Own the gifts of your unique mind

I help accomplished leaders find the words to be themselves and create the future they want. Because success and authenticity aren't mutually exclusive.

Get in touch

Most executive coaching focuses on what leaders do: their strategy, their team management, their communication plans. These are important, but they're only part of the story.

The most brilliant leadership strategies will fail if the leader running them is overwhelmed, dysregulated, and heading for burnout.

My approach is different. I focus on upgrading your internal operating system.

This is Neuroleadership Coaching. Think of it as performance coaching for your nervous system.

Instead of just giving you a new leadership playbook, we strengthen the core mental and emotional capacity you need to execute any playbook, especially under pressure.

Helping leaders realize: suffering is optional

Hi: I’m Sira Laurel

I’m the CEO and founder of North of Normal, a double certified coach and consultant with an MBA and a Masters in Organizational Development. Oh - and 15+ years of business leadership experience.

Still, my most transformative experience and education has come from living with a highly sensitive nervous system in a world that didn’t know what to do with that.

I understand the unique challenges that traditional workplaces place in front of their gifted employees. Employees who, with slight changes in their environment, would flourish more than most.

Today, I help uniquely wired professionals develop the skills of self-leadership, trading self-doubt for self-mastery, so they can confidently create work-lives that work on their terms.

The result? Healthier work-lives, work cultures, stronger teams, and performance that’s anything but average.

Here when you need me — Sira

Neurodiverse leader, executive coach, executive function coaching, inclusive leadership, emotional intelligence, conscious leadership, highly sensitive person, autism, adhd
Get in touch

Stats that matter:

Bottom line: ignoring cognitive diversity damages your bottom line

#1 1 in 5 people are neurodivergent (as currently defined)

#2 1 in 3 people have highly sensitive nervous systems (known as SPS or HSP)

#4 Burnout contributes to a massive economic toll of $322 billion

#5 70% of change efforts fail to meet goals for missing the human element

#3 82% of employees are at risk of burnout - highest risk are deep processors

#6 More than half of workplace '“accommodations” cost nothing

What People Are Saying

  • Sira is the total package of brilliance, compassion, and creativity. She is a skilled coach and passionate HR leader, capable of balancing both the radical and the practical, connecting inclusion and care with an organization’s drive to success. Thank you for modeling the courage it takes to be your truest self. Whoever works with Sira can trust they'll receive her best.

    Calvin K-S. Business Owner

  • Having been coached by her multiple times, Sira held space for exactly who I am. Her helping me help myself has already enabled me to break through in multiple areas I was coached in. I’m so humbled by how impactful such a seemingly brief session could transfer into real world tangible steps in the direction of my desired dreams! Anyone who has the chance to work with you will be so fortunate.n goes here

    Lori C. OD Consultant

  • Sira is one of those unique people that can say one thing that changes your life. She is an absolute expert at neurodivergence and knows how to help me reach my full potential no matter what. She is an asset to any company, team or leader who wants to not only create a more inclusive workplace but also wants to ensure that the potential of the neurodivergent people on their teams is unlocked.

    Anjali J. Executive Coach

  • Sira is a beacon of light. Her insight and knowledge of highly sensitive people has been a gift to witness. Her coaching methods show a dedication to holding space for deep emotion and time for necessary processing It is truly beautiful for all involved.

    Shannon E. L&D Manager

  • "You'd be lucky to have Sira on your team. She brings a ton of passion to every project. As a leader, she's inclusive, enthusiastic, incredibly conscientious, and strategic. [In our engagement] it was evident she truly cares about people. Sira's style is one that's highly organized but empathetic — she allows her team members the flexibility to solve problems their own way, which brings out the best in them. "

    Aaron G. Creative Director

  • Working with Sira as a coach has been life changing. Her understanding of Highly Sensitive People (HSP) and neurodivergence has given me the keys to understanding who I am and supported me in my leadership as an HSP individual. Thank you!

    Emma B. Marketing Manager

  • Sira has a brilliant mind, an attuned body, and a generous heart that she uses to support her clients in expanding into new and bolder visions and possibilities to create a life that feels truly meaningful to them. If you’re excited to go deep in getting to know yourself and creating the environment in which you can truly thrive, I highly recommend working with Sira!

    Eve W. Facilitator & Coach

  • "Sira is among the very best I’ve had the pleasure to work with, offering a deep understanding of people, processes, change, communications and relationships. She possesses a mastery of organizational facets such as morale, empathy, leadership styles, learning methods, and DEI, and how these elements impact staff development, team building, growth and organizational health."

    Ruben S. PR Director

  • "Sira has incredible insight into the workings of any team, organization or system. Through detailed investigation, combined with focused instincts, she is able to fully understand how pieces- be it people or processes- fit together and interact with each other. Through this ability she is able to drive impactful solutions to any problem she is faced with."

    Ian C. Engineerring Lead

  • “I had never experienced a Life Coach or Career Consultant prior to teaming up with Sira. I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew that my professional transition required more than my own habitual faculties to navigate through. After our sessions together, I was much more confident and prepared as a result.”

    Erika K. Sales Manager

  • "Sira made a genuine effort to get to know me, about my personal and career experiences as well as current and future goals I had. We road mapped how a potential negotiation conversation would flow. We role played (which was incredibly valuable) as she helped me uncover the "why" to my "worth" so that it would naturally be part of the conversation."

    Laura K. Entrepreneur

  • "Sira demonstrates empathy, understanding and commitment in everything she does. Her passion for education and team-building is inspiring — she's able to build meaningful relationships across an organization to bring out the best in her teams. Sira would be a great addition to any organization."

    Matt C. Data Analyst

Deepen your relationship with yourself

A woman wearing a hijab sitting at a light green round table outside a cafe, working on a laptop. Neurodiverse leader, executive coach, executive function coaching, inclusive leadership, emotional intelligence, conscious leadership, highly sensitive

Specialized coaching for unconventional leaders ready to leave behind conventional systems not designed for your success. Create sustainable success through embracing your unique cognitive patterns as strengths, not limitations to overcome. Benefit from neuro-affirming and neuro-inclusive coaching practices, receiving personalized support for your leadership journey.

Get Clarity

Master your relationship with others

Four young women sitting at a table in a cafe, smiling and engaging with each other, with one of them using a tablet and another holding a coffee cup. Neurodiverse leader, executive coach, executive function coaching, inclusive leadership, emotional

Being effective at work means being highly effective in building and maintaining relationships. This is true whether you’re a leader or not, but is non-negotiable for anyone seeking influence in an organization. If you think you lead “differently,” your uniqueness is a strength, your values are your compass, and the world needs your kind of leadership.

Learn More

Create resilient organizations

A group of five people working at a wooden table, using laptops and headphones, in a cozy room with wood-paneled walls and large windows. Neurodiverse leader, executive coach, executive function coaching, inclusive leadership, emotional intelligence,

Resilience is relational. Genuine connection, rooted in neurological safety and trust, is key to building employee groups capable of accepting and adapting to change - particularly when it’s handed down. A culture rich in the skills of connection know when and how to lean on its members during growth periods that require everyone to make a behavioral shift.

Get in touch

Get Clarity in 90 Minutes with our Signature Session

A 90-minute debrief of your 32-page Birkman Signature report to reveal leadership possibilities that align with your natural strengths, deepest motivations, and highest needs. Discover career paths that come from a place of internal values alignment and not external, status-quo assimilation. You deserve a work-life that works on your terms.

Get Started