TESTIMONIALS
Right from the beginning, Gina's methodology made a difference. Her strategic frameworks and interview preparation techniques sharpened my focus on articulating my career journey and successes, which resonated with hiring managers. The overhaul of my resume markedly improved responses from my intended audience, and Gina's unique 'tell me about yourself' elevator pitch got outstanding feedback.
Joyce Ha
VP of Buying & Merchandising, SKIMS (former Vans & Levi Strauss)
Gina's coaching was instrumental in my career advancement, expertly guiding me from leading a small Continuous Improvement (CI) team to becoming a plant manager overseeing 50 employees. She was tough yet supportive accountability partner who streamlined my job search strategy and significantly reducing unproductive activities. She deconstructed job descriptions and helped me prepare for interviews which helped me sharpen my career stories. This process reignited my passion for CI and clarified my future career aspirations. I’ve also been inspired to embark on a thought leadership journey and share my knowledge to my company's brand, attract top talent, and foster organizational growth.
John Baker
General Manager, Lineage
Gina provided the clarity and focus I needed, helping me weave my strengths and diverse industry experiences into a compelling narrative. This boosted my confidence in communicating my value to potential employers, a technique I continue to apply in networking and introductions. Gina's personalized guidance was instrumental in navigating complex interview processes and offering strategic advice, support, and accountability. Not only did this keep me motivated during my job search, but it also kick-started the development of a sustainable brand on LinkedIn.
Clay McKissack
Vice President of National Sales, Schneider Electric (former GE Lighting, a Savant Company)
I recommend starting before you need it! Gina gave me career transition structure, helped me sharpen my storytelling, and served as a needed accountability partner. Her program is relevant for those making long-term career plays. This is not a check-the-box program. I recommend future clients enjoy the process by spending time absorbing the information they uncover about themselves. You will find yourself ahead of the game.
Allison Bennett
Brand President, Katy Perry Collections
Gina’s Career Velocity system gave me something I didn’t realize I was missing: a deep understanding of who I am as a leader. Through her powerful exercises and thought-provoking questions, I reflected on my journey and recognized the leadership impact I had been minimizing. That self-recognition was the turning point. I overcame impostor syndrome, gained confidence in articulating my strengths, and clarified the value I bring to an organization. I now have a solid foundation that will last me throughout my career, not just to discuss what I do, but to step boldly into who I want to become. The debriefs with Gina were especially transformative—they helped me connect the dots between who I am and where I’m going. That clarity was essential to quickly landing an exciting new role that aligns with my goals and values.
Enrique Cauich
Sr. Director of Engineering, Cloud Infrastructure (former Dr. of Engineering at Google)
Working with Gina was a transformative experience. She guided me to look inward, pinpoint what makes me tick, and frame my strengths positively. Thanks to her, I still rely on the interview prep materials and the personal story we developed together—these tools have carried me confidently through every conversation. Gina helped me recognize selling points I never thought to highlight and inspired me to keep a positive attitude, which made all the difference during a job search. The resume improvements and interview prep sessions were game-changers. I’m grateful for Gina’s support, and I highly recommend her to anyone needing a strategic, uplifting career partner.
Ryan Johnson,
Sr. Director, Franchise Marketing Electronic Arts (EA) (former Weiden + Kennedy)
Gina's Career Velocity program helped me with a structured but flexible approach, providing the personalized accountability I needed. Two program highlights were the YouMap assessment and the unique three-thirds exercise that refined my "tell me about yourself" pitch. My career transition has been successful with the support of Gina and her program. I have a better understanding of how to establish my market relevance and find the job I want!
Jennifer Judy
Employee Experience Manager – NorAM IFM, CBRE (former Nike)
Gina helped me get to know myself and my priorities in a different way using the YouMap and StrengthsFinder. What was amazing was the self-discovery gave me the confidence not to downplay my unique value proposition. The information she gave me about salary negotiation was a game-changer, too.
Katie Veeninga
Principal Strategist – Healthcare, Vervint
Gina’s program had what I was looking for - the right balance of actionable tactics along with regular encouragement and motivation I needed to keep up job search momentum. Most importantly, I am now able to explain “why me” and my brand more effectively in interviews and customize my outbound messages more effectively.
