Client Love

"When I started working with Alice, I honestly didn’t know what I was wanting out of coaching. I knew, though, that I felt “stuck”, limited, afraid, and like things were “just hard”, but I didn’t know why. I was trying to “solve it” with tools and frameworks I knew, but I didn’t feel any different. And then I connected with Alice and there was something about how she held space for me that made me feel like it was okay to not know; we could understand what was happening together. When I look back on the journey of coaching, I smile and I feel proud. I see myself now as a whole, complex, multi-dimensional human -- one who doesn’t get it “right” all the time or needs to “be” a certain way, but is evolving and learning and shedding constantly. I realize that the conditions outside of myself may not change, but the way I see myself and my role in the world can shift my perspective and open new possibilities to explore. And I’m excited about those possibilities! If you are stuck and aren’t sure why and are open to the journey of gently discovering why that is and what could be different, then work with Alice."

"I cannot recommend working with Alice more highly. We've been working together for 2.5 years now, through a time of immense change in both my personal and professional lives. She has helped me adapt to that change and seize each opportunity that has presented itself. My time with Alice has given me a safe and judgement free zone to reflect on my experience, internalize learnings, and plan for my next steps forward. I feel supported by Alice to step outside of my comfort zone and to explore new ways of interacting with the world. Ultimately, working with Alice has helped me learn faster and mature further than I otherwise would have. I look forward to our sessions and walk away feeling calmer and more secure in my path forward each time we meet."

“Collaborating with Alice is a refreshing process! She always turns up to planning spaces well-prepared but also with an openness and curiosity to listen to the needs of the project and design with the user at the center. She brings a wealth of expertise from different fields and frameworks, and is able to connect the seemingly unrelated, in order to provide a holistic set of content. You are guaranteed intentionally designed sessions including the most beautifully crafted slide decks and resource guides that align with principles of how adults learn best. Alice asks deep and important questions to push on the work…our team always learns something new from her and she brings much needed humor and a slice of ‘humanity’ to all calls. Partner & collaborate with Alice if you can. You won’t regret it!” Alice Chen is one of the most talented consultants in the field! We hired her to envision and launch a new program to support middle school students to claim and direct their own personal stories, build meaningful relationships across lines of difference and discover the impact they seek to have in their lives. Alice then designed and facilitated a provocative and rigorous learning experience for educators where they learned new ways of being in the classroom to create a safe and inclusive container for students to engage in this type of inner work. Alice has since designed powerful learning and processing spaces for our school leaders and educators where they participated in content rooted in deep reflection and self awareness, where they not only walked away with an immersive experience but with a new set of concrete strategies and skills they could continue to apply and practice. One educator who participated in Alice’s sessions shared “In 21 years of being in adult/educator training spaces, this by far, has been the most relevant, equitable and thought-provoking PD that has really shaken me in all the best ways!” Four years on, I still hear of similar anecdotes from our team members who talk about the lasting impact that Alice’s sessions have had on their experience both as a learner, and as a human navigating this complex world!"

“As a result of working with Alice, I'm more comfortable with myself as a leader in a completely different way than I was a few months ago, and that absolutely changes how I show up in spaces, in a much better way. I also feel like I'm just better at leading. I'm better at listening. I'm better at monitoring myself and my thoughts and feelings. I'm better at asking people questions. I'm better at being mindful. I'm better at sensing what's really going on behind people's words and making choices as a result of that.”

"I participated in the 6 week Navigating Change Learning Series that Alice Chen designed and facilitated, and I was completely blown away. It is the PD that you wish all PDs were. Alice took into consideration our time, needs and emotions when hosting each session. She was responsive and inclusive, challenged and supported us to talk about really challenging topics like race, gender, and class dynamics. Alice knows how to elevate deeper dynamics in a way that feels empowering to the people in the room rather than pejorative. Each time I attended a session of hers, I truly felt as though I mattered and my perspective was valued and like I was learning as opposed to being talked at. Alice is a gifted coach and facilitator and I look forward to working more with her in the future."

"Alice knows how to create spaces where people can come together to reflect, dialogue and engage with one another around really challenging topics (i.e. like race, politics, emotions, etc.). She creates a warm and welcoming community that encourages people to take emotional & intellectual risks. In her workshops, she seamlessly blends reflection with direct instruction. She invites participants to not just absorb new information, but to really be present to their experience as they are learning. She’s taught me so much about the role of emotions in leadership & the importance of presence and reflection in collaboration & creating impact. I am a more confident, compassionate and effective leader because I’ve worked with her."

"I absolutely enjoyed my time in the Navigating Change series and am looking forward to joining other sessions with Alice! This experience provided a space for me to pause life and focus on self-care amidst the uncertainty of all the things that are happening right now. This course helped me become more self-aware and helped me understand how not processing my emotions (or making space for my emotions) works against my goals and overwhelms my soul and provided me with right-sized tools to make emergent planning possible! Thank you!"

