Our Guiding Values
COMMIT TO AUTHETICITY.
We believe the most powerful thing coaching certification programs can give you is support in discovering and owning your unique voice. Our tools and curriculum are strong—but their true power comes when you make them your own. That’s why part of our training is dedicated to helping you integrate and customize everything you learn, so you can coach with clarity, confidence, and authenticity.
LEARN EXPERIENTIALLY.
True coach training starts with doing the work yourself. That’s why every trainee goes through the full curriculum as a client first—before ever coaching others. By the end of the training, you’ll not only understand the tools—you’ll have lived them, and be ready to share them with skill, confidence, and flexibility.
ENGAGE THE WHOLE SELF.
ENGAGE THE WHOLE SELF.
Empowerment is more than goals and time management. True, lasting change happens when we engage the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. At Brilliance Academy, we use an integrated coach training model that combines mental, somatic, emotional, and intuitive practices to help clients access their full wisdom and potential.
PROMOTE EXCELLENCE.
EMBRACE VULNERABILITIES.
ENGAGE THE WHOLE SELF.
Empowerment isn’t about perfection—it’s about showing up fully as you are. In Brilliance coach training, we trade the illusion of flawlessness for a personal standard of excellence: doing our best with what we have, where we are. That’s where real brilliance begins.
CELEBRATE DIVERSITY.
EMBRACE VULNERABILITIES.
EMBRACE VULNERABILITIES.
We reject one-size-fits-all approaches and honor the diversity of each client. Rooted in the belief that people hold their own best answers, we create space for them to explore safely, grow authentically, and fully own their brilliance in our coaching certification programs.
EMBRACE VULNERABILITIES.
EMBRACE VULNERABILITIES.
EMBRACE VULNERABILITIES.
We see vulnerability as a gateway to strength. In our coach training, you’ll build resilience by learning to stay present even in discomfort—and help your clients do the same in a world full of uncertainty.
COMMIT TO INCLUSIVITY AND EQUITY.
COMMIT TO INCLUSIVITY AND EQUITY.
Empowerment doesn’t exist in a vacuum. To be truly effective, we must understand the impact of systemic injustice—and do the inner work to confront our own biases. With our Brilliance coach training, we’re committed to building a more just and equitable coaching field. Our curriculum includes essential training on race, gender, class, disability, size, and LGBTQIA+ issues, guided by diverse guest educators and DEI consultants. We’re always learning, and we welcome accountability and ideas for how we can do better.
BE CURIOUS. TAKE HEALTHY RISKS.
COMMIT TO INCLUSIVITY AND EQUITY.
We invite you to question the status quo and take bold steps rooted in inner wisdom—not reactivity. Through guided self-inquiry, you'll spark innovations that foster empathy, creativity, and meaningful change.
CATALYZE PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE TRANSFORMATION.
CATALYZE PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE TRANSFORMATION.
Most other coaching certification programs focus just on personal empowerment, but at Brilliance Coaching Academy, we know true empowerment awakens the change agent within you -- giving you the courage, strength, and confidence you need to boldly step into your brilliance so that you can drive meaningful change in the world in your own unique way. We seek transformation at the collective and individual level.
OUR APPROACH
Our small, diverse cohorts in our coach training are structured for mutual learning—not guru-style teaching—and our methodology integrates somatic, spiritual, and systemic tools without ever assuming something is “wrong” with the client. This is a rigorous, values-driven, all virtual training for individuals who want to coach with integrity, awareness, and impact.
We train coaches to meet people as they are—not who they “should” be. That means no hustle culture, no toxic positivity, and no preying on pain points. Just deep, honest skill-building in service of equity, clarity, and authentic change.
We reject the idea that success depends on following one famous method or teacher. Our training is co-creative. We see every cohort member as both student and teacher, each bringing wisdom that shapes the learning space. You'll also learn from a diverse and deeply experienced teaching team—each bringing unique backgrounds, identities, and expertise to enrich your learning from multiple perspectives.
While we offer a robust, award-winning Brilliance Coaching Curriculum, we don’t claim it’s the only way—just one powerful, adaptable path among many. We’re not here to create cookie-cutter coaches. We’re here to help you find your voice, your brilliance, and your own way of making a meaningful impact.
"A healing antidote for today's complex and divisive times." – Gail Straub, Empowerment Institute
THE FACILITATORS
AMY LOMBARDO, FOUNDER OF THE BRILLIANCE COACHING ACADEMY AND AUTHOR OF BRILLIANCE
Amy brings over two decades of experience in personal growth, coaching, and conscious entrepreneurship. With an Ivy League education, a Master’s in Rhetoric, certifications in executive coaching, empowerment coaching, and yoga teaching, and a deep commitment to social change, she blends ancient wisdom with modern, practical tools.
In 2016, she founded the Brilliance Coaching Academy to train coaches through an integrative, equity-centered approach to empowerment. Amy is also the author of the award-winning Brilliance: A Coaching Guide to Clearing Inner Obstacles and Letting Your Authenticity Shine, a core part of the program curriculum.
Amy leads with humility, clarity, and care—offering guidance rooted in lived experience, not hierarchy. Her work, and especially her coaching certification programs, are about helping others access their own inner wisdom and show up as powerful agents of change.
JILLIAN ARENA, FOUNDER OF INTUITIVE BALANCE COACHING AND ALUMNA OF THE BRILLIANCE ACADEMY
Jillian Arena brings over a decade of experience guiding individuals through life’s transitions with a holistic and personalized approach. As owner of Intuitive Balance Coaching, she integrates diverse modalities including coaching, Reiki, yoga, and death work to support clients in reconnecting with their authentic selves.
Jillian combines warmth, compassion, humor, and a grounded presence as a life coach to create a safe space for transformation and healing. She is deeply committed to helping people embrace their unique journey—honoring mind, body, and spirit—while fostering clarity and personal growth.
Jillian’s dedication to authenticity and balance aligns closely with Brilliance Coaching Academy’s mission to empower coaches to serve with heart and integrity.