Barb Lehman
Managing Director, Digital Product Management, Greystar
Before working with Gina, I undervalued my strengths and felt pressure to know everything about job search. Through her process, I gained clarity, confidence, and the language to talk about my accomplishments without feeling like I was bragging. The work we did on my career story was transformational—it reframed how I see myself and where I’m headed. I have taken on internal company stretch roles, gained visibility with the CEO and COO, and even discovered that I’m a thought leader. Gina’s coaching gave me a new lens on my value—and my future.
Leslie Smith
Managing Director, Silver Hill Capital
I came to Gina struggling with how to think about the next level in my career. Her frameworks helped me define my leadership approach and deepened my understanding of my unique skills, experiences, and strengths. Her frameworks brought consistency and discipline to our sessions, which helped me solidify and anchor my learnings. I now have a deeper understanding of myself, which has given me increased confidence in my abilities as a leader. In our work together, I developed a pitch for a new role within my org that would bring more value to the business and be a step up for me. I am now armed with the tools she has given me to lean into my strengths and articulate my leadership style as a market differentiator.
Debbie Yu
Director of Services, InterWorks
With her connection to executive search and solid interview prep expertise, Gina helped me anticipate questions and understand why they would be asked, so I could develop meaningful, authentic responses. With a bubbly, positive approach, Gina made interview prep fun, and her supportive coaching put me in the right headspace to land my first VP role.
Mark Maleitzke,
Vice President of Cloud & Connectivity, Mercedes-Benz
Gina is a very professional and seasoned coach who knows how to customize and use the right tools to prepare executives for their next career move by focusing on individual needs. Her methodology and approach help clients leverage their strengths. She is also always available and encourages her clients when their confidence wavers. She is bold and effective. I highly recommend anyone who is willing to make a career move work with her!
Marcela Niemeyer
Global HR Director, Thermo Fisher Scientific
From our first meeting, I knew Gina was the coach for me. Gina’s highly logical, well-structured program gave me confidence, helping me align and translate my skills and experience into a viable “package” leading to new, exciting opportunities. When the time was right to apply for jobs, I was fully confident and positioned well enough that I quickly found myself a finalist for three attractive and challenging leadership positions. I have just signed an offer letter to serve as Executive Director for a tremendously exciting organization that I would simply never have found without Gina. It is hard to convey how grateful I am that I met the remarkable Gina Riley. Thanks, Gina, for a job exceptionally well done!
Paul Hogan
Executive Director, SetPath | Former Jesuit High School Principal
Gina got to know me in a short amount of time and had the ability to look at my career with the big picture and transferable skills in mind. She helped me build up my resume, my story, and my confidence to position myself to land the high-impact job I was seeking. This was unquestionably worth the investment.
Elsa Lemoine
Executive Director, Galt Foundation
There are people and businesses that are in it for the money. This isn’t Gina. She’s in it to build a business and a brand; yours and hers. With a background as an HR professional, an Executive Recruiter, and a Career Transition Coach, she brings a unique perspective with the ability to see opportunities from multiple viewpoints. When she takes on a new client, she is personally committed and fully invested in you. She is curious and seeks to understand and challenge you to do the work to unlock your value proposition. Investing in Gina is one of the best investments I’ve made in myself.
Brian Clare
Strategy & Integration Director, Fanatics, Inc.
Before working with Gina, I dreaded the question “Tell me about yourself.” Through the work that we did, Gina brought an external perspective to help break down and explain the arc of my career in an authentic way. My sessions with Gina enabled me to articulate my highlights and leadership style. The YouMap helped me gather the talking points I needed to be able to answer that dreaded question and describe my unique value proposition.
Richard Bubbico
Director of Finance, Sushi Noz
Gina provided the right balance of pushing and pulling when needed. The YouMap was exceptionally helpful to blend a simplified branding statement that represented me as a whole person. Working through bit by bit through my career story helped remind me of the details behind my accomplishments and weave everything together for my narrative with tangible examples to explain during interviews.
Tessy Malone
Commercialization Partner – Emerging Biopharma, IQVIA
The trifecta! Gina provided a process and structure that helped me leverage my superpowers, clarify my career story, and understand the interview process that helped me land my new opportunity.
