As a writer, coach, and speaker, I help people navigate ambiguity, change, and transition to discover what’s possible on the other side.

Tina believes there is more waiting for us on the other side than we can imagine. Her work is open to all who are navigating ambiguity, change, and transition and desire to discover what’s possible. 

Tina holds a Bachelor's of Social Work from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and spent over a decade working with runaway and homeless youth and their families before pivoting into writing and coaching. As cofounder and Editor in Chief of The Great Discontent magazine, a multimedia publication featuring in-depth interviews with notable creators, Tina conversed with the likes of Cheryl Strayed, Roxane Gay, Reggie Watts, Tavi Gevinson, Leon Bridges, Krista Tippett, and many more.  

In 2017, Tina transitioned out of the magazine and returned to her social work roots, training as a coach and launching her practice. Since then she’s helped hundreds of clients take action toward their goals. From receiving a message from a client who was recruited for her “dream job” to helping a client advocate for himself at work to watching another client’s face light up with an insight during an in person session, she is energized by the collaborative, dynamic nature of the coaching relationship.

Tina writes and speaks about how to navigate transition, both personally and professionally. She has spoken on the main stage at HOW Design Live, taught at 99U in New York City, lectured at Parsons, spoken to the Wieden+Kennedy Design Studio, and led workshops at NEW INC and Sky TV in London. Her writing has appeared in 99U and Working Not Working Magazine and she’s been featured in Forbes, Print, GDUSA’s People to Watch List, and Brooklyn Mag’s 100 Most Influential People.

Ever open to the opportunities that change brings as she urges her clients to do, Tina’s work has expanded over the past year as the birth of her firstborn son nudged her back into personal writing. She is currently working on her MFA in Creative Writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts with a focus on creative nonfiction and writing new material about losing a mother, becoming a mother, and the transformation of grief.

select press & interviews

Finding the Common Denominator & How to Take a (Grown-Up) Gap Year | SuperHi Interview

Ask with Mikel Ellcessor | Podcast Interview

Limbo with Alex Hollander E06 | Podcast Interview

Routines & Ruts with Madeleine Dore S1 E8 | Podcast Interview

Art Pays Me with Duane Jones S1 E41 | Podcast Interview

I Make A Living S2 E2: Pivoting Your Business | Podcast Interview

Episode 28: "No One Is Your Project" on The Live Journal with Paola Atlason | Podcast Interview

From Editor-In-Chief To Life Coach | Forbes Magazine Feature

Tina Essmaker’s Great Contentment | Print Mag

Getting Work to Work Ep 245 | Podcast Interview

Looking for a Career Boost? What Creative Coaches Want You to Know | 99U Feature

Overshare by Working Not Working | Podcast Interview

The Process | Podcast Interview

Make Nice | Written Interview

The 100 Day Podcast | Podcast Interview

Let It Out | Podcast Interview

Creative Pep Talk | Podcast Interview

2018 GDUSA People to Watch | Magazine Feature

Around NYC | Interview Series

Brooklyn 100 Influencer | Magazine Feature

REQUEST AN INTERVIEW FOR YOUR PODCAST OR MAGAZINE

I’ve been featured in press outlets from Forbes to Print and 99U and interviewed for podcasts like Design Matters, Creative Pep Talk, and Overshare from Working Not Working.

It’s always a joy to share about the work I do, why I do it, and open up about how my personal experiences have shaped my professional life.

If you’d like to book me for your podcast or interview me for a publication, let’s talk. You can reach me at hello@tinaessmaker.com.