I found myself in the Bay Area and had a break in the job routine. I really wanted a reset after working crazy hours for years and not advocating for myself. Laura helped me navigate this time, landing the job that I wanted, an overwhelming start in the tech world, and then plans to give it up &relocate when my husband's job transferred states. So much of my life changed during my 2 years of meeting with Laura and I felt that she was there for me as an ally, a confidant and to guide me in my career when I was lacking a compass. She was a champion of my strength and helping me recognize what they are. She is an incredible empath but will also challenge you to look at yourself differently. Thank you, Laura!! read more

I had been reading Laura's newsletter for years under the advice of a friend and found her messages to be immensely helpful. When I needed a career coach to help me navigate the job search process, I went straight to her. Laura saw my strengths and helped me strategize the job search process. She helped me dissected job postings, strengthened my resume, and polished my interview answers. I am grateful to Laura for her patience, professionalism and most of all, for helping me land my dream job. read more

I came to Laura at the urging of a friend. I had taken a mid-life career hiatus and time was up. I needed to get back into the career game. It seemed harder than I remembered. I was over fifty, I had been out of the market for several years, and I didn't want to go back to what I was doing before. I really wanted to reinvent myself and find some joy. Laura helped me see my options, assess my strengths, and reminded me that reinvention doesn't mean throwing away skills and experience. She also encouraged me to get involved in some activities that helped me sharpen my social skills and see opportunity in all kinds of interactions. It took a few months, but I explored an unusual opportunity when it came along. It played to my strengths, jettisoned stale parts of previous jobs, and blended things I loved about previous roles with a new trajectory. While I love my new role, I miss my sessions with Laura. Highly recommended!! read more

Laura has been such an amazing thought partner during my long (over 2 years!) process of searching for a new career. I have spent many hours in one-on-one sessions with Laura, digging into what really matters to me and discovering my core values, something that I never would have imagined without her support! Interview Club with Laura and other job seekers is always an engaging, experimental, and enlightening experience. Every time I attend I gain new insight and understanding about myself and my path to finding the 'perfect' job. It's also great networking - Laura knows good people and has a way of bringing them together and creating connections :) read more

I have had the great fortune to work with Laura in both her INTERVIEW CLUB and her WRITE-TO-WORK group - and in both, received excellent support and advice for getting my message just right - whether that's in how I think of and present myself in an interview, or in my writing. She is authentically warm, deeply empathetic, super smart, and enormously skilled as both a professional coach and a personal advisor. Laura is highly recommended if you're looking to simply up your game and sharpen your saw in how you can most effectively express/represent yourself - or if you're starting from scratch and want communicate with finely tuned skill, commitment, and courageous authenticity. She's pretty friggin' amazing is what she is. read more

I reached out to Laura almost two years ago to help me discover what the next step in my career would be and to move on from a job that I was ready to leave. Laura gave me me the tools to get out and search for what my next option could be and encouraged me to take risks that I may not have taken on my own. She was always an empathetic ear when times were hard and a firm voice to keep me accountable when I would settle back into familiar and easy ways. She challenged me to really analyze what I wanted in career and now that (after 2 years!) I am taking a new job to try and pursue that. Over that time, she has become a friend and would highly recommend Laura's services if you're searching for what's next in your career or even just to see a different perspective on what you are currently doing. 5 stars all the way! read more

Laura was instrumental in helping me make a significant life change. I worked for the same employer since I graduated from college which was over 15 years ago. When I met Laura, I was fearful that I was a one-trick pony and wanted to change fields. Laura helped me to see that I had a number of transferable skills, practiced critical interview questions with me and coached me to navigate the negotiation process. There were many times when I felt behind the curve because others seemed to obtain job offers quicker than I did but she kept my spirits up by letting me know that I had a number of interview requests. She held my hand during the entire process because I was easily discouraged. Within 9 months I found a new job that pays well and provides excellent benefits. Laura is experienced, intelligent and kind. She's incredibly professional and knows how to keep you on track. She has a positive attitude and lifts you up when you need it. She truly listens to you and gives you what you request. For example, I needed homework/tasks to do between our sessions so that I'd stay on task. She gave me assignments that were thought provoking but not too time consuming. She's also flexible about when and how to meet with her. I live and worked much further than her office but wanted to meet her before deciding whether or not I wanted to work with her. Our first meeting was in person then we met over the phone or Zoom for the rest of our sessions which I found helpful as my schedule was very busy. She is a pleasure to work with and I highly recommend Laura! read more

