What Our Clients Say

"I had the pleasure of working with Zena and can confidently say she is a true professional and highly proficient talent acquisition partner. Zena took on several hard-to-fill roles and delivered exceptional results, consistently meeting our hiring demands and timelines without compromising on candidate quality. What sets Zena apart is her combination of persistence, market knowledge, and genuine partnership with hiring. Any organization would be fortunate to have her lead talent."

"Zena was incredible to work with. She saw what I was not able to see. She helped me gain different perspectives to prepare for the right role and she helped me not to settle. I was able to land a role in my niche experience for $225K, fully remote - my dream! I recommend her to anyone looking for career/job searching support."

"Having Zena as a coach has been life-changing. She is not only incredibly knowledgeable but also deeply empathetic. Her guidance has helped me grow personally and professionally, and she reminded me of who I am when I needed it most. She helped me rediscover my strength, resilience, and purpose, giving me the confidence to move forward with clarity, joy, and determination. I am truly grateful for her lasting impact on my life."

"I cannot recommend Zena enough. Losing my job was debilitating for me. She not only helped me rebrand myself and find jobs I never would have considered or been able to find on my own, but also helped me regain my confidence and focus on my joy, not just the job hunt. I cannot thank her enough."

"Zena provides rate insights, professionalism, intuition, and tangible results! She is intentional in the way she guides and partners with clients. I have worked with many professionals over the course of my career and she truly is one of the best! Both in terms of what she provides, her follow up, her consistency, and the results!"

"Zena is an incredibly versatile professional that always knows how to get her clients where they need to be, going above and beyond at every turn. Knowledgeable of hiring practices, fantastic at interview prep and knows just how best to position her clients so that their unique skills and qualities shine through in applications as well as interviews. In addition, she always keeps you honest, providing constructive feedback that helps you get the job and land in the best position possible. I totally recommend working with Zena and if you ever need someone to point you in the right direction for your career, she is the number one person to contact. It's always a pleasure working together!"

"I recommend Elite Coaching Biz Lab for those exploring an independent Career Coaching business. Genius idea – and so straight-forward. Use the skills you've been honing for decades as a recruiter to become a career coach. Zena has really thought this through and has offered all the various services so she speaks from experience – successful experience. I've decided to pursue a few different consumer groups and each with a different approach. As I work out the details I use Zena as a sounding board for day-to-day as well as brainstorming. The opportunity to create a career coaching business that is focused on your interests, targeting consumer groups that you chose, with numerous combinations of services, means your business is unique to you. Every time I have an idea about who I should target I call Zena. She always has ideas I hadn't even thought of about how to monetize my ideas, which highlights the numerous services/revenue streams and the FLEXIBILITY. There are so many reasons to take the Elite Coaching Biz Lab path to a successful career coaching business!"

"I had the pleasure of working with Zena for resume and career coaching services. She transformed my resume, turning it into a polished representation of my skills and experiences. She also served as a true partner throughout the entire coaching process - providing thoughtful insights, practical strategies, and support along the journey. Zena is professional, insightful, and highly effective. I recommend her to anyone looking to elevate their career."

"Zena has been an amazing inspiration and coach that has been very supportive and responsive throughout my job search. I had a quick turnaround request for an interview; I messaged Zena requesting for advice and help. I listened to her advice and was moved to the next round. I took a different approach to the interview, and it worked well. I was able to build rapport and connect with my interviewer. Zena is an expert in her field, and I recommend anyone job searching to reach out to her for her assistance."

"Zena is an excellent career and life coach who is passionate about helping professionals land their dream job. Her dedication and wealth of knowledge is unmatched!"

"It is with great pride that I recommend Zena Contreras as an exceptional Career Coach. Over the more than 15 years that I have known Zena, I have had the pleasure of working alongside her in a professional capacity as well as seeking her guidance for my own career advancement. I can confidently say that she possesses a unique blend of intelligence, intuition, and laser-focused insight that sets her apart in her field. Zena has an extraordinary ability to empower her clients, guiding them toward the opportunities that best match their skills and aspirations. Her commitment to presenting only the most qualified candidates is evident each time she is entrusted with job openings. Her unmatched research skills ensure that she consistently identifies top talent, making her an invaluable asset to any organization. Beyond her impressive professional acumen, Zena's compassion, thoughtfulness, and unwavering professionalism make her a joy to work with. She genuinely cares about the success of her clients and strives to create a supportive environment that fosters growth and confidence. In summary, Zena Contreras is a remarkable Career Coach who deserves recognition for her dedication and expertise. I wholeheartedly endorse her and am excited to see the continued impact she will make in the lives of those she serves."

"Zena is not only a talented career coach but also a true partner in your professional growth. Her thoughtful guidance, actionable insights, and genuine support is why I highly recommend her to anyone navigating a career transition or looking to level up!"