Trish Moyer
Former Nike Marketing Operations Leader
It was astounding to go through the YouMap process. Gina’s coaching helped me identify my strengths and capture my values through my past experiences and accomplishments, which I would have missed seeing if without this process. From there, I was able to confidently present my true self with a leadership mindset when facing any interview question. Gina’s interview prep method helped me structure what I was good at and helped me capture the pride and excitement I have about my expertise. I’ll be able to use these methods throughout my career.
Shane Lee
Engineering Leader, Partner Technology / Android Auto, Google
Gina is sneaky in how she helps build up your confidence. After 25 years with the same company, I was having trouble articulating my value. Before I knew it, I had the context and language to confidently relay my stories in interviews. Her program gave me the focus to methodically get things done and make a successful career transition.
Beth Thornhill
Senior Director - Global People Partner, Micron Technology Inc.
With my diverse background of being a three-time small business owner, a decade in the world of fashion, and finishing up a Master’s degree to make a career switch, I needed help finding the common thread to tell a cohesive story. Gina helped me clarify and bring forward who I am and what I bring to the table in a compelling way. In fact, the GM who hired me said I was the best interviewee he’d ever seen, which I attribute to the prep I did with Gina.
Susan Trankle
Assistant VP ISG Operations Change Management & Governance, Citi Financial Services
With her connection to executive search and solid interview prep expertise, Gina helped me anticipate questions and understand why they would be asked, so I could develop meaningful, authentic responses. With a bubbly, positive approach, Gina made interview prep fun and her supportive coaching put me in the right headspace to land my first VP role.
Mark Maleitzke
Vice President of Cloud & Connectivity, Mercedes-Benz
Working with Gina made sense because I found I needed to change and reset my job search approach. She drew out and helped me stitch together my career results, pride points, and up-leveled my storytelling. I liked seeing my whole story synthesized. In addition, Gina brought me the accountability I wanted to help keep me on track and reach my career transition goals.
Theresa Trelstad
Director Marketing Solutions, Bridge Partners
As a tenured leader in healthcare, I came to a point in my career where I began question my abilities and organizational impact. When I worked with Gina, the absolute game-changer was going through the YouMap® process, giving me confidence and language to communicate my strengths, help me succinctly articulate my unique skills, and how to direct them towards my next opportunity. I also experienced a 180-degree turn-around on my resume, which is now full of quantifiable results I deliver on as a leader and manager of people.
Together, we redesigned my personal brand and put those concepts clearly into writing. Throughout the process, Gina was truly my personal advocate. She was responsive, professional and invested. It’s as if she already knew me and my skills better than I did. I walked away thinking, ‘she gets me!’. I highly recommend working with Gina!
Christina McManigal
PT, DPT,PRPC Chief Ambulatory Operations Officer
Navigating the job search process was a challenge with my unique career path. Gina helped me tell my story in a cohesive way which resonated and showcased my skills, and helped me secure my dream job! She’s got so much more than I expected – she’s got the entire package. I owe Gina a debt that could never be re-paid. If you are wondering, “Should I hire Gina as a career coach?” – check out my full endorsement on LinkedIn.
Laurie Diamond
Sr. Customer Engagement Executive
As a result of the work I did with Gina, I became very clear on both my strengths and my values, which enabled me to understand how I’d outgrown my current company, use it as fuel to target a good match moving forward, and to prepare the right questions for the interview process. Because of the YouMap and interview prep work we did together, I was able to make a smarter career choice and have excitement about seeing where my career goes from here!
Kirsten Staveland
Associate Actuary
Gina brought a perspective that challenged me in a much-needed way. Her objective and caring approach guided me to understand my driving strengths and helped me internalize my unique value in a powerful way. I now have a stored record of my accomplishments and find it seamless to communicate my transferable skills in a way that is new for me. Gina also helped me see the value of my professional relationships which led to re-kindling old connections and developing new ones authentically and organically. All of this led to an opportunity where I can make a real impact.
Casey Milligan
VP of Corporate Culture, Social Responsibility, and Operations Leader, Salt & Straw
Gina is an enthusiastic and compassionate coach, bringing curiosity, sense of humor, and deep listening to the table. She walks clients through their journey unlocking and connecting familiar dots in new ways. She helped me harness my personal network and build a robust story that could be configured for nearly any opportunity. She’s a creative and tireless advocate who is in it for the right reasons. It all adds up to her being, simply put, a terrific career strategist.
Kevin Gepford
Customer Success Lead