Jody Michael Associates

I attended Jody’s Perceptual Lens training not really knowing what to expect. Within the first 15 minutes, I was sold and motivated to learn more. In just a short daylong session, I was able to entirely change how I perceive myself and others. I learned how to be more ‘Teflon’ in challenging work situations, and how to better support my team by taking care of myself.
Jody’s training brings an awareness that many of us (myself included!) lack. It teaches you to harness the power of your own brain and actually how to reprogram your brain to bring yourself more happiness. I am so happy I have taken this class, and I highly recommend it to all people. You can never be too self aware!

After completing the coursework at Jody Michaels Associates, I feel that I have added a variety of ideas to my knowledge base and incredible insights about myself and where I am heading. Maura is a professional in every sense of the word. She is friendly, funny, and empathic. What is even better about her is that she is more than willing to push you in order to dig beyond the surface. I felt the rapport was instantly there. I always looked forward to the challenges and coursework that this service provides. That being said, you must hold yourself accountable and put in the time and effort in order to achieve maximum results from this service. All in all, the team at Jody Michael Associates will provide value to any individual at any stage in life. It has been a pleasure to work alongside each of you.

I recently completed my work with Maura at JMA, and I found the process to be challenging, thorough and ultimately very rewarding.
I needed to assess my options and reconnect with what really matters after leaving my job earlier this year. Maura guided me through the JMA process, which required a deep level of introspection and honesty, with a sure hand. Her kindness, good humor, and ability to direct our work was essential in helping me to get the most out of the time we spent thinking about my previous experiences and the next steps.
I think this type of work requires that kind of partnership. In working through JMA’s process, I was able to refocus on my core interests and with Maura’a help to navigate the tricky spots that pop up when doing this type of exploration.
No one can make these decisions for you-it’s your life and you have to be responsible for it-​but JMA will allow you to take stock and move forward with clear eyes toward a fulfilling career.

i ventured into the coaching with Jody very much unsure what to expect from a «life coach». Every step through the process Jody led me through a journey that was especially insightful both personally and professionally. Learning about different levels of personality and why we make certain decisions is incredibly interesting and spot on. Jody was patient but tough when necessary In guiding me to professional successes, setting goals and understand the reasons for stumbling blocks. Her vision and use of very calculated tools in the coaching process are not only interesting, but extremely successful. Jody is a fabulous person and mentor. I would recommend her and her coaching process to anyone!!!

I completed the career coaching program with Maura last fall. Working with Maura was a wonderful experience. In completing the program with Maura I took an inventory of my skills, talents, and interests. I was able to use the introspective work that I completed with Maura to then research various careers that would be a good fit for me based on my skills, interests, and talents. Maura was great to work with. She guided me every step of the way with kindness and enthusiasm. In completing this program with Maura, I not only got a better understanding of my best fit career but I also gained a better understanding of who I am as a person. This program helped me to feel more confident in myself, especially my decision making abilities. This program is a big investment but it is definitely worth the investment you are making in yourself.

I called Jody about a year before I committed to coaching, unsure of the investment. But I saw academia was getting precarious, so I called Jody back and I told her I’m getting serious. She set me up with Maura, who was supportive throughout the entire process, even when I had to figure out in the beginning was that of being guided, not led to an answer, which was a big challenge for me. Secondly, as someone working at the cutting edge of technology, I found out that the Bureau of Labor Statistics is probably not going to have the job descriptions Maura and I found for another 5 years. So, while in the beginning I was puzzled by the process and its initial suggestion of what I though were traditional jobs, Maura was very helpful in bringing things into focus through our initial investigations, through the library, and on the Internet, where I found that my dream jobs from Creative Technologist to Drone Analyst actually did exist.
We carefully created a sort of Venn Diagram of my dreams, set criteria and then looked at them objectively to get an idea of what would be best for me. What we came out with was not just one or two, but a half dozen dream descriptions which I am personally ranking by feasibility, but I’m going for them all. Where I came in confused, as I had been exposed to a fairly narrow field of possibilities, I come out empowered that the places for the next steps of my career do exist, and I have the tools to go after my dreams.

