About Deborah

We are perfect when we are present.

MIND THE GAP

“You have a feverish need to ask questions,” the seminar leader said – and my cheeks burned. I had raised my hand from an audience of 500, heart pounding, longing to connect and impress. I was prepared to be called on – but not called out. I was twelve.

I was just trying to get it right.

I was ALWAYS trying to get it right. I didn’t know how to quit.

Insatiably curious from the beginning, I was driven by a fervent desire to win my mother’s approval and my father’s attention. By seven I’d learned how to “think like a man,” embracing masculine rules of achievement and dominance, while the Muse took hold of my intuitive soul through a piano my parents found at a garage sale for $30.

The following year, I performed a Bach minuet for 3,000 people.

I fell in love with the rhythm of language, using words and music to build bridges between my disparate worlds – between what I desired and what I was told I should want; between English manners and American grit; between left-brain logic and right-brain pleasure.

But I couldn’t bridge the gap between doing right and feeling good. It was never enough.

I checked off box after box: I was valedictorian of my high school class of 800. I graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and immediately moved to New York City to network my 21-year old butt off. By 24, I had composed and conducted a national commercial with a 60-piece orchestra, scored an award-winning special on Lifetime Television, and played my first Broadway show.

It still wasn’t enough.

I kept building the resume and the reel – conducting Miss Saigon and Jersey Boys, touring with Cyndi Lauper and Mamma Mia!, writing and recording two albums plus a Billboard-charting single as solo artist Deborah Marlowe – still hungry for the win that would tell me I’d made it.

HUSTLE AND GRIND

Serving other people’s visions, I racked up plenty of credits and earned my place in an elite tier of show business professionals. I fantasized about building something of my own through a dozen false starts. But I was still jockeying for position with a relentless inner critic, too busy holding up the heavens with my perfectionism to take any real risks.

When I found out that Cirque du Soleil was hiring a Music Director for their brand new show in Hollywood, I felt something deep inside me, a primal growl, work its way up my spine and say, “MINE.” I went after that gig with a vengeance and I got it.

For the first time in decades, it was enough. I was enough.

But less than a year after opening a show that was supposed to be my ticket to freedom and fulfillment, I found myself starting over in Los Angeles – exhausted, burned out, and utterly depressed. I had no idea what to do next, but I knew I needed real help. I needed another way.

I was even ready to let go of getting it right.

Breaking Free

I sought out mentors, teachers, and coaches who I could trust to lead me through and out of the dark. Slowly, carefully, I repaired my body and strengthened my heart, brokering deals between my masculine drive and my feminine desires, learning to hear the still, quiet voice of my soul.

That’s when I realized that I needed to flip the whole model on its head. I had to stop worrying about what I was “supposed” to do or how I could cobble together a living. I had to loosen my desperate grip on control and break the vicious cycle of fear, contraction, and scarcity that was holding me hostage. I needed to pay attention to what actually enlivened me.
I needed to trust myself, at last.

Step by step, piece by piece, I took apart the structures that had defined my career and my creativity. I let loose. I rested. I learned new modalities of personal and professional development. I created new structures of accountability and support, and as a result, experienced unprecedented breakthroughs in my own creative output, productivity, and well-being.

Productivity for Perfectionists™ was born in April 2017 and outpaced my wildest expectations, yielding the business of my dreams in a matter of months. Today, I own my work, my time and my success; I have never felt more capable, inspired or delighted by my days. And I have built an extraordinary tribe of kindred spirits who I serve with gratitude and joy.

I’m so glad you’re here.

