Fee model for the speculative fiction work/shop

A successful work/shop is a reciprocal relationship among the participants and the facilitator; each of us invests our time, attention, and resources, committing to each other to show up, to be present, and to attend to our work together.

In pricing the work/shop, I operate with two key principles:

First, I aim to establish fees that respect the time, energy, and attention I bring to the gathering, and which make it sustainable for me to offer it.
Second, I offer a path for payment that respects people’s varied circumstances, and the myriad ways in which systems of oppression affect economic opportunity.

As such, the fee model for the work/shop makes use of a sliding scale: I expect most people who attend to pay the standard rate, while I invite those for whom that rate is either inaccessible or inadequate to adjust the rate to one that makes sense for them.

The standard rate is $600 for a six-week work/shop. If that rate is accessible, and you do not wish to think further with me about what to pay, then that is the rate for you.

If, however, that rate is inaccessible—that is, to pay it would represent a hardship; or if it seems too good to be true—that is, it feels like no sacrifice at all; and if you do want to think with me about how money moves among us, then read on. Note that regardless of the rate you pay, you will receive the same level of time and attention from me.

How to use the scale

Below are some general guidelines, inspired by many other sliding scale models used in psychotherapy, farmer’s markets, community coffee shops, and more. Take these as useful input but not a set of rules. I won’t ask you anything about your income or identity; I trust you to make the best decision for yourself while also respecting the value of the work/shop.

Consider paying above the standard rate if several or all of these are true:

You are a member of one or more privileged groups (e.g., you are male, white, cisgendered, heterosexual, able-bodied, and/or neurotypical).
You are fully employed and have access to good health insurance.
Your employer provides funds for professional development.
You have savings to cover an emergency.
You have equity, in the form of a house or stocks or both.
You have wealthy family or friends you could turn to if you were in need.

Consider paying below the standard rate if several or all of these are true:

You are a member of one or more minoritized groups (e.g., you are a woman, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and/or neurodivergent).
You are un- or underemployed and do not have access to good health insurance.
You do not have access to professional development funds.
You lack savings to cover an emergency.
You do not have equity.
You do not have wealthy family or friends you could turn to if you were in need.

If paying less than the standard rate makes sense to you, aim to pay the highest rate you can without creating a hardship. Note that the minimum rate for the work/shop is $100. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or want to talk about how to use the scale.

If you’re curious, I wrote about why I think it’s important to talk about the financial side of my practice in the open. And if you’re ready to join the workshop, apply now.

The sf work/shop is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to develop a new perspective on work in the company of a like-minded cohort of deep thinkers. As a big Mandy fan, having worked with her before, I came in expecting something great. The experience surprised me, delighted me, moved me, and certainly surpassed the high expectations I had for it. Mandy guided us through a unique approach to writing and reading that helped us learn about ourselves, our work, and the relationship between our selves and our work. Mandy taught us frameworks, tactics, and a reliable process for continuous learning. Our cohort plans to keep writing and reading together in some shape. We want to help each other continue to notice and learn through writing, equipped with the tools that Mandy has shared with us.

Claire

When I had supposedly reached the pinnacle of my career and found myself up on that mountaintop, unprecedentedly miserable and fully depleted, several friends recommended that I reach out to Mandy. With her breadth of professional experiences, wisdom, and clarity, Mandy helped me recognize both that my personal values and goals had irreconcilably diverged from those naturalized by my industry—and that I was capable of translating my own deep experience and connections into new opportunities that center my strengths, joys, and ethical commitments. With Mandy by my side, I developed the strength to shed the golden handcuffs—and to create something new that models the conviviality and kindness that are threatened by, yet all the more essential in, our fracturing world.

Shannon Public Scholar and Teacher

I felt unmoored, professionally, when I started working with Mandy. I wasn’t sure that I could keep following the path I was on and I was even less sure of any alternates. Through patient, thoughtful discussion and careful listening, Mandy gently nudged me toward a new path that I’m wildly excited about and totally terrified of. But I also feel fully prepared to take it, with the grounding and tools I need to keep moving forward. I’m certain I wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for Mandy’s insights and guidance, both philosophical and tactical. I’m forever grateful that I was able to work through this with her. And I’m sure I’ll be calling on her again.

