Athena Alliance Members – A Closer Look at Carrol Suzuki

Since I started the Athena Alliance blogtalk radio show I have had the opportunity to share with our listeners the expertise of our diverse group of trainers, facilitators, coaches and consultants.  Each member has a profile featured on our website and I thought for upcoming blogs I would share with our readers a more personal look at some of our partners and in no particular order.

Carrol Suzuki

A few years ago a fellow Toastmaster sent me an email and said he had just attended a course on listening and the facilitator was incredible and that I needed to connect with her.  It took several months before Carrol and I were able to meet.  What can I say?  It was love at first site!  She was everything and more that my friend had describe.  I was so impressed with how she listened to me and I think for the first time in a long time I felt really understood.

I knew right away she was definitely someone I wanted in my alliance. I always do my due diligence with all my new partners and Carrol was no different.  I participated in a program with three other leaders.  It was a really affirming to me that I was a good listener.  We were all able to identify the areas we wanted to work on and through various exercises were able to deepen our ability to really listen to others.  One lady in our group was really impacted by the second session we had together.  She saw how the way she was listening to her boss was affecting her ability to connect with him.  She used the techniques taught by Carrol and reported to us in our third session, things has really changed in their communication and relationship.  I too was able to identify a few filters I had for the people in my life and applied my learning and now have much more open communication with those individuals.

Our clients have consistently complimented me on how great her courses are and continue to use her services as both a facilitator and as a coach.  I too look forward to working with Carrol for many years to come.

Here is a link to Carrol’s profile:

http://webmarketingnorth.net/athena/alliance-partners/carrol-suzuki-b-sc-m-ed-acc

Athena Alliance Members – A Closer Look at Linda Cousineau

Since I started the Athena Alliance blogtalk radio show I have had the opportunity to share with our listeners the expertise of our diverse group of trainers, facilitators, coaches and consultants.  Each member has a profile featured on our website and I thought for upcoming blogs I would share with our readers a more personal look at some of our partners and in no particular order.

Linda Cousineau

Linda was referred to me by our alliance partner Claire Sookman.  I was looking for a bilingual experienced facilitator and coach for a clinic who had an office in Montreal.  During our first conversation it was clear to me that Linda would be a great addition to our alliance.  After checking her references I was able to connect her with my client.  They were thrilled with her work.

She is one busy lady and travels globally delivering programs, in fact she is in Paris at the time I am writing this email.  Recently I had the pleasure of working with her more closely when I was training her on my sales program that she would be delivering in French for me.  I got to experience her in a new way and saw that Linda is a seasoned professional in every way.  Her years of experience are evident as soon as you speak with her. 

Once when she was in Toronto I was introducing her to one of my clients.  We were having lunch together when my client mentioned that she was going to Greece in a few weeks.  Linda got all excited and shared with us the details from her recent trip to Greece.  In just a few minutes my customer and Linda talking like they had known each other for many many years.  That is just how Linda is friendly, authentic and easy to talk to.

I am sure if you ever get the chance to meet her you will agree with my experience of her.

Here is a link to Linda’s profile:

 http://webmarketingnorth.net/athena/alliance-partners/linda-p-cousineau

Athena Alliance Members – A Closer Look at Sharone Bar-David

Since I started the Athena Alliance blogtalk radio show I have had the opportunity to share with our listeners the expertise of our diverse group of trainers, facilitators, coaches and consultants.  Each member has a profile featured on our website and I thought for upcoming blogs I would share with our readers a more personal look at some of our partners and in no particular order.

Sharone Bar-David

When you meet Sharone you experience a very calm, confident and well spoken lady.  I have enjoyed working with her these past few years as she has developed her niche in training and coaching programs that create respectful workplaces.  She has recently become Canada’s first Boss Whisperer.  When I first heard the term I was a little unsure as to what it exactly meant. It means she works with managers who have an abrasive tone about them and she works to help them to become more respectful with others in the organization. Sharone has a passion for helping organizations create respectful workplaces and provides the training and coaching to those who want to move in that direction.  She works both with groups and individuals to identify and change those behaviours that may be experienced by others as bullying or harassment.  A lot has changed in corporations in the past few decades and Sharone is definitely the go-to person when a company has any of these types of issues.

One of the things I respect most about Sharone is her commitment to results.  We once had an organization that was experiencing harassment issues from a senior executive and I was called to help. I connected this company with Sharone and when she couldn’t get anyone from the senior team to return her calls or emails she declined working with them.  When she called and explained that she would not work with them unless the senior team supported the program, I totally understood.  She is committed to results and without buy in from the top, it was not possible.  I feel very fortunate to have Sharone in my alliance and look forward to working together for many years to come.

