Valerie Beck, a native of Chicago, earned a BA from Harvard College and a JD from Harvard Law School.

Valerie is the creator of the 8-step Romance Around the Corner plan, yet she did not originally set out to be a writer or a romance coach. She simply needed a date! Through trial and error (and error and error), she developed 8 steps involving personal development, intention, and attraction that transformed her from being the dateless wonder to being the girl whose phone never stops ringing. When her family and friends noticed that she began going out on dates - and lots of them - with wonderful men, they asked her what happened, how they could do it too, and whether any of these men had brothers! So, Valerie put her 8 steps into seminar and book form.

Valerie has written a just-published book called Romance Around the Corner: 8 Steps Toward Attracting the Man of Your Dreams and Having Fun in the Process! She also holds romance seminars, does romance coaching by teleseminar and in personal coaching sessions, and is a popular speaker at women's events. Today, Valerie is dating the man of her dreams, and she knows that if the 8 steps work for an ex-geeky, ex-clinically depressed, ex-burnt-out, recovering attorney, they will work for you too!

In addition, Valerie is an Independent Sales Director with Mary Kay, the best-selling brand of skincare and color cosmetics in America. Her role is to enrich women’s lives by empowering her team in business, and by helping her clients look and feel beautiful. She holds corporate and private pampering sessions for her clients, and education sessions for her team. You can check out her Mary Kay website at www.marykay.com/vbeck. You can also learn about her Chicago Chocolate Tours business at www.chicagochocolatetours.squarespace.com.

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur and part of Mary Kay’s leadership team, Valerie practiced as a transactional lawyer in Europe and Chicago at firms including Winston & Strawn. Today, she speaks on topics including alternative careers for lawyers, and has been featured at events sponsored by the Chicago Bar Association, The Law Bulletin, the U.S. Department of Education’s Council on Legal Education Opportunity, and her alma mater Harvard Law School.

Valerie leads her Mary Kay team in volunteer work for organizations such as The Enterprising Kitchen for formerly homeless women, and Metro Achievement Center for disadvantaged girls. She serves on the Illinois State Treasurer’s Women’s Advisory Board, and she is active in the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, where she is a member of the Board of Directors, chairman of the Diversity Committee, and member of the Membership Development Committee.