CLIENTS SPEAK ABOUT WORKING WITH AMY

“Amy is an excellent leadership coach who has been a tremendous help to me as I continued to grow in my role as the Chief Executive Officer at the Washington State Association of Justice. She has been instrumental in helping me to develop a leadership vision, improve management capabilities and has provided helpful tools that I could use to foster a positive team culture. She has guided me on managing organizational change and assisted with preparation for team strategic planning retreats, succession planning and more. Amy has helped me to become more strategic by making more time for leadership reflection and prioritization. I am grateful for the tools and skills I have developed through our work together and I give her my highest recommendation.”
Sara Crumb, JD, Chief Executive Officer, Washington State Association for Justice 

“As a seasoned physician and board member for our medical group, I had achieved many of my professional goals and found myself at a crossroads. What did I want to do with my life? I was offered the opportunity to work with Amy, and she skillfully guided me through the rapids of this turbulent time. Using her expertise at asking powerful questions and her skill at seeing the bigger picture, she guided me to reframe my career and life goals. She provided me with specific tools to help illuminate the process, leading me to a place of much greater clarity and direction. She was the catalyst for me to make the changes I needed to as I enter into this next chapter in my life. Her warmth makes it very easy to connect with her and made the coaching something to really look forward to each time we met.”
Debra Gore MD, Family Physician, Kaiser Permanente of WA 

“Amy is an extremely talented leadership coach. She helped me clarify my professional development goals and then confirm their relevance by conducting “360” feedback interviews with my CEO, colleagues and direct reports. She guided me in refining those goals to be meaningful and challenging, but also within reach. Amy consistently motivates me to apply what I’m learning and helps me reflect on and celebrate what’s working. She models constructive behaviors that I’m learning and now owning.”
Robert Mitchell, J.D., Senior Director, Asia Region, Landesa

“I’d been feeling stuck in my career for years and, no matter what I tried, I couldn’t seem to get unstuck. Enter: Amy Kosterlitz. From our very first meeting, Amy demonstrated empathy and understanding, while challenging entrenched assumptions I’d developed over the years about jobs, careers, and even myself. Amy guided me toward new perspectives and insights that allowed my relationship with work to evolve into something much healthier. She also enabled me to (re)connect with my true passions and authentic self and equipped me with tools and methods to continue the journey in years to come. No exaggeration: Working with Amy has been life-changing — and I highly recommend her as a coach!”  
Alejandra Parra-Orlandoni, J.D., MS, Eng, VP Ethical Innovation & Privacy, Takeda

“I highly recommend Amy as a facilitator for law firm strategic planning. We hired Amy to assist us in succession planning for our small law firm. At the time we had a founding partner retire and were hiring our next generation of lawyers. Amy was fantastic at helping us sort through our planning needs and firm goals in a concrete and highly useful fashion. We needed some very “hands on” support and someone ready to work with diverse personalities and long term goals. After our planning retreat facilitated by Amy, we walked away having completed all the tasks we set for ourselves and with a clear roadmap.”
Duana Koloushkova, J.D., Partner, Johns, Monroe, Mitsunaga, Koloushkova

“I strongly recommend Amy as a leadership coach. She is an amazing listener and is masterful at helping break down large goals and aspirations into small, practical action steps. I have benefited a great deal from her wise counsel. She is an insightful, warm and supportive coach who can help you identify issues and take the necessary steps to achieve your personal and professional goals.”
Katie Hong, Director, Special Initiatives, Raikes Foundation

“I met Amy at a time of career transition. Amy skillfully provided the tools to help me understand my priorities, clarify my goals, and determine what direction I wanted my career to develop next. Every meeting with Amy I walked away feeling like I had learned something valuable about myself and my values. She also helped me gain new perspectives and expand my network, which opened me up to potential new career paths and resulted in contacts that led to employment opportunities. Amy challenged and pushed me to grow in exactly the right ways and those lessons will be valuable indefinitely. I recommend Amy as a coach without hesitation.”
Cara Helmer, J.D. Policy Director, Legal Affairs, Washington State Hospital Association

