"I would highly recommend her session for anyone looking to step up their communication skills, especially if you are in need of internal selling of ideas, projects or concepts within a corporate environment.” 
Jared Berman, Innovation Manager, U.S. Cellular.

 

“Without Esther and her Storyboarding process we would have never won this important account in the world’s most challenging and rewarding market.”
Trevor Cook, Managing Director, AMP Capital.

 

“ABRG members were extremely impressed with Esther’s workshop on Leadership Storytelling and rated it in the top 10% of courses and training they have received at BP.”

Dr. Ajay Joshi, Research Engineer, BP.

 

“Esther is an exceptional presentation coach.  She helped us develop a presentation and worked diligently with our speakers to refine their delivery.  She is a large part of why our organization was able to raise critical seed funding and support from angel investors!”

Rory O’Byrne, President of LEND (Lending for Evanston and Northwestern Development).

 

“One of the highlights of our Board’s strategic retreat conference was Esther Choy’s storytelling workshop.  ‘Interactive, engaging and energetic’ describe the journey we took to mine our inspiration and create our messaging for maximum impact.  Storytelling will continue to be an important success driver for us.”

Kathryn Mlsna, former Chief Integration Officer,  Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana.

 

"I have hired Esther twice for my firm. The first time she ran a workshop for our office leadership to help them improve how they introduce themselves, especially in selling situations. The second time was to help me craft a compelling story for an important public speaking event. In both cases Esther had a significant impact how how my team and I communicate. I fully intend to hire her again."

Glenn Hollister, Principal and Practice Leader, ZS Associates.

 

“As a veteran of the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, it can be hard to provide others a narrative that shows how my service is an asset in both business and my community. Esther’s training has not only allowed me to find the voice to tell my story, but through her selfless contributions of time and energy she has provided this training to other veterans as well. She is the ideal vision of what it means to be a citizen servant.”

Eli Williamson, Executive Director & President, Leave No Veteran Behind.

 

“Generating creative ways to get people to open up about what’s meaningful to them… made me think about leadership in broader and versatile ways .”

Career Advising and Planning Services, University of Chicago.

 

"Esther has been my go-to adviser whenever I need to deliver a message for a small group of audience or media interview. Esther has a special gift in the art of storytelling, and fortunately for her clients and students, Esther also has a passion in teaching. Like most business operators, I often spend my time on the technical aspect of the business and not enough about the communication that connect us with our customers. Esther opened up a whole new perspective for me in this area, and I am forever grateful for her guidance."

Ian Asvakovith, Managing Director, Piedmont Fund Services, Inc.

 

 

"I have had the luxury of witnessing and learning from Esther through several different forums. The ways in which to use a hook to capture the attention of your audience early on in your presentation was particularly useful. Also, establishing a cadence and mapping your messages across various stakeholder engagements is critical to making a lasting impression on your audience and "making the sale". Overall, the learnings were immensely impactful, whether for a customer meeting, internal business review or job interview and I would highly recommend Esther!"

Tony M. Orlando, President, Agriculture Tire, Bridgestone.

 

 

“Once I began telling friends and family the good news about my new job, everyone wanted to know the secret: how did I go from French Literature and Retail to Finance and Real Estate? The key for me was Esther’s coaching, guidance and perspective. I left my Leadership Story Lab workshop knowing how to craft a more compelling story. How my past experience would help me navigate my future career path. How to turn my nontraditional background from a liability into an asset. And how to convince others to believe in me as much as I now believe in myself.”

James Allison, Vice President, Brookfield Investment Management.

 

“Esther’s coaching was an excellent way to learn all the basics of a compelling leadership story and how to really connect with your audience. Her coaching also provided me tools and a background in facilitation and coaching to help managers develop their own story: lessons which I use on a regular basis. Esther is an exceptional, highly professional presentation coach and storyteller: inspiring, energetic, highly dedicated and a very good listener who gives valuable feedback. It was a great pleasure working with her and her colleagues of Leadership Story Lab!"

Joske Groneschild, Communication Advisor, SNS Bank, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 

"Esther presented at a Kellogg seminar and I found that she had distilled a number of important lessons into her presentation on the Art of Storytelling. Her ideas were specific, action oriented and delivered in a way that encouraged you to adopt them in your life. Strong effective communications create interest in your audience and allow them to participate in your message, which then makes you more memorable. This is only one quick example of what I learned from Esther. I would highly recommend that you participate in one of her seminars and see how you can improve your communication skills. Your time is valuable... don't miss out on something that will really make a difference in your personal and professional life!"

Paul Romer, President, Performance Improvement Consulting.

 

"I got 1,000 times more value than I paid for the training.  Thanks for a truly enlightening experience!”
Ed Bachrach, Retired Chairman and CEO of Bachrach Clothing Inc.

