Member since April 2026
Marcelle is an award-winning entrepreneur and the president of Career Valet, helping mid- to executive-level professionals transform their experience into a compelling executive narrative that drives interviews, strengthens negotiating power, and accelerates career transitions. She has been featured on the podcast How I Built This with Guy Raz and mentioned in Forbes, MONEY Magazine, and Business Insider. An experienced speaker, she presents on career development and job search topics to corporations, nonprofits, and universities. Her work was regularly published in the U.S. News and World Report On Careers blog and on ClearanceJobs. She was selected for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, and was a semi-finalist in Hera Hub D.C.’s Inaugural Pitch Competition. From 2015-2019, Marcelle simultaneously ran ServingTalent, a boutique recruiting firm for military and government spouses posted overseas. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Marcelle spent 10 years in consulting firms practicing strategic communications at firms such as Booz Allen Hamilton and APCO Worldwide. Marcelle has an MBA from the University of Maryland and a BA from Georgetown University.
It took me years to realize that what lights me up is inspiring and empowering professionals to take action, and helping people communicate their story to the intended audience. As with many career stories, these threads began as a child who loved writing and learned to speak up for herself, having grown up in a small town where I experienced anti-Semitism and witnessed racism.
I was close to my dad growing up, but only since he's passed have I learned on my own and from those who knew him well that we share many similar qualities and interests. He taught me about different cars and baseball. He loved to read and travel, which has become the life of my family with my husband's work as a diplomat. My dad was a great listener, mentor to his colleagues, and ambitious. I admired many things about him. While I often sought his opinion, there was one piece of advice he always gave that I still cannot subscribe to today, which is: "if it's not broken, don't fix it."
That just doesn't work for me. If I think something is broken, I'm going to speak up and let you know. I'm a problem solver. I want to fix it! It begs the question, how do we know when something is or is not broken? Who defines whether it's broken or not? I imagine that it was fear that drove him to give this advice, because he never wanted to rock the boat. In this way we differ. If you're uncomfortable or unhappy and something isn't working for you, go fix it.
My husband joined the U.S. diplomatic corps in 2011. He didn’t apply for many years although we both love international travel and languages, met while studying abroad in Russia, and lived there together for two years after college graduation. He didn't want me to compromise my career in strategic communications and move around the world every two to three years, so he waited to accept the offer and literally sent the signed letter overnight via FedEx!
I knew that I wanted to maintain my professional connections in the U.S. and eventually run my own business (as a child, I ran a small store from my house selling trinkets to friends). After reflecting on my own and speaking with colleagues and friends, I recognized that people had been coming to me for career advice for years. That's how Career Valet was born. It's based in Alexandria, Virginia and our team is located in the U.S. and overseas.
The traditional question HR asks is, “how do we retain people?” We should be asking, “how do we help our best employees see a future here?” You can’t guarantee the stability of individual employment or control corporate policies regarding flexibility. You can empower your best employees to stay with internal career development that incentivizes them to stay.
AI may be front and center, but humans make the decisions. When seeking to advance professionally or change jobs, it’s not easy to communicate your worth. Accelerate your career transition by learning how to tease out what matters to your intended audience and tell your story effectively.
Learn how to up your game and what's missing so you can get in the door in a crowded market.
Career chaos has skyrocketed due to economic factors and the rapid adoption of AI. It’s time to prepare yourself for any career uncertainty.
Corporations and external recruiters are increasingly using LinkedIn as a source for candidates. What actions can you take to get their attention?
I was close to my dad growing up, but only since he's passed have I learned on my own and from those who knew him well that we share many similar qualities and interests. He taught me about different cars and baseball. He loved to read and travel, which has become the life of my family with my husband's work as a diplomat. My dad was a great listener, mentor to his colleagues, and ambitious. I admired many things about him. While I often sought his opinion, there was one piece of advice he always gave that I still cannot subscribe to today, which is: "if it's not broken, don't fix it."
That just doesn't work for me. If I think something is broken, I'm going to speak up and let you know. I'm a problem solver. I want to fix it! It begs the question, how do we know when something is or is not broken? Who defines whether it's broken or not? I imagine that it was fear that drove him to give this advice, because he never wanted to rock the boat. In this way we differ. If you're uncomfortable or unhappy and something isn't working for you, go fix it.
My husband joined the U.S. diplomatic corps in 2011. He didn’t apply for many years although we both love international travel and languages, met while studying abroad in Russia, and lived there together for two years after college graduation. He didn't want me to compromise my career in strategic communications and move around the world every two to three years, so he waited to accept the offer and literally sent the signed letter overnight via FedEx!
I knew that I wanted to maintain my professional connections in the U.S. and eventually run my own business (as a child, I ran a small store from my house selling trinkets to friends). After reflecting on my own and speaking with colleagues and friends, I recognized that people had been coming to me for career advice for years. That's how Career Valet was born. It's based in Alexandria, Virginia and our team is located in the U.S. and overseas.
The traditional question HR asks is, “how do we retain people?” We should be asking, “how do we help our best employees see a future here?” You can’t guarantee the stability of individual employment or control corporate policies regarding flexibility. You can empower your best employees to stay with internal career development that incentivizes them to stay.
AI may be front and center, but humans make the decisions. When seeking to advance professionally or change jobs, it’s not easy to communicate your worth. Accelerate your career transition by learning how to tease out what matters to your intended audience and tell your story effectively.
Learn how to up your game and what's missing so you can get in the door in a crowded market.
Career chaos has skyrocketed due to economic factors and the rapid adoption of AI. It’s time to prepare yourself for any career uncertainty.
Corporations and external recruiters are increasingly using LinkedIn as a source for candidates. What actions can you take to get their attention?