"Participating in the Navigating Change Series that Alice Chen designed and facilitated allowed me to connect with coworkers in a way we never had before. We opened up, were vulnerable, and it so positively contributed to not only my own well-being, but the culture and climate of our school. I've already noticed more authentic, compassionate interactions following this series, and I give full credit to our training and to the incredibly thoughtful and compassionate way that Alice held space for all of us."

"Alice has been both a personal inspiration and an invaluable thought partner to me as I chart my career. As a woman of color in a largely white field, I've had to navigate a number of unpredictable challenges, changing circumstances and difficult transitions. Alice's coaching and thoughtful reframing have been integral to my progress - whether with planning a team meeting or learning to ask for what I need to do my best work. Her constant prodding on what matters most to me has made my work more meaningful and authentic."

"This summer, I advocated to invest my professional development in a series of one-on-one personal coaching sessions with Alice in lieu of a traditional job-specific training. It was the best decision I've made. Alice centered me as a whole person in all of my identities - as a professional, a mother, a woman, a person of color, a partner, a friend. Instead of seeing these as compartmentalized, Alice helped me draw connections across all of the spheres of my life. During our coaching sessions, Alice helped me excavate and examine the limiting beliefs that were holding me back subconsciously from living into the fullness of all my identities. Not only have I gained clarity and empowerment as a working professional, I also feel the same clarity and empowerment in all of the dimensions of my life. I can see so much growth and progress in my own resilience reservoirs. The hustle and bustle of my life hasn't changed, but my internal narrative about who I am and what I can do has fundamentally shifted. Alice embodies such a beautiful balance of holding space while also sharing a wealth of knowledge. I am so proud of my personal growth over my coaching sessions and feeling incredibly thankful for my time with Alice, who cheered me on every step of the way. Wayfinding the pathway forward with Alice has been powerful, emotional, and - dare I say? - fun!"

"Working with Alice has been personally and professionally transformative, not to mention joyful. Through reflection, healing, and exercises, I've become more self-aware, more capable of leading from a deeper place of my core being, more intentional, and better equipped to manage and lead with spiritual integrity. I can't possibly recommend working with Alice highly enough."

“One of the many transformative takeaways while working with Alice was the importance of a thoughtful and intentional approach towards decision-making. Although it may seem common sense, there were many factors (family, external expectations, pride, etc.) that, at times, interfered. It was with Alice’s guidance (through lots of thought-provoking questions) that I grew aware of the many factors influencing how I made decisions and, ultimately, how I was leading my life up to that point. Understanding all this, we worked to view each decision objectively and in accordance to my career and life goals. Alice is amazing and I would highly recommend her.”

“After working with Alice on personal coaching, I asked her to come in to work with a startup company I was working at. We were looking for someone to help us navigate how to set up a strong company culture and how to put in place the systems to ensure we could communicate well and work together effectively. Alice was able to quickly build trust with the entire team, learn about our industry, and quickly pull together a plan that greatly helped us as a business. Alice received rave reviews from all the employees and the plan she put together significantly helped us work together as a team.”

“One of my favorite things about Alice’s coaching style is that she holds you accountable for the work you say you’re going to work on. Her coaching worksheets, synthesis of each session, and availability in between sessions kept me motivated and on track. Now I trust in myself so much more, I know where I am going in life, and I have a much better mechanisms in place to deal with “curveball” situations. Alice is an amazing coach and person- I wholeheartedly recommend her.”

“The first thing that comes to my mind is how authentic and inclusive Alice is. There is something in her that can connect with almost anybody and that makes you want to listen to her. After my conversations with Alice, I always feel like I can conquer the world. And I don’t just believe it, but I act on it, too.”

"When I started working Alice, I was underwater - unhappy, unclear of my future, & overwhelmed by potential paths. I wanted to figure out what my "life plan" was. Through working with her, I learned I don't need a plan for everything before I get started doing something & that I can take small steps towards a path I might want as a way to understand if I really do want that & to discover what's next. Alice helped me develop mindsets & tools to experiment by way forward. When I finally quit my job, it felt like the next right thing rather than a huge risk. Because of our work together, I am more confident, know myself better, & feel like I can figure things out as they come rather than need to figure them all out at once."

"I have had the privilege to work alongside Alice for a few years - she is authentic, inspirational and most importantly helps people make the conceptual practical. Almost every time I've heard her speak to a group, there's an "aha" moment that happens for others to help them continue to grow as a leader and human."

"Alice did an amazing job helping me to surface my values and guide me in living them out both in my personal life and work life. She helped me ask the right questions at the right time, helped me to step back and understand what is within my power, and showed me how I can design my life to really take into account what I want. Through our work together, I negotiated a sabbatical for myself, took some time to travel the world, found my next dream job and started a family. Alice has been instrumental in helping me bee the driver of my own life."

“Alice models the power of storytelling and its ability to build bridges across lines of difference really well. I have leveraged that skill from her in many other areas of my life, both personally and professionally.”