I came to Laura after 14 years in the same career field, dissatisfied with what I was doing but with almost no idea where to go from there. Through twice monthly meetings over several months (plus regular homework assignments), my time with Laura changed my outlook and my life. She showed genuine interest in getting to know me, helping me narrow my focus, and encouraging me not to sell myself short, to really see and believe how much I had to offer. I left feeling more confident in myself and my ability to leave a field I was no longer passionate about without sacrificing pay or position. The feel-good aspect of it cannot be overstated but tangibly speaking, she facilitated a complete much-needed overhaul of my resume, which at the time really only made sense in the context of that field I felt so stuck in. When we finished, I was proud of the product but then came the real test. Well I am happy to report that I got a great new job, outside my field and a big step forward in position and pay, selected from 45 candidates based entirely on my kick-ass new resume! There is no question that it was my work with Laura identifying my skills and translating them into a truly representative document that made that possible. THANK YOU LAURA! read more

Laura is a very personable, empathetic, and talented coach who has helped me get through an extremely challenging work situation and a rough career transition period. I sought out a career coach because I consistently would get myself into job situations where I was unhappy, and I needed help to break this cycle. I had interviewed many other career coaches before and found Laura to be the most appealing because I found her approach to be very thoughtful and human. She was very insightful and present, even in the first initial phone screen. I saw each session with Laura as a chance to reflect with the challenges that has happened throughout the work week. She was able to help me see each situation in a different light and gave me strength to take bold new steps forward to tackle each challenges. She also encouraged me to explore a different career direction that is a better fit for what I'm looking for. I'm very grateful for the time that I've spent with Laura and I highly recommend her work. read more

Laura is a talented coach who facilitates groups well, and gets members to participate and receive individual attention and feedback. I leave each session with well thought out homework which helps me keep the best practices and other information shared fresh and then applied to my unique business. Laura helps me come up with action plans and the regular meetings allow me to have built in accountability partners and people who encourage me to stick with it. With the support of Laura and the other women in our group, I have been able to strengthen my marketing voice and learn about marketing strategies that I can implement now and down the road as my business develops. I really appreciate the constructive feedback from everyone. Especially for women who are solopreneurs like me, without formal business partners, this input is invaluable. I look forward to staying in contact with women in the group and working with Laura again in the future. read more

I was in the middle of a career change when I joined a group Laura was leading. I was struggling to find the right direction, feeling rudderless. Laura provided a safe space for each of us to connect with our strengths and explore how we might use them in our search. I have now worked with Laura in both individual and group settings. Laura is warm, insightful, and kind. Laura listens deeply and is able to work with an assortment of people. I found her approach to be supportive and at the same time challenging. Laura will tell you directly what needs to be said! She creates a safe environment to explore goals, roadblocks, and dreams. I also want to say that she has a great sense of humor that can make even the most serious conversation feel a bit lighter. To summarize my experience - Laura helped me to develop new perspectives, an appreciation for what I have to offer, and to pursue a new career! I do recommend Laura! read more

I hired Laura as a coach to help me achieve clarity about my business goals. Laura has the ability to get beyond your words and reflect things back to you that you didn't even know were issues. She is very insightful at reading body language, and uses her knowledge of dance and movement to her clients' advantage. I appreciated Laura's "homework" assignments, and the way she customizes her language and suggestions to be in line with her clients' interests and professions. Laura can help get you back on track! read more

