Hiring a coach was a big deal for me. I’ve always been someone who thought I could “do it on my own.” But the day before my 39th birthday, as life kept piling on, I realized I needed a professional who could guide me when my head was spinning. Enter Sarah. From the start, she took my disorganized thoughts and helped me find a clear path forward. At times, I didn’t fully understand the “why” behind her process—and as an academic, questioning is second nature to me. But I learned to put my ego aside and trust her expertise. Some of the exercises even felt silly at first… until I realized those were the exact things I needed to gain clarity and uncover what truly matters most. Did Sarah’s coaching align with my expectations? Honestly, not always – and that was the best surprise. Where I expected simple advice, I found a transformational process. Where I thought I didn’t “need” certain steps, I discovered they were pivotal. Sarah’s approach exceeded anything I could have mapped out for myself. The areas where her coaching did align with my expectations – her knowledge, compassion, directness, timeliness, and the ease of conversation – were what made the growth possible. But the real gift was in how her path stretched me beyond what I thought coaching would be. Because of Sarah, I’ve reconnected with my values, made deliberate life decisions, and created next steps with confidence and clarity. Her coaching didn’t just meet my expectations – it redefined them. She is a 10/10 must-hire for anyone seeking true guidance and life clarity.

Sarah is a thoughtful and insightful coach. She provides tangible tools and resources – while also addressing deftly the emotional undercurrent to life’s decisions. My work with Sarah was deeply impactful for me and I would wholeheartedly recommend working with her if you are at a crossroads or looking for help navigating your path.

I would recommend working with Sarah to anyone, especially those thinking through what they want to be doing. I was a consultant that was RIF’d after my contract was cancelled due the federal cuts that have been in the news the past few months. When I first met Sarah, I was in a bit of a panic as the road I was travelling to get a job seemed increasingly hopeless. Talking with her, I realized that I should be looking in a different direction that better leveraged my interests, skills, and experience. I shortly got an interview after this meeting and our conversation helped me feel calmer and more comfortable than I was before, putting me in a much better position to land the job (which I ultimately did). Beyond that, Sarah not only helped me realize what I wanted to do but in doing so, helped me tell a more persuasive story about myself and my skills. I am convinced I would not have landed the job I have now without her help.

I wasn’t really sure with what I wanted when I was signing up, and I wasn’t sure that 5 sessions could achieve much. But I learned so much about myself, my strengths, and my needs through our conversation and assignments. Sarah’s warmth, empathy, and insights are incredible. We made so much progress and I gained so much.

Count me in as a lifetime member of the Square Peg Club. Dr. Sarah Trocchio is a highly effective and empowering professional coach whose style is informed by her background in social work and sociology. After just five sessions, I had clarity and focus on issues that were blocking me from taking the next big career steps. I loved how in every session we got right into the work. Sarah comes in with a plan for each call and takes detailed notes which she then summarizes and sends along with next steps and homework. This accountability and direction helped me make rapid progress. We got into the weeds quickly, Sarah worked with me to clarify my resume but also reclaim my sense of who I am professionally and what I offer. We also did mock interviews where she gave me useful and immediate feedback on how I talk about myself as well as effective frameworks to use in the future. My confidence started to come back quickly. Almost immediately, new and serious professional opportunities opened up to me. Sarah is also a badass who is not afraid to be herself and watching this empowered me to not shy away from who I am and how I want to show up in the world. She’s also funny as hell and I immediately wanted to match her energy, wit, and intellect. For anyone, but especially high achieving women who are looking to get to the next level or get out of a rut, Sarah is 100% worth the investment.

Sarah’s services were so valuable during a very stressful and volatile time for me. I had not updated my resume in several years or kept up with a LinkedIn account and Sarah was able to expertly assist me with both. She listened to what I would be looking for in another position should I choose to move on from my current role, and she was able to tailor my materials and target a few job searches that returned very interesting positions that were aligned with my goals and interests. Because of her help, I now feel confident that I have the tools to find another position should I choose to move on from my current career.

Thank you, once again, for your time and willingness to help federal workers through this difficult time. You have a great personality and made me feel at ease and appreciated! The laughs were also welcomed. I got so motivated by your suggestions that I already started looking into how to incorporate them into my job search.

Working with Sarah was a tremendously empowering process. After my sessions with her I feel more in control of my career: I’m less fearful about taking risks, and I’m excited about new opportunities.

You already went above and beyond by reviewing my resume before our first session and provided detailed summary notes after each of our meetings. You were also a good conversationalist, providing me the space to voice my desires, opinions, and concerns. I wish I had more ‘constructive’ feedback, but the experience was just THAT good. From proper resume drafting and positioning, application guidance and pipeline building to increase chances of landing an interview, and organic network building on LinkedIn. Every coaching session felt like a series of positive “Ah-ha!” moments that immediately resonated with me. Martin Schlesinger, Privacy & Compliance Program Manager

I was at a significant crossroads in my career, discerning what I loved about my traditional faculty path and what other types of work I hoped to engage in during the next phase of my career. Sarah Trocchio guided me to a much greater understanding of the personal values subtending my past accomplishments and my future goals. Her superpower is helping clients articulate and align those values with the purpose and joy they seek their lives and in their work.

A friend recommended Sarah to me, and I could not have been more thrilled or thankful for Sarah’s many strengths and skills! She leads with warmth and centers collaboration. Her insightful questions from the macro to the micro have helped me think through a mission statement for myself, and the building blocks for a strategic plan. I also had a great opportunity to consult on a project, which she helped me to see as a case study for work outside of higher ed! She gave me advice on all aspects of the project, and I appreciate her expertise with building a proposal, pricing, negotiating with a client and understanding expectations and lingo in industry work. I told Sarah that I felt like she was designed for me! I plan to work with her in the future and cannot recommend her enough!

