Negotiating Power

Wendeen Eolis, a certified executive consultant and professional coach, and her highly credentialed partners, bring to the table diversified experience as negotiators, decision strategists, and senior talent interviewers. They rely upon a keen understanding of "negotiating DNA" in their collaborations with clients; playing to strengths and concealing weaknesses in their negotiating acumen.

Winning Negotiations

Wendeen became a successful negotiator in the executive search and leadership coaching industries using 4 key negotiating strategies: 1) operating with the goods, 2) operating with a marginal edge, 3) operating with potential based on accurate calculation of risk against rewards, and 4) acting with information after others have declared where they stand. She further sharpened her business and poker negotiations based on her understanding that bluffing is an overrated strategy and that women can win more by bluffing less.

Negotiations are a Way of Life

Wendeen Eolis has drawn upon her life experience - an unconventional childhood, early independence, a multifaceted faceted career in law and business, a sidestep into corridors of political power, an unanticipated role in a public corporate boardroom, and the world of high-stakes poker competitions - as the tools to hone her negotiating skills.

She has integrated into her negotiation strategies, life lessons learned, at every turn; as an emancipated minor with two jobs, a college graduate with a BA degree in Philosophy, and three small children in tow. She threw her PhD aspirations in organizational psychology to the wind in favor of entering the business world, after negotiating successfully for funding. But, initially, she continued her part-time weekday job as a cocktail waitress and used weekends to hone her skills as a blackjack counter for extra income - just in case things went awry.

The Gaming Industry Beckons

Within a year of formalizing her search business, she gave up card counting in favor of courting gaming industry executives, pitching attorney and law firm search assignments instead. Her business profits soared with assignments negotiated with casinos. Many of the casinos were her former stomping grounds as a blackjack card counter in Las Vegas and Europe. Scoring an invitation to join Caesars in the boardroom was the ticket to further boardroom assignments throughout her career.

Skill and Luck

Wendeen’s expanding business in the gaming industry and her growing skills in negotiation led her to one of the last bastions of male chauvinist pride, the poker table. As in business, so it is in poker; negotiating skills are critical for long-term success. But, in all her endeavors, Wendeen looks for “lucky breaks.” She says, “Good luck resides at the intersection of preparation and opportunity.”

Poker Improves Wendeen's Negotiating Skills

Every step of the way, Wendeen has relied upon her negotiating skills, recognizing that most of the time only the size and shape of the table changes. Poker has highlighted for Wendeen both the extraordinary similarities and the critical differences found at different negotiating tables.

In poker, the consequences of one’s actions are instantaneous. In business, the impact of one’s actions often takes much longer to define. Effective negotiations in business and politics are generally the product of compromise, while poker requires subduing the opponent and winning the war.

In her spare time, Wendeen enjoys the game of poker; the competition, and instant gratification on completion of a winning hand, or a piece of the purse in world-class tournaments. But her life aspirations are driven by negotiations that value kindness, collaboration, and productivity, and the belief that part of doing well is doing good.

Negotiating Skills Promote Options

Wendeen’s assignments in business, the legal profession, government, the gaming industry, and competitions at poker tables have required an eclectic mix of negotiating strategies with some unique results.

With confidence in her presentation of people-reading acumen, Wendeen applied to many cruise lines for an on-board lecture gig. Only one out of twelve was interested. She performed for the only guest who attended.  Renowned social thinker, Alvin Toffler gave her rave reviews, and all the cruise ships that had previously turned her down were suddenly knocking at her door.

Lecture circuit agencies looked to her for presentations at law firms, corporate law departments, motivational seminar programs, poker programs, special events, and international gaming conferences around the world.

One of those engagements, a presentation at the inaugural of Sportel in Monte Carlo, at the invitation of Prince Albert, led to further business assignments for the Principality and the Societe Bain de Mer.


Wendeen Eolis Enterprises offers collaborative negotiation and leadership coaching to senior-level lawyers, executives, and special talent engaged in policymaking, operations management, business development and dealmaking, and employment arrangements.

For more information and to schedule appointments,
call (212) 472-4000 or email wendeeneolis@wendeeneolis.com