Sara Writer, strategist, art consultant

I reached out to Mandy while recovering from a career transition and exploring options for my next act. Each session, Mandy and I created a cocoon. She walked with me as I reflected, played, planned, and turned toward the future. She made it easy for me to acknowledge how long change can take and to value the manner and pace of my growth and work. Our conversations helped me remember what I know, and then, when I was ready, begin to rebuild. It took all of my attention to make this pivot, and I’m so glad Mandy was part of my support team. If you want to shape a container where you can practice trusting your own voice and designing what’s next, Mandy is a skilled space-holder and a partner you can trust.

KM author and artist

I’m so glad I decided to work with Mandy. With her, I went from vaguely feeling that I needed some change in my career, to confidently making big and exciting decisions at a critical turning point in my life. I don’t know if I could have done it without her kind, actionable, and always effective advice. I’m nothing short of inspired by her listening skills and her ability to reframe questions to make the answer retrospectively obvious.

Damien Desfontaines

I’ve worked with Mandy as a one-on-one coach a few times and trusted that this experience of the sf work/shop would be incredible, but I honestly didn’t know what to expect. As a person who would have never called herself a writer, I was also a little nervous. To say that this work/shop changed the way I approach life is not an exaggeration. Mandy fosters a space and curates insights and tools to facilitate perspective-altering and mind-expanding work. I’ve turned to what I learned in this work/shop to grapple with big life questions, totally unrelated to work. If you’re feeling called to this work/shop, I can’t recommend it enough. (Ask my friends! I’ve already told so many people.)

Kaela

Bringing the lens of speculation to the world of work opens up possibilities that you likely could not imagine while in the daily grind. In the sf work/shop, Mandy will help guide you and your co-conspirators in subverting the way you think about possibility and you will surprise yourself and each other throughout the project. It offers opportunity for your investment of vulnerability, and the experience is so worth your time.

Sasha Z

When I started working with Mandy, I was overwhelmed by the number of intertwined personal and professional decisions I had to make in the next few months. Mandy helped me separate out and sequence them, then thoughtfully guided me through each. She also helped me recognize and name the new stage of my career that I was entering, which helped me contextualize some of the unease I was feeling and make my way through it. By the end of our time together I had made my way through all of those previously overwhelming decisions and felt confident about my ability to handle the ones sure to come down the pipe.

Journalism strategist

A couple years ago, I felt stuck in a rut, and I wasn’t sure how to climb out. I decided I needed help figuring out some of my priorities, and how to get better at working towards them. So, I reached out to Mandy. I’ve really enjoyed our time together ever since. I have found that Mandy is very good at helping me be more present, and mindful of my goals, and of the steps I need to take to accomplish them. I especially appreciate her attention to detail, her breadth of experience, and her ability to push back when I need it. (I don’t know about you, but I need someone to challenge my ideas!) When I need to cogitate and think through something—I look forward to my next session with Mandy.

Filipa Mendonça-Vieira entrepreneur, independent researcher & Staff Engineer at GitHub

What a refreshing balm of a work/shop this was! Rather than rehashing the same old advice about networking and career exploration, Mandy took us a step back and encouraged us to generate material from our own imaginations about what we think might be possible to explore with our working selves. It was a welcome reminder that job exploration doesn’t have to feel like marching through a to-do list. Rather, it can be an invitation to be playful and exploratory and to imagine your way into something new.

Jenae Cohn

When I started working with Mandy, I was suffering from some pretty awful feelings of inadequacy and mistrust after a sudden layoff and year-long job search. Mandy helped me to start asking the right questions to understand myself and the people around me, to look at the patterns and realize when I was perhaps catastrophizing a bit (or a lot!), and to take time to reflect instead of assuming the worst (the journal prompts she gave me are solid gold). I realized that I was doing good work, with people I trust, and that I am as safe as a person can be in this ever-changing, ever-scary world. And I’m moving forward with a new level of confidence in myself, my team, and my ability to weather change. It feels really good.

Melanie Product Manager

When I first started my sessions with Mandy, all I knew was that I wasn’t happy with the status quo of my work life. I didn’t know what I wanted to do or change, much less how to make those changes. Mandy’s thoughtful questions and reflections helped me understand and then articulate what was causing me angst, and then what I thought might unblock me and move me towards a happier situation. I made changes both big and small as a result of those conversations, and am on a new path that I think is going to make my life a lot more joyful. I consider it time and money well-spent.