I have been working with Maura from Jody Michael Associates on Career Discovery, and I also recently did the Perceptual Lens workshop which came with two sessions with Jody included in the tuition.
The Career Discovery work has been really great. It’s so helpful to be able to pour my heart out to someone who listens, documents and mirrors back to me what I love about work and what I don’t love about work. My hope is that by the end of this that I can find a way to use more of my strength and passions in my career, and to avoid the areas where there’ s mismatch with my natural strength and motivations. The framework that JMA has for this work is really helpful and I think provides a more effective path for this type work than if I were doing it on my own or with another coach who didn’t have such a rigorous process.
Now to focus on my experience in the Perceptual Lens workshop… This is a five hour workshop done with other participants at the JMA office. It was very helpful to learn about the 7 levels of energy and awareness that we experience. Each participant took a pre-​workshop assessment and I received my personal results at the workshop. I was disappointed, but I suppose not surprised, to see that I spend a lot of my time in either «victim» or «fight or flight» mode. Kind of an eye opener, but apparently, most people spend their time here and it makes for a lot of frustration and unhappiness, not to mention lack of desired success in life. As a participant, I also received a free iPhone app where I track my emotional state and underlying thoughts several times a day. This has been very helpful in increasing my awareness of my state of mind, and also has helped me realize that I control this and can change it to become more effective.
I’ve just finished my second coaching session with Jody to review my week’s worth of thoughts/​feelings from the app. She shined a light on some uncomfortable areas of continued «victim» thinking that is really holding me back. I feel more optimistic that I can root this out and develop positive habits that will make a big difference in my energy levels, productivity and happiness.
I’m a senior level manager with significant responsibilities and I’ve been successful in my career by most people’s standards, but I realize that my current way of thinking is going to hold me back from making it to the next level. I’m very thankful to Jody and Maura at JMA for being empathetic and encouraging (but not sugar coating anything) in helping to show me the way to greater success and happiness. Their help and guidance doesn’t come «cheap» but I believe that their wisdom and methods are worth the investment of time and money.
JMA comes highly recommended.

Really bad experience. Yesterday I contacted Jody Michael associates and the person who first spoke to me asked what I was looking for, I briefly explained that I am looking for a career coach as want to change industry segment I have built my career so she said that Jody would call me back to talk about the coach sessions and explain how does it work, she also gave me the price. I then got a call from Jody and the first thing she said was she was the only person who does the career strategy and she could not help me. Well I don’t mind wait one, two month to start my career coach sessions but she did not even offered me the option to wait. As a customer my experience was like they don’t want my business and as a human being my experience was «they don’t want to work with a foreign» I am a foreign and I said that to the person who first spoke to me. Horrible experience.

I started seeing Jody in mid January for personal and professional coaching. I did not really know what to expect since I have not seen a «life» coach before, but it’s been a helpful experience and I’m looking forward to seeing the continued results I achieve working with her.
Jody has experience in corporate America so she can relate to my experiences and she makes you feel comfortable from the very first appointment you have with her. She’s intuitive and accomplishes changes/​results with you in a quick manner. There were and are so many things I was doing that are detrimental to myself that I was aware of (and some I was not so aware of) that Jody has helped me to manage that I did not know how to manage before seeing her. She’s compassionate about what she does and knows exactly how to relay to you and your specific situation. Within a week of meeting with her I was feeling better and more powerful with my life. It was because of the questions she was asking me that made me really think about how I was treating myself, others and where I wanted to be and go both personally and professionally.
Just recently I attended the Accountability Mirror Workshop that Jody also hosts. It’s an all day workshop you can attend that discusses various aspects of accountability that will have an immediate effect on your day to day interactions. As a direct result of attending this workshop, I have a better relationship with my boss and other colleagues. The skills taught during it, if used properly, can help you work more efficiently, more accountable and effectively. Jody gives you a few homework assignments from the workshop as well and because of those I have found myself improving each day because I think of the skills I learned and apply them each day rather than just tucking them away like I have from other seminars.
If you put the work in with Jody, she will get you results. It’s not easy if you’re looking to make long lasting changes, but it’s well worth. Jody is a cool cat and worth every penny.

