The Evaluation Couch

70. Your Relationship With Evaluation Gurus And Why It Matters For Your Career

In this episode, Maria discusses the concept of "evaluation gurus," why the term is used, and the role our relationship with these figures can play in our careers. She in

69. Seven Strategies to Prepare For a Potential Layoff

This episode breaks down the seven strategies every evaluator should put in place to increase their career resiliency when faced with a potential layoff. Maria discusses

68. How Evaluators Answer "What Do You Do?" Live from C2026

Ever dreaded explaining what you do as an evaluator? In this episode, recorded live at the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) 2026 conference in Edmonton, real evaluators

67. How Amy Built Career Clarity and Landed a Director-Level Evaluation Role

In this episode, Maria sits down with Amy Gray, Director of Evaluation and Learning, to discuss her journey through career uncertainty, imposter syndrome, and finding ali

66. Too Junior for Senior Roles, Too Senior For Junior Ones? How Hairat Found Her Way

What happens when a skilled evaluator realizes she knows more than she gives herself credit for? In this episode, we sit down with Hairat, a consultant and evaluator pa

65. Women in Evaluation | How Doaa Abou Hussein Built a Pro-Palestine, Impact-Driven Consulting Firm

In this episode, Maria sits down with Doaa Abou Hussein, co-founder of Kindred Purpose Consultants, to explore what it truly means to build a business around your values.

64. Women in Evaluation | Feminist Evaluation, Caregiving, and Identity with Claudia Olavarría

This episode is the first one of a series celebrating International Women's Month. Maria sits with Claudia Olavarría, an evaluator from Chile with 15 years of experience

63. One Year On: Rebuilding After Career Disruption and Launching a Business with Beeta Tahmassebi

In the third episode of the "One Year On" series, Beeta Tahmassebi shares her journey from 25-year organizational leader to first-time entrepreneur. After leaving her rol

62. One Year On: Resiliency, Advocacy, and CES Leadership with Matt Sanscartier

In the second episode of the One Year On series, the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) President Matt Sanscartier reflects on the impacts to the field of evaluation over

61. One Year On: Leading AEA Through The Inflection Point with Karen Jackson

In this episode of the "One Year On" series, Maria speaks with Karen Jackson, the 2025 President of the American Evaluation Association (AEA), about navigating one of the

60. Making Learning Real in MEL with Florence Randari

Adding "learning" to a job title doesn't mean learning is actually happening. In this episode, Florence Randari breaks down what it really takes to operationalize the "L"

59. Six Strategies That Accelerated My Evaluation Career

In this episode, Maria shares how she fast-tracked her evaluation career in under four years without needing the typical 8-10 years of experience. She breaks down the "ca

58. Personality Types and Leadership in Evaluation

Do you ever wonder if your personality is "right" for leadership in evaluation? In this episode, Maria challenges the myth that only certain personality types belong in l

57. How AI Is Transforming Evaluation Consulting with Slavica Stevanovic

In this episode, Maria interviews Slavica Stevanovic from Qatalyst Research Group, about the integration of artificial intelligence in evaluation consulting. Slavica shar

56. Visibility Through Consistency: Cecilia Eva Beloqui's LinkedIn Journey

In this episode, evaluator Cecilia Eva Beloqui shares her inspiring journey of building visibility and community through daily posting on LinkedIn. She reflects on the di

55. An Evaluator's Journey into Portfolio Careers: Mishkah Teladia's Story

In this episode, Mishkah Teladia shares her journey into a portfolio career, discussing her transition from a long-standing role in international development to exploring

54. Embracing Portfolio Careers With Kelsi Kriitmaa

In this episode, Maria Montenegro is joined by Kelsi Kriitmaa to explore the concept of portfolio careers. They discuss the evolving landscape of work, particularly in th

53. Making The Case For Evaluation (Live from Eval25)

Live from Eval25 in Kansas City, Maria sits down with Denise Baer, Nathan Varnell, and Nina Sabarre for a dynamic conversation on the future of evaluation. Together, they

52. Owning Your Path: Mahesh's Career Story

In this conversation, Mahesh Krishnan Ramesh shares his journey of pursuing a career in public policy and evaluation. He discusses the cultural challenges of becoming an

51. Interviewing With Your Edge Part 2

In this episode, Maria shares actionable strategies to help you interview with confidence and land the evaluation roles you're ready for. She breaks down the three most c