“Alice’s way of facilitating was an equal balance of both the head and the heart, almost an externalization of how I aspired to with my own practice as a teacher. Even now, as an instructor of political science, I teach my students a variation of a framework that I learned doing a group program with her. I completely reoriented the why of my teaching practice and structured a class in a way that is more student-led. It made me love teaching more, my students were happier, I could tell they were achieving in my classroom and my job. Alice has modeled the power of listening to others and shown me how I can co-create rather than dictate in leadership spaces.”

"Alice’s leadership development cohort was the most transformative learning experience of my career. Due to Alice’s expert facilitation, I became a stronger leader from inside out. I learned how to tap into my inner wisdom and get honest about what was holding me back. Alice brings unmatched rigor, humor, empathy, equity, and wisdom to every one of her learning experiences."

“Alice is an incredible leader who helps people think differently about their lives and their roles in their work and in the world. I participated in six session workshop series that Alice designed and facilitated at the outset of the COVID pandemic on navigating change & uncertainty. Through this experience, I was able to critically reflect on my own personal and professional practices each week in a short amount of time and walk away with deeper connections, more confidence, and concrete strategies to manage challenges. Alice created a space for participants to reflect, share, and learn from other during a very difficult moment in time. Every time I work with Alice, I learn concrete strategies I can use in my daily life, develop more knowledge of and appreciation for who I am and become more confident as a leader.”

"So much of the leader I am today - both professionally and personally - has developed through my relationship with Alice, with her deep empathy, powerful listening skills and just real belief in who I am. At one of the real low points in my professional career, Alice coached me to find my personal power, helping me see the agency I had in both creating the situation and in finding a new path forward that felt aligned to my personal values. Through my work with Alice, I've confronted some hard truths about how I show up in the world and feel ever more resolved in my purpose moving forward."

"Alice is one of the most transformational leaders you will ever meet – she has helped me become a much more effective leader and a better person. Her ability to see what is needed for both individual and organizational transformative change and to make action plans to get there is unparalleled. She helped the team at Mindful Life Project take our organization to the next level culturally and practically at a crucial moment in our growth cycle. I highly recommend her for any organization, company, or individual in need of transformative change!"

"With Alice, I was able to identify some of the common stories that I have allowed to hold me back professionally and personally and she helped me live in a way that is more aligned with my values and beliefs. I really appreciated that Alice never let me off the hook – she didn’t let me take the easy way out but instead pushed me to think about things in new ways. I would highly recommend working with Alice if you are ready to figure out what you really want out of life and are not afraid of looking at yourself and your actions though with a critical yet loving eye."

"A few hours into meeting Alice at a work event, I knew that she radiated intelligence, energy, creativity and empathy. I also knew that I wanted to get to know her more. In the three years since we met, I’ve benefited greatly from these and others of Alice’s gifts. She has supported me when I struggled, pushed me when I needed it, expanded the way I think about the world, and connected me to tools and relationships I draw upon daily to navigate my work and my life. I’ve felt so fortunate to have her as a partner in learning and change. This is why when other dreamers and doers who I trust are looking for a coach or a skilled and thoughtful facilitation partner, I immediately begin telling them why they need to talk to Alice."

"My work with Alice has truly been a gift. She has a unique capacity to both affirm and challenge in equal measure. Whether through an insightful question, provocative exercise, or just an earnest ear, she is able to reveal new dimensions of your values, holdbacks, dreams. Through peeling back the layers, she helps you stand more squarely as the person and leader that you authentically want to be. Alice is a stunning coach, masterful facilitator, and creative designer of learning experiences. You won't regret your time with her."

"Working with Alice took me from a place of overwhelm and confusion to a place of clarity and excitement for what's to come in my career. Alice not only helped me to define my career values, goals, and dreams, but also helped me to identify blocks within myself that have prevented me from achieving all that I have wanted in the past. I would highly recommend her to anyone who has ambition and drive, but is lost on how to best channel it."

"Working with Alice is like constructing a fabulous story – she listens carefully and helps weave together the stories I am telling myself with bits of wisdom and love-based truth to help me construct a more workable narrative. Alice sits with me in beautiful and uncomfortable realities, helps me imagine possibilities I can’t yet see, and pushes me to action so I can clearly direct my intentions and energy."

"Alice brings a rare combination of powerful intuition about what each individual and the group needs at each moment in time, along with an incredible (and ever-expanding) set of strategic frameworks to be able to move those individuals/groups forward. She led my team on a series of workshops that gave each of us the language and tools to develop much stronger awareness of self and others. As a result, our team culture strengthened notably – evidenced by a year-over-year spike in our team’s Great Places to Worksurvey results. Thanks to Alice’s work, our team was able to build a culture where our whole selves were known, seen and valued – and, equally as important, there was a clear connection between fostering this strong culture and delivering on strong team outcomes."