Right now, many of the people doing the most important work in the world are running on empty.
Public health workers. Harm reductionists. Nonprofit leaders. Organizers. The ones who showed up before it was hard and are still showing up now that it’s harder.
Cadence exists for them.
Thirty Years. One Realization.
Monique Tula spent thirty years trying to be the fire.
As a Black woman leading at the national level in public health and harm reduction, she became skilled at staying present through crisis, conflict, urgency, and change. She held rooms, carried responsibility, absorbed what the work asked of her, and kept going.
Over time, her body made clear that endurance had a cost.
Running a national organization brought that cost into sharp focus. The mission was real, the work was nearly impossible, and so was the weight of carrying it in her nervous system long after she left the room. She’d had spent years learning how to rise to the moment. She had not yet learned how to come down.
What Monique learned, slowly and then with more intention, was that longevity in this work requires regulation. Regulation is infrastructure. It shapes how we lead, how we recover, how we stay connected, and how we remain available to what matters.
Humming. Rocking. Breath. Ritual. Rest. Creating. Joy. Morning tea on the deck. The ordinary practices that help her return to herself.
These practices now shape the heart of her work.
Monique built Cadence because she knows what it costs to lead from depletion, and because she found her way toward something steadier. A way of leading, living, and working that honors both the mission and the body carrying it.
She is a coach, consultant, facilitator, and strategist. She is also a recovering executive director who finally stopped trying to be the fire.
Now she tends the flame. And she helps others learn to do the same.
“Burnout is not our inheritance. Brilliance is.”
Her Approach
Cadence works at the intersection of nervous system and strategy.
We begin by naming what is actually happening: politically, organizationally, relationally, and personally. The pressure in the room. The patterns people have learned to survive. The stories shaping what feels possible.
From there, we build practices, plans, and conversations that can hold the real conditions people are living and working inside.
This work is warm. It is also rigorous. Those things belong together.
What They’re Saying
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We brought Monique on during a pivotal moment in our nonprofit activist organization’s evolution, as we were stepping into co-leadership and navigating the shift toward a more complex, layered structure. Her role was to help us build the foundations for this new phase—not by handing us a ready-made playbook, but by guiding us to uncover the clarity and alignment we needed to lead with confidence.
Her wisdom doesn’t come in the form of easy answers, but in asking the right questions, holding space with calm authority, and helping you see past superficial triggers to the deeper dynamics at play. She normalizes complexity without diminishing it, and has a rare ability to call things what they are.
Monique brings both insight and practicality, rooted in vast lived experience. She’s not just a deep thinker—she’s incredibly well-organized, with clear processes, sharp deliverables, and a gift for translating even the most existential leadership questions into practical tools.
I walked away from each session feeling more empowered, composed, and ready to move forward.
—Kinga Jelinska, Co-Executive Director
Women Help Women
Reflections from clients, collaborators, and co-dreamers.
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Monique Tula is a true alchemist—transforming spaces, relationships, and strategies to support the health and sustainability of movement work and the people who lead it.
Her practice is grounded in sharp intellect and a rare ability to create deep psychological safety, offering a container where growth, healing, and innovation can thrive.
I've had the privilege of collaborating with her on multiple projects, and she remains one of the most skilled, intuitive, and effective practitioners in the social justice and strategic planning space.
—Tracie Gardner, Executive Director
National Black Harm Reduction Network
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Working with Monique Tula as a content creator for our NCOA equity project was a powerful experience. Her approach was deeply intentional—rooted in curiosity, accountability, and a true commitment to community.
What stood out most was that Monique never approached the work as simply “developing content.” She took time to understand the spirit of the project and created something uniquely aligned with our vision and values.
On our calls, her presence was grounded and thoughtful. She didn’t just bring frameworks—she brought care, insight, and integrity. Monique consistently showed up in a way that made our team feel supported and challenged in the best ways.
This is who she is, and it’s why Monique is such a valuable asset to any team or project. We’re deeply grateful for her collaboration.
—Jorge Vidal, Founder Intercambios
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I received coaching from Cadence Consulting in Fall 2024–Spring 2025. It was transformative to say the least. Monique was intentional about the coaching time we spent together and really, truly listened with her whole heart.
Throughout the entire time, I felt supported, encouraged, and challenged in the best ways. She was firm in holding me accountable—always reconnecting the discussion to the original goals—and flexible enough to know when sessions needed a detour.
She helped me examine self-imposed barriers, made space for me to ask myself tough questions, and outlined a path to the best possible outcome. This guided planning time completely transformed the way I saw myself as a leader in my field.
If you’ve plateaued and are looking for a coach who will gently push you to reimagine your best self, encourage you to be courageous, and cheer you on as you make the leap—Cadence Consulting is the real deal.
—LaTryce Butler, Founder
The Grant Factory
Ready to explore working together?
Cadence offers coaching, consulting, facilitation, curriculum design, and strategic advising for people and organizations who want to move through complexity without losing themselves in it.
The full picture starts with a conversation.