Testimonials for Ellen Shulman
“I had an opportunity to work closely with Ellen while I was actively looking for a new role. Ellen’s depth of knowledge, insight into the issues at play in this market, and her resourcefulness in balancing both the creative and practical aspects of the search and branding were outstanding. She has a keen eye and ear for assessing and matching one’s own core values with job strategies and potential company cultures. I found her to be an easy and energizing person to work with, and certainly recommend her to anyone searching for a new role or re-examining their current one.”
– Lou Schreier
“Ellen is a hands-on, full-service coach and consultant who cares deeply about her clients. She has an extensive knowledge of the local job market, thinks both strategically and tactically regarding self-branding and marketing, and is outcomes-oriented. More important, she is willing to put her powerful network to work on behalf of her clientele. Ellen delivers. I am grateful for all of her efforts on my behalf.”
– Thomas Wyszynski
“Ellen has been an excellent mentor and resource over the last couple of years. I have used her on numerous occasions to help with redefining my career goals both short and long-term. She has been exceptionally helpful and encouraging during my move to San Francisco. She also excelled in helping me to build my resume and really hone in on my skills for particular jobs. She has an incredibly positive attitude, energy and practical nature that really helps you define your personal and professional goals. She is a true friend, mentor, support system and knowledgeable person, one I would go to for all ranges of information.”
– Danielle Wegenstein
“Ellen is an excellent coach … knowledgeable, well spoken, sincere, diplomatic and compassionate. She is also very professional and likable. I recently accepted a great job offer (plus had several interviews) and attribute this success to her coaching. Her strength is really knowing how to market a candidate. It’s her knack. Her expertise in this area far exceeded my guess work since I never really had to look for a job. Also, she suggested several things to ease my mood because it shows in the interview. I am very selective by nature and went through 2 other good coaches before finding the best with Ellen. Just listen to her and she will steer you in the right direction.”
– Jason Lee
“I had the pleasure of benefiting from Ellen’s coaching. With the natural ups and downs of job seeking, Ellen consistently had solid ideas, a fresh and optimistic perspective, and genuine tools that I could utilize immediately that all supported a successful personal marketing strategy going forward. Not only did I benefit from Ellen’s tips and techniques, I was uplifted by her energy and reassuring approach to the entire process. It’s rare to find both qualities from the same individual!”
– Wendy Carmody
“Ellen is great career coach because of her positive energy and practical nature. Her knowledge of how to take full advantage of my social and technical network were tremendous assets to my job search. After reposting my resume, which was refined with Ellen’s help, I got several calls from small and big hi-tech companies. On top of her coaching skills, she is also empathetic, patient, considerate and motivational. I was lucky to have a chance to work with Ellen in redefining my career path.”
– Minh Mai
“Ellen was my adviser at LHH during my outplacement service, and also an instructor for one of my core classes there. She has an amazing knack for uncovering the essential components of a personalized search strategy; she listens with a 6th sense for what is most critical, and knows how to hone in on each individual’s unique qualities. She also knows the right words to encourage and motivate people and keep a positive focus during difficult times, something not always easy to do. She has a creative energy that allows you to explore “out of the box” ideas and make some extremely valuable suggestions … and I will always remember that Ellen gave me more than just good ideas — she gave of herself, her time, and her compassion. I highly recommend Ellen to anyone seeking a top-notch career adviser.”
– Sylvia Chanak
“Ellen is a great career coach because of her excitement and passion around working with groups and individuals. She can help to break down the job search process into manageable steps and has a lot of creativity in helping people with their career objectives. Ellen is wonderful in a group setting and individually to help move clients forward in the job search process because of her dynamic nature and ability to have fun while working through practical material.”
– Kristen Anderson
“Ellen has been extremely helpful, supportive and empathic during my recent job search. She is an amazing combination of motivator, friend and support network all rolled into one person. Ellen is a gem. When Ellen has to be firm to drive home a point, she definitely knows how to do that as well. Ellen has helped me identify specific needs, she facilities an excellent and informative workshop, she also provides original and relevant materials. Ellen rocks!”