Laura is a wise and caring professional with experience in many fields. I came to her on the referral from a friend who she helped negotiate a killer deal with a top tech employer. As a first time entrepreneur, Laura's coaching has been invaluable. Laura helps me keep my sanity while building a business on my own. She helped me get to the root of what I want to do professionally, and guided me in putting a plan together to achieve that. She provides an enthusiastic ear when I need to bounce ideas off of someone, and encourages me when I have hit a wall. I appreciate her flexibility. We can meet in person, via phone, video chat, or quick emails. She always has time for me when I need it, and is quick to respond when needed. read more

Laura is a deeply empathetic, supportive, and strategic career coach who was exactly what I needed as I considered and ultimately made a career change. After doing some research on a number of coaches in the area, I chose to go with Laura based on the Yelp reviews and also because her background reflected a bit of mine - someone who had worked in the non-profit world for a long time and had made successful changes throughout her career. I reached and and she responded promptly we set up a time to talk about what I was unhappy about in my current job, and what I was looking for (spoiler: I didn't really know what I was looking for, just that I wanted out). During our time together, Laura was a compassionate guide through the messy process of untangling myself from the job I was at and begin shifting my outlook from "I just want to get out of this situation" to "What about work engages me?" She helped sift through my experiences as a professional and identify my strengths and how they translated to other fields. As a coach, Laura provided me with exactly I needed: someone to help me think through and identify what I wanted out of a career pivot, someone to nudge me gently to network and actively take the steps and opportunities that would lead me to a job offer, and someone to act as a reminder that the right job (and not just any job) was worth waiting for. Today I'm nearly one month into a new job, thanks to Laura's guidance, support, and keen editing skills. I am convinced that I would still be at my old job without Laura's support and feel so thankful to her. I highly recommend her help to anyone who needs someone in their corner as they consider a career change! read more

I am extremely grateful to have Laura in my life, both as a coach and a colleague. Her work with me one on one was compassionate and action oriented. I felt she had a genuine concern and appreciation for my situation, and not without the important question, "and what are you going to do next?" I have also had the pleasure of experiencing her work in group situations, leading groups of people through exercises and insightful questions in order to get them aligned with their core values, and from there, take action. Laura is an amazing coach, empathetic, personable, your own personal advocate helping you to set aside self defeating patterns while embracing your heart felt desires and bringing them into reality. read more

Laura is a gem. She gets a sense of who you are while schooling you on the art of networking and taking control of building your career. She teaches you how to utilize and optimize your own contacts. She also provides you with focused homework to improve areas where you need improvement. I regularly use many of the tips and insights she taught me. I highly recommend her kind-hearted and insightful skills. read more

I sought out Laura primarily as someone to sharpen my focus for a job change. The reality was that I need(ed) a bigger change than just a job. What made Laura stand out was her diverse set of skills, flexibility, her genuine interest and her ability to instill optimism while also maintaining discipline. She has also connected me to a couple of people who have themselves been very helpful. Laura challenged my assumptions about both myself and the world of work. This has provided me with an education that has positioned me well for the future of my career. If you need something more than the standard questionnaire and exercise type of approach to your job or career change Laura is outstanding. read more

Laura has a deep capacity for listening and understanding. She hears what you say and listens for what you're not saying. In one session with her she was able to identify one of my core issues and suggested some actions I could take to address it. By working with her, I have become clearer about the work I want to do and the value that I bring. If you want a kind and compassionate coach who will provide you with honest and direct feedback in a loving way, I highly recommend working with Laura. Sarah, Oakland, CA read more

