Who We Are

Maria's Story

Stategic Business Coach, Planning Strategist Maria Marsala A few years before founding Elevating Your Business, I was involved in a severe car accident on Staten Island, NY where I lived near the ocean. The accident left me in horrendous pain whenever I took a breath, moved, or laughed. For the first time in many years, I had time to think more deeply about my life and my accomplishments. The accident was a wake-up call that reminded me just how short life really is. So, I purchased a new computer and created a long "Wish List" of all the things I wanted to do or try before I died. Toward the top of my list was finding a less stressful job that I'd be passionate about, which did not necessarily include ending up back on Wall Street. At the end of 1998, after much introspection, I created Elevating Your Business.

For more than 25 years before the car accident, I worked as an executive, running departments and two tiny businesses. Through these experiences, failures, and many successes, I was able to gain a wealth of invaluable knowledge. Today, using these experiences, I partner with remarkable CEOs and executives who are ready to restructure their businesses to serve their lives and contribute more fully to the world.

On Wall Street I was known for my integrity, ability to be a team player, and incredible ability to rattle off a myriad of solutions to complex problems in a single bound! In my community, I was called upon to take my experience and help many nonprofits to start or grow their membership and volunteer pools.

Today through my companies, Elevating Your Business and Act Now Seminars, I work with financial and professional services clients one-on-one or in groups and have given hundreds of speeches to entrepreneurial, corporate, and non-profit audiences of 50 to 2,000 listeners.

My speeches and support are delivered with genuine candor, occasionally irreverence, and always leave the audience with a wealth of useful content and new ideas they can use immediately to substantially grow their businesses and departments. Clients regard me for my extreme efficiency, no-nonsense opinions, colorful wit, and indelible generosity.

Get to Know Maria a Little Better...

Name: Born - Maria Marsala, middle name now Theresa, chosen at Confirmation.

Age: Old enough to know that I don't know everything.

Places Lived: Born in Brooklyn, bought a home on Staten Island, and then moved to Benson/Dunn NC.

Current Location: Poulsbo, city of 9200, just a jump from Seattle, Washington.

Nationality: 2nd generation American, Sicilian, Austrian and Swiss heritage.

Marital Status: Divorced way too long.

Number of Children: Mentored 500+ teenagers and young adults.

Favorite Meal: I cook mostly Italian, American, and when I eat out its Japanese or Greek.

Favorite Places: New York City, Northern Atlantic Coast beaches, and Mount Rushmore.

Driving: Currently drive a green Toyota Camry, dream car is an Audi or BMW that drives itself.

Politics: Independent with Libertarian leanings.

Religion: Attends a Christian church and also enjoys eclectic spiritual practices.

Style: No-holds-barred, honesty is always more important that being "nice."

Favorite Causes: Teenagers, prevention of suicide, rape, domestic violence, and protection of trees/water.

Favorite Stress Busters: Tourist driving, gardening, going to the beach and being around children.

Passion: See favorite causes and business passion.

Secrets: Victim of violence, domestic violence, played the accordion, and I'm an introvert.

Item Can't Live Without: Wooden clothes pins.

Goals: Speak nationally 52 times a year, publish 4 workbooks, and move back to NY.

Business Stress Buster: Reading and coding HTML (websites). Call me a geek anytime.

Business Passion: Helping business owners get unstuck and in return watch them bettter contribute to their world.

Business Secret: I'm a trained Life Coach, and sell AVON products (real long story).

Business Item Can't Live Without: My laptop.

Next Step...

Contact Maria today and take the first step toward an improved bottom line, turbo-charged productivity, and a sparkling quality of life. Click here to schedule an exploratory session. Or call us at 425.440.9659.

Top 30 Coaching Gurus 2011

Former Monthly Columnist

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Testimonial

"Maria isn't known as the Resource Queen for nothing - she knows everything there is to know about running a business successfully and where to go to find the tools and services to do it. Maria's advice and strategy has been invaluable to the clarification and execution of my business goals."
--Nicole Wexler, Decorator & Stager, Turquoise Decor, Seattle, WA, http://www.TurquoiseDecor.com