– Mike Haines
Testimonials for Lisa Stotlar
“I can’t recommend Lisa highly enough. First she helped me revamp my resume, making my strengths pop for potential employers. Then she taught me how to network my way into a new job. I was uncomfortable with the process at first, but she provided concrete details at every stage, building my confidence as we went along. Lisa is easy to talk to because she is personable, empathetic, and really listens. Long story short, I’m now in a new job that I love, and it’s largely due to Lisa’s great work!” – Laura Gable
“Lisa has been a vital part of my career development for a number of years now and I will continue to recommend her for any career advice. Her wealth of knowledge and expertise ranges from building your own personal brand to guiding you on your journey of exploring your true talents, strengths, and values as well as conquering the interview process. Her guidance has not only shaped my career but also influenced my life. She takes time to truly understand her clients by listening and building a trusting professional relationship. She has encouraged me to see and reach for my full potential. She remains a valuable resource as we navigate the ever changing and dynamic market.” – Krissi Grube
“Lisa is smart, caring, and innovative in her approach. I would wholeheartedly recommend Lisa to any client looking for career consulting services.”
– Carolyn Hildebrandt
“My career took a dramatic turn for the better when I started working with Lisa. In addition to helping me with the nuts and bolts of the job search, she helped me step back and identify longer-term objectives. She uses Myers Briggs and other personality systems to match people to professional pursuits that play to their strengths. She understands how these underlying personality preferences play out in the workplace. She is extraordinarily skilled at helping people identify practical action steps that are consonant with their underlying desires. We pick up wherever we left off when I reach out to her for help. This is true even if I have gone quiet for a couple of years. She always makes time for me. And she is always extraordinarily insightful. I highly recommend her. She has had a profound impact on the course of my professional life.” – Rob Kelley
“Navigating one’s career development should NEVER be taken on by oneself. An important lesson I learned! The stakes are too high. Lisa Stotlar is a pro. Insightful, patient and experienced—Lisa’s methodology efficiently and expertly helps talented individuals explore new unseen career pathways and helps one navigate through the mis-cues, distractions, highs & lows of a rapidly changing and dynamic employment marketplace. I plan to continue to refer people I respect to her. She is that good.” – Ted Tussing
“Lisa was instrumental in helping me find happiness with my career and in life. She has an innate ability to read people and guide you through discovering your true passion and purpose. She assists with the detailed tasks of professional life like job searches, resume writing, and salary negotiations, but she also is always focused on building a career where you will be the happiest. Working with Lisa was the best decision I’ve made in my career. I recommend her to ALL of my friends, family, and colleagues. Those that have started working with her – all feel the same way. Lisa is simply the best.” – Sophie Stich
“Attending a Success Team with Lisa was an excellent experience. Her work as a facilitator was fantastic and she provided great insight for everyone in the group. The members of the group themselves were fabulous and we all worked together really well. I learned things about myself I did not know, I started the journey of figuring out what was really important to me in a career and it helped build my confidence. Additionally, in our individual sessions, I found Lisa to quickly help me understand and focus on my work strengths and really helped to put me on a path to find a job that I was aligned with and enjoy.” – Erica Smith
“If you want spot on, inspiring, practical advice for moving ahead in your professional realm, Lisa is your person! I’ve seen her be of great benefit to people at all stages of their career, from new to the world of work to veterans. Even better, she’s fun, creative and truly supportive of people. I recommend her with great enthusiasm.
– Mia Bolte
“I can’t say enough good things about Lisa. Truly gifted at what she does, Lisa brings a combination of deep expertise, positivity, respect, empathy, and perceptiveness. From day one, Lisa’s guidance was encouraging and informative; I learned so much working with her. I felt like she ‘got’ me right away and I felt assured and confident in her guidance. From helping me deal with a hard job loss experience, to guiding and inspiring me through a period of career ‘soul searching,’ to helping me learn to network more effectively, to counseling me through interviews and salary negotiations, Lisa was there every step of the way, making the process rewarding and enlightening. I cannot recommend her highly enough and hope to continue working with her in the future.”
– Chris Becwar
“Lisa rocks! She’s quick, efficient and knowledgeable in the career development space. With her strong background in link building, it didn’t matter where I was located or what industry I was in. During my time with Lisa, she made a tremendous, favorable impact on my transition to the Silicon Beach and helped me move my entire life–and career– in a positive direction. Make sure to grab a pen and paper every time you have a moment with her, career coaching is her literature.”