You know how you get after a long time in a job, even one you like a lot, where you 'fit in' so well that its like a family, where they just see you one way, and forget your breadth of talents and potential? the dynamic gets so fixed that you are tied down by a lack of opportunity or creative options? That was me, in a good job I held for 10 years...but in which I began to feel oppressed. I found a new one two months ago, complete with a title promotion and significant raise with Laura's help. I'm so happy, doing more strategic and creative work and directing projects in a way I knew I could but hadn't been given authority to in my former job. Laura helped me to clear the cobwebs shrouding my self-perception as 'mediocre', possibly 'aged-out' of my field and not fully relevant as a mid-career professional. She helped me frame my particular strengths and experiences as a very fitting offer to this job market, and I honed my resume and researched in detail with her guidance. She coached me in preparation for my 1st through 3rd interviews. I have never felt so clear or comfortable in a new position, nor so fully relied on for my expertise and judgement. I'm experiencing a feeling of fuller self-expression of my talents than ever, in any job. Laura is a strong, positive and sincerely supportive guide of personal strengthfinding and career progression. She's patient and focused, intuitive while practical. Her Interview Club group workshops are an easy way to see how she works, and a lot gets done in personal sessions. Your career deserves this work. read more

Job searching can be a time consuming, grueling, and emotional process. Laura Paradise makes it as painless as possible. Her Interview Clubs are life savers. She provides concrete tools, feedback, and the space to improve your interview skills. I noticed a tangible difference in my ability to speak about my experience and skill-set after attending her Interview Club meetings. My job search involved interviewing with seven different companies, with upwards of four rounds of interviews with some of them. The tips I learned from Laura were invaluable. My confidence in Laura's program has led me to pass along her information to each of my friends who are looking for jobs. I am proud to say that after working with Laura I secured a job that is both challenging and rewarding! read more

I have been looking for a coach to help me take my career to the next level. Laura's reviews are great so I definitely wanted to speak with her to see what she could offer. I found her email address on her website and sent her a short introductory note. Eight days later I had not received a reply so I sent her a message through Yelp to ask if she got my email. A few hours later I get a one line email: "I didn't get it. I suspect it went to Spam. Please reply to this one. Apologies for the delay. Laura" Hmmm, okay but I think your spam filter is costing you money Laura. I am a business owner myself and I take good customer service very seriously. I would never reply to an initial inquiry without a professional greeting, a thoughtful message, and a salutation. Still wanting to give her the benefit of the doubt, I replied with the original message I sent her eight days ago: "Hi Laura, I am a small business owner here in the Oakland Hills and I am looking to work with someone who can help me take my career to the next level. Let me know how we might go about that process together. My cell phone number is below. Thanks, Graham" Laura replied quickly with another one liner: "What are you looking for from a career coach?" Okay, good question! Any coach thinking about taking me on as a client would need to know what I'm looking for from a career coach. Heck, having a solid answer to that question would be half the battle. Except I would have to write paragraph after paragraph to even begin addressing that question. You know, the kind of paragraphs that can be spoken in a 5 minute voice conversation. I was over the whole idea by now so I jumped on the thoughtless one liner train: "Well I'm not looking to write long emails." Typical reply from her: "Then I think I'm not a match for you!" Okay Laura. I met with another career coach earlier today and he spent an hour with me, listening and learning about my situation to see how he could provide value to me. Laura, your attitude and your customer service just sucks. read more

I was unemployed and looking for a career coach as I wanted some help from someone more concerned about the present and future than the past. I found Laura through this site, found her website, and attended one of her IC workshops. This was useful and later we met for an initial session. This was followed up by another meeting about a month later when I had 5 interviews lined up. She was great in helping me assess my strengths, refine talking points, and evaluate a job role's suitability. She was responsive through email as I kept her updated on the search. It all happened quickly and another week later I had found a great job at a great company. Laura provided some great insights and I felt really good about my experience with her. read more

I found Laura at a pivotal time, when I most needed to access my inner strengths and make some big life decisions. She helped me to sort through what seemed like a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, and I left our sessions feeling grounded and empowered. She is warm, affirming, realistic and knowledgeable. She enjoys what she does, which is something we should all aspire to! I know I will return to Laura if I am ever in need of guidance again. read more

