Human Resources Professionals: Insights & Resources

Best Career Coaches in Los Angeles

Ryan Stevens
February 19, 2026
All Insights
HR Professionals: Insights & Resources

Best Career Coaches in Los Angeles

Best Los Angeles Career Coaches

There’s something unmistakably ambitious about Los Angeles. It’s not just the entertainment industry glamour or the startup buzz—it’s the sheer diversity of professional identity across the entire Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metropolitan area. From media executives and tech founders to logistics leaders in Long Beach and corporate operators in Anaheim, the workforce here is layered, competitive, and constantly reinventing itself.

Los Angeles has long been shaped by reinvention. Studios rise and fall. Startups pivot. Global brands expand west. Entire industries—from entertainment and aerospace to e-commerce and creator economies—have been fueled by a workforce willing to evolve quickly. HR leaders in this region operate in a uniquely high-visibility, high-performance environment. They manage hybrid teams across sprawling geographies, oversee creative and corporate talent simultaneously, and navigate a labor market defined by mobility and brand-conscious professionals.

In a region where identity and career are deeply intertwined, career coaching is not a luxury—it’s infrastructure.

At Digital Reference, we approach professional curation differently. We believe in radical authenticity, transparent credentialing, and clearly articulated methodologies. We don’t rank. We don’t sell placements. We research, evaluate, and curate. 

This curated list highlights career coaches who are actively serving the Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metro area and who demonstrate alignment with HR-driven priorities like leadership development, executive presence, retention, burnout prevention, and measurable performance growth.

🎭 How We Curated This List of Los Angeles’ Top Career Coaches

Every professional featured here was selected through a structured research process. We conducted deep reviews of LinkedIn profiles, analyzed coaching methodologies described on their websites, evaluated certifications and credentials, and assessed alignment with HR-relevant outcomes.

Our criteria include:

🔎 Documented professional background and career trajectory

🎓 Verified certifications (ACC, PCC, MBA, MA, CMCS, CPRW, etc.)

🌐 Clearly articulated coaching frameworks and structured programs

🧠 Demonstrated focus on leadership, performance, career mobility, and resilience

🏢 Relevance to HR challenges in high-growth, creative, and corporate environments

🌎 Active presence within the Los Angeles metro area

🎥 Signals of authenticity and transparency in positioning and messaging

We prioritize professionals who explain how they work—not just what they promise.

🌟 Spotlight on Career Coaches Making an Impact in Los Angeles

🟠 Ari Gootnick

Co-Founder & CEO at Lume

Ari Gootnick brings a modern, tech-forward approach to career and leadership coaching through Lume. His background reflects deep experience in helping professionals navigate high-growth environments—particularly relevant in Los Angeles’ expanding startup and creator economy.

On LinkedIn and Lume’s website, Ari emphasizes clarity, data-informed development, and structured goal design. His work integrates:

🚀 Growth-stage leadership support

📊 Career mapping rooted in performance metrics

💬 Feedback-driven coaching loops

🧠 Strategic thinking for founders and operators

Ari’s methodology resonates with HR teams overseeing fast-scaling startups and cross-functional creative teams. Rather than abstract inspiration, he focuses on measurable progression and leadership accountability—critical in LA’s competitive tech and media ecosystems.

🟠 Bev Weise, MBA, ACC

Co-Founder & Executive Director at Refugee JumpStart Coaching

Bev Weise combines corporate leadership experience with International Coaching Federation (ICF) credentials (ACC) and an MBA, grounding her coaching in both empathy and business acumen.

Through Refugee JumpStart Coaching, she works at the intersection of workforce integration and career empowerment. Her approach includes:

🌍 Career transition strategy for internationally trained professionals

📈 Skills translation for U.S. job markets

💼 Corporate readiness coaching

🤝 Cultural navigation support

In a global city like Los Angeles—home to diverse immigrant communities and multinational employers—Bev’s work supports inclusion initiatives and HR diversity pipelines. Her coaching directly aligns with workforce development, retention, and equitable advancement.

🟠 David Couper

Founder & CEO at DCC Leadership Development and Coaching

David Couper’s leadership development focus positions him squarely in executive and corporate coaching. His background reflects years of structured leadership advisory and organizational strategy.

His methodology highlights:

🧠 Emotional intelligence integration

📊 Leadership assessment tools

🎯 Performance optimization frameworks

🔄 Change management alignment

David’s work is particularly relevant for mid-to-senior level leaders navigating promotions, restructuring, or cross-departmental scaling—common in LA’s entertainment, aerospace, and technology sectors. HR departments benefit from his structured, measurable leadership development approach.

