Design leadership isn't a title change.
It's a different job.
Brilliant product designers often get promoted into management with no manual, no map and nobody to learn from.
I offer individual coaching for design leaders because doing it alone should not be the only option.
1:1 MENTORING FOR DESIGN LEADS, MANAGERS AND PLAYER-COACHES
Design leadership isn't a title change.
It's a different job.
Brilliant product designers often get promoted into management with no manual, no map and nobody to learn from. I offer individual coaching for design leaders because doing it alone should not be the only option.
Who I am
A design leader who has both shipped the work and raised the bar for managing people
15+ years of experience designing and leading teams inside B2B start-ups and scale-ups across Europe, USA and Australia.
Human-first, multiplier leader: people should feel safe enough to innovate, fail, learn and thrive.
How it works
We map where you actually are
Not a generic leadership curriculum. We start with your specific gap: a team you've just inherited, a promotion you're building the case for, a first hard conversation you're dreading.
We work through real, live situations
Your actual 1:1s, hiring decisions, stakeholder pushback. You bring the situation, we build the response together.
You leave with your own playbook
I measure success by how little you need me by the end. And how much you trust the leader you've become in the process.
What's included
Flexible, whatever is most helpful or pressing
- 01The basics for 1:1s, career frameworks and performance cycles
- 02Hiring, onboarding, promotions and terminations
- 03Hard conversations, critical feedback and radical candor
- 04Real-time support for live situations as they emerge
The logistics
50 mins - Weekly/Fortnightly
Consistent rhythm to build momentum and trust.
Min 3 months
After that, adjust frequency or cancel anytime.
Paid by your employer
Most companies cover the cost of 1:1 coaching as part of your growth or development budget, instead of conference tickets or courses.
“Elena is an absolutely superb manager and designer. I've personally benefited hugely from her mentorship and guidance.”
“I worked with Elena for almost two years, and I can say she's one of the best managers I ever had... continually encouraging me to go beyond my limits.”
“Elena is able to go deep in the weeds and think at a high level, which means she's able to contribute so much to the team and, ultimately, to the customers.”
“We released to market on time with a lot of positive feedback around experience. I'd highly recommend Elena for any design leadership role.”
“Elena continuously seeks to improve the process, deliverables, and ways of working as a team. Given her positive attitude and inspirational leadership, she is a great person to work with and look up to.”
“Elena's ability to challenge both the team and her peers has helped shape EO into a culture where constructive feedback and challenges are welcomed.”
“Elena is very good at switching between an IC role and a management role. It was great to see how she raised the standards of design and our aspirations towards UX.”
“Her ability to take several steps back, question our roadmap and priorities, and suggest alternatives has proven invaluable.”
“Her pushes to think differently about a topic have often helped us deliver much better experiences to customers significantly sooner.”
LET'S TALK
Doing leadership on your own?
You don't have to. Get someone on your side.