Becky Machine Learning Scientist

The sf work/shop was transformative! It’s beautifully organized and curated. It hits the sweet spot of asking participants to stretch in exactly the ways that are most generative for thinking and imagining. Mandy also has a wonderful knack for asking exactly the questions that reach into places/spaces one hasn’t thought of before. I also loved the small class size; it let us get to know each other, learn from each other, and experiment with new ways of being in relation through writing. I learned a lot!

Barbara L

I reached out to Mandy after lurking on her blog for a couple of years. I had built a successful consulting practice, but I knew I wasn’t doing my life’s work, bringing my whole self—my passion, potential, and deep dedication to community to bear. Mandy held space for me at the convergence of all of this, powwowing with me on the sacred ground of my intentions, gifts, grief, and rage. Through her insightful questions, she helped me discover a through line I could tread through the disparate realms of my work to launch a social enterprise I had dreamed about for years. Mandy helped me move earth in my life. Our work feels deeply organic. Investing in myself through working with her is one of my proudest decisions.

Swati Singh Social Entrepreneur

I worked with Mandy during a difficult organizational shift on my team. I was getting a lot of conflicting messages about my role and future. Mandy helped me unpack everything and provided a thoughtful perspective about my situation. This led to a big mindset shift that helped me prioritize the things inside and outside of work that are important to me. I highly recommend Mandy’s coaching services to anyone who is navigating an important inflection point in their career.

Brian software engineer

Despite my trappings of success—Ivy League degrees, professional accolades, awards, and leadership roles—I have always felt either a sense of imposter syndrome or a feeling that I still needed to be different to reach my potential. After working with Mandy, I feel for the first time at home in who I am, proud of my less conventional talents and no longer ashamed of the ways I may be a different type of leader. Mandy helped me to be a more inclusive leader of my own self, first and foremost, in ways that will hopefully reverberate and help transform the people and organizations that I lead.

Rachel Family medicine physician,
educator & leader

With Mandy, I found renewed hope in the point of what I was doing at work. To believe that this narrative was still being written—and that it was up to me to do so—was scary! Mandy met my fear with acceptance. Each of our interactions gave me the quiet reassurance that whatever I decided for my career would be enough. Mandy helped me unearth the tools I already had to sustain myself and others, so that I can keep writing the story that I want to read.

Stephanie Minn

Getting laid off sucked on a lot of levels—practical, emotional, existential. Mandy helped me navigate each of those levels with humor, warmth, and incisive insight. She is the definition of no-bullshit. Everything she says is intentional, informed, and deep. She asks a lot of questions and listens close to your answers. That close reading grants her access to your needs—for both your capital-C Career and your day-to-day life. And she will remind you of those needs right as you’re unknowingly losing touch with them. If you’re navigating a layoff, or any other daunting career decision, Mandy will see you through it. You’ll come out stronger, more honest, and more fulfilled on the other end.

Claire product designer

I saw things starting to shift at work in ways that meant either overwhelming change or product shutdown was on the horizon, so I reached out to Mandy for help. Over the course of six months we worked our way through some challenging moments where I had to negotiate for the future of my product and its users, my team, and ultimately my job. Having Mandy as an advisor and reality check helped me navigate the toughest parts and, ultimately, wrap up this chapter and start preparing for the next one.

Casey

I thought I was unhappy with work. I was, but there was also more. It was a bundle of things I felt unconfident and uncertain about. As I knew I was embarking on the next stage of my professional life, I wanted to reconcile with my actions and decisions from the past, and also honor myself and where I had been. I was able to understand how it has prepared me for the next stage. This was a big part of being able to move forward. I applied for a new role in my organization at the time I was working with Mandy and this was something really positive and exciting to think about and plan for. Overall, I believe I became a lot better at clarifying what I wanted for myself.

MG academic

I highly recommend Mandy for anyone seeking to develop their personal and professional growth through coaching. Mandy supported me through various professional challenges and role changes. Her no-nonsense coaching style led to several breakthroughs and had a lasting impact on me. I took away valuable tools that I still use regularly, such as journaling and self-reflection, setting myself up for success to better support others, and moving beyond what I’m stuck on to focus on who I want to be.

