Marika Ellis is a fantastic coach! I had been to someone else in the past who was not very good and so I hesitated but there was no comparison! Marika is remarkably attuned, creative and supportive, while being absolutely honest at the same time. Can there be a better constellation of assets in a coach? Marika was introduced to me about 9 months ago at a professional gathering. She had been invited to present her wares to a group of my colleagues in the film business. She described ways in which we might assess where we are stuck in our search for the kind of work we want. She pointed out that the stumbling blocks may be coming simultaneously from inside the individual and outside -- the work landscape being as tough as it is right now. A bit of a perfect storm but she assured us there are many ways to approach both kinds of challenges!

After that initial presentation I had many private sessions with Marika. These sessions were either to help in discerning general and/or personal difficulties with finding work or to prepare for a specific meeting that I had coming up. Her work addresses both cognitive and behavioral issues. She provides insights as well as practical solutions for any and all questions and stumbling blocks. I felt like I had an advocate who knows the film business and me and can pin point exactly where the trouble is. She is a wonderful sounding board and co-brainstormer. There is nothing sacred and no holding back. She can spot issues and blocks immediately and she named them in a way that i could hear, without putting me on the defensive or making me feel defeated. Marika is all about solutions! After all, we first have to recognize and acknowledge the issues before we can find their solutions. Her advice runs the gamut from dealing with very personal, painful and sometimes emotional issues to how to dress and where to look if the meeting is with more than one person. I never go to a meeting any more without consulting the notes I took on our sessions and they are always really helpful. We all need help in adjusting what our rote responses to something might be. After all if everything was working perfectly, we wouldn't need any coaching!

I can't recommend Marika highly enough. She is completely professional, discreet and a terrific cheerleader while being thoroughly honest. If you need help and you need it to be fast, efficient and smart, no need to look any further. Marika Ellis should be your next and last stop!

And by the way, I'm happy to report, I got a really good job!

-Anonymous