Client Testimonials
"I turned toward coaching to help me get started on a new path. I wanted to figure out how to fit it in within my daily routine. My sessions with Lori did just that. Lori helped me understand myself more clearly and identify my own way of moving forward towards my goals. Reflecting with her helped me see and push at some assumptions that I had never thought about before. I am very thankful for Lori’s help and highly recommend working with her."
- Karolina Sarnowska-Upton, PhD, Senior Engineering Manager, Microsoft
"Lori is a compassionate, thoughtful and insightful coach. She asks clarifying questions and empowers you to move toward your goals. I've found our work together incredibly helpful and really appreciate Lori's deep expertise and creativity."
- Kate H, Editor, CNN
"Lori is kind, knowledgeable and professional. She creates a safe space for honest conversations by being non-judgmental and open-minded. I was able to discover new perspectives to many problems I face. She is good at breaking problems down and making abstract goals actionable by designing small experiments with me. She never dictates what to do but rather asks me what I would like to do. I really enjoyed the iterative and interactive approach, where there's no failure but only progress and learning. Along the way I made big progress in improving communication and emotional intelligence. I cannot thank her enough for her guidance and help!"
– Software Engineer, Facebook
"I went to Lori for help because I was feeling stuck with a career and life transition I wanted to make. Her careful, expert and non-judgmental listening helped me hear options and strengths I was overlooking. She was able to meet me exactly where I was and coached me forward with thoughtful questions, reflections and structure. I trust Lori; she is kind, intelligent, ethical, creative, and has a healing sense of humor. I can't recommend her more highly."
– Valerie Ross, MS, LMFT, Behavioral Scientist, Seattle, WA
"Lori's focus and coaching skills are enhanced by her background and training as a therapist. She brings authenticity and honest feedback as well as encouragement and clarity to her work with clients. Her holistic approach to coaching fosters a richer, more meaningful experience of success because it's not just about achieving a goal. Lori helps you discover ways to own who you are, cultivate your internal authority and recognize the value of doing something you've set out to do."
– PC, Seattle, WA
"Lori brought support to our team as we faced the loss of a colleague and friend. She facilitated a group session for the team and supplied individual support for team members as well. She helped us realize that grief is very personal, that it may look different for different team members, and that team members may need different kinds of support from one another over the coming days and weeks. She also did a wonderful job of leading us in an exercise to build best practices appropriate for our team and culture for supporting one another and reflecting on what our colleague meant to the team and to each of us individually.
Beyond a coaching engagement, I believe Lori truly cared enough about me and our team to bring the best kind of support in our time of need helped us move forward in the face of trying circumstances."
– Bryan Peck, MH Lending, Land Home Production Manager, Credit Human, Federal Way, WA
"I had the privilege of being coached by Lori, who is a gifted, warm and masterful coach. She listened deeply, asked powerful questions and provided a safe space for me to explore issues in greater depth, leading me to gain new insights and clarity about my personal next steps."
– Mary Lockhart, Executive and Personal Coach and Consultant, Mary Lockhart LLC
"Lori is a highly skilled, compassionate coach. I worked with her regarding a significant transition in my life and she did an excellent job of listening, thoughtfully observing, and challenging me. In her presence I felt steadied, safe, and inspired. I look forward to coaching with her again!"
– Emily Kelly-Peterson, Grief and Loss Coach
"Lori VanderBilt was absolutely amazing in helping my job search efforts. I have spent years researching interview questions/tactics with potential employers but was still not getting offers. It wasn't until my coaching sessions with Lori that I was able to see that one of the biggest mistakes I was making had to do with my presentation of my experiences and skills. She helped me realize that my energy in trying to portray myself as “professional” was getting in the way of my ability to truly show my personality and excitement for the work that I do. As a woman, it is often difficult to show emotions without feeling silly or as if we're taking too much credit for our career successes and Lori really helped me see that my personality and enthusiasm are assets and that my ability to exceed goals is not something to downplay.
