The Challenge: Strengthening Retention, Resilience, and Results During Rapid Growth
As a leading freelance talent marketplace, Upwork has always prioritized employee development, engagement, and well-being.
But with rapid scaling came new challenges:
- Retaining and developing talent in a competitive environment
- Boosting performance across diverse sales teams
- Managing elevated stress levels among employees
- Fostering stronger cross-functional collaboration
While Upwork had a strong internal leadership development program in place, they sought a partner to provide personalized, high-impact coaching that could help employees thrive professionally and personally through change and growth.
The Solution: Personalized, High-Impact Coaching That Scaled with Upwork’s Needs
Upwork partnered with Mursion Coaching, formerly known as Valor Performance, a one-on-one coaching platform known for empowering leaders to elevate their performance while sustaining well-being.
Mursion’s Performance Coaching seamlessly integrated into Upwork’s leadership development initiatives by offering:
- Personalized 1:1 coaching sessions tailored to each employee’s goals, strengths, and areas for growth
- Group coaching experiences designed to build community and shared leadership practices
- An interactive coaching platform that fostered deep engagement and active participation
Crucially, Mursion’s client-centric approach aligned perfectly with Upwork’s values, offering employees not just professional development, but a genuine sense of support, recognition, and belonging, especially during periods of organizational change.
“Entrusting Valor (now Mursion) with the coach-matching process let us focus on the core aspects of our leadership program and maximize outcomes for our participants.”
— Chrissy Blakey, Sales Training Program Manager, Upwork
The Results: Empowered Leaders, Stronger Teams, Measurable Growth
The impact of the partnership was profound across multiple dimensions:
Performance and Engagement
- 100% of participants reported improved job performance and increased job satisfaction.
- 100% said performance coaching was a valuable use of their time and would recommend it to colleagues.
Resilience and Stress Management
- Participants rated their ability to perform under pressure 6.5 out of 7 — a strong indicator of sustained resilience.
- 91% credited the coaching experience with a positive impact on their professional lives.
Leadership Growth and Team Influence
- In the most recent cohort, 100% of clients showed measurable progress in influencing their teams toward organizational goals — a 30% increase from baseline assessments.
- 90% demonstrated enhanced empathy and understanding, validated by peer and direct report feedback — a 15% improvement.
Seamless Integration and Cultural Impact
Mursion’s coaching not only bolstered individual performance but also reinforced Upwork’s internal development efforts, particularly during challenging transitions like organizational restructures and layoffs.
Coaches acted as “wellness ambassadors,” embedding resilience, empathy, and leadership into Upwork’s broader culture.
“The benefits of coaching extend beyond individual sessions. I see people talking more, leaning in more, leading more.”
— Chrissy Blakey, Sales Training Program Manager, Upwork
Employees echoed the program’s transformative impact:
“My coach helped me lead my new team with confidence, clarity, and a resilient mindset during a time of change. I wholeheartedly recommend Valor and their coaches.”
— Coreane Mangione, Sales Operations Manager, Upwork
Why It Matters
Upwork’s partnership with Valor Performance (now Mursion) demonstrates the true power of personalized, scalable coaching, not only to drive short-term results, but also to build a resilient, engaged, and high-performing workforce that can lead through complexity and change. Discover how personalized coaching can transform your leadership pipeline and drive sustainable performance. Connect with Mursion today.
