Coaching for the chronic perfectionist, people-pleaser, and overachiever

It’s time to embrace
your
definition of success

I've got you.

You feel stuck. But you deserve better. And you are capable of so much more than you imagine possible.

I see you out there.

Hustling to prove your worth. Exhausted by your attempts to check all the boxes, while pushing the goalpost ever further. Bending over backwards to please and achieve, craving some sense of contentment or validation that you have done enough. That you are enough.  

You tell yourself it’s just for now. One more raise. One more trial or promotion. Then you’ll be able to reclaim and embrace everything you’ve sacrificed along the way. Then you’ll be able to define yourself by who you are, not just what you do. 


I see you because I was you.

I spent the first few decades of my life strapped tightly on the overachiever’s treadmill, constantly chasing gold stars. Valedictorian of my high school, then straight through from Yale College to Yale Law School and two post-grad federal clerkships, I was remarkably good at doing everything I thought I should be doing to reach the goals I thought I should pursue.

For years, I tried to ease my growing apprehensions by making promises about a brighter future. “In ten years, once I make partner or get that coveted position in prosecution, then I can pursue a path that feels more ‘right’ to me.” Or “One day, once I have children, THEN I can slow down and focus on my happiness.”

It took finding myself burnt out, painfully lonely, and riddled with health issues that I finally had my “If not now, when?!” moment. A google search on “how to be happier” led me to a course on Positive Psychology that revolutionized my conception of the formula for well-being. Whereas I’d been convinced that happiness is a byproduct of success, the science showed this was entirely backward. Turns out that far from being a trivial distraction, things like rest, joy, meaning, and connection, actually turbocharge performance. And self-compassion is far more motivating than self-criticism. (Imagine my dismay upon learning that the ruthless drill sergeant in my head I’d always credited with my success had actually been holding me back all along!)


Was I skeptical? Absolutely.

But figuring I had nothing left to lose, I decided to try it out. Within weeks, I found myself noticeably happier and more energized and hopeful — and within a year, I enjoyed greater purpose and fulfillment than I’d ever imagined possible. 

Since then, I’ve devoted my career to helping my clients and students positively transform their own lives — starting with their relationships with themselves — and I am so excited to do the same for you.

So I guess the only question is,

  • “I am not exaggerating when I say that Jordana's insight and guidance changed my life! She has mastered the perfect balance of enthusiasm and belief in the methods she teaches with an understanding of the challenges attorneys face. I began my journey into positive lawyering skeptical about its efficacy, but Jordana opened my eyes and the results spoke for themselves. She understands that wellness is not a "one size fits all" approach and offered different tactics that I could use in isolation or together to build my own tool belt of positive lawyering skills! After working with Jordana, I feel confident in my ability to manage the stress inherent to the legal field in a healthy manner while staying tethered to my core values and goals.”

    Pamela White, Litigation Associate

  • “Jordana is able to combine tangible research with her human touch of empathy and authenticity. I used to think there was only one way to be successful, but after working with Jordana I’ve noticed that I’m able to achieve my goals with more kindness towards myself, am quicker to recognize my own successes, and am far more confident about my work.”

    Cristina Lombardi, Associate, Cooley LLP

  • "My experiences working with Jordana have no doubt helped shape me into the developing attorney I am today. In a profession that puts logic and reasoning on a pedestal, Jordana helped me appreciate, and even love, becoming an attorney in the most unexpected places. I can confidently say that because of Jordana, I’ve found myself on the career path that makes me my best self. I am proud to call Jordana a mentor for life!"

    Olivia Cohen, Legal & Compliance Associate

  • "Learning from Jordana has been life-changing and my only regret is not having the opportunity to work with her sooner. She has equipped me with strategies to manage and overcome issues I've dealt with my entire life: anxiety, overthinking, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome, etc. I use these strategies on a daily basis—and doing so has made a tremendous positive impact on my career and in my personal life. With Jordana's guidance, I become a better person every single day, approaching life and its challenges with mindfulness, self-compassion and a growth mindset."

    Sidney Morales Parodie, Associate, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

  • "To say Jordana changed my life is an understatement. I began working with her during what was one of the most difficult times of my life, both personally and professionally. At a time when I felt I was living life on auto-pilot, discounting every ounce of strength it took for me to power through to the next day, Jordana acknowledged my unwavering resilience even when I refused to. Receiving this unconditional and unwavering support gave me the strength to restore belief in myself and thus pursue my legal career with confidence and passion."

    Felicia Crispino, Law Clerk, Miller Zeiderman LLP

  • “Jordana is an incredibly sensitive coach. I was very skeptical of "positive self talk" but I related to Jordana's own experience with anxiety and I saw that she found a way to quiet that harsh inner critic. My own was shouting during some of our sessions--or, more often, afterward--but Jordana was there through it all. She has been a very helpful mentor. And, in many ways, a caring friend. Hopefully she can help you as much as she did me."

    Max, Litigator

1:1 Coaching Program

Personalized for YOU, because you’ve spent enough time living on other people’s terms.

