28,622Leland Reviews

Running a culinary business means constantly shifting between creativity and strategy, and having someone who understands both makes a real difference. Dr. David Castain has been that person for me. From the early stages of my food truck to navigating private chef opportunities, catering tours, and expanding into new ventures, he’s been someone I could call for clear, practical, and honest guidance. When I started exploring government contracts, he walked me through the entire process, how to find them, how to position myself, what documents I needed, and what steps to take. That support helped me move with a lot more confidence and direction. He also helped me strengthen my marketing approach, refine my branding, and think more strategically about how to present my work in competitive environments. What I appreciate most is that David doesn’t try to run your business for you. He listens, gives insight, helps you think through your next move, and makes sure you’re operating from a place of clarity. Whether I’m leveling up a new idea, adjusting my business model, or preparing for a major culinary event, he’s been someone I can count on to help me make smarter decisions. If you’re an entrepreneur or creative who needs guidance that’s strategic, grounded, and personalized, you’ll find real value in working with him.

One of the things I look for in people I work with is clear, practical insight. That’s exactly what I get from Dr. David Castain. When I was preparing my Georgetown application, he helped me tighten my résumé, sharpen my narrative, and make sure my materials reflected the level of professionalism I needed to compete. His feedback was direct, efficient, and highly useful. Since then, David has been someone I reach out to whenever I’m evaluating a new role, pivoting within the marketing space, or building out entrepreneurial ideas. His understanding of strategy, communication, and positioning is strong, and his ability to quickly assess a situation makes decision-making a lot easier on my end. I don’t look for hand-holding, but I do appreciate good insight. And that’s what David consistently brings. Anyone looking for strategic guidance or a cleaner direction in their career or business will get real value from his coaching.

Throughout my academic and professional journey, Dr. David Castain has been one of the few people I trusted to offer real guidance and honest perspective. From my time at Howard University, to my acceptance into Howard Law, and later Georgetown University, David was someone I consistently turned to when I needed clarity, strategy, or a second set of eyes on my applications and decisions. He never tried to take over the pr ocess or take credit, he simply provided insight that sharpened my own thinking and helped me present the strongest version of myself. Whenever I dealt with challenges, whether with professors, administrators, internships, or positioning myself for the next opportunity David was always available to help me see the bigger picture and navigate with confidence. His ability to break things down, ask the right questions, and help me think strategically made a real difference in how I approached each step. I’ve always believed that success comes from doing the work yourself, but having someone in your corner who understands strategy, communication, and elevation makes the journey faster and clearer. David has been that person for me. His coaching is thoughtful, precise, and grounded in experience. Anyone looking to grow, level up, or gain clarity would benefit from what he brings to the table.

Christina was an excellent coach and mentor during my time at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health. She was extremely helpful in steering me toward a career that I'd be passionate about and supporting a wealth of student programs that I was involved in and helped lead.

I can personally attest that Louis is an exceptional mentor and coach. His experience and perspective have been invaluable throughout both my academic and professional journey. For anyone seeking career advice within product, tech, or AI, I highly recommend checking out his profile or reaching out.

Arno was one of the most impactful mentors I had for experienced-hire recruiting. What made his guidance uniquely credible is that he has lived this path himself, moving from industry into McKinsey, so he understands the real questions, doubts, and biases experienced candidates can face. He helped me build a clear strategy across the entire process, from focused networking to structured case prep, and especially how to position a non-traditional background as a true advantage. His coaching made the process feel less opaque and a lot more winnable.

Matthew is currently helping me prep for my upcoming interviews and is a fantastic resource, having helped me land my current role. He's a fantastic resource and knowledgeable in the FP&A/consulting industries. Great help!

Mary Rose has a great talent for writing. This translated into very powerful admissions essays which helped her have great results when applying to business school. She also helped me write my application essays and secure my spot in a top school.

Tom was an invaluable source of guidance and support during a period of transition in my career. Not only did he help me see beyond self-imposed limitations, he also helped me to understand where my strengths and unique professional experiences would be most impactful in alternative industries and how to frame them during the interview process. Even years later I still find myself returning to his advice.

Mary Rose has been a trusted advisor to me for 5+ years. She’s brilliant, generous, and honest — everything you want in a coach. She’s a particularly talented story-teller and leverages that strength for essay edits, mock interviews, and everything in between.