Here is a link to Sharone’s Profile:

 http://webmarketingnorth.net/athena/alliance-partners/sharone-bar-david

Athena Alliance Members – A Closer Look

Since I started the Athena Alliance blogtalk radio show I have had the opportunity to share with our listeners the expertise of our diverse group of trainers, facilitators, coaches and consultants.  Each member has a profile featured on our website and I thought for upcoming blogs I would share with our readers a more personal look at some of our partners and in no particular order.

Julie Ruben-Rodney

A lot of my alliance members came to me via personal referrals and that is how I came to know Julie.  Dorothy Lazovik had connected with Julie at a networking function and told Julie about my alliance and recommended we connect.    Julie is a veteran trainer/facilitator.  She holds many certifications including Myers Briggs, HBDI, DiSC, McQuaig and De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats to name a few.

Like Dorothy, Julie and I met for breakfast and I knew right from the beginning she was exactly the level of professional I wanted in my alliance and after checking her references it confirmed I was right.

I was able to connect Julie very quickly to one of my customers who was launching an internal college for their managers.  It was a new initiative for this company and Julie was able to support her in creating and delivering the leadership curriculum to start the program going.  That was in 2006 and I am delighted to say that relationship has continued and Julie has consistently been able to address the ongoing and changing needs of this client.

Julie is also an amazing instructional designer and was able to help a client with their internal program that was not delivering the results they wanted.  Julie worked with their internal team to redesign the program, did a train the trainer so this client was able to achieve the outcomes intended for this program.  Julie has also delivered many effective communication programs for our clients.

A few years after joining the Athena Alliance Julie’s husband Jordan also joined our alliance.  His background as lawyer and HR professional has served our clients well in many situations.  Jordan has worked with senior teams and has done one-on-one coaching.  Having both Julie and Jordan on our team has enabled me to support our clients with the level of expertise and professionalism required to deliver the most powerful  leadership programs possible.  They are a team that delivers above and beyond expectations delivering sustainable results.

Julie’s Profile:

http://webmarketingnorth.net/athena/alliance-partners/julie-ruben-rodney

Jordan’s Profile:

http://webmarketingnorth.net/athena/alliance-partners/jordan-rodney

Athena Alliance Members – A Closer Look

Since I started the Athena Alliance blogtalk radio show I have had the opportunity to share with our listeners the expertise of our diverse group of trainers, facilitators, coaches and consultants.  Each member has a profile featured on our website and I thought for upcoming blogs I would share with our readers a more personal look at some of our partners and in no particular order.

Dorothy Lazovik

I was first introduced in 2005 to Dorothy via Vicky Wilson (a former alliance member who has passed).  I followed my usual intake process and had a chat on the phone with Dorothy to determine fit.  Our conversation flowed beautifully and she piqued my interest as I never actually spoken with anyone about personal branding.  I knew organizations spent millions on their brand recognition, but I had never thought about the importance of congruency in how you present yourself.

We scheduled a breakfast meeting for a few weeks later.  I was very impressed when I met Dorothy and could more clearly understand what she was talking about when she said how your dress, speak and interact with others communicates a message.  Part of my intake process is that I need to experience each of my alliance partners providing their service and Dorothy was no different.

I was going through her process so I could understand first-hand what she did and the impact it can have.  The first step was an online assessment, followed by a one-on-one session to review the results of the assessment, create a personal brand for myself, look at my current wardrobe and make up.

There were no surprises in the Prevue assessment as I had done many like it before and it substantiated for me that it was a good assessment tool.  The next step is what surprised me.  Dorothy explained to me that when she spoke with me on the phone I was very warm, friendly and professional and yet when she met me she was surprised because how I was dressed did not communicate the same message as the person on the phone.  I came to our meeting in a black pinstriped suit with a white blouse and too much make up.  My hair was short and red at the time.  She felt there was a disconnect in who I was and how I was dressing. 

After that we explored what image I wanted to portrait.  I said I wanted to be known as a fun professional, which for me seemed impossible before meeting Dorothy.  I thought you could be one or the other, not both at the same time.  I was wrong.  We proceeded to have my makeup done; my hairstyle and colour changed and went to shop so she could show me the types of clothes the best fit my body type and my new image.  This was somewhat confronting to me because it meant changing everything including not wearing black!

Over the next few months I slowly transformed my wardrobe and my hair colour was returned to its natural colour and was growing.  About six months after I had gone through Dorothy’s process I met a former colleague for lunch and the first thing she said was “It’s not like it is a new you, it is more that it is the real you.”  For the first time in years I felt totally comfortable with who I am.

Dorothy has continued to work with leaders and employees to help them get in touch with their authentic selves.

Here is Dorothy’s profile: 

http://webmarketingnorth.net/athena/alliance-partners/dorothy-lazovik

Athena Alliance Members – A Closer Look

Since I started the Athena Alliance blogtalk radio show I have had the opportunity to share with our listeners the expertise of our diverse c, facilitators, coaches and consultants.  Each member has a profile featured on our website and I thought for upcoming blogs I would share with our readers a more personal look at some of our partners and in no particular order.