Jody Michael is an exceptional coach and human being. I initially met her when we hired her to conduct a 360 degree review of one of my key team members. Her observations and recommendations were spot on and transformative. Over the course of our follow-​up conversations, the depth and quality of her insight blew me away! Soon afterwards, I started working with her one-​on-​one, and it has changed my life.
The skills I have acquired from working with Jody transcend industry (I already have a coach who is specific to my industry), and have had a profound impact on in how I interact with my team, my clients, my spouse and even my children. She has given me tools to gain control of my life, to be a more effective communicator, to manage how I feel throughout my day, and to enable to me to remain calm and make thoughtful choices, even in the craziest of situations.
My experience with Jody has been so helpful that at the end of last year, I hired Jody to host an all day seminar with my team. It was a gift to them to help them personally and professionally. Her seminar was followed by two one-​on-​one coaching sessions for each team member. The impact of my investment is already visible in our office. Some of my team members were more receptive than others which is to be excepted. For a few, it has been a game changer and worth every penny.
I highly recommend Jody for anyone who is ready to make significant changes in their lives. She has a uncanny ability to recognize what may be holding you back, and will give you the tools to overcome it.

I remember my initial phone conversation with Jody as I told her my situation and goals, and she said «You know you really need to work with me. I can help you achieve that». And, from that beginning whenever Jody spoke I listened, and I listened not only because of her super successful track record. But, she just has a way of making you believe that anything is within reach.
One of the many things Jody does well is to ask the questions that really made me think about what I thought were obstacles to my goals. I wanted someone to challenge my ideas/​thoughts and Jody did exactly that. She is very easy to talk with and that helped keep the conversations real. Another really valuable part of working with Jody is her sharing relevant stories in her life about how she handled certain personal/​business situations. What i saw was a woman who doesn’t let anything stop her. If she has a goal and idea, she finds a way to get it done, and I have tried to incorporate that thinking into my life. For me the whole process was a real learning experience. Each week something new was uncovered, and she will challenge you to rethink your sticking points. In my case I really sort of knew the direction I wanted to go to, but was sort of stuck unable to move forward because of obstacles I put in my head. However, after working with Jody I have the confidence to move forward and to move the obstacles to the side.
I had worked with another career/​business coach in 2011 and went through the process with a lot of excitement. However, in the end I really didn’t make any changes that I knew I needed to make. I let the obstacles really stop me from starting. Working with Jody really gave me the confidence to say to myself «Yeah, I can do that, and there’s always a way».
I look forward to the day I can work with her again.

For anyone looking to develop their leadership team, improve teamwork, become an effective leader, or advance your career, I would recommend Jody Michaels Associates. Jody’s executive level coaching expertise is superior to those in the industry. I would highly recommend the Accountability Mirror one day workshop for all managers and C-​Level executives within your organization. It’s not often a one day workshop will transform effective communication within an organization and give individuals the information they need to succeed and make others around them successful.
Thanks Jody! Thanks to you I just celebrated the New Year Day participating in an Aerobathon and at the age of 50+, I ran my first 6K this summer! It’s been 1 year since I found your website
and reached out to you for Executive Coaching. Over the past year, I’ve been able to improve team performance, become a better leader, advance my career and somehow convince myself that exercising several times a week is fun. Happy New Years, Lynn.

I was referred to Jody at a time in my life when I recently decided to change career paths. I worked in an industry for nearly seven years and while I had success, I became very unfulfilled with both my personal and professional life.
From the first conversation Jody was attentive, empathetic, patient, and most importantly — solution and goal oriented. She guided me through a process of self discovery and goal setting that was invaluable. Jody’s coaching provided the direction I needed to help me become more aware of what I wanted out of life and how to get it. After several weeks of personalized sessions and exercises I was completely focused and energized to accomplish my goals in life and work. One week after my final meeting with Jody, I accepted a position with a company in a new industry and it was the perfect fit.
Jody can help you make an impactful change in both your life and profession. If you are willing and open to put forth the thought and effort needed to improve then Jody is the person to help guide you.

