Tell us about yourself and what it is you currently do
Hi, I’m Evie Pagliarulo, Founder of The Growth Collective, a boutique leadership and performance consultancy supporting executives and high-growth organisations across the UK, Europe and the Middle East. After two decades working across six countries, I saw a pattern everywhere I went: talented people operating in environments that drained them, leaders overwhelmed by pressure, and teams surviving rather than thriving.
I became a coach because I knew it didn’t have to be that way. I wanted to create a space where burnout isn’t normal, where stress and anxiety aren’t the default, and where high turnover isn’t brushed off as “part of the job.” My work is where executives become the “go-to”, the person people trust, follow and rely on, and where their careers shift in dynamic, powerful ways.
Clients come to me when they’re ready to elevate their careers, relationships and performance. When they want to transform how they think, lead and show up in every room, quickly, clearly and sustainably.
Why is EQ integral to success?
Because it directly shapes how we think, lead and perform, especially under pressure. You can be talented, strategic and hardworking, but if you can’t regulate yourself, connect with people or navigate difficult moments with clarity, your impact will always be limited.
What’s interesting is that most people believe they have strong EQ… but the data says otherwise.
We know that 90% of top performers score high in EQ, yet many leaders and executives operate far below this level without realising it, and they pay the price through stalled progression, strained relationships and underperforming teams.
EQ is a performance multiplier. Teams led by high-EQ managers deliver 20–30% higher performance and experience up to 35% higher engagement, while organisations that actively invest in EQ development see around 50% higher productivity. These are not small shifts; they are game changers.
At its core, EQ strengthens four essential pillars:
• Self-awareness – understanding your patterns and blind spots
• Self-regulation – staying grounded under pressure
• Social awareness – reading people and environments with accuracy
• Relationship management – influencing, communicating and building trust
When leaders develop these muscles, everything changes: I’ve seen burnout levels drop, decisions improve, trust rises, performance lifts, and they become the leader others naturally turn to.
So the real question is:
Are you truly operating at your highest capability, or unknowingly limiting your impact?
Because in my opinion EQ isn’t optional anymore, it’s the differentiator that transforms performance, culture and long-term success.
Why do leaders need to lean inward to lead outward?
Because if you’re not leading yourself, you can’t successfully lead anyone else. When you’re overwhelmed, reactive or stretched too thin, it shows in your decisions, in your communication and in the way your teams and colleagues feel around you.
Leaning inward means pausing long enough to understand your triggers, stress levels, beliefs and emotional state. When leaders and executives do that inner work, they naturally become calmer, clearer and more grounded, and people respond to that immediately. Teams don’t follow perfection; they follow presence.
A centred, self-aware leader creates an environment where others can perform at their best. How you feel internally directly shapes how you lead externally.
Simply put how you feel inside shapes how you lead on the outside. And when leaders get this right, I’ve seen everything improve – communication, trust, performance and culture.
What do you believe holds most high achievers back?
What holds most high achievers back usually isn’t their skills, it’s the patterns they’ve learned to cope with rather than address. Most people I work with are smart, capable and hard-working, but they struggle with things like overthinking, doubting themselves at the wrong moments, taking on too much, avoiding difficult conversations, or downplaying what they genuinely want.
High achievers are great at pushing through, but that often means they don’t stop to notice what’s draining them or limiting their impact. So, they work harder instead of working clearer. They keep saying yes when they should say no. They stay comfortable rather than visible. And they end up quietly holding themselves back without meaning to.
The real barrier isn’t talent, it’s confidence, clarity and emotional regulation. Once those shift, people start showing up differently. And when they show up differently, the results follow very quickly after that!
How do you help busy professionals elevate their careers through business and mindset positioning?
I help people get crystal clear on what they want, what’s holding them back, and the exact shifts they need to reach their next level. Careers rarely stall because of ability, they stall because of confidence gaps, communication patterns, blurred boundaries or the way someone is unintentionally positioning themselves.
My approach combines two powerful elements:
1. Internal mindset upgrades – shifting the patterns, habits and beliefs that limit their impact.
2. External strategy – refining how they lead, communicate and are perceived in their industry.
When mindset and positioning work together, careers accelerate. Opportunities open more easily, visibility increases and people start operating at the level they were always capable of.
This isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about finally being recognised – and rewarded – for who you already are.
Tell us about your online programs
My online programs are designed for one thing: real, measurable results. They help people break cycles of overthinking, second-guessing and playing small, and step into a stronger, clearer version of themselves, in their careers, relationships and day-to-day leadership.
Each program blends mindset work with practical strategy so clients understand exactly what’s holding them back and what to do about it. We work on confidence, communication, boundaries, emotional regulation and the internal foundations that make someone unshakeable. Then we align that with how they position themselves and the opportunities they pursue.
Because we go straight to the root, transformation happens quickly. Client’s finish feeling more confident, decisive and in control of their direction, and that’s what shifts careers and lives.
What are the key topics you cover through online coaching?
I focus on the areas that create the biggest shift in how someone thinks, leads and shows up:
• Emotional intelligence
• Confidence & self-belief
• Communication & influence
• Boundaries & leadership presence
• Stress & emotional regulation
• Mindset & behavioural patterns
• Career positioning & decision-making
• Relationships: both at work and personal
• Clarity, direction & goal alignment
Everything is practical, simple and results-focused: skills that change how people feel internally and how they’re perceived externally. Results are often rapid and radical!
How is your coaching methodology unique?
My methodology is unique because it bridges deep internal transformation with precise external strategy. Many coaches focus on one or the other, I combine both, because sustainable growth requires alignment between who you are, how you lead and how you’re seen.
The work is fast, targeted and deeply personalised. I draw from emotional intelligence, neuroscience, behavioural psychology and 20+ years of global experience across multiple industries, to pinpoint the exact patterns holding someone back. Then we shift them quickly and anchor the behaviour needed to sustain the change.
Clients consistently tell me the difference is the speed, accuracy and depth. This isn’t generic coaching; it’s tailored transformation – exactly what you need if you’re serious about your 2026 goals.
What are the key benefits your coaching clients receive?
Clients gain three powerful benefits: clarity, confidence and momentum. They understand what’s been holding them back, stop repeating old patterns and build the mindset and behaviours required to move to their next level.
They communicate with more authority, make clearer decisions, set stronger boundaries and show up with a presence people notice. This often leads to faster career progression, stronger relationships and opportunities that were previously out of reach, with results that extend far beyond the workplace into every area of their lives.
In simple terms: They become the version of themselves they always knew they could be, and the impact is immediate.
What are your top 5 strategies to start building EQ?
- Notice your patterns.
Self-awareness is the foundation. Observe your triggers, reactions and confidence dips, you can’t change what you can’t see. - Pause before you respond.
Most leadership and management issues come from reacting too quickly. A few seconds of grounding changes everything. - Strengthen emotional regulation.
Learn how your body responds to pressure. EQ grows when you can stay steady, even in chaos. - Read people better.
EQ is social awareness. Pay attention to tone, energy and what people aren’t saying. - Improve conversations & boundaries.
High EQ leaders communicate clearly, listen actively and hold boundaries without guilt. This reduces conflict and builds trust.
How can EQ be used to navigate AI?
We can’t get away from the role AI now plays in our daily lives. It’s speeding up decisions, information flow and expectations, and for many, that creates high pressure, fear and uncertainty. But here’s the truth: AI won’t replace emotionally intelligent leaders. It will replace the ones who haven’t developed those skills.
EQ strengthens three essential capabilities:
- Sharper decision-making.
AI gives data; EQ gives context, nuance and human understanding. - Trust during change.
As roles evolve, people look to leaders for clarity and reassurance. High EQ leaders communicate in ways that calm, not confuse. - The human skills AI can’t replicate.
Empathy, influence, intuition, presence – these remain irreplaceable.
AI might change the tasks. EQ changes the leader.
What gives someone an edge in the AI era isn’t knowing more technology –
it’s having the emotional intelligence to lead people through it.
How can readers connect with you?
You can connect with me through www.growthcollective.uk or via LinkedIn under Evie Pagliarulo. If you’re ready to elevate your career or your leadership or you’re exploring bespoke support for your team or organisation for an optimal year, reach out to begin a private conversation about working together in 2026. I look forward to connecting with you soon.