🟠 Karen Suarez, MA, CMCS, CPRW

Founder & Owner at KTS Career Coaching

Karen Suarez brings specialized career development credentials (CMCS, CPRW) alongside a master’s degree, signaling both academic grounding and practical resume strategy expertise.

Her coaching centers around:

📝 Resume and LinkedIn optimization

🎯 Targeted job search strategies

💼 Career clarity planning

📈 Personal branding development

Karen’s work is especially relevant in Los Angeles’ competitive job market, where branding and presentation matter deeply. HR professionals recognize that strong candidate positioning improves hiring outcomes—and Karen’s coaching supports that pipeline from the candidate side.

🟠 Elaine Lou Cartas, MS, PCC

Business & Executive Career Coach at Elaine Lou, LLC

Elaine Lou Cartas blends business coaching with executive career strategy, holding both a Master of Science degree and PCC certification—an advanced coaching credential.

Her approach emphasizes:

💎 High-earning women and underrepresented leaders

📊 Revenue and compensation growth strategies

🎯 Negotiation coaching

🌱 Confidence-building grounded in structure

In Los Angeles, where compensation disparities and visibility gaps can impact career trajectories, Elaine’s coaching integrates financial empowerment with executive presence. HR teams concerned with equity and leadership diversity find alignment in her methodology.

🟠 Sami Toussi

Owner and Founder at Toussi International

Sami Toussi positions himself as a global career strategist with cross-cultural expertise—particularly valuable in Los Angeles’ international business landscape.

His work includes:

🌎 International career navigation

🎤 Executive communication coaching

📈 Strategic positioning in global markets

🔄 Career pivot frameworks

For multinational corporations and professionals navigating cross-border leadership roles, Sami’s approach blends executive polish with global perspective—an asset in LA’s globally connected industries.

🟠 John Logue

Confidence Coach & Founder at Confidence Coach

John Logue focuses on the psychological core of career performance: confidence. His branding and methodology emphasize practical strategies to overcome imposter syndrome, presentation anxiety, and leadership hesitation.

His work highlights:

🎤 Public speaking confidence

💼 Executive presence development

🧠 Cognitive reframing techniques

🔄 Habit-building for sustained confidence

In industries like entertainment, tech pitching, and executive leadership—where visibility is unavoidable—confidence becomes a performance metric. John’s coaching directly supports that dimension.

🟠 Shannon Philip

Co-Founder & Coach at Shinebright Coaching

Shannon Philip’s Shinebright Coaching centers around empowerment, clarity, and resilience. Her approach integrates mindset coaching with practical career action plans.

She emphasizes:

🌟 Career clarity frameworks

🧭 Values-driven goal alignment

📈 Structured accountability systems

💬 Communication skill development

For professionals navigating LA’s nonlinear career paths—especially in creative sectors—Shannon’s methodology supports both personal clarity and professional advancement.

🟠 Dawn Smith

Career Transition, Executive and Relationship Coach at Whole Life Solutions Coaching

Dawn Smith takes a holistic lens to career development, recognizing that burnout and performance are interconnected.

Her approach includes:

🧘 Work-life integration strategies

🧠 Stress management coaching

🎯 Career alignment exercises

🌿 Sustainable productivity systems

In a region known for hustle culture, Dawn’s emphasis on balance supports long-term workforce sustainability—something HR leaders increasingly prioritize.

🟠 Natalie Doster Gipson

President & CEO at CareerPrepPros, Inc.

Natalie Doster Gipson leads CareerPrepPros with a strong focus on preparation, readiness, and professional polish. Her work includes structured career coaching, resume strategy, and leadership readiness training.

Her methodology includes:

📝 Executive resume optimization

🎯 Interview preparation systems

💼 Corporate advancement strategies

📊 Skills articulation frameworks

Natalie’s work is particularly aligned with professionals seeking advancement within competitive corporate sectors across the Los Angeles metro area. HR leaders benefit when candidates and internal talent arrive prepared, polished, and strategically positioned.

Los Angeles Career Coaching & The Digital Reference Difference

The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim metro area is expansive, competitive, and deeply identity-driven. Career mobility here is constant. Leaders rise quickly—and pivot just as fast. HR departments are tasked with building sustainable cultures in industries defined by speed and visibility.

The coaches featured here represent diverse methodologies, but they share one common thread: specificity. They articulate how they work, who they serve, and what outcomes they pursue.

As the professional landscape continues to evolve, the way we evaluate coaches and consultants must evolve too. Verified references, professional storytelling, and transparency are no longer optional—they’re expected.

👇 Explore additional insights into modern professional credibility here:

In a city built on ambition and reinvention, credibility is your greatest asset. Digital Reference exists to help you evaluate it with clarity.

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