TESTIMONIALS
1-1 Coaching
Cassandra Harms | MCIP, RPP - Planner @ TVDSB; Vice-Chair - OASBO Planning Committee | UWaterloo Planning Alum | LinkedIn
“I would definitely recommend sessions with Stella to others, especially women, looking for guidance when exploring hard feelings around careers and personal development. Stella is patient and kind and is always working to develop sessions and workshops to help me understand myself better.” More
“Working with Stella has been a truly positive experience for me. She has played a vital role in helping me reflect on my professional journey and uncover my core values, enabling me to establish a clear direction and make informed decisions about my short and long-term career objectives. I am particularly grateful for her encouragement to reach out to my network. Those conversations have proven to be incredibly valuable, giving me insights into the industry and the specific roles I'm interested in. I admire Stella's structured approach and her ability to keep our sessions focused and on track. I genuinely enjoy our meetings and look forward to them!”
Gulya Khodizoda | Software Engineer, ex-Twitter | LinkedIn
Aishwarya Arav | Software Engineer | Ex-Twitter | UWaterloo | LinkedIn
Working with Stella has been an incredible journey of self-discovery and growth. From our very first session, it was evident that she possesses a remarkable ability to actively listen and create a judgment-free space for me to share my thoughts and aspirations. Stella's coaching style is truly unique – every interaction felt like a collaborative brainstorming session where her insightful questions and thought-provoking exercises led me towards uncovering solutions and strategies that perfectly aligned with my individual circumstances. One of the standout aspects of working with Stella was her ability to hold me accountable in the most encouraging way. The personalized action plans we crafted during our sessions were complemented by regular check-ins that not only kept me on track but also provided continuous motivation. If you're seeking a coach who not only listens but also guides you towards actionable solutions, I wholeheartedly recommend Stella.
Mariama Miranda | GHC Scholar '23 | Netflix Pathways Bootcamp SWE Extern | LinkedIn
“My experience working with Stella has been very eye-opening. She brings thought-provoking conversations that allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of my goals as well as my path forward. She had material ready to discuss but always allowed for free-flowing conversation if that was what I desired. She is very thoughtful and has been a great influence as I progress on finding my place in the industry.”
The experience was great. I had never had a career coaching session before, and Stella made it very comfortable to talk about my experiences. The sessions really helped me reflect on my past work and project experiences to see what areas I want to develop in, what motivates me, what I need from a role, and what environments I thrive in. She made me feel a lot more confident about the choices I've made and cleared up some fog for where I'm going next.
Anonymous | Software Engineer
Group Coaching
Karen Xiao | Software Engineer | Google | Harvard University | LinkedIn
Stella was always equipped with insightful questions that really made me think about my goals, values, and interests. She also has a lot of helpful books, articles, and frameworks to recommend that have helped me take a larger view of my career and life. The program helped me realize that I wanted to have more user impact in the work that I did and made me think about what kinds of products and problems I would be interested in working on. The sessions I participated in were the first time that I took a more holistic view of my career and life and actually did some forward outlook a few years down the line. I very rarely stop to think and plan out my life/career in that way.
Wei (Winnie) Wu | Software Engineer | Stripe | Harvard University | LinkedIn
Stella is such a warm and encouraging group facilitator! She has a calm and welcoming presence, makes sure everyone is heard, and has a chance to share their stories and thoughts, and I am always left in a better mood after a session with her. She is also super organized and creative with workshop ideas and discussion topics -- with her running the group, it is always engaging and I always learn something new! I felt I gained the ability to challenge and reframe my own limitations, and also think about the future in an optimistic and hopeful way with planning, rather than feeling like it was out of my control and under a cloud of slight anxiety. Through Stella's guidance, I reinforced a growth mindset and was reminded to always explore new and different perspectives when making a decision or thinking about a challenge in my personal or professional life! The focus on community and Stella's facilitation of a safe space encouraged me to share honestly and vulnerably, and I feel I am much more likely now to rely on others where before I may have chosen to face challenges alone. Even just being open to have others listen to my worries is something I had trouble with in the beginning!