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A personal growth school. A path of your own.

Start with your type.
Find your own path.

Discover your Enneagram type and subtype with Emma, your personal growth companion. Then bring that understanding into your relationships, your leadership, and your everyday life.

Take the free quiz ↗About 5 minutes · No sign-up to start
Explore the $49 package ↗

Created by psychologist Dr. Shelley Prevost,
founder of Big Self School.

Big Self School. A personal growth school. Understand your patterns. Find your own path. Live a life that feels like you.

Maybe this feels familiar

You’ve done the work.
And still, you find
yourself here.

Saying yes when you mean no. Holding everything together. Reacting to someone you love in a way you wish you hadn’t.

You can understand yourself on paper and still get caught in the same patterns. Meanwhile, your relationships, and the life you want to be living, keep waiting.

What if your next step is
seeing yourself more clearly?

What feels familiar? Choose one.
A QUESTION BENEATH THE PATTERN

What are you afraid might happen if you say what you actually want?

A possibility: a yes you mean. A no you can stand behind.
A moment to reflect. Not an assessment or a type result.
There is another way forward

Less proving.
More being you.

A little understanding can open up a little more choice.

01 / NOTICE

See the pattern.

Go beneath what you do to understand what’s driving it. Your Enneagram subtype offers a place to begin.

02 / UNDERSTAND

Meet yourself with kindness.

Those familiar ways of coping have a story. Understanding them creates space to question what you still need.

03 / CHOOSE

Try a different response.

A more honest yes. A calmer conversation. A moment when you stay connected to yourself and someone you love.

Small moments. A life that feels more your own.

Meet Emma · By Big Self School

Depth, with someone
to help you
make sense of it.

Emma is your personal growth companion, built by Dr. Shelley Prevost from her approach to helping people understand themselves.

Rooted in Enneagram subtyping and informed by psychological, existential, and spiritual perspectives, she helps you explore what’s beneath the surface, and what it means in your everyday life.

Discover your type & subtype ↗
emmaYour personal growth companion
Today, 9:41 AM
You: I said I was fine. But I’m still upset that no one offered to help.
Emma: What did you need in that moment, and what made it hard to say so?
You: I wanted someone to notice. Asking felt like admitting I couldn’t handle it.

Illustrative text-message concept, not a customer conversation.

Ready to go deeper? · $49

Start with understanding.
Take it into your life.

Your $49 typing package with Emma goes deeper: discover your type and subtype, receive your personal guides, and spend a month exploring what you learn with Emma.

Explore the $49 package ↗
  • 01An adaptive assessment & personal interview
  • 02Your personalized Book of You
  • 03Your Growth Path
  • 04One month with Emma

Not ready for the full package? Start with the free subtype quiz. About 5 minutes, no sign-up to start.

Give yourself 60–90 minutes. Pause and return whenever you need.
Your Book of You and Growth Path are yours to keep.
Continuing with Emma is your choice. No automatic subscription.

One starting point. Many ways to grow.

Your type is the beginning.
Your life is where it matters.

In your relationships.

Notice what happens when you feel hurt, say what you need, and explore a different response with someone you love.

In your leadership.

Understand what drives you under pressure, and how your patterns shape the way you lead and work with others.

In your everyday life.

Recognize an automatic yes, make room for what matters, and practice choices that feel more like you.

Begin with Emma. Explore further through coaching, team workshops, and the growing school.

Shelley Prevost smiling in conversation
The human behind the school

Deep work.
With both feet
in real life.

I’m Shelley. I created Big Self School to help people find their own path toward a more conscious, meaningful life.

My work brings psychological depth into the moments that matter: how you lead, how you love, and how you stay true to yourself. Emma is an extension of that approach.

