Life & Work with Nancy Cohen of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy Cohen.

Hi Nancy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Nancy Cohen, and I grew up in Charleston, SC and have been living in Roswell since 2006. I am a Mahjong enthusiast/instructor, and my business name is Master the Mahj. Mahjong is my passion, and I’ve been playing for over 20 years. Growing up in a Jewish family, my mom, grandmother and great aunts played mahjong, but I never knew much about the game. Then in 2006, a family friend offered to teach our friend group. Traditionally, Mahjong was a game played mostly by senior citizens, but we loved games so we immediately said yes. Since then I have been hooked. Although my initial group has evolved over the years my love of the game has always remained. I have been playing regularly with my mahjong group for 13 years now, and we get together once a month. While we all wish we could play more often, we look forward to our monthly meetup. We have all shared so many happy and sad occasions together outside of mahjong, and our friendship has only gotten stronger over the years. Prior to starting my business, I previously had taught multiple friends and preschool moms how to play, but it was only a very small circle of people I knew that played. Fast forward to 2025, when I learned that Mahjong was becoming more “mainstream” and people of all ages were starting to learn/play. I was so excited that other friends of mine were learning because now I could play more often. While playing with these newer players, it was suggested that I should become an Mahjong teacher. After thinking about it for a few months, I decided to put my name out there as a Mahjong instructor! I created a social media account in August of 2025, and not quite a year later I have taught well over 800 people, and my calendar has stayed full. It has been a dream come true to have a job that allows me to share my love and knowledge of the game. As a bonus, I have met so many incredible people along the way.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Overall, I found the process pretty simple to begin, but as everything in the life, there are challenges. I
would say the biggest challenge I have faced has been juggling so many different roles at once. I am a
wife and mother of 2 teenage boys, so maintaining my “daytime” job as an office manager for a
chiropractic clinic, being involved in my kids activities and teaching mahjong has definitely been tough to balance. I am lucky to have a supportive family who encourages me despite the fact I am gone most evenings.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

As a mahjong instructor, I host private lessons, group events, corporate events, birthday parties and offer guided play sessions (for those who have taken lessons, but still would like some extra help). Each lesson involves sharing the history of the game, explaining the tiles, interpreting the National Mahjong League Card, as well as the mechanics and strategy of gameplay.
I mostly teach at people’s home for private lessons. I find people really prefer this method, as they can
learn in the comfort of their own home, while I bring everything that is needed. This allows a more
personalized approach to teaching. My teaching style is very laid back, and my approach, is to keep my students engaged, while keeping things light and fun. Mahjong is a complex game to learn, but I do not set the tone that way. My lessons involve a lot of laughing, and I am very patient when teaching and make sure my students know that it is ok to ask questions. I also do not point out mistakes in a negative way and instead turn it into a positive as those mistakes actually help them retain the information better. I remind my students that Mahjong is a game and that games are supposed to be fun! My favorite part of teaching Mahjong, is not just about that game itself. Mahjong has always been more than just a game to me. As a Mahjong teacher, I see the strengthening of friendships, the forming of new friendships, and all of the new memories these groups
will make together for years to come.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: master.the.mahj