 

"Esther and Reena were a wonderful addition to our company-wide meeting. They were a significant part of our agenda, leading two workshops on visual storytelling and leading our introductions exercise which everyone found riveting. Esther brought new insights to the team overall with her story pictures, which I still reference and she led engaging and interactive discussions. She was extremely easy to work with in planning the event to fit her workshop materials within the timeframe we had. I would highly recommend Esther and Reena."

 

Lucy Jeong-Adler, Talent Director, Clareo Parnters.

 

"I was just honored by a Chicago charity at their annual luncheon fundraising event and I had to give a 5 minute acceptance speech. Needless to say, speaking to 400 people in a heartfelt manner seemed so uncomfortable. As a finance person, I have given numerous professional presentations to large groups, but using my past approaches would be boring, and certainly not heartfelt. So I decided to tell a story. And I used a number of the techniques from your workshop (have a beginning, middle and end, introducing an element of mystery on why/what is happening in the story) and the speech was very successful and I was given a standing ovation!!So thank you, Esther, for your mission. It is helping communication!”

Karen Kane, Senior Vice President Finance, RR Donnelley.

 

"Simply put, Esther is an incredible teacher. I took a Major Gift Solicitation Strategy course at Kellogg and was thrilled that it commenced with Esther’s wise counsel on storytelling and its power to embolden relationships among fundraisers, donors, and organizations. As an external relations professional, I’ve always found that stories are at the heart of philanthropy--how we tell them, how we hear to them, how we understand them, and ultimately how they inspire us to change the world. Esther taught me concrete skills to enhance my personal story and my organization’s story. I highly recommend her. She is an effective, insightful, and passionate teacher."

Nora Hennessy, Director of Development, Division of the Humanities at The University of Chicago.

 

“Esther’s coaching elevated my presentation to the next level. She provided critical insights on how I could increase engagement with the audience to insure that they left the presentation with thoughts and questions that they could contemplate further.”

Linda Darragh, Executive Director of Kellogg Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative  and Clinical Professor of Entrepreneurship at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

 

“I always had a difficult time telling my story publicly about why I chose to work in the field of domestic violence.  It was so personal.  Esther taught me how to turn my experience into a strength and into a call to action.  With her coaching, I can now craft an inspiring, emotional tale that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.”  

Jessica Li, Executive Director,  Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project.

 

“The workshop helped me make my reunion interactions about reconnecting with each other’s humanity instead of comparing each other’s statistics.  When discussions focus on listing accomplishments – kids, marriage, jobs, etc – there isn’t much to talk about once you go through the list.  Setting my outlook to offer my stories over my stats set the stage to elicit a similar response in people I talked to – which led to deeper connections.  I left Reunion refreshed and inspired again.”  

Kimberly Matthews, GEMS II Venture Planner, ExxonMobil Chemical Company.

 

“The training showed me a way to effectively communicate, lead, persuade, and influence others.”

Jimenez, Lead Performance Consultant, TIAA-CREF.

 

“Esther’s workshop put a new perspective on sharing information and persuading others – an uncommon approach to a common dilemma.” Michele Simons, Molex.

 

“I rarely make it downtown for evening events during the week, but last night’s event was wonderful and so worth the trip. I found the evening energizing and thought your facilitation was excellent–enough guidance to keep the group learning and to provide a safe container but–as in a lab–you created an environment where we were the knowledge creators. That’s not easy to do. You’re a skilled teacher with a wonderful, encouraging and knowledgeable presence. I will be sending students, clients and colleagues to you.”

Dr. Brooke Vuckovic, Executive Coach.

 

” The technique you presented on building effective and compelling narratives to convey leadership abilities was both engaging and practical.  It was clear that the audience members, regardless of their individual backgrounds and experience, were able to apply the technique and walk away with a powerful tool to enhance their job search.”

Diane Carter-Zubko, Workforce/ Career Coordinator, Harper College WorkNet Center.

 

“I’m able to translate  my diverse experience into a strong story that is relevant to private business.”

William Edwards, Strategy Integration Specialist, Boeing.

 

“The workshop has provided me with very useful, practical methods on how to articulate my value to potential interviewers.”

Hakki Gurkan, Chicago Police Department.

 

“Esther’s genius is her ability to shed light on the critical element that each story needs in order to have the intended impact on the audience.”

Colleen Kelly, Executive Director, Women’s Health Foundation.

 

“Esther Choy’s workshop helps me convey my story in a way that helped a civilian employer relate and understand that I’m just like him, making me a more competitive job candidate.  Instead of regurgitating the qualification already listed on my resume, I told the interviewer of my journey and what led me to be the person that I am today – representing myself in a much more compelling way.  The interviewer knew I was qualified when he scheduled the interview, but with the help of Esther’s workshop, I was able to make myself standout amongst qualified candidates and ultimately get the job.”  

Kate Glinos, International Moving Consultant, Global Moving Consultants, Inc.