What’s included:

  • Ten one-on-one sessions to be used within six months (recommended weekly or biweekly)

  • Individualized coaching program tailored to your unique goals, challenges, and values

  • Actionable, science-backed techniques you can implement right away

  • Unlimited emails between sessions to provide additional support and help keep you motivated and on track

  • A customized action plan delivered after your last session to empower you to further build on your success once our work together has concluded

Here’s what it looks like:

Consult Call:

We’ll start with a 30-minute consult call to make sure it’s a good fit — crucial, because coaching is all about connection. On this call, I’ll also tell you more about my coaching style and process and answer any questions you may have about coaching, me, or what working together might look like. If it’s a fit, I’ll send you my coaching agreement and we’ll get our first session on the books. This is where things start to get good!

Deep-Dive Intake Session:

My coaching program begins with a deep-dive intake session, where we’ll explore the specific goals and pain points that led you to coaching and assess your current level of satisfaction across key dimensions of your personal and professional life. Using this information, I’ll walk you through a personalized framework designed to help you crystalize your own authentic definition of success, and devise an action plan — comprising both near and long-term goals — to make it your reality.

Coaching:

The nine remaining sessions (60 minutes each) will be devoted to monitoring progress and providing you with the strategies, structure, and support you need to work through any roadblocks that arise along the way and keep you moving forward.

Further Forward Plan:

Finally, after your last session, I’ll leave you with a Further Forward Plan that recaps everything you’ve achieved during our time together and provides you with a clear roadmap and strategy toolkit to help you further build on your success.

Some of the things we can work on together: 

  • Identifying and honoring your core values (i.e., embracing who you are, rather than who you think you should be)

  • Finding greater meaning, engagement, and fulfillment in your current role

  • Determining the optimal path for your career going forward

  • Boosting resilience and dealing with stress, burnout, and overwhelm

  • Learning to relax and embrace joy and ease of being (Yes, this is possible EVEN for us Type A+ overachievers!)

  • Building supportive, fulfilling relationships in your personal and professional life

  • Cultivating a positive mindset that transforms issues into opportunities 

  • Replacing self-criticism with self-compassion 

  • Reining in perfectionism and people-pleasing

  • Setting boundaries and cultivating balance

  • Increasing productivity in a way that serves your highest purpose

  • Overcoming imposter syndrome (because you are amazing and 100% deserve everything you’ve achieved and so much more)

  • Developing authentic goals and concrete action plans to help you reach them

  • "I was inspired to pursue coaching sessions with Jordana after years of therapy that didn’t address the issues stymying my success at work, chiefly, perfectionism, fear of failure, imposter syndrome and lack of confidence. Through my sessions with Jordana, I have been able to face those issues in a thoughtful and easy manner (you don’t even realize what Jordana is doing sometimes with her coaching), and have been given the tools and encouragement necessary to overcome the obstacles I previously faced at work. I find myself to be more thoughtful at work and able to use those tools to use my voice at meetings and during court appearances. I have decided to continue to work with Jordana past my initial ten sessions as I see and feel the value of having her in my corner. I encourage everyone struggling with the aforementioned issues to make this incredible investment in themselves."

    Clara Ciadella, Attorney

You may be wondering . . .

  • Absolutely! It works even if you don’t THINK it’s going to work, as long as you’re willing to try. I’ll admit I was totally skeptical at first, but I was blown away by the noticeable progress I observed within only a few days. And I’ve witnessed similarly powerful results time and time again in the lives of my clients and students. I’m not asking you to take a huge leap of faith, just the first step. The impact you observe after just one session will supply the evidence and excitement you need to keep moving forward.

  • Listen, I get that there are many systemic and structural issues impeding lawyer well-being (that’s why I also work with law firms and other leaders in the profession to help support positive culture change at the more macro level). But you have more power than you think to shape your experience and how you operate within this context. Even bite-sized acts of self-care, coupled with boundaries and mindset shifts, can make a dramatic difference.

  • While the specific goals that you identify will shape the focus of our work together (this is why I create a customized coaching plan just for you), all of my coaching involves a holistic exploration of your satisfaction in the key areas of both your personal and professional life. This is because — especially for lawyers — the personal and professional are inextricably intertwined, and both substantially impact your overall well-being. At the end of the day, investing in yourself, honoring your values, and cultivating a positive, empowered mindset will generate tremendous benefits for you in every area of life.

  • No! First of all, I am never going to tell you what to do. Period. As a coach, my job is to help you clarify and achieve your authentic vision of success. Whether or not that involves altering your career trajectory — either now or at some point in the future — is entirely up to you. Coaching enables you to find greater happiness and fulfillment in whatever context you’re currently situated, and empowers you with the tools and strategies you’ll need to build a future of your choosing.

  • Yes! While my own background is in law, I know that the limiting beliefs and external pressures plaguing lawyers and law students similarly impact high-achieving professionals in many other industries. So if you’re a professional struggling with perfectionism, people-pleasing, burnout, imposter syndrome or self-doubt — or if you’re simply not as happy or fulfilled as you feel you could be — get in touch! I would love to see if we’re a fit.

It’s time to prioritize purpose over performative busyness