– Derek Bui
“Lisa is a truly gifted Career Counselor and Coach, and I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with her. I took one of her six-week classes which involved exploring career options and meeting new people. During class, Lisa encouraged us to make connections and build relationships in a positive, authentic way, and also to plan concrete steps so that our exploration would be intentional, actionable, and efficient. Building relationships and creating actionable plans made all the difference in opening up opportunities I never knew existed. I also saw Lisa on an individual basis to hone my interview skills. Lisa is so good at reflective, empathetic listening, and the individual coaching process helped me zero-in on the things that mattered most, personally and professionally. Consequently, have recently landed an incredible position that gives me a way to maintain my expertise one area, while expanding and broadening my skill-sets in new areas – a rare find, and one that suits my personality and goals perfectly. I am grateful to Lisa for helping me discover and navigate this unique path, and I would highly recommend her to anyone who is curious about the next steps in their career!” – Elaine Dai, JD
“I am happy to recommend Lisa who is a wonderful career counselor and trainer. I met her when I joined a weekly job search strategy group she was facilitating. I’ve also sought her help on a one-to-one basis. She’s a dynamic, creative and insightful coach and group trainer who clearly communicates useful information and inspires self-confidence in participants/clients. She provides excellent job search strategies including important guidance on networking, interviewing, salary negotiating, resumes, Linkedin, etc. She’s clearly passionate about helping people in career transition and understands the pain and joy of the process. I am confident that Lisa’s expertise will be of great help to anyone who is exploring careers or is in the job search process.”
– Yukiko Hartman
“Lisa is incredibly supportive and compassionate. She brings provocative and innovative thinking to each endeavor. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for guidance.”
– Justine Gubar
“I was referred to Lisa by my manager who had used her services and who he highly recommended. I was recently part of a workforce reduction that occured within 3 months of losing my father. When Lisa and I met for the first time, we talked about my year and how I could effectively move forward out of the chaos I was experiencing. We talked about what paths would be the best for me. Her suggestions proved that she was a thoughtful listener and her guidance proved invaluable to me. Since I had been out of the job search market for 10 years, I was lost. She advised me how to find a job in today’s technology. We got my resume into top shape and she coached me on how to interview effectively. Her coaching allowed me to relax in the interview. I felt prepared, organized and knew how to answer key questions about myself. She helped me to understand the job acceptance process and I was able to secure a position within 1 1/2 months of the WFR notification. I highly recommend Lisa and the life/career guidance services she offers.”
– Christine Ryan
“I was ready to see a career coach when things were falling apart at my job and I didn’t trust myself to make the right decisions. I was really at a crux: Do I stay even though I am unhappy? Do I go back to school and change careers all together? Do I even know what I want and worse yet, what if I make the wrong decision? Lisa was recommended to me by two close friends and colleagues and calling her was the best decision I made for myself. Lisa is warm, insightful and knowledgeable. She definitely knew how to engage me, challenge me and keep me accountable. There is no magic pill for success, but success can be attained with some support and I have learned this with Lisa’s help. She taught me new ways to see myself, my past and my future. She helped get me out of a horrible work environment and into a better situation with more pay and benefits and growth than I thought possible. She also has helped me to understand my needs and personality better. I don’t feel unhappy with my life anymore or the decisions that I made, I have learned to see things much differently and I now use the past to my advantage. Thanks to Lisa, I will be pursuing a life long dream, while I keep my day job, which by the way, I like very much. Lisa is worth every penny, as meeting with her was an investment in myself. Many, many thanks to Lisa. She is a delight.”
– Marlyna Stewart
“I engaged Lisa to help my 23-year-old son figure out how to start a job search the week after he graduated from college. She really “got” him, and in just a few one-on-one sessions together, she helped him clarify his job objectives, polish his resume, and prepare for his first ever professional interview. She counseled me to step back and let her handle everything, which greatly reduced the potential for stress in our household. (She also helped me better understand his strengths, as well as his approach to the job search.) He got the job, and I give Lisa full credit for instilling in him the confidence he needed to nail the interview. I hope she will continue to be available to help him again when it’s time to look for the next job or apply for graduate school. And should I ever decide to look for different work, she’ll be the first person I call!”
– Martha Shirk
“I can’t recommend Lisa enough. She has tremendous integrity and passion for her field. She helped me when I was at a career crossroads. She was a very patient and thorough listener. She understood my dilemma and helped me walk through the process to make a decision. She looked at my issue from many and sometimes novel angles. And I’m so very glad of the decision I made in the end.”
