"Working with Marianne has added significant value to my legal career and my life. In my first occasion to work with Marianne, she helped me to create a business development strategy that combined my experience and my passions. When I became more senior, I worked with Marianne to overcome challenges that face women attorneys who work a reduced-hour schedule. When I decided that I wanted to make a professional transition, Marianne helped me to create a plan that identified my needs and desires. Together, we created a blueprint for obtaining success that I continue to use today. Marianne is an amazing professional and an amazing person. All women attorneys need someone like Marianne in their corner!"
Jennifer Knapp Riggs
Council, Litigation
Sprint Law Department
"I have worked with Marianne since 2004, through multiple stages of my life and my law practice. When I first started working with Marianne as a third year associate, Marianne brilliantly and enthusiacally helped me learn and implement the business development side of the legal practice. With her guidance, support and ability to help me plan and strategically use my practice development resources, I was able to generate enough business of my own to make partner two and half years later while at the same time attending law school part time for my LL.M. Since then, Marianne has counseled and supported me in my professional life -- through being a founding partner of the Phoenix office of an international law firm to forming and heading up the Phoenix intellectual property and life science group of a rapidly growing national firm. But what has been most amazing during my time of growth, change and transition in my professional life is that Marianne has had a special gift for listening, understanding and relating to my personal challenges including the growth of my family -- getting married in 2004 and giving birth to four children between 2005 and 2009. To that end, Marianne gave me the wisdom, courage and unfailing support to now take a sabbatical from my law practice to spend more time with my young children. I recommend Marianne to all women lawyers, and especially young women attorneys and attorney-mothers I know. She has unparalleled insight into helping women achieve their professional and personal goals and happiness in the practice of law -- whatever shape or form it may take."
Christine Meis McAuliffe
Former Shareholder, Polsinelli Shughart, PC
“Working with Marianne was great. As a senior associate at a large firm,
I can't overstate how helpful she was in focusing me and the direction I want
to take with my career. In addition, every time we met she gave me practical
business development tips that I could immediately implement. As a direct
result of working with Marianne, I brought in my first client. Her depth of experience, structured
approach and insightful guidance have been invaluable to me. I recommend
her wholeheartedly!”
Monica R.
"Marianne's mission statement reflects exactly who she is and what she does. Marianne is excellent and she helps me to attend to the business development side of my law practice in a supportive manner which is consistent with my personality. I consider her an essential part of my practice. In over 30 years of practicing law, I have been exposed to many excellent business development professionals. Marianne is, bar none, the best."
Rita A. Meiser, P.L.C.
Adoption and Employment Law
“Marianne is much more than the typical marketing consultant to which lawyers are often accustomed. She did not have a pre-set plan to which I was expected to adhere. Rather, she got to know me, my business and personal goals, and my style. She consistently works with that knowledge to develop a marketing plan that I not only act on, but that I actually enjoy. Additionally, although the legal community in Phoenix seems small, she has never shared confidential information with or about me or my business, an obviously critical asset for someone in her position. I frequently recommend her services to friends and colleagues without hesitation.”
Nancy R. Giles
Giles Legal, P.L.C.
General Litigation for Small Businesses
and Contract Litigation Services
"Marianne has helped me get my new firm positioned so we can compete for new clients more effectively. She is a wonderful resource and a great person to work with. Marianne’s ability to strategize and coach has helped my firm grow beyond my wildest expectations."
Laura Carpenter, R.Ph., J.D.
The Carpenter Law Firm
Healthcare Law
“Marianne takes the time to understand you and what you would like to accomplish. She then moves on to help you discover what can be done that will be profitable, satisfying and rewarding. Exceptional.”
Dr. Lawrence E. Koslow
Koslow & Associates,P.L.C.
"Marianne has helped me develop new business by expanding the way I think about business development and coaching me to identify new business opportunities. She works with my strengths to create a business approach that matches my personal style. I have found that it really works!"
Susan I. McLellan
Schneider & Onofry, P.C.
Medical and Dental Malpractice Law
"I have been a lawyer for over 15 years, but having been out of private practice for the last few years and accustomed to a large firm environment, I knew starting my own firm would be challenging. Marianne has been my sounding board and constant cheerleader, guiding me through many of the important business decisions every business owner faces. She has helped me define my business goals and helped me create the practical steps needed to achieve them. Marianne is a key player in my strategy for success."
Helene S. Fenlon
Helene S. FEnlon, P.L.C.
