Testimonials

Listening and learning from [Alex’s] experiences … gave me the motivation to kick start my own career, something I’ll always be grateful for. Ask questions and expect answers filled with encouragement, insight and loads of first-hand knowledge. Alex knows and loves writing, it’s evident from the minute she greets you.

Lisa Michele Burns (Lonely Planet competition winner; Marrakech)

Travel and Underwater Photographer, www.lisamicheleburns.com

Alex has an incisive mind that cuts through the static.

She has gently but powerfully nudged me in the direction of clarity and purpose.

Roz Savage, MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire)

Author, Stop Drifting, Start Rowing; National Geographic Adventurer of the Year 2012

Courtesy of Elizabeth Hart, 2019.

Thanks, Alex! I have been a teacher of creative thinking for over 40 years … and this approach of yours is one of the most refreshing approaches.

BH

Chief Executive Facilitator

I know nothing’s perfect, but I can’t think of how this class could get any better! Maybe just more of it!

Anonymous

I was privileged enough to take part in one of Alex’s inspiring writing courses in Berlin. Her ‘Finding Your Voice’ exercises completely changed the way I view my professional writing style and has resulted in me receiving more paid work and opportunities with high-profile clients than ever before. Her knowledge and passion for her art form is enormous and her teaching ability is remarkable. I can honestly credit this improvement in my new career to my time spent learning under Alex and could not value her expertise highly enough.
Jarryd Salem

Travel writer and blogger, Nomadasaurus.com

Alex guided me through a simple yet profound exercise. It was basically an exercise to uncover my deepest truths about my life passions. Although simple to administer, it seems to be based in mathematics, neuroscience, and more, creating greater clarity and self-awareness with the goal of helping to realize my true passions.  A profound experience in an easy and practical exercise – that’s genius!

Bill Prinzivalli, MBA

CEO, Prinzivalli Consulting

I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent in each session of Third-Layer Creativity. Prior to the course, I felt like I was working my way through a dense forest with my creativity. The skills learned in the course helped me create a path. There’s still a journey ahead, but at least I have a road to travel now!

KV

Journalist

After our session last week, I walked around … in amazement that what we were doing was not only getting to the third layer of creativity, but a deeper level of healing. Creativity is vulnerable, freeing, scary, playful. [I get now] why there are steps in the ladder, because I need to go through each phase.

Kathryn W

Design Thinking

I can’t recommend Alex more highly for the developmental editing she did for me for my in-progress memoir. Not only were her comments insightful and extremely useful, but her upbeat tone made the constructive criticism feel great, not painful. Plus, she’s hysterical and I laughed out loud a few times.

CB

Author

Being a foreign medical graduate, I had absolutely no idea how the USA interview process worked. For two years, I didn’t match into any residency program. Then, Alex helped me. She interviewed me and had me edit my personal statements drafts again and again, until they became perfect — and represented the real me. Our mock interview preparation taught me how to focus my answers in order to convey my most important points. This application season I matched, to my first choice! I could not believe it!

I will highly recommend Alex, as she is not only a highly trained professional, but one of the most positive people I have ever met! Thank you, Alex again. I will never forget this experience!

Eva C

Medical resident, Eastern Carolina University

When I had a coaching dilemma or question, Alex always made me make a list. And then she usually made me rank the list, on a scale of 1-10. It sounds so simple, but I would have never made those lists without her prompting … talking through the list did a ton to help me clarify what I wanted/needed.
Liz Enochs

Former president, Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California chapter

Alex is an outrageous and brilliant coach and consultant, and she made my work a lot of fun, too. She’s quick and to the point and called me out when necessary. Her coaching was invaluable to me in my business. I thought I knew what to do and she intuitively asked the right questions and found my weak points and helped me strengthen them. I always hated homework and I looked forward to hers, that’s how good she is. Since everything is psychologically intertwined, I needed a shaman thrown in there too, and Alex came through! I give her the highest recommendation and I am really picky.

Laurie Stern

Botanical Perfumer, Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery

After my agent sent my memoir manuscript out on submission, and we received lots of compliments but no offers, I had this nagging feeling that there was still something to be done with the book. Enter Alex and her magical brain (work with her for more than 10 minutes and you’ll know what I mean). Alex was able to articulate my nagging feeling with insightful feedback that instantly resonated, and gave me hilarious and constructive point-by-point direction on how to tackle a revision. I know that no stone has been left unturned, and it’s a measurably better book than when it first went out on submission.

Laura Zera

Author and Contributor to New York Times, Seattle Times, Dame, Catapult, et al

 

I’ve worked with Alex in her capacity as a writing coach during two career transitions. What sets Alex apart, in my experience, is her very strong intuition, which she combines and, when necessary, tempers with, very strong logic and reasoning abilities. She listens carefully, and listens on multiple levels to what a client is saying.

Christine B

Project Manager

As a to-do list lover, I enjoyed developing my lists and creating action plans. The real value came with opening up that third layer. I saw that the lists won’t really help until I’m clear on what’s at the core of what’s really important to me.

BL

Podcast creator, artist

Working with Alex helped my writing career tremendously! During my MFA thesis, Alex sincerely and with much knowledge gave support during the writing and creation of my first novella. It was such an accomplishment; but not only did I write a novella with Alex’s help, I also shared fond and enriching moments on creativity and the writing process with her!

Kimberly Kim

Writer

Alex was a great pleasure to work with. She took me, a novice writer with no publications to my name, and made my blogging and writing crisp and compelling. She was hands-on and detailed, while allowing me the freedom to find my own style. I am a stronger and more confident writer because of my experience with her.

 

Jim Doherty

Winner, Lonely Planet Bluelist Writing Competition

In the 3 months I worked with Alex as a writing coach, I went from an overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to start or what to write, to completing a new blog to kickoff my travel writing.
Through her mix of wacky exercises, mind-expanding lists, and good old-fashioned support/accountability, she got me to actually complete a project. She provided the structure and the template for me to sink into whatever comes up and/or gets in the way of my creative work. She guided me to clear the emotional clutter, so that I can move forward and get work done.
Her work is for those willing to go deep and deal with the uncomfortable, in order to clear the way for productive writing and/or creative work.
Sarah I

Writer