Shell Mendelson saved my son’s life.  That is not an over-statement.  My son went into work on the 4th of July and called me to pick him up a few minutes later.  I swung back on to the freeway and when I got there, he was standing on the sidewalk looking like he’d been punched in the stomach.  He was in shock as he got back in the car and couldn’t really talk for a while.  The truth is that was HIS emancipation day too.  Now he was free from the degrading and abusive world of restaurant work, and free from the fruitless job seeking he had been doing in his off hours.  Free from the rejection and self doubt caused by not doing what he loved, and certainly not doing what he hoped he would be doing after college.

Ian graduated with a degree in creative writing, and is a stand up comic at heart.  Shell began working with him the very next day and never let him down.  She challenged him when he needed it, motivated him when he felt like giving up, and kept him on track with great books and tools.  She taught him how to do informational interviews and worked with him to schedule them and keep going when he wanted to just settle for the next job that came along.  After three months of working with Shell and really using her tools and expertise, Ian got his dream job.

He’s now working for a company which was voted the best place to work in Seattle, two years in a row.  He’s doing creative writing every day, learning a tremendous amount about his industry, internet marketing, and the world of work.  He earns a good wage, has excellent benefits, and a boss he really likes.  He is valued by his company and continues to grow in his new job.  He went from dejected college grad doubting himself to successfully employed in a job using his passion for creative writing.  Thank you Shell! 

Margaret Magwire, Seattle, WA