Having never received career coaching before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sarah’s approach was direct, and focused and dove right into the crux of the matter, surfacing the necessary self-awareness and harnessing a deeper understanding of motivations and aversions to the type, place and reasons for designing a career trajectory. The zooms sessions were safe, kind, peppered with laughter and surfaced a REALNESS to the introspective, deep work necessary to arrive at particular junctures were action can take place. At first, I wasn’t sure I knew what I would talk about or receive coaching on each week. Then, right before the first session after preparing to respond to Sarah’s very astute reflection prompts, I knew there would be deep work to engage in. And so many new opportunities blossomed during our time together — this alignment and leaning in to the limitless possibilities were my favorite part of our time together. There are three key takeaways that I arrived because of the structured, measured way in which Sarah guides each sessions and tasks between sessions. I was prompted to think deeply about the whys and hows, my goals and passions in ways that I hadn’t approached this kind of thinking before. Sarah’s approach is gentle, kind and firm; she pushes past the surface and has the beautiful skill to keep her clients accountable, invested and honest about their work and motivations. I also very much appreciated her ‘calling out my hang-ups’ and alerted me to the inner chatter that so often clouds thoughts and judgments. Sarah, thank you – what an absolute gift you offer with care and joy. -NK

I was referred to Sarah for coaching as I struggled to find my way as a new solopreneur after leaving higher education In 18 months of coaching with Sarah, I did so much more: I transformed my life. I needed to blow up my life. Sarah intuitively and compassionately challenged me week after week, milestone after milestone to keep going. Of course, while consistently reminding me to practice self-care and celebrate every lesson and win, she kept lovingly inviting me to keep going and keep learning. This is truly transformative coaching!

I can’t stress enough how working with Sarah has been a transformative experience. A friend from grad school recommended that I connect with Sarah when I confided in them about my career-related unhappiness and feeling adrift. From our very first meeting, it became evident that Sarah possesses a unique ability to deeply respect and understand the person in front of her. It’s not quite like therapy, and it’s not just friendship; Sarah serves as a compassionate mirror that helped me realize that a grander vision for my professional journey is well within my grasp. My experience with her felt both grounded and expansive, bridging the present and the future. Since I started collaborating with her, my perspective on my work has expanded, and I’ve gained a clearer understanding of healthy boundaries. I’ve also come to recognize that I deserve happiness and prosperity, and achieving these goals is entirely feasible.

I was unsure of how to move my job search forward after deciding to leave my position as a tenured professor. I was referred to Sarah by a friend who also left academia, and I’m so glad I decided to work with Sarah. She is committed, kind, and energetic. She will engage you in the questions you need to reflect on while providing encouragement and support. After our sessions, I feel much more confident in what I want out of my next position and how to communicate that in a resume and cover letter.

Sarah is a bright, supportive, and insightful coach, who held me accountable to my intentions and values warmly and firmly. Working with her has helped me find integrity and peace in my professional directions.

Working with Sarah has given me a whole new way of thinking about what my life can look like, professionally and beyond. She’s helped me feel like I can stop looking for permission to pursue unconventional and creative possibilities, and that I’m free to create my own blueprint, and I can start down the road without knowing exactly where it will lead.

Earlier this year, you helped me gain a new self awareness. My career, and joy, had stalled. We crafted a plan forward and I am very pleased to announce that I began a new career season. You helped me greatly by becoming available for advice during that crucial interview phase. I was provided a fair salary, a continuation of my current benefits and freedom to work from home at my discretion this is a good fit. I want to thank you for your willingness and expertise. Who knows what will be accomplished next?

Sarah was very friendly and incredibly supportive, but also very professional. Working with her helped me clarify what I value in a career, and empowered me to look for it in places I did not consider was possible before. She also understands the conditions and constraints of academic life, which I found very helpful. I would definitely recommend coaching with Sarah to anyone who has questions about their careers.

I came to the process feeling like I didn’t have the tools or skills to gain clarity on my values or goals, but Sarah was key in helping me to see that this wasn’t the case. I felt both gently pushed and greatly affirmed throughout my sessions with Sarah and would highly recommend the practice to anyone seeking direction from someone who has been there before.

Sarah is a master at helping people identify their goals and strengths. She gives lots of great feedback and provides new ways of thinking about life roles.

This was a transformative experience in helping me get unstuck in my professional life. I had been spinning my wheels trying to figure out my next steps. Sarah helped me clarify my goals and come up with concrete steps I could take right now. I have a much better sense of what I can contribute to the world and where my current position fits in. I highly recommend her to anyone who is needing more clarity, purpose, and encouragement.

I’m SO happy with my job transition and my family and friends say that I’m back to being my happy, pre-burnout self. I feel valued and respected at my new job, and I enjoy the work, but I especially love not thinking about it after I log out for the day. Since I work for a multinational company, I’m using that as a stepping stone to try to move my family to a new country. I have a transfer to Portugal approved by my super supportive manager who is now shepherding that through the complexities of HR. I can’t thank you enough for all your help!

Our time together has been one of the greatest gifts and highlights of my professional career. I send my deepest thanks for the warm connection, the insightful questions, the encouragement to think outside of all the boxes, and the affirmation that my passions are important and have value. I have worked with two coaches previously and value this service, and Sarah’s skill and support are unique. I have recommended her to all of my colleagues!