About
Who Is Valli?
Valli Swerdlow, MSW, President, VALLI Associates, is a BABY VOOMER ™ Career Coach Guru, Leadership Coach for Baby Boomers and a Personal Brand Analyst. She is an enthusiastic, inspiring and experienced businesswomen and solo entrepreneur. Known for using a creative approach with college students, professionals starting their career through to executives, she quickly gains the trust of individuals and team members while empowering managers and executives to perform at their peak. Valli is unique in the way she approaches her work because of combined knowledge she has mastered through her background in executive search recruiting, counseling, professional sales, client services, entrepreneurship, and networking skills.
What Is She All About?
Research shows less than 50% of employees feel engaged in their work. Throughout her 20 years in Career Management Valli has witnessed this fact firsthand. For example, a client reported that their work, “…hasn’t been feeding my soul; is no longer igniting my fire; I’m having the feelings of been there and done that…..” Valli addresses this prevalent workplace environment as a challenge that drives her determination to show individuals a way to turn things around and become more innovative, inspired and creative in what they do, just as she is!
She is Passionate About Branding…
Valli’s mission is to show clients that whether they are in a current position and want mobility within their organization to redefine their purpose, or are looking to reinvent themselves and find their passion somewhere else, branding is now an essential part of their value proposition and used as a differentiator. She partners with clients to create their own personal brand. This energizes individuals and leads to innovation and empowerment in the workplace, thereby avoiding burnout and increasing retention.
Background…
After an 11 year international talent management career with small, and medium to Fortune 500 corporate clients such as Discovery, NPR, USA Today, The Washington Post, Tishman Speyer and Time Life, Valli Swerdlow transitioned in 2008 to offering leadership/career development services for individuals, corporations and organizations in virtual, one-on-one and on-site environments.
Throughout her professional life Valli has empowered clients to be pro-active, self-reliant and direct their own futures by uncovering their true, authentic self in their career discovery journey.
Clients…
Valli’s clients are connected to a variety of industries such as finance/accounting, pharmaceutical, commercial real estate, non-profit, arts, technology, associations, as well as providing services to both Federal and State Governments.
In addition to motivational speaking engagements and workshops on career development and leadership she has passionately addressed university and college students (academic institutions) encouraging them to explore the power of internships to further their careers.
Valli offers customized corporate/organizational workshops based on client needs. A sample of topics include: “The Threshold Generation,” “Introvert vs. Extrovert: Business Strategies for Success,” “Finding Soul In Your Career Path” (this was misspelled and said Patch), “Match Your Head To Your Heart,” “Multi – Generational Workforce: Are You Talking To Me? Managing and Communicating Through Generations At Work” and “Baby Boomer Or Baby Voomer (took off TM): You Decide!”
Credentials…
Valli, MSW, received her degree from Boston University in Clinical Therapy; certification for Leadership and Executive Coaching Program from the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY; undergraduate degree in Business from RIT and her certification as a Personal Brand Analyst from 360Reach. She is also certified on a number of instruments including 360 assessments for leadership development. Valli is a member of the International Coaching Federation.
On a personal note…
Valli uses her vision not only in her professional life but feels energized by painting in acrylics, mixed media and traveling to exotic/adventurous locations. She has visited the Amazon, Machu Picchu, will soon be on safari in Africa, then planning her next trip around the world. She started writing a children’s book during a recent trip to Thailand and began illustrating it, for the first time in her life, without any formal art courses. That inspired her in turn to use her talents expressively by painting furniture and then larger canvases. In the fall of ’11 Valli went on an African safari to Tanzania as well as visited the gorillas in Rwanda, which she found life changing.
Valli is dedicated to causes centered around diversity, homelessness, and giving pro bono career services to those who have been economically challenged nationwide. She is a former board member of Metro DC PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender), where she oversaw all the support groups in the Greater Metro DC area, as well as becoming a founder and facilitator. She volunteers at AARP’s WorkSearch program as a Virtual Career Coach offering pro bono services to support people nationwide in their career pathway. She has been a supporter and volunteered at Miriam’s Kitchen, a non-profit, that serves 200+ homeless clients a gourmet breakfast in Washington, DC.