About cobalt
Not only has Deborah given me incredible insight, guidance, and tools to become successful in my field, she has also been instrumental in my personal development and growth as a well rounded human. She focuses on the heart and soul of the work. She has helped me break down emotional blocks and find the confidence and belief in myself that is necessary to survive in my industry. And you couldn’t ask to work with anyone more clear, organized, and professional. Working with Deborah has truly been a gift. My life will be forever changed because this remarkable woman.
- Carmen M.
I started researching procrastination and it led me to Deborah. I took a leap of faith and it was the best thing I ever did. Deborah is extremely skilled and sensitive. She listened to my stories, my dreams and goals, and together, we moved through an enlightening and empowering journey. I was able to complete my project and became confident enough to perform it. I can tell you this - I have never been happier nor more fulfilled than now, and I owe my growth to Deborah's coaching. It was an intense and serious financial investment in myself, absolutely no regrets.
- Sharman N.
- Sharman N.
I've signed a long-awaited book deal and more than doubled my business income by hitting six figures… even more importantly, I've gained greater confidence and clarity through our work together. She is a strong leader who combines serious smarts with a seriously generous heart. She's not afraid to dig deep and get real, while bringing tremendous caring and compassion to her work. I've learned so much from Deborah and am grateful to her for standing with me every step of the way.
- Caroline M.
Working in the VIP Mentorship program, I re-discovered my inner strength. Deborah's down-to-earth, real approach to coaching helped me uncover obstacles I did not fully realize were holding me back. She guided me, cried with me, and helped me uncover my buried Spirit hidden beneath many layers of untrue beliefs.  Deborah gave me gifts that are held very dear to my heart. Thank you Maestra!
- Jill M.
Deborah Hurwitz oozes the stuff of top-notch coaches. As a newcomer to Orlando, with more ideas than boxes to unpack, I was floundering. The harder I tried to rein in what l wanted, the harder it became. With Deborah's laser focus, change began quickly. Her insights and suggestions were precise and constructive. I’ve since written a picture book, completed the illustrations and submitted it for publication. Additional work has been in gallery shows. A bonus…Deborah has an innate talent to build community, and “wins” for those in it. The value of this is immeasurable.
- Janie B.
From the very first call, I have felt energized and catapulted into a new way of looking at my work and even my life. I had more poetry accepted for publication this year than ever before, I wrote three talks for a retreat weekend and I have a complete book that is being considered by a publisher. I love this program, and those involved, who have been as supportive of me and my passions and goals as they are about theirs. Reporting in at the end of almost every day is one of the highlights of my life.
- Victoria F.
When I enrolled in my first paid program with Deborah, she said, ‘You’ll get what you came for,’ and I did! What I appreciate about working with Deborah and her team: 1. There is community and everyone is cared for. 2. They model implementation of the concepts they teach. 3. In the work there is an acknowledgment and a balance I have not experienced before of both the practical, analytical, no bullshit, get things done frame, and the emotional, ‘what are you experiencing and what does it mean’ frame.
- Diane S.
The information Deborah presents in the ImPACT course is so valuable, it gave me new ways to understand my perfectionism and the exact mechanics of how it was holding me back. Now the extra implementation support and accountability I'm getting in Mission Accomplished® is helping me chop through years' worth of procrastinated logjams. But the real magic of working with Deborah comes in the group and private coaching calls: she has the intellect and insight to drill down to the roots of someone's challenge lightning quick, but also the lived-in empathy and kindness to make a safe passage to walk with her there.
- Matt Z.
This programme was the catalyst for a profound shift in my life that has taken me from the threat of burn-out to thriving. Deborah brings a unique combination of creativity and sensitivity with tough love and sheer passion for life to every conversation.  The tools that I learnt and the friends that I made through this programme will stay with me for life. Thank you Deborah!
- Shelley J.
In just a matter of weeks in Mission Accomplished®, I feel a better sense of well being knowing that I am working towards the life I’ve been dreaming of living. Every day I am able to stay focused and take important steps, with guidance, that shift my life with clarity and commitment. I feel I can build upon the lessons of my past successes and failures, while letting go of my fears. I am grateful to have found the guidance of Deborah, her platform, and her coaches, to help me navigate the unique complexities of life as an entrepreneurial artist.
- Emily T.
Just wanted to let you know the funding I submitted for was approved today. Before Mission Accomplished®, I registered to submit over a dozen times but never finished. It also means vetted support behind developing me as a writer- not just me going after it. This is huge. Thank you for fighting for me! I am so humbled and grateful to you and your radiant brilliance. You are magical.
- Dee K.
Professional and personal growth is easier talked about, read about and presumed than truly experienced. I have been working with Deborah now for almost two years and it has been tough but transformative. She is helping me strategically and loading me up with tactics to get things done. I can't recommend her enough.
- Geetha T.
I have gained so much in working with Deborah, in being authentic and accountable to myself. I have learned to listen to my heart, to embrace my creativity and not to be afraid of my darkness… to actually see my darkness as strength and comfort, something I can navigate if I have a map and the right equipment. It has made me more energetic and helped me do tasks I find difficult. This understanding of integrity, the ability to really be productive despite negative self talk, and all the practical strategies Deborah has taught me…it is revolutionary!
- Taniya H.
I had a belief that I was limited in what I could get up to, given my circumstances. It was a pretty major ah-ha that I could get so much done in little bursts! Investing in myself this way — in a nurturing structure in which to create — was critical. If I needed my shoulder to get better, I would see a physical therapist, even if insurance didn’t pay for it. So why would I not pay to fix my life? AND I have a really viable rewrite of my book. SO AWESOME!!
- Nancy B.
I developed invaluable clarity on my goals from the Mission Accomplished® coaching platform. All the coaches on the team are different, but the accountability and support they offer helped me immeasurably. No more backsliding! I learned to shut the back door on decisions already made instead of floundering, I relearned my value as a mom, wife, and human, and that my time is precious. I found that getting unstuck was the most difficult and rewarding work I could do. I now feel like I’m inside a slingshot, ready to fly.
- Nicoletta S.
Deborah helps you get through the “BS” of the perfectionist mind to accomplish your inner goals. I’m a perfectionist to my core and Deborah’s ImPACT Course taught me to implement new habits to create the life I want. I decided to continue with Mission Accomplished®, as I’m aware of how Deborah can continue to help unlock the “stuck gremlin” and to take action onto my next bigger goals! 
- Kimberly B.
Deborah supported me designing and hosting my first ever online summit called Have Courage. From the moment that I first engaged with Deborah following one of her summits, through to meeting her in-person and working with her, Deborah coached with infectious energy, humility and desire to help me succeed. She operates with a high degree of integrity and has an eye for detail that was of huge value to me as I embarked on this inaugural project. I would not hesitate to recommend Deborah.
- Garry T.
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