I was connected with Laura through another of her clients who had great things to say about her as a person and as a coach. I wasn't sure exactly what i was looking for in a coach, and her flexible approach helped me to make the experience what I needed it to be. I found her to be compassionate and empathetic, but also challenging and provocative. Working with her helped me to get through a challenging time at a current job, and to navigate my way to a new opportunity. read more

I would categorize Laura as a life coach, with a career twist. She is such a wonderful, calming person and really helped me see my job search as a process, a process in which I need to prioritize taking care of myself. Looking for work is a daunting and stressful job in and of itself. Laura's approach helped me break it down into the different areas to focus on; from time spent looking at job postings, to networking, and even skill development. From there she helped set achievable goals and was always there for me to bounce questions off of, review cover letters, and give advice and reassurance. She is a wonderful person, an avid listener, and a supportive coach in life and career. Thank you Laura! read more

I hired Laura as a coach following my very difficult and public battle with the online cyber terrorist group Anonymous. It was a traumatic time in my life, which turned my life upside. In a word, Laura was simply "brilliant." She helped me put the pieces of my life back together quickly and helped me find my happy place. Thanks to her, I have never been more productive and more centered in my entire life. She's worth every penny! read more

What a way to run a business! They had advertised an interview club meeting in downtown Oakland! Waited 2 weeks for the event and got out early from work and drove an hour! There was NO ONE there!!! Can't believe it!!! And this business gets a 5 star rating in yelp!!! Can't trust even yelp these days!!! On the response to this post... I was watching the website for any updates till the day before. I guess the website was updated on the same day. I suggest you change the website to state that there could be changes so make sure people sign up for the mailing list and not just "walk in" read more

Laura is extremely responsive and a great listener. She helped me craft my job strategy and coached me through the interview and negotiation process! I highly recommend her if you're in a rut or planning your next career move. Thorough, organized and caring are immediate keywords that come to mind when thinking of Laura!! read more

Laura is a dynamic coach. She is warm, sincere, and empowering. Her gentle nature makes me feel comfortable talking with her about anything. I feel supported during a time in my life that is very challenging. I was hesitant to work with a life coach, but I am already seeing the benefits. I highly recommend her to anyone struggling with big life decisions or transitions. read more

Laura is kind, warm and helped me clarify and inspire my job search. I would recommend her to others.

I worked with Laura for about 5 months in 2018, and she was instrumental in helping me decide it was time to change careers, despite not knowing exactly what I wanted next. After 7+ years in a start-up environment, I was unsure whether to stay put and/or how to begin a job search and articulate my skills and experiences in a resume or interview. Laura helped me to better understand what qualities I was looking for in a new company and role, approach others in my field for informational interviews, and format my resume in a way that better told the story of my career trajectory. She was incredibly patient and supportive in discussing the pros and cons of leaving my position without another job offer. Had it not been for Laura, it would have taken me months if not years to move on, and now, just a week after resigning, I have another opportunity lined up. She is warm, personable, thoughtful, articulate, flexible, and truly looks at the full picture of who you are. I highly recommend working with her if, like me, you're just not sure what's next and keep spinning your wheels. Thank you so much, Laura! read more

New to the area, I turned to Laura for help navigating not only my job search, but my career goals. Laura is a great listener, who helps you to reach your goals by keeping you on track, teaching you to manage your time and also your mental and emotional health through your journey. Laura mostly helped me define what I wanted in a job (salaries, level, location, field), as well as what skills I want to use and enhance. This helped me during my search, interview process and when I evaluated offers. Laura gives homework to help you through your process and recommends resources specific to your needs. She empowers you to pick your path and own it and to be okay with changing your direction. Laura helped me to know my worth and value in terms of my skills and experiences. If you hire Laura, you will be working with a kind and genuine person who is also a professional in her field of coaching. Her methods are goal oriented and therapeutic and she is able to adapt to fill your needs. I highly recommend giving her a call! read more

