What Clients Say
“Every area of my life benefited from our work together.”
“I can’t imagine having finished this novel so quickly without her guidance.”
Daniel Schifrin, Director of Public Programs and Writer-in-Residence
Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco
“It’s rare, as a writer, to collaborate with someone who understands both the delicacy of the imaginative process and the management tools needed to finish a work of art. Marla has been that collaborator for me. Her approach, combining the creative potential of relaxation and the efficiency of project management, offers a model of how to move one’s art upward and outward into the world. I can’t imagine having finished this novel so quickly, and so well, without her guidance.”
“I came across many coaches with the same promises, goals and mindsets.
But one in particular stood out…”
President, Bambacigno Steel Company, Inc.
Modesto, CA
“I was quite hesitant to hire a coach…”
-Jean Thilmany, freelance writer
“I learned to live in a way that was truer to my own values and priorities…”
-Richard Hermes, fiction writer and journalist
“A year later, I have an agent, a book contract, and an editor who wants a second book.”
-Christina Boufis, Ph.D.,author, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Non-Fiction, freelance health and medical writer
“There is something magical about working with Marla. I would get off the phone from a coaching session and find a juicy well-paying assignment in my inbox from a dream publication – something we’d been talking about only moments before. She had me talk about my long term goals, and I’d blurted out that I wanted to write books, something that I thought of as 10 or 15 years away on the horizon. A year later, I have an agent, a book contract, and an editor who wants a second book. I really believe that this is due to working with Marla who helped me articulate my goals, visualize them, and make them real. Working with Marla is transformative. She helped me see the big career picture and how all of my disparate pieces fit.”
“Doubled my income in less than three months.”
-Dana Yates, freelance science writer
“I’ve managed to break into the The New York Times, a long time goal.”
-Paul Zakrzewski
Lost Tribe: Jewish Fiction from the Edge (Harper Perennial, 2003)
Editor, Literary Supplement
National Foundation for Jewish Culture, New York City
“Over the past several months I have landed not one but two teaching gigs (in Philadelphia and New York). I’ve also managed to break into The New York Times, a long time goal. And I’ve been working steadily on my memoir, now up to several hours each week.
After each one of our calls, I feel as if I’ve learned at least one new thing integral to writing or living. I am amazed to see the changes—and renewed sense of purpose—that our coaching relationship has fostered.
The thing I find so helpful about Marla’s coaching is simply the power of the process: the opportunity to say something truthful about oneself in the presence of an ‘active’ listener, who then gently pushes me to find some clarity about whatever issue; and from this clarity to devise a realistic plan.”
“Marla helped me pursue projects that I otherwise might have dropped.
The results I got in three months were amazing.”
-Roberta, freelance journalist
“It’s hard to admit you might need someone to help you with your career — so many of us freelancers try to pull everything off on our own. But I knew that my work needed a change, and I had heard great things about Marla’s coaching from other writers.
The results that I got in three months of working with Marla were amazing. She helped me clarify my goals, actively seek out new opportunities, and push myself to pursue projects that I otherwise might have dropped. I landed two new gigs that paid well and managed to carve out time for creative writing. Marla also motivated me to send a pitch to a high-profile market, which promptly accepted it. Perhaps most importantly, she helped me keep a positive attitude about my business even during stressful and uncertain times.
I’m very grateful to have worked with Marla, and I’d recommend her services to any writer who needs a career boost.”
“Three new, long-term clients. And my writing work is more fulfilling
than I ever expected it could be.”
-Dawn Lyons, freelance writer and editor
“Within five months of working with Marla, I secured three new, long-term clients. A year later, I have surpassed my target earnings by 50%!
Marla helped me clarify the type of writing I enjoy doing and helped me be more selective about the type of projects I accept. As a result, my writing work is more fulfilling than I ever expected it could be. My work with Coach Marla has been valuable beyond measure.”
“Well worth the investment.”
“If you’re serious about your writing and want to move your career forward, if you’re stuck and need help getting out of your own way to grow professionally, if you’re struggling to clarify what’s valuable about your writing and need guidance figuring out your direction–hire Marla Beck. Marla is kind, witty and wise. She understands all of the blocks we professional writers struggle to overcome and gives insightful, effective guidance for how to break the logjam and love your writing career again. She’s an attentive listener who tells you what you need to hear, when you need to hear it, and a great accountability partner who is fully invested in your success.
In just three months, Marla helped me to pinpoint my value-added, refine my marketing message, establish realistic goals and systems to expand my client base and invigorate my consulting practice. She paid close attention to my personal needs, enabling me to tailor my actions to what I’m confident that I can accomplish. I feel renewed and ready to move forward with my marketing consulting and personal writing. Thanks, Marla, for a wonderful experience. Well worth the investment.”