Business and Probate Litigation
"First, go sit on a rock and think about what you really want your life to be..." With those words and her invaluable insights, Marianne helped me transition my career to a position that allows me to combine practicing law, public service, and time for people and interests outside of work. After nearly 20 years as a litigator in private practice, I knew I wanted a change. Through all of our discussions, Marianne helped me to stay focused on those things I had identified as important to a fulfilling life. I cannot explain in this brief testimonial the difference Marianne has made for me. I believe that she was as excited as, if not more than I, when I made my move. That is how much she cared about me as a client and person. I encourage any female attorney, regardless of where they are in their career path, to call her. She knows how to help you increase your client base where you are, or how to help you transition into a career that better fits with who you are and what you want."
Kay Cooper
Litigation Department
Scottsdale Assistant City Attorney
“As someone who is in the beginning stages of her legal career, I found Marianne’s advice and support invaluable. Marianne helped me focus on what I really wanted out of my career and offered innovative ways to achieve my goals. She has given me so much practical advice. Marianne has also been a source of support when I have been faced with difficult decisions and, because of her empathy and years of experience in the legal field, has helped me more clearly analyze the pros and cons of
different choices. I highly recommend Marianne to anyone who would like guidance in their legal career.”
Carolyn Raney
Third Year Associate
"In her presentations, Marianne provides unique, practical, and proven advice to help women attorneys not only to become successful in their career endeavors, but also to become successful in every aspect of life. Her dynamic presentations are easy to understand and reach a wide ranging audience, from first year associate to seasoned attorney, and from solo practitioner to a partner in a large firm. Her passion is inspiring to the audience and her willingness to meet with audience members after her presentation was an added plus."
Angela Walker
Chair of WLSA Symposium
Sandra O'Connor College of Law
"Marianne is an engaging presenter and her practical advice applies to women attorneys at all career levels. She inspired our audience of both legal marketers and lawyers and encouraged collaborative efforts to help our women attorneys be successful. Marianne's extensive experience and "real life"
examples helped our audience relate to the issues and challenges facing women lawyers every day."
Kelly Sharpe
LMA-Midwest Indianapolis City Group Co-Chair
Business Development and Marketing Manager
Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
"Marianne was an incredible source of creativity and guidance when I transitioned my practice to a larger law firm. She provided sharp insight into things I never would have considered and focused my attention and priorities in a masterful way. Her ability to understand and focus on my plans and goals, rather than some pre-set, rigid formula, is unique and the key to many of the successes I have experienced. For the first time, I have pushed through what I believe is a “glass” barrier, and I have achieved my definition of success – being a partner in a loving marriage, co-raising 3 kids under 5 years old, and building a strong and deep legal practice. It has really been in the past year that I have found the ability to prioritize (and then re-prioritize), focus, organize and find the discipline to do what I need to do. I do not find it any coincidence that I have been working with Marianne for the last year – she has been instrumental in helping me build and maintain a successful practice. Not surprisingly, her insights into my legal practice carry over into my personal life in a positive way as well. About once a month I go home and tell my husband about my plans and strategies for growing my practice. During these conversations, I have great enthusiasm and very clear ideas. Each and every time this has happened, my husband has asked, “Did you have a meeting with Marianne today?” and each and every time, I have replied, “Yes!”
Julie V.
"There are not enough words to express my respect and admiration I have for Marianne. I worked with Marianne for a career transition. She is caring, gives gentle pushing when necessary, worked with and around my personality, and gave continuous and positive feedback. I truly felt that through the whole process, Marianne was there for me. She was not only my coach but my most constant cheerleader, supporter, mentor, and most of all, friend. I could not have asked for a more perfect coach. She truly is concerned about her clients not only in a professional sense but with their emotional and personal well-being. Marianne works with what is happening in your life and helps you to achieve balance. She works with you to ascertain what is important to you personally and will help you see how the decisions that you are facing and the decisions you make either align with your fundamental values and beliefs or how they pull you away from them. She takes and helps you towards taking a holistic view of not only your career, but your life. She is absolutely the best!!!"
Bridget M.
"While I am not a client of Marianne Trost's, I had the privilege of working closely with her for nearly seven years while she was Director of Business and Professional Development and I was Managing Partner of Practice at a large, national firm based in California. During that relationship, Marianne was always reliable, possessed of a very positive attitude and demeanor,and understanding of the confidential nature of an attorney's practice as well as his or her need for attention to practice development. She was, and I am confident still is, a delight to work with as a person and one in whose judgment a practicing attorney can rely."
Associate Justice Paul R. Haerle
California Court of Appeal
First Appellate District