– Pete Bratach
“My struggles with my job search ended when I met Lisa. I needed a whole new approach to attacking the market and Lisa was able to create a plan that was perfect to my personality type (introverted). This was no cookie cutter plan, it was specific to my needs and style. With Lisa’s support and wonderful templates and guidelines I had the confidence to land a great job. And now I have an amazing toolkit full of job seeking skills that I can dip into when I need them.”
– Denise Ford
“Lisa has been a life-changing presence in my professional path. From the beginning, she recognized my concerns and inner struggle with choosing among different options, but she also opened my eyes to my strengths and other professional paths that I had not considered. As our work has continued, she has helped in honoring the choices I did not make as I explored in a new direction.
My favorite part about working with Lisa is that she meets me at my level. With a similar educational background myself, I found that Lisa honored my shared knowledge and encouraged me to use tools from my educational training in our sessions. She also trusted my understanding of fundamental counseling/coaching tools which allowed us to jump right in to the “meat” in our work together.
She is insightful, funny, compassionate, and creative–a true blessing to have on your team as an individual client, group participant, or in any other capacity.”
– Gina (Novak) Denatale
“I frequently recommend Lisa Stotlar to clients. In this economic climate, clients often feel worried about their job prospects. I know that if they work with Lisa they can clarify their job interests, learn effective job search strategies, develop a professional image, and learn to navigate even the most challenging interview questions. Her intuitive style allows her to key into a client’s personality and strengths. She is gifted at helping clients highlight those strengths for potential employers. Clients are definitely more confident in the job search process after working with her.”
– Michelle Templeton, PhD, Psychologist
“Lisa is a talented and caring coach, who is extremely knowledgeable about how to bring out the best in people. When I was studying at Stanford, Lisa was able to sensitively and authoritatively assess my professional situation and make suggestions that have helped me to find my way to a new career path. It is easy to see Lisa’s compassion and enthusiasm. What is often evident over time is her vision of what can make her clients shine. This is a rare talent honed by years of working with professionals. I recommend her highly.”
– Jeff Elder
“Working with Lisa was amazing. She helped me to strategically look at my career goals and encouraged me to get on track with them. The work we did on my resume was really game changing. She listened and gently challenged me, was supportive and committed. In the short amount of time we worked together, I learned skills that I will use for the rest of my professional life. I highly recommended Lisa and have personally sent several people her direction.”
– Shannon (Asbury) Bornman
“I am thankful to have Lisa as a resource. She not only has the experience and education to guide others along their career paths, but she also has the compassion and sensitivity needed when others are struggling along those paths. Additionally, Lisa is a strong communicator. She offers sound advice and outlines step-by-step plans for her clients, but she also listens when someone simply needs to talk. I am fortunate to have someone to whom I can refer my students as they enter the workforce or make changes throughout their careers. I highly recommend Lisa to anyone who wants to explore their professional options.”
– Robyn Brinks Lockwood
“A friend of mine recommended that I contact Lisa as I was struggling from extreme job related stress due to an abusive boss and a badly managed work environment. During my first meeting with Lisa she listened with concern and empathy as I told my story. She quickly drew up a ten-point plan that outlined the things I should do to deal with the situation. Shortly after the meeting, I contacted my doctor and given my diagnosis was then placed on medical leave from my job. Lisa guided me through the process of dealing with my employer and working with HR to ensure that I remained out on medical leave. Healing and getting therapy for my stress were the central themes of my life at this point and Lisa was there as a source of advice and support. After several months on leave from my job, I was contacted by an organization for a position that I had applied to many months before I went out on leave. Again, Lisa was instrumental in helping me to prepare for the interviews and prep my references. The interviews went very well and Lisa’s guidance and support really helped. I returned to my job for a short time during which I was offered the new position. I turned in my notice and started my wonderful new job several weeks later! This intense, roller-coaster journey that spanned months involved many caring, dedicated people and Lisa was one of those key persons. Her steadfast support, empathy, understanding, and knowledge of the job world were a tremendous asset as I navigated many unfamiliar territories. She was truly an inspirational and positive guide and I highly recommend her to anyone seeking career guidance and job search help.”
– RL, engineer