writing classes, labor market trends, job search methods, and interview techniques.  

Provided job search assistance including direct referrals to employers in the Work-in-Texas database and record referrals. Worked as a team member to meet employment placement goals and provide quality service to all resident customers and employers. 

Interviewed individual job seekers and accurately data enter personal and professional information maintaining confidentiality.   Researched salary trends, job descriptions, required credentials, and track high demand occupations.  Reviewed and monitored criminal background records to locate appropriate employment opportunities.  

Performed employment counseling for applicants who present unusual placement and job adjustment difficulties.  Administered Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) online and paper assessments, grade and explain test results.  Conducted orientation sessions and explain services, including program eligibility requirements and responsibilities.  Marketed career center services within the community and local colleges.

Workforce Development Specialist III

Interfaith of the Woodlands

Conducted orientations for CHOICES, Food stamp, and unemployment claimants by assessing and interviewing clients’ education, skills, abilities, work history, and pay and location preferences; data entered Work-in-Texas applications, completed intakes, designed service plans, and provided job referrals.  Established relationships and communicated effectively with job seekers, employers, educators, and other agencies regarding clients’ goals towards self-sufficiency.  Counseled hard-to-serve customers presenting barriers.  Managed and tracked client participation and progress towards employment.

Employment Counselor

Harris County

Implemented the CHOICES program maintaining compliance standards and meeting participation goals, managed a caseload of 60+, conducted orientations introducing clients to the “Work First” philosophy and program requirements, verify eligibility via THHSC, assessed clients’ needs, barriers and goals, data entered information into the TWIST database, provided job leads using TWC, updated client progress, documented weekly contact in counselor notes, and referred clients to various educational vendors and social services agencies.

Career Management Specialist

Baylor College of Medicine

Recruited children to test nutrition education software, and reported all software errors.  Presented nutrition education study to HISD teachers, administered the consent form process, interviewed students, and conducted observations of eating patterns in fourth-grade students.

Research Assistant

MD Anderson Cancer Center

I am currently serving as the Program Director II at the University of Houston, Cullen College of Engineering bringing over two decades of experience as a career management professional. My background includes extensive career counseling involvement, particularly with challenging populations such as the undocumented, ex-offenders, individuals with differing abilities, and post-traditional students.

Witnessing the transformative journey of students is what inspires me professionally.  Whether it's supporting a student with anxiety in securing an internship, helping a financially disadvantaged student receive a scholarship, seeing an international student thrive in a Ph.D. program, or witnessing a graduate with neurological differences securing a competitive job offer – each success story is immensely fulfilling.

My passion lies in guiding individuals to discover their passions, enhance their skill sets, market their professional brands, and network their talents effectively in the global workforce.

Currently, I am in the final year of my EdD program in Strategic Leadership at the University of St. Thomas.  My dissertation topic will focus on career exploration strategies.

StrengthsQuest  
Empathy  |  Includer  |  Woo  |  Communication  |  Developer

Holland Code: Social, Realistic, Conventional (SRC)

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Yonelly G.

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