“Amy helped me place my career goals in the larger context of my life goals to make a positive career transition. By consistently asking the right questions she led me to understand what motivated me internally and I was able to clarify my values and be accountable for my decisions. By honoring my priorities and engaging in targeted research and networking, I was able to identify a professional shift where I could achieve the greater satisfaction I was seeking. I highly recommend Amy as a coach who can help you figure out what’s most important and use this to inform the direction of your career.
Sarah Wilke, Senior Director for Planning and Operations, Meany Center for the Performing Arts, University of Washington

“Amy is everything a coach ought to be. Smart, insightful, and creative, she sees opportunities that I don’t–for developing both my law practice and my relationship with it. She has helped me to identify what matters in my work and ways to go about getting more of it. She has also helped me understand the resistance and obstacles on the personal level that may have kept me from fully engaging in, and enjoying, my business-development effort—and my practice.”
Miles Yanick, J.D., Partner, Savitt, Bruce & Wiley, LLP

“I asked Amy to help me think through some transitions at the ACLU of Washington, and wow, was she helpful! She excels in listening and exploring, then smoothly bringing the conversation towards next steps. Amy also helped plan, then facilitated, a very productive staff retreat. Her incisive questions and suggestions to the planning team were crucial to its success. She was a perceptive facilitator who helped people become comfortable enough to engage deeply with each other. Sometimes an executive director needs a thought partner who is neither on the staff nor the board. Amy has been that for me, and I am so pleased to have found such a valuable, discerning and lovely resource..”
Kathleen Taylor, former Executive Director, ACLU of Washington State

“We have retained Amy on a number of occasions to work with our law firm colleagues at various stages of their professional development. Amy is a skilled coach who does a terrific job of getting to the core issues and challenges quickly and fearlessly! She is both savvy and intuitive but also clear-eyed and practical, never shying away from difficult conversations when necessary. I appreciate her professionalism and discretion and look forward to working with her again in the future.”
Ward Morrison, J.D. and Managing Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP 

“I started working with Amy at a pivotal time in my career. She helped me put structure around my aspirations, provided practical tools to weigh various exciting options, listened carefully and challenged wisely. If you’re interested in shifting the course of your career, Amy is a true partner.”
Kimberly Hamilton, Phd, President, FocusMaine (formerly, Senior Advisor, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)

“Working with Amy really changed my life. I have drive and passion but Amy helped me develop more self-awareness and focus. Amy coaches me to connect my life goals with my true values. She challenges me with compassion and care and pushes me to really examine my choices and behaviors. She has given me tools that work for me and she holds me accountable. I feel lucky to work with her and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an executive coach.”
Gayatri Agnew, MBA, Senior Director, Corporate Philanthropy, Walmart Foundation 

“Amy is a fantastic coach and advisor; I give her my highest recommendation. She is an excellent listener, has great perspective from her own diverse professional experiences, and is very thoughtful and insightful in her feedback and suggestions. Our sessions always left me feeling energized, open-minded, and optimistic — often regarding opportunities I had not previously considered. Amy helped me to examine my career path and take actionable steps to find greater fulfillment, while also clarifying professional and personal goals, values, and strengths.”
Barbara Rosen, MBA, Owner and Consultant, BR Consulting

“Thirty years of trusting my inner-GPS brought me to a crossroads, then failed me, directing me down one of three paths. So I turned to Amy — a wise and gifted guide. Sure enough, Amy helped me see clearly each path’s promise and peril, then helped me choose a path that now draws me closer to those who matter most.”
Terry Leahy, J.D. and Partner, Leahy McLean Fjelstad

“As a coach, Amy provided me the time, space and encouragement to identify and work on my own goals and agenda. She is insightful, empathetic, and a good accountability partner. Amy was well prepared for each session, reviewing my goals and commitments in advance, and asking me to do the same. She is good at helping to identify overarching goals while allowing flexibility for the unexpected. She also provided tools, articles, etc. that helped me look at things through a different lens. She has high ethical standards, is personally warm and easy to connect with.”
Mikaela Kiner, CEO, Reverb, (formerly, Vice President, Human Resources Director, Redfin)

