Resumes may open doors, but stories build careers.
That simple belief has shaped Debra Olshan-Cooper’s entrepreneurial journey. Featured on Humans of Fuzia, a global thought-leadership platform where founders, entrepreneurs, coaches, innovators, executives, women leaders, and changemakers share ideas that advance leadership, entrepreneurship, coaching, business growth, and socially conscious innovation, Cooper is helping students, professionals, and career changers discover that lasting career success begins with understanding who they truly are—not simply what they’ve accomplished.
After spending more than three decades leading a successful public relations and marketing agency in New York, Cooper noticed a recurring problem. Highly capable young professionals struggled to answer one of the simplest interview questions: “Tell me about yourself.” Instead of sharing their personal journey, they recited grades, qualifications, and achievements—missing the opportunity to create genuine human connection.
That realization led her to launch Your Career Design Lab, where storytelling becomes the foundation for career development. Rather than beginning with résumés or job titles, Cooper encourages clients to revisit childhood curiosity, asking them what they loved doing between the ages of five and ten—those moments when time disappeared until someone called them for dinner. Hidden in those early passions, she believes, are the clues to authentic purpose and long-term career fulfillment.
Her audience has expanded far beyond individual job seekers.
What initially began as parents seeking guidance for college graduates has grown into partnerships with universities, business schools, entrepreneurs, and corporations looking to better develop interns and future leaders. Cooper now works with educational institutions to teach students how to communicate their unique value while helping organizations transform internships into meaningful leadership pipelines instead of temporary assignments.
Unlike many entrepreneurs, Cooper says scaling has never been her greatest challenge.
Throughout her career, she has consistently built businesses by identifying overlooked gaps in the marketplace. From founding successful public relations firms to launching innovative ventures like Daycation Today—a membership platform encouraging mothers to explore enriching local experiences—her entrepreneurial philosophy has remained consistent: listen carefully to what people genuinely need, then create solutions that make their lives better. Growth, in her experience, has largely followed through word of mouth and authentic value creation.
Today, Cooper is focused on expanding her work with corporations, universities, and speaking engagements while continuing to inspire individuals to reconnect with their passions and confidently tell their own stories. She believes careers are no longer built solely on credentials but on authenticity, self-awareness, and the ability to communicate purpose with confidence.
Execution Tip
The next time someone asks, “Tell me about yourself,” don’t begin with your résumé. Begin with the story that shaped who you are and why you care about the work you do. People remember purpose far longer than qualifications.
For Debra Olshan-Cooper, entrepreneurship has never been about chasing trends—it has been about recognizing unmet needs and responding with empathy, creativity, and purpose. Her journey reminds us that the strongest personal brands are built not by listing accomplishments, but by understanding the experiences that make each of us uniquely valuable. Stories like hers exemplify why Humans of Fuzia continues to celebrate leaders who help others discover confidence through authenticity.