I’ve been ready to take the leap from my current job but didn’t know which direction to turn! I’m so fortunate to have found Jody Michaels Assoc. I interviewed 5 career coaches and something in my gut told me this would be the right decision.
In my initial phone interview with Jody, I was discouraged to learn she wouldn’t be the one to coach me, as she now sticks to executive coaching. Yet Jody assured me I’d be in good hands with Maura, whom she hand-​picked and groomed. Jody was dead right. I can’t imagine this process without Maura. Talk about the right right person for the right job!!! Maura is an INCREDIBLE coach. A true listener and she has a magical knack of being able to massage your thoughts, while guiding you to be able to more accurately define what your true passions might be.
I walked in to this experience wanting Maura to tell me what I was destined to be. She did something far greater. Through both systematic and creative approaches, Maura taught ME how to define what I am destined to be. The process is what has given me confidence to not second guess my conclusions — I’m on my way to a working interview as we speak. I’m forever indebted to Maura. She helped me find my answer from within!

I found Jody on Unilocal and chose her because her services seemed to go above and beyond the others in Chicago. Her initial requirement is to meet for several sessions to gain an understanding of who you are and what you want to be. It was very good to get some information out there to someone who combines psychology and mindfulness while understanding the business environments many ambitious professionals surround themselves with.
The initial meetings were very productive. We then worked together to plan a program for the next several weeks and she provided many different materials, work outs, and thought exercises to do while I was at the office and at home. These, in combination with our sessions, really exposed a lot of the hurdles I’ve imposed on myself as well as uncovered a lot of the core interests and values I have… that I hadn’t given myself time to identify.
Sometimes you need help identifying your passions or giving yourself permission to pursue them. Jody is a great resource to help you do that… much better than any test that may be out there. After a few months of working together, we both saw the next steps I needed to take, which were massive shifts… and I went for it. I’ve found the industry I want to be in at this point in my life and am ecstatic.
I did Jody’s assignments with 110% effort and was extremely open with her about my thoughts. I was also open with her about any hesitations or any difference of opinion I had with her program throughout. This led us to a powerful, personalized program.

Jody is awesome.
Don’t listen to all of these bad reviews. She knows what she’s doing and will help any way she can. I transformed my life in the year that I was having sessions with Jody and I still use many of the skills that she taught me.

Jody Michael is an amazing woman. I’ve been working with her for the past few years. At one point in my life, I was at the lowest of low. I have no idea where I should head or what should I do both in my profession and in my life. I know, I need to change but I don’t know how to do it. This would be a huge challenge for me.
During the time when I was with Jody, I was given various advices. I was empowered and supported by her coaching. She’s truly professional. She has given me confidence and courage. She’s nurturing as a coach and is filled with integrity. She doesn’t hesitate to point out my mistakes. She has helped me get many things done.
I believe Jody is better than any conference, seminar or workshop that aims to improve your life. She has a good sense on how to make your life’s journey efficient and easy. She made me realize my goals and achieve them. She’s a guide that I trust.
I would never hesitate to recommend her. I have the confidence to say that Jody can provide them what they are seeking in their lives.

I worked with Jody from June — October of 2013 and had a great experience. I went in with a strong recommendation from a friend, but I had some barriers about the idea of coaching. From our initial screening call all the way through the sessions, Jody was warm and accommodating of my schedule (other people mentioned having trouble with scheduling, and while she is busy, she works to make time – also, do you want to work with someone who isn’t booked?). She is also honest. You won’t be coddled working with Jody, which was good for me.
During our coaching, Jody helped me rethink and understand my skills – and more importantly, understand how to present myself on paper and in person. I wrapped up my sessions feeling prepared and confident in my own ability to know what I want and how to go after it.

I sent Jody Michael Associates an email inquiring about her rates and services and did not receive a response. A week later I decided to call and I left a voicemail with my contact information. The recording says they will get back to you within 24 hours. Well, that was 5 days ago and I have not received a call.
You’d think someone this type of position would know that it takes a certain level of desperation to even call a career coach and would at least have the decency to write/​call prospective clients back. I guess not.

Please read! I post this because I feel compelled to.
Personally, I wish I had taken a few more self-​assessments or read a few more books, or re-​examined myself before considering this.
From being given an out of date and incorrect price quote, to being suggested very limited times for meeting, to the coach completely forgetting one of our weekly appointments that they suggested, I was very disappointed in my experience.
I came in with an open mind and hoped to find a new direction but I don’t feel any of the materials provided offered me insights I didn’t already know about myself.
Maybe you will feel differently, as the other reviewers seem to, but this was not my experience in the least bit. Again, if you are deciding whether to see this coach, please make sure you know what you are getting into before you make the decision.
Thank you.