Elliot Essman is a prolific writer, public speaker, coach, publisher, and workshop leader. In addition to the Life in the USA material, he is the author of the books Public Speaking: Face It, Don’t Force It and Use Wine to Make Sense of the World.
Elliot has had many articles published in national and local periodicals. In 2005, Elliot was nominated for the prestigious James Beard Foundation Journalism Award for his innovative Food and Wine Writing. Elliot is hard at work now writing the definitive guide to American food in the new America Eats section of Life In The USA.
A graduate of Fordham University, with degrees in Philosophy and Law, Elliot is active in his local community as well as a number of national and international organizations. He has been a member of Toastmasters International for many years.
Elliot loves helping people succeed more than anything else, and he loves teaching communications. But he does have another life, enjoying playing the guitar and piano, cooking, socializing, reading, skiing, travel, working out, and working with kids in the schools.
A blue ribbon graduate of Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School (now called the Institute of Culinary Education) with a specialization in Pastry and Baking skills, renaissance-man Elliot likes to cook for his friends. He is also a Certified Specialist of Wine. When he’s not writing words or playing music professionally, he’s doing it for fun. In sum, a fun creative guy with a whimsical sense of humor.