I watched careers get decided. Talent was rarely the deciding factor.
Before I was a coach, I worked inside the rooms where careers actually get decided as a lawyer, then in hospitality leadership, then in HR. I've seen what separates the people who get promoted from the people who quietly stall, and it's rarely talent. It's visibility.
I learned early in my career as a lawyer the importance of listening closely and getting to the heart of what people actually need and not just what they say they need.
That people-first instinct followed me into events leadership, where success meant anticipating problems before anyone voiced them, and later into human resources, where I spent my days inside the exact moments that shape a career: promotions given and withheld, hard feedback, conflict, reinvention.
Those years in law, hospitality, HR gave me a front-row seat to how people think, what actually motivates them, and precisely where ambitious women get stuck. Not because they're not capable. Because no one ever taught them how to advocate for themselves inside the systems they're operating in.
That's the work I do now: I help ambitious women build the self-image to advocate for their own lives & careers, so their next promotion, pivot, or leap forward comes from courage and confidence and not from finally being given permission.
International Coaching Federation Level 2 Trained Coach: The gold standard in professional coaching. This means I've completed rigorous training and supervised practice hours, held to the highest ethical and professional standards in the industry. Less than 4% of coaches worldwide hold this level of training.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Trained: A deeply effective therapeutic framework for understanding the different parts of ourselves including the part that keeps over-giving at work even when you know better. I use it to address the belief underneath the behaviour, not just the behaviour itself.
Legal background: I trained and worked as a lawyer before becoming a coach. That means I bring rigorous thinking, precision, and a strong ethical framework to this work. I don't do vague. I do clear, structured, and actionable.
10+ years across law, sales, events, and HR: I've sat on both sides of the table in corporate environments as the professional navigating my own career, and as the HR manager helping others'. I understand the specific pressures ambitious women face in professional settings, because I've lived them and I've watched them from inside the system.
The Artist's Way practitioner: Julia Cameron's framework for creative recovery is something I return to personally and draw on professionally. Creativity is one of the most powerful, and most overlooked, tools for rebuilding self-image. I've completed two NaNoWriMo challenges since 2024, and writing is where a lot of my client work begins. Some of the most significant shifts I've witnessed in myself and in clients have come through creative practice, not analysis alone.
Host of Transformations Through Coaching and Creativity podcast: Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Each episode explores the intersection of self-image, creativity, and building a career on your own terms. It's a good place to hear how I think before we work together.
Fluent in four languages: English, Italian, Turkish, Dutch. I work with clients across Europe and internationally, and understand firsthand what it means to navigate identity and ambition across cultures.
Creativity isn't separate from this work for me. It's central to it.
Some of the most profound self-image shifts I've witnessed in myself and in clients have come through creative practice, not analysis.
Testimonials
Dan Marsh
Emel models how progress at anxiety inducing life journeys can be made.
Elena Marsh
Emel shows an incredible commitment to growth and development. She is highly disciplined and goes the extra mile. Emel makes a difference in others' lives through coaching while enjoying the journey.
T.
I have attended three coaching sessions with Emel, each of which lasted for about 1.5 hours. I'm impressed by her inspiratory questions digging into my experiences, helping me discover hidden points that are actually crucial for me. Besides, I like her exercise tasks about loving myself and I keep doing them after the sessions. Another thing is that I learned from her to celebrate what I have done. I never thought I had so many things to celebrate. The feeling is really good and long-lasting!
Not sure where to start? Take the free Courage & Confidence Audit — 10 minutes to see exactly where to focus first.
Contact
info@coachmlc.com