I took two group classes with Laura and found them very helpful. Laura is an expert communicator with an authenticity that can be hard to find in career coaches. She genuinely cares about her students and their career goals and what I like most is her emphasis on communicating from a place of abundance rather than neediness. The group classes are a reasonable price so go check them out! read more

Laura showed me how to reveal my best self in interviews, cover letters and on my resume. With her help, I'm about to start a terrific new job! I worked with Laura 1-on-1, attended her Interview Club and logged into her online Write to Work web sessions. In interviews, my excitement wasn't showing in my body language. In the safe, supportive environment of Laura's Interview Club, I got constructive, immediately applicable feedback. She guided me to bring out my vitality in interviews. Laura offers writing coaching in 1-on-1 sessions and in her Write to Work group sessions online. With her guidance, I am making progress on my journey to write clear and focused messages that are tailored to my audience. I highly recommend Laura to people who are: - Interview for their next job - Ready to improve their business writing Laura's great and I have a new job to prove it. read more

I highly recommend Laura, particularly if you're mid-career and looking for a transition to a new industry or fresh environment. She takes a holistic approach and supports the journey from confidence-building to resume revamp to interview prep (and everything in between). She has a knack for "telling it like it is" but always with kindness and compassion. She hones in on your specific needs and puts forward next steps with your input. I recently made a long-needed career change with her advice and support. This was my first time working with a career coach and it was a great experience. A career coach can be very helpful if you're feeling stuck (or intimidated by the fast-changing job landscape). If you're open-minded, motivated to make a change, and willing to do the work, you'll do very well with Laura as your guide. read more

As a freelancer, I found Laura's approach to generating strategy, mission focus, and keeping my antic mind on track with specific targets invaluable. The best part? These were skills I could take away and use on my own. Too often coaches and instructors rig their system so that you are clients in perpetuity. Laura's approach was to get me better at the biz I'm in and thrive outside of our sessions. Worth the money and time. Trust me read more

Having Laura as my coach has been the single best investment in my business, and myself, I could have made. The last year has been my strongest and most financially profitable year in the ten years I have been in business for myself. My weeks are now organized and balanced: I have room to deal with what is currently on my plate, the energy and determination to work on where I want my business to go in the future, and most importantly, I have the time I want to spend with my family. read more

I seriously needed a kick in the "life" pants to get out of the doldrums and remind myself of what I wanted to be when I grew up. Many years after society thinks I have grown up, I still am not living the life I dreamed of or believed I could create. The grind takes over and the almighty dollar holds sway over my decisions - pragmatic as they may be, they were not tuned into my heart and passion. Enter Laura, frank and honest, prompting me by asking the right questions to figure out what I wanted and what I have to do to pull it together. It seemed crazy at first to think of putting myself first but after my time with Laura, I know it will be better for all to pursue my happiness however off the beaten path it will be. She reminds you of your inherent and possibly untapped strength, she gets you to pinpoint the "must haves" in your life and create your plan forward based on that knowledge. When you come up empty handed with the questions of what you should be doing, she is asking the right questions to help you discover it. She gets you there - she propels you forward. I no longer feel hindered by inertia - I know the steps I can take to center myself and focus on the path forward and forward we go!! Thank you, Laura - I am indebted to you!! See you soon! read more

Laura's warmth, communication skills and engaging presence make her not only a pleasure to work with but also to be around. My "work in progress" areas include focus, clarity and confidence and here she's been a tremendous help. Laura has the ability to draw people out through playful and purposeful exercises (in movement, art and writing). Her groundedness and generosity of spirit make her an ideal first contact when you decide it's time to get your show on the road (even if you're not sure what your show is to be!). read more

I reached out to Laura as I started my job search. It was a daunting task and I didn't know where to begin. What I really liked about her approach is that she helped me step back and put my situation in perspective; assess my values, my gifts, my purpose and what I stand for. She gave me hope and strength. She is much more than a Career Coach, she is a gifted Coach who helps you figure out how your work is fitting in your life's purpose. read more