#1 Recognized Career Coach

Architect, Design and Curate Your Unique Personal Story To Land Your Dream Career

FREE WEBINAR
10 Steps to Finding Your Dream Career

Are you  frustrated with your job search?

Are you afraid you are never going to find your dream job?

Do you get anxious during interviews?

Do you know how to make connections and network?

Hi, I am Debra Olshan Cooper. With over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur and founder of successful PR and marketing firms in New York City and Miami, I have mastered the art of strategic storytelling and personal brand positioning, helping individuals and organizations craft compelling narratives and gain national exposure in outlets such as The New York Times, CNN, The Today Show, and The New York Post.

NOW, I can do the same for YOU. I will help you craft, tell, and sell your unique personal story to land your dream career.

Recognized By Leading Organizations

Find your passion with our "Ta-Da" List

Excavate who you are, find your passion, and discover your pursuits with my “Ta Da” List - Free to download. 

These college graduates found their dream career

  • Liam Baigun
    Concordia University
    "Debra gave us a workshop that was both helpful and engaging. Her guidance on how to tell our story and handle professional settings was practical and easy to apply. I am grateful for the time she spent with us and look forward to using everything I learned."
    Ariel Lewis
    University of Delaware
    "Debra’s seminar was inspiring and truly thought-provoking. It pushed me to reflect deeply on who I am and the career I want to pursue. I left with clarity, motivation, and a desire to keep exploring my path. Even though I cannot join the winter program, I genuinely hope to work with Debra in the future."
    Mac Bauer
    "Working with Debra helped me learn how to apply my experiences to any role—sales, marketing, nonprofit, or community work. I felt fully prepared for any interview question and able to align my values and skill set with the position. I just received an offer for my dream role, and I credit Debra and YourCareerDesignLab for guiding me to this success."
    Kapricia Birch
    Senior Branch Manager at Orlando Credit Union
    "Working with Debra was a game changer. She brought clarity, structure, and strategy to a career pivot that once felt overwhelming. Her supportive yet direct coaching helped me connect the dots in ways I had never considered. I finished our sessions with renewed confidence, a clear direction, and practical tools to move forward. I highly recommend working with her."
  • Danielle Farage
    Danielle Speaks
    "Debra helped me clarify my life goals, and build a vision for myself that I'm working toward every day. Since working with her, I feel more opportunities have come my way, my confidence is higher, and I am more aligned with where I want to be as opposed to feeling stuck."
    JoAnna Datz
    My Third Hand, Inc
    "I HIGHLY recommend taking Debra's programs. I have an interview next week, and had it not been for Debra, I would have felt completely overwhelmed and underprepared. But now I feel ready to crush it."
    Christie Cantor
    Northeastern University, Culinary Arts Chef Assistant at The Terrain
    "Having my stories on hand gave me such a sense of security knowing what to say for my background. Thank you, thank you! Debra is so good at what she does it’s almost scary."
    Sam Ligeti
    Washington University, PR Associate at Rbb Public Relations
    “I just landed a great career with one of the largest PR firms in South Florida because of and Debra’s knowledge and connections.”
  • Roisy Rickel
    CMO & Trade Sales Specialist at Brume & Adorn
    "All of your insights and wisdom were so impactful and I truly loved getting to know you as I’m preparing for a career shift."
    Sofia Rasmussen
    Syracuse University, A&R at The Futuristics.
    “I can’t believe I accepted my first job offer. I truly could not have done it without Debra. I am so thankful for all of the role playing, connections, and meaningful conversations.”
    Diego Recht
    NYU Graduate, Assistant VP, Global Investment Lab
    “Debra fully dedicated herself to me to ensure my story was impactful, and was able to tell it with confidence and conviction which enabled me to land my dream career.”
    Gabrielle Hope
    FIU, A&R at Se Lavi Music industry
    "Debra was a major turning point in my career path. With a vast knowledge of many industries and countless connections, Debra was able to shape me into the best candidate for my dream job. I'm now on my way to working at Universal Music - my dream career"
  • Brandon Roth
    University of Buffalo, Administrative Coordinator at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital
    "I sought out Debra's help so that I'd ensure of landing my dream career at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. She honed my story, helped me to share it with confidence with HR and this time, I landed it."
