Well, it's not much different than going to a therapist. I originally hired her, in fact, for some career redirection planning. And of course she's a stranger at the beginning, but part of what happens during the first few sessions is that she GOT to know me. I wanted some objective feedback, and a stranger is a great person to give that. It did help to some extent. I haven't had a manager in almost 10 years, so I never get any performance reviews, professional development coaching, constructive criticism, feedback, etc. It's not my clients' job to help me grow. That's why I hired her -- I'm ready to stretch myself.