Sometimes it is difficult to see our own limitations to success. Having Lori’s feedback and input made it easier to gain a clear picture of my own personal road blocks and how to tackle them. I highly recommend working with Lori to learn and grow skills for all career difficulties."
– Geneva West, MBA Candidate, Seattle, WA
"Working with Lori has been a wonderful experience. Lori provided a safe space for me to share both my goals and troubles and work through some of the things holding me back. She has been an incredible listener and helped me reach clarity in the topics I brought to our coaching conversations. It has been both enlightening and a joy working with Lori and I am so thankful for all of the insights I have received. There are many ah ha moments that I am taking with me both into my personal and professional lives."
– CA, Acting Regional Director, International Coach Federation
"Lori is a very warm, thoughtful, and talented professional coach. My coaching with her totally changed how I approached my search for my next role. I moved into an “experimental model” that has worked really well for me with her support. She asked clarifying questions, used the Socratic method to help me reflect, kept me accountable as the coaching proceeded, and provided great feedback. She was very engaged throughout the entire coaching journey helping me, helping me identify my strengths guiding me towards new ways of growing in my professional life. I highly recommend Lori to anyone looking to level up and improve through coaching in their career!"
– Program Manager, Facebook
"Before I started coaching with Lori, I struggled to focus on and prioritize my goals. Her experience and ability to listen and guide has helped tremendously in these areas. As I am a type A, she has also helped me realize the importance of reflection and gratitude for what has been accomplished before moving on to the next thing. This has given me a stronger sense of purpose and meaning. If you are looking for coaching in these areas, I highly recommend giving Lori a call."
– Lowell Lombardini Parker, CFP® Financial Advisor, Seattle, WA
"I engaged Lori to work on the transition after an unexpected job change. She was instrumental in helping me sort out all the conflicting emotions, and quickly identify the opportunities that change can bring. She guided me to focus on identifying the factors that would move me forward. We reset my goals to focus on the next chapter of life, as well as create healthy closure opportunities. Lori let my emotions come, encouraged me to reflect in creative a different ways on what I wanted, and had me slow down.
Lori was kind, consistent, and smart. She didn’t let me ramble on a tangent, but always listened. I trusted her right away, as she is very skillful in relating. She was patience with my technology learning curve, and always on time and prepared. Lori was easy to work with, and ended up being a lifeline to me at time when I might have sank. I am grateful, and would definitely recommend coaching with Lori for anyone who is not completely satisfied with the direction of his or her personal or professional life."
– Laura McAlister, Co-Founder, Sound Child Care Solutions, Seattle, WA
"As a Coach, Lori has an extensive background as a Marriage and Family therapist. Because of this, I can tell her whatever I need to tell her without worrying about her, about how she will handle it. Lori can take care of herself on all levels. This liberates me to be candid. The depth of my conversation with Lori is not possible with most people -- not even one’s closest friends. Lori’s therapy background, training as a Coach and steadfast strength and integrity set the stage for profound insights and inner healing. I feel grateful and blessed to have her as my Coach."
– FW, Published Poet, Seattle, WA
"As a Coach, Lori has a gift for connecting deeply with others. She has combined this gift with extensive study and practice. In each session, Lori focuses on the agenda for the meeting and on emerging with a plan to pursue. She has a way of honing in on what's important. Talking with her is easy, and I know what I say is held in confidence, as Lori is a person of integrity. With her enthusiasm for life, she makes our sessions fun. She encourages me to identify what nourishes me and where I want to go in the present and future. I feel more successful and accomplished because of my work with Lori. I recommend her highly."
– WF, Seattle, WA
"Working with Lori was such a pleasure, and an incredibly eye-opening experience. She is a great listener and has a knack for honing in on what a person really wants to accomplish. While putting together and practicing a presentation for 100 people, she helped me tap into my strengths, clarify how I needed to apply them and worked with me to put together an action plan that resulted in a great professional and personal success. I've struggled for years on how to effectively prepare for public speaking engagements, and in working with Lori we found a way to create a practice schedule that I would actually follow!"
– KC, Kirkland, WA