Channie Engineering Manager

Mandy coached me during a difficult period in my professional career. Working with her has changed the way I relate to my work and the role it plays in my life. I was very impressed with how quickly she was able to get to the core of what I wanted and needed to address, and I came away from every one of our conversations with a new idea or realization that helped me change and evolve. She gave me a new lens to look at not only my work, but my life. She’s incredibly kind and very honest, and she put great care into our relationship. I am so grateful.

Megan Pearson Engineering Manager

I found my way to Mandy via her blog post, “Energy makes time.” It stuck with me, so much that I went back to her website several weeks later to read more and only then learned of her coaching practice. It seemed clear that I was being called to take a leap of faith. The next few months of working with Mandy were nothing short of transformative for my career and my life. Mandy prompted me to ask and answer hard questions, held me accountable when I needed it, and gave me grace when I needed that, too. She was the hand on my back that allowed me to embrace an uncertain end and see through what I started. If you’re unsure, that’s the perfect place to be. Mandy will help you find your way.

Jill Ferguson

I came to Mandy after a bleak personal and professional patch left me questioning what I was doing. I have great gratitude for that instinct—working together has been so valuable. I’ve been able to dive into my process, my tendencies, my appetites while Mandy asked incredibly insightful questions and prompted some pretty essential rearrangement of the mental furniture. Our time together has returned a more solid stature to my wobbly creative process and a new energy to old routines. Feeling a little fleet-footed, even. Mandy is an active listener and skilled guide. I can’t recommend her work highly enough.

Elizabeth Designer, mom, wanderer

The more sessions I had with Mandy the richer that space became. It was like a little intimate lab where I could work on myself in relation to work and others. Her ability to listen deeply allowed me to open. If you are planning, or you find yourself, on an adventure, Mandy is a true gem of a side kick. The space she provides is the best investment you can make.

Patricio González Vivo Creative Engineer

Mandy’s coaching combines the best of both empathy and pragmatism. After each one of our conversations I had clarity on how to deal with a problem that was facing me; for example, they’ve helped me to have powerful performance conversations and negotiate effectively and authentically with my peers. There are many metaphors for intelligence, and the one I would choose for Mandy is bright; her fresh, wry coaching style shone a light for me where I could not, alone, see clearly.

Alexandra Mitchell

I wholeheartedly recommend working with Mandy if you’re looking to grow as a leader. She creates a safe and supportive space to explore current challenges and develop plans to tackle them. Her ability to ask insightful questions and present new perspectives has helped me feel more capable, understand my strengths, and move forward with confidence. I am incredibly grateful for her support; I’ll reference her guidance for years to come.

Kaela Gallo Senior User Research Manager

I came to Mandy without a specific set of objectives. I just knew I valued her opinion greatly and wanted her insights on growing a startup and building quality teams. Sessions have helped me gain (and maintain) a high level of clarity as I work to grow the business and support the team. I walk away from every chat energized and ready to tackle what lies ahead.

Trent Walton CEO, Luro Ventures

Mandy is a true reader at heart. She was able to read me—especially between the lines—and help me address my underlying needs from our very first session. If I ever felt overwhelmed or stuck, Mandy was patient with me and held space for us to tend to these uncomfortable feelings in a constructive way. She also has an uncanny ability to ask questions that will make you pause, change the way you view a problem, and empower your sense of what’s possible.

Monica Lee

Mandy’s industry experience was invaluable to me as I was changing jobs and figuring out where my professional aspirations lie in relation to my current and future positions. She helped me find out what I truly wanted out of a work environment, and was responsive to my goals without pushing me in any particular direction. I would highly recommend her coaching services to anyone looking to figure out what the next steps in their career look like.

Ella Software developer

In the midst of difficult change, Mandy asks the questions that ground me. She gently pushes me to think beyond the first paralyzing emotions and find the deeper meaning. With that clarity, I can make decisions in my career and life that are more aligned with my core values, or even just what I need right now. Mandy and I co-created intentional practices for the important stuff like taking care of myself and deepening connections with people around me. She’s an excellent accountability partner who helps me see where I can take control to achieve outcomes that are important to me.

Andie Young professional

Fee model for the speculative fiction work/shop

How to use the scale

Testimonials