    Sam Ligeti
    Washington University, PR Associate at Rbb Public Relations
    “I just landed a great career with one of the largest PR firms in South Florida because of and Debra’s knowledge and connections.”
    Christie Cantor
    Northeastern University, Culinary Arts Chef Assistant at The Terrain
    "Having my stories on hand gave me such a sense of security knowing what to say for my background. Thank you, thank you! Debra is so good at what she does it’s almost scary."
    Michael Plutt
    Bryant University, Financial Assistant at PwC
    “I just landed my dream career job in accounting. It is crazy how I landed at one of the top companies in the world after working with Debra for only a month and a half.”
  • Kapricia Birch
    Senior Branch Manager at Orlando Credit Union
    "Working with Debra was a game changer. She brought clarity, structure, and strategy to a career pivot that once felt overwhelming. Her supportive yet direct coaching helped me connect the dots in ways I had never considered. I finished our sessions with renewed confidence, a clear direction, and practical tools to move forward. I highly recommend working with her."
  • Mac Bauer
    "Working with Debra helped me learn how to apply my experiences to any role—sales, marketing, nonprofit, or community work. I felt fully prepared for any interview question and able to align my values and skill set with the position. I just received an offer for my dream role, and I credit Debra and YourCareerDesignLab for guiding me to this success."
  • Ariel Lewis
    University of Delaware
    "Debra’s seminar was inspiring and truly thought-provoking. It pushed me to reflect deeply on who I am and the career I want to pursue. I left with clarity, motivation, and a desire to keep exploring my path. Even though I cannot join the winter program, I genuinely hope to work with Debra in the future."
  • Liam Baigun
    Concordia University
    "Debra gave us a workshop that was both helpful and engaging. Her guidance on how to tell our story and handle professional settings was practical and easy to apply. I am grateful for the time she spent with us and look forward to using everything I learned."
  • Danielle Farage
    Danielle Speaks
    "Debra helped me clarify my life goals, and build a vision for myself that I'm working toward every day. Since working with her, I feel more opportunities have come my way, my confidence is higher, and I am more aligned with where I want to be as opposed to feeling stuck."
  • JoAnna Datz
    My Third Hand, Inc
    "I HIGHLY recommend taking Debra's programs. I have an interview next week, and had it not been for Debra, I would have felt completely overwhelmed and underprepared. But now I feel ready to crush it."
  • Brandon Roth
    University of Buffalo, Administrative Coordinator at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital
    "I sought out Debra's help so that I'd ensure of landing my dream career at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. She honed my story, helped me to share it with confidence with HR and this time, I landed it."
  • Sam Ligeti
    Washington University, PR Associate at Rbb Public Relations
    “I just landed a great career with one of the largest PR firms in South Florida because of and Debra’s knowledge and connections.”
  • Christie Cantor
    Northeastern University, Culinary Arts Chef Assistant at The Terrain
    "Having my stories on hand gave me such a sense of security knowing what to say for my background. Thank you, thank you! Debra is so good at what she does it’s almost scary."
  • Michael Plutt
    Bryant University, Financial Assistant at PwC
    “I just landed my dream career job in accounting. It is crazy how I landed at one of the top companies in the world after working with Debra for only a month and a half.”
  • Roisy Rickel
    CMO & Trade Sales Specialist at Brume & Adorn
    "All of your insights and wisdom were so impactful and I truly loved getting to know you as I’m preparing for a career shift."
  • Sofia Rasmussen
    Syracuse University, A&R at The Futuristics.
    “I can’t believe I accepted my first job offer. I truly could not have done it without Debra. I am so thankful for all of the role playing, connections, and meaningful conversations.”
  • Diego Recht
    NYU Graduate, Assistant VP, Global Investment Lab
    “Debra fully dedicated herself to me to ensure my story was impactful, and was able to tell it with confidence and conviction which enabled me to land my dream career.”
  • Gabrielle Hope
    FIU, A&R at Se Lavi Music industry
    "Debra was a major turning point in my career path. With a vast knowledge of many industries and countless connections, Debra was able to shape me into the best candidate for my dream job. I'm now on my way to working at Universal Music - my dream career"