Dr. Shelley PrevostFOUNDER · PSYCHOLOGIST · COACH · FACILITATOR · SPEAKER
Explore working with Shelley ↗
In their words · Coaching & Enneagram workshops
“Working with Shelley was incredibly helpful for me to start to build that confidence and set goals.”
Ashley KentFounder & CEO, Clear Start
“Coaching with Shelley has been life-changing.”
Stacy JohnsonPresident & CEO, La Paz Chattanooga
“Without that perspective and help at that time, I don't think I could have continued on.”
Steve CoxPresident, Steam Logistics
“She could walk into a room, read the emotional dynamics in about five seconds, say the thing nobody else could name.”
Barry LargeCo-Founder & Partner, Dynamo Ventures
“She is able to look and see, kind of the light in people.”
Chad EichelbergerPresident, Reliance Partners
“That phrase — get out of your head, get into your body — has been probably one of the most significant parts of my transformation.”
Marco PerezCEO/Owner, Prospera Strategies
“The value I got out of working with Shelley for a couple of years is life-changing for me — personally and professionally.”
Eric FullerCEO, LFG Homes
“Most coaches are going to work on your business. Shelley works on you.”
Allan DavisEntrepreneur & Investor
“I was looking for community — people who get it when you say you're working on yourself. You delivered that and so much more. Learning my Enneagram type helped me understand why I do what I do and gave me practical tools to show up differently. I use conscious leadership tools constantly — at work, at home, everywhere. It's changed how I lead and how I live. If you're on the fence, just do it. You'll leave with clarity, community, and actual practices that work.”
Jessica WhatleyCEO, Northside Neighborhood House
“I knew the Enneagram was valuable, but I was only scratching the surface. You helped me see which of my behaviors are healthy and which ones I default to when I'm struggling. The biggest revelation? I have way more autonomy over my patterns than I thought. What surprised me most was the energy in the room — people who genuinely wanted to dig in and figure out who they are. That alone was powerful.”
Lauren SnearySr. Dir. of Communications, Mohawk Industries
“As a leader, I know the tactics matter — but without the core work of understanding who you are, everything goes sideways. You gave me exactly that. The conscious leadership framework? I use it every day with my team and my kids. It's transformed how I show up. As an Enneagram 3, I loved celebrating and commiserating with others who share my type, and I left with a practical growth path — not just theory, but here's what you do tomorrow. Yes, it requires vulnerability with strangers. But the atmosphere makes it feel productive, not performative. Run, don't walk. This will be the most personally and professionally rejuvenating part of your quarter.”
Andrea KaufmanExecutive Director, Amani Foundation
“This past week, our top leaders spent time learning more about themselves and each other. We spent time with Big Self School learning all about the Enneagram. We talked deeply about communication. How we each receive and relay info. How we problem solve. What thriving looks like for each of us, and what stress looks like for each of us, too. Our enneagram session was not only the high of my week but probably the high of my month. I left more connected to myself and my team of leaders, and I feel incredibly confident the dividends on that time spent will be enormous.”
Tiffanie RobinsonCEO, Founder, Investor
“Your whole business is a tool for self-discovery — it shows you who you are under pressure. You helped me pair that reality with the Enneagram framework so I could move through challenges more efficiently and actually enjoy the path instead of just suffering through it. Talking with other professionals who share my type helped me see that my perceived weaknesses are actually strengths — and where to watch for blind spots. The conscious leadership tools are brilliantly simple: Are you in your truest self or your lower self? If you're below, take time to get above. Being in a room with people who are genuinely supportive in their own growth work — that's huge.”
David LittlejohnCreative & Founder
More stories below
A few things you might be wondering

A little clarity
before you begin.

I already know my type. Is this for me?

It may be, especially if you haven’t explored your subtype or the motivations beneath your familiar patterns. Emma’s typing package includes a personalized Book of You and Growth Path that go beyond a type label.

How much time should I set aside?

The assessment and interview usually take about 60–90 minutes in total. You can pause and return. Giving Emma time to get to know you is part of the process.

What happens after my first month?

You keep your Book of You and Growth Path documents. If you want to continue with Emma, you choose to subscribe. You won’t be enrolled automatically.

Is Emma a human coach?

No. Emma is an AI personal growth companion built from Shelley’s approach. You can use her on your own or alongside work with a coach. Human coaching and team facilitation are also available through Big Self School.

Who are the free office hours for?

Everyone with a personal growth question is welcome. These open Q&A gatherings are planned to remain free. The schedule and registration details are still being worked out.

One next step. At your own pace.

Your path begins
with you.

Take the free quiz ↗
Take the free quiz
DESIGN STUDY · THE QUIET PATH