 

“Esther has been a tremendous resource that has transformed me into a direct and authentic communicator.  This skill set has enabled me to express myself in a powerful and genuine manner throughout my MBA application process and in professional settings.  Esther’s method was hugely valuable in my MBA admissions essays by honing my message and conveying my true voice- I have no doubt this was a key factor in my admission to my top choice.  With her help, I have been able to write and speak more effectively, a skill that is invaluable and something I will use for the rest of my life.”

Stanford GSB MBA.

 

“Esther was my coach, is my mentor, and has become my inspiration to march forward. These are heavy words, so let me explain: I met Esther in the middle of my MBA application process. While I read plethora “How to…MBA” books, none of them kept me organized through the process as Esther did; from brainstorming content to shaping story—her coaching was invaluable. Furthermore, what made Esther different is that she actually cared that I find what will make me really happy and aligns with my goals—like a mentor would. Finally, Esther pointed me in the direction I should start going in order to reach my post-MBA goals—she really followed through way past the point when I hit submit.”

Kellogg School of Management MBA.

“After an initial tough round applying to an MBA, I am grateful to have had Esther and Faisal as my advisors the second time around. Esther has been invaluable in helping me find my voice within my applications and be a better storyteller within my interviews. All the while Faisal consistently encouraged and supported me throughout process as he meticulously polished every aspect of my application. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have gained invaluable skills that I will continue to use throughout my career.”

UCLA MBA.

 

“Your services were invaluable! You are more than an admissions counselor, you are really a life coach. You helped me define myself and find my way and this admissions experience started a new me, I feel like I am really being authentic now and it is so freeing. I can’t thank you enough, the fact that I have choices is amazing. There is a colleague of mine at work who applied this year and didn’t get in anywhere, guess he didn’t have team Esther behind him!”

Tepper MBA.

 

“… My favorite part of Esther’s program is the initial brainstorming and self-discovery session through a probing questionnaire. This allowed me to find my own voice and explore my deepest passions in life, helping me discover schools that I didn’t previously consider or possible subject matters for my essays that were not obvious to me… While Esther established the brainstorming, storytelling technique, and basic focus of my essays, Faisal focused on fine-tuning my essays and making them flow as well as possible. Faisal’s writing skills are top-notch and his turn-around time is always fast. He is a great communicator as well. When I was stressed about the deadline of a particular essay/app, he helped me establish a timeline and reassured me that it can be done.

Overall, I’m grateful to have Esther and Faisal’s help throughout the process and it was a tremendous learning experience. I wouldn’t have gotten to one of my top choice schools with fellowship otherwise. Most importantly, I do not see them as admission consultants but as valuable friends and mentors going forward. Thank you!”

UCLA Anderson MBA.

 

“Ultimately, I was accepted to all four schools I applied to—Wharton (EMBA), Columbia (EMBA), Kellogg (1Y FT), and Tuck (FT)—and even earned a sizeable scholarship from Kellogg.  While I was expecting good things to come out of this application season, after my previous year’s application season performance, I was not expecting this level of success.  That’s another of the many reasons I’m so thankful for Esther and Faisal’s help, guidance, and ability to make the process more fun that made this experience so successful and rewarding.  If you’re looking to learn the tools that will make you more successful in the b-school application process and in business in general, look no further than Esther Choy and Faisal Khan at MBA Prep School.”

Wharton EMBA.

 

“Almost everyone who chooses to go through the grueling MBA admission process is motivated, disciplined, and has a successful track record. What differentiates one candidate from another is the way he/she conveys messages. Esther and Faisal helped me to build a compelling and genuine story throughout this process. I got into one of my top choices! However, an acceptance letter from a top MBA program is hardly the most valuable thing that I’ve gained through working with them. I’ve learned through this process how to communicate effectively, and how to connect to my audiences through powerful storytelling. This is something that will benefit me for the rest of my career.”

Chicago Booth MBA.

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“Working with Esther one-on-one in a coaching program as I prepared for an important customer presentation was a pleasure and a very smart decision. Her insights, feedback and ideas were instrumental in the success of my message’s craft and delivery. She added value at every step of the way. We covered messaging, audience analysis, information flow, editing and selection of key ideas, timing, connection, storytelling, and presentation delivery. Esther challenged me with questions and thought-provoking ideas that made my presentation exactly what I had envisioned. She helped me take a good presentation and turn it into the best presentation I have delivered in my 15+ year career. In addition, the tools I learned are helping me every day on various presentations and projects. I recommend Esther 100% and cannot wait to work with her again.”

Daniela Garza-Sokolowski, Director of Marketing, InnovaFlavors

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"I have been an audience member while Esther tells her story leaving everyone totally engaged and completely relating to her experience. Esther has a keen ability to really listen to her clients and identify key messages to create a story for optimal communication that is relatable to all audiences. A very special talent indeed!”
Kim Theiss, VP, Sales at Disney ABC Television Group