Let's start to find your dream career. 
Here are 6 ways.

The Dream Career Toolkit
A system designed to strategize your path to landing your dream career
This of your Toolkit as having a career coach sitting next to you, giving you the step-by-step path.
LEARN MORE
Fast-Track One On One Coaching
5-week one-on-one coaching to find your Dream Career.
Find your passions to achieve your Dream  Career, expand your network with Debra's powerful connections.  
WORK WITH DEBRA
Getting (B)older One On One Coaching
An empowering program to explore your dreams in your 40s and beyond.
Whether you want to start a new project, re-join the workforce, or change career. Get ready to get (b)old.
WORK WITH DEBRA
Stories That Sell Coaching Program
Storytelling Program for Solopreneurs, Entrepreneurs and Startups
Growing a business is hard. Telling your best story will help you succeed.

WORK WITH DEBRA
Launchpad Parenting Cohort
For parents who want to see their young adults land their dream career!
Learn How To Guide Your Young Adult Through Career Uncertainty.

WORK WITH DEBRA
Medical Interview Storytelling Mastery
Storytelling program for your specialization interview
Connect passion with profession, authentically shaping your future in healthcare.
WORK WITH DEBRA

Meet Debra 
Olshan Cooper

Debra Olshan Cooper is a seasoned entrepreneur, career strategist, and the founder of YourCareerDesignLab, a premier career coaching and personal-branding firm dedicated to helping individuals discover their passions, craft their unique professional stories, and confidently land their dream careers.

With over 30 years of experience as a CEO and founder of successful public relations and marketing firms—including Real Life Communications & Marketing in New York City and FreshConnect Solutions in Miami—Debra has honed the art of strategic storytelling and brand positioning. Her work has secured national exposure for clients in major outlets and networks, and her deep understanding of media, narrative, and personal branding now informs her coaching philosophy.

At YourCareerDesignLab, Debra guides young professionals, recent graduates, and career changers through a transformative process of self-discovery, narrative design, and strategic job search techniques. She specializes in helping clients articulate their authentic value through compelling personal stories, build standout resumes, develop interview confidence, and expand their professional networks.

Debra’s approach blends practical career strategy with powerful storytelling, empowering her clients to navigate today’s competitive job market with clarity and confidence. Her signature tools—such as the “Ta-Da! List”—help individuals uncover their true passions and translate them into purposeful pursuits.

Before transitioning into career coaching, Debra’s dynamic professional journey included luxury fashion and lifestyle public relations, where she led high-profile campaigns and built strong industry relationships. Today, she brings that same expertise to YourCareerDesignLab, shaping careers one compelling story at a time.
I help young professionals, like you, navigate a complex world of opportunities and find your passion.
Read More
Inspiration, tools and tips to strategize your career path
The Passionate Professional
Real-World Advice For Young Professionals Whose Passion Deserves A Chance!
ALL EPISODES HERE
Your Career Design Lab Blog
READ BLOG ENTRIES
Case Studies
Hear from others who have landed their dream careers using the power of their stories.
CHECK ALL INTERVIEWS
Media Appearances
It's a connected world. Debra has spoken at prestigious universities, media networks, and podcasts.
ALL APPEARANCES HERE
FREE Ebook:
Find your passion with our "Ta-Da" List

Excavate who you are, find your passion, and discover your pursuits with my “Ta Da” List - Free to download.

Join My Mailing List

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