"I recommend Zena Contraras! She was a pleasure to work with in this season of seeking and securing my next role. Her insights on resume design helped to improve clarity, she provided tools to help in my search to gain visibility and accessibility, and her words of encouragement helped to strengthen my resolve. I now have a renewed sense of energy and encouragement. Thank you so much, Zena."

"I have known Zena for several years, when we met at Spectrum News 1 where she was a recruiter and I was brought in on contract as an anchor and supervising producer for a number of shows. We hit it off right away because Zena has a wonderful, unique combination of strategic practicality and deep spirituality. That second characteristic is as vital to her work as the first with clients because it has kept my value and gifts front and center in my mind regardless of any struggles. I recently reached out to Zena after the cancellation of a show I had reported on a long time, and decreased freelance work. We had a strategic and compassionate discussion about my career options going forward. Through her company, she has provided me with excellent revised cover letters, resumes, and just as importantly, a reframing of my skills and worth that buoyed me, bought back my confidence and opened my mind to new possibilities. I have started my own independent journalism sites online, and with her guidance and encouragement, have been in talks with excellent organizations where I can contribute my storytelling and content strategy skills with integrity. All this is happening while I'm away from my home caring for my mother. Zena has a huge heart for understanding that self-care is vital to professional success, guides the process of a job search like a big sister (including talks before and after an interview), and is always offering gems of wisdom in every conversation I have with her. I feel fortunate to be working with her through this latest professional transition, and recommend her very highly!"

"Zena was very helpful with coaching me through being more confident and knowing my worth and where I belong to sit at the table in the corporate world. What sets Zena aside from others, she follows back up to be sure that you're in a great space with yourself mentally as well. I've recommended Zena to other colleagues of mine."

"Zena's guidance helped me more than I can put into words. One of the biggest challenges I had was being able to present my skill set in the proper way for the career direction I desired. This has been a challenge for years and a serious roadblock. Once I realized it was a problem, seeking help became an immediate priority, which led to the two of us meeting. Her combination of experience in HR, recruiting, coaching, and comprehension of industries are very unique and valuable. She was able to provide the guidance and insight I needed to move to the next phase. My gratitude is more than she knows, and I highly recommend her to anyone, whether you've found yourself in a similar position as myself, or otherwise."

"Zena was on top of everything from the start. Hands on! She is an expert in helping people go from something good to something great. I'm very satisfied with Zena's work."

"I had the pleasure of working with Zena professionally. Her managerial skills, coaching expertise, and outstanding problem-solving abilities were instrumental in our team's success. I highly recommend Zena, and I am confident she would quickly become a valuable asset to any organization."

"Zina played a pivotal role as my mentor and the reason I pursued a career in recruiting. I had the pleasure of working under Zina at the beginning of my recruiting career at ASM when I needed someone to believe in me and give me a chance. Despite my limited experience in recruiting, she hired me as a sourcer for her team, recognizing my potential. Zina took me under her wing and taught me how to identify top talent in challenging markets. She showed me how to be scrappy and resourceful, encouraging me to think outside the box when tackling new challenges. Thanks to her guidance, I quickly advanced to a recruiter position, where I successfully found and hired exceptional candidates. I owe a significant part of my career success to Zina, as she laid the foundation that has helped me thrive in later roles. The coaching and development I received from her continue to influence how I manage and mentor my own direct reports today."

"Zena is an awesome person to have in your corner if you are on the job search!!! Today's job market is more competitive than ever and having Zena to help made all the difference for me. I especially want to shout out her resume refinement skills. Resume writing is always such a hassle and it's hard to know what you should or shouldn't do, but Zena made that part super easy. Her years of experience and industry knowledge helped me write the perfect resume to land the job I have now. I wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking to start a new chapter in their career journey!"

"Where do I start? Zena is an amazing, phenomenal person to have in your corner. She's there each step of the way offering you guidance from her wealth of knowledge. I had the pleasure of working closely with Zena as she navigated me on how to polish and present myself. Not to mention her thoughtfulness when she followed up with me. I highly recommend Zena for her dedication, professionalism, and ability to deliver results."

"Zena is a true Talent Acquisition Recruitment professional. I have had the pleasure of working with Zena at three Global Entertainment companies. Zena quickly learns the company culture and builds relationships with her client groups. She is extremely effective in sourcing quality candidates at a very high volume and at a fast pace. Zena is a colleague, a mentor and a friend I hold at the highest regard."

"Zina and I worked together for about a year at MySpace.com. During that time she recruited candidates for a variety of positions within my department up to the level of Manager. While I did not manage her directly I had the opportunity to work closely with her on a frequent basis. We developed a collaborative and respectful relationship which made it possible to stay focused on and hit our targets while keeping my staffing needs to a minimum."