“I highly recommend Amy as an effective, wise and supportive coach. She helped me clarify my goals, make a significant change in my law practice, and embrace the challenges and opportunities in my new situation. Amy coaches with both her head and her heart, focusing on values and purpose as well as practical strategies, allowing her clients to develop personally and professionally.”
Lori Rath, J.D. and Partner, Cirrus Law, PLLC

“I highly recommend Amy as a facilitator for organizations seeking help with meetings and retreats. Amy did a great job of helping us structure the YWCA’s annual Board and Staff retreat and then leading the retreat. She struck a good balance between engaging the participants in discussion and keeping us on track. I have also known Amy for several years as a YWCA Board member where she has chaired the Public Policy Committee, facilitating open expression of diverse viewpoints, building consensus and keeping the Committee moving forward towards its goals.”
Sue Sherbrooke, former Chief Executive Officer, YWCA of Seattle-King County-Snohomish County

“Amy facilitated our board retreat and did a fantastic job. In the planning stages, her thoughtful questioning and excellent listening skills helped us hone the agenda. During the retreat, she kept us on track and used her keen observation skills to suggest real-time modifications. Her warm style really encouraged participants to share their thoughts. I recommend Amy for anyone looking for an effective and engaging facilitator ”
Kris Kleinsmith, Board President, Page Ahead

“I had the good fortune to be connected with Amy at a time when all the plans I’d carefully made for my career were not working out. Amy helped me sort out what I wanted separate from everyone else’s opinions and to chart a course towards professional fulfillment through a career change. She is excellent at distilling the root of a problem and helping approach a resolution in the way that works best for you. I never felt more hopeful than when I left our meetings, always with a new insight or a new path to think about. I recommend Amy for anyone looking for help with professional development.”
Asha Venkataraman, J.D., Strategic Analyst for Seattle City Council

“In a few short months, Amy helped me examine my priorities and find the time in my busy work schedule to attain a lifelong goal of taking an extended trip to Italy. Without her guidance and support, it would have been another twenty years before I freed myself up to get there. I now feel re-energized and coaching is helping me to redefine my professional goals and learn strategies to achieve a better work-life balance.”
Kris D, Engineer, P.E., Principal and Manager, Engineering Firm

“Amy has a natural talent to help people show up more authentically and effectively in all aspects of their lives. She provides memorable tools and strategies that are very effective over time. She truly helps me identify and understand the drivers of my own behaviors and to stay true to my own desires. I highly recommend Amy.”
Amy Vithayathil Sydow, MBA, Senior Business Manager, Product and WA Market Sales, Premera Blue Cross

“Amy is one-of-a-kind and I highly recommend her as a professional business coach! She is insightful, caring, creative, intuitive and resourceful. As Executive Director of a nonprofit organization, I have had the privilege of working with Amy to improve my leadership skills. After my work with Amy, I respond to challenges and conflicts with an open mind and heart. I have become more organized, more relaxed, a more confident speaker and better overall leader at work and at home.”
Jenine Grey, former Executive Director, Chief Seattle Club

“Amy served as an interim career coach and consultant at the UW Law School’s Center for Public Service Law. She offered creative group coaching sessions to students and provided me with expert evaluation, feedback and insight into our coaching program which will help us to improve our practices. Amy is incredibly knowledgeable, personable and smart and she works at the highest levels of integrity. We were so lucky to have her–law students responded to her wonderfully and she was an incredible support to me in my director role. Amy approaches her work and relationships with emotional intelligence, directness and compassion. If we ever needed support again I would bring her back in a heartbeat!”
Michele Storms, Executive Director, ACLU WA (former E.D., Gates Public Service Program, University of Washington School of Law)

“Every session with Amy was a highly valuable, illuminating journey. She uncovered clear pathways through the thicket of my inner life and connected them with intelligent, inventive ways forward and upward in my professional life. Her enthusiasm for coaching is inspiring and infectious.”
Sarah Hall Steiner, Speech and Language Pathologist

“I would highly recommend Amy for any attorney looking for professional development coaching. Her advice was always practical and well considered and her background makes her uniquely qualified to assist attorneys with their professional development.
Erin Letey, J.D. and Partner, Fox, Rothschild LLP