Tammy Sturge

In March 2006 a former alliance member was conducting a test pilot of a new program he had designed and invited me to attend.  The event was held in this state of the art training facility in Vaughan.  I was honoured to participate and arrived my usual fifteen minutes early.  I was seated next to a tall attractive lady, who I would soon learn was Tammy Sturge.  I recognized the name but not the face.  During our first break we started to chat and it was obvious to both of us we needed to talk more about her offerings and my alliance in a separate meeting.  We decided we would meet for a coffee at the end of the pilot.  I can see now looking back how much we both are “let’s do it now” people.

After we had been talking for a few minutes I realized why her name was so familiar, she was a seminar leader at one of the organizations where I had participated in some personal development programs.  I knew then Tammy was a master facilitator. We both left at the end of our meeting, knowing there were good things ahead.

It was less than a week from when Tammy first joined the alliance when I made my first introduction.  The customer was delighted and told me that she was one of the strongest facilitators he had ever experienced.  This company still calls her or one of her team members to work with them on various projects.  When I have a client that has really tough situations to address, I call Tammy first and she always has a relevant solutions.  A few of the programs I have had Tammy and her team help clients with include: creating and implementing strategic plans, creating powerful leadership teams, pay equity, off-site planning sessions, organizational development projects, managing change and many more.

Here is a link to Tammy’s profile:

 http://webmarketingnorth.net/athena/alliance-partners/tammy-sturge

Athena Alliance Members –
A Closer Look at Scott Kress

Since I started the Athena Alliance blog talk radio show I have had the opportunity to share with our listeners the expertise of our diverse group of trainers, facilitators, coaches and consultants.  Each member has a profile featured on our website and for upcoming blogs I will share with our readers a more personal look at some of our partners and in no particular order.

Scott Kress

When I first sat down to determine the types of training that I would need to offer though my alliance, I knew immediately that team building was something I absolutely must have.  I started asking around to the other trainers and coaches I knew if they could recommend anyone.  Within one week I had four people recommend Scott Kress.  I immediately called Scott to set up a time to meet.  He was clearly passionate about what he did.  Before meeting Scott I really didn’t fully understand the depth that a properly designed team building program could produce.  Scott and his team deliver showcases several times a year so people can actually experience their programs.  I found out the date of the next showcase and registered.

The morning went fast and I was amazed at how effectively he facilitated all the activities to real life experiences.  I brought Scott into the alliance the following week.  A few months after I brought Scott and his team on board, I got a call from a client who was having challenges with his inside and outside sales teams.  During the assessment I discovered that the inside sales people thought the outside sales people didn’t really work (mostly smoozed and played golf) and the outside sales people thought the inside people were slow and incompetent.  The manager shared that these attitudes were having a negative impact on customer service and sales in general.  He asked for my recommendation, and I recommended an high ropes course with Scott’s team.  I made the introduction and Scott delivered an exceptional program.  I got a call from my client and he said that Scott and his team moved his team forward at least six to eight months in only two says.  He said he could have looked for days on the internet and not found a better connection.

Scott has been with me since the beginning and now also teaches Leadership, and Organizational Change for the Rotman School of Management, Odette School of Business and the Edinburgh Business School.

As if he wasn’t busy enough, Scott was the 51^st  Canadian to summit Mount Everest  and the 18^th Canadian to climb the 7 summits (the highest mountain on each of the 7 continents).  He brings his climbing experience to all that he teaches.  Scott is no ordinary facilitator!!!!

To review Scott’s Profile click here: www.athenatrainingandconsulting.com/alliance-partners/scott-kress

Athena Alliance Members –
A Closer Look at Claire Sookman

Since I started the Athena Alliance blogtalk radio show I have had the opportunity to share with our listeners the expertise of our diverse group of trainers, facilitators, coaches and consultants.  Each member has a profile featured on our website and for upcoming blogs I will share with our readers a more personal look at some of our partners and in no particular order.

Claire Sookman

It was almost eight years ago when I first met Claire.  I had just started Athena Training and Consulting and was actively attending many different trade shows and networking events.  It was actually really funny because every place I went there she was.  We would have a chuckle and accuse each other of following one another.  I can remember thinking to myself when I was dressing and preparing to attend the next networking event “I wonder if Claire will be there today” and sure enough there she was!

I was still learning about my new business and wasn’t sure how Claire and I could work together but I was clear we needed to explore it.  I didn’t totally understand Virtual Team building and I set up a time to meet one-on-one so she could explain how it worked.  I had never thought about what challenges a manager would encounter when they had to manage a globally dispersed team.

During our meeting Claire shared that her programs were often based on the DiSC assessment tool.  Now that I understood!  The rest is history as they say… it was clear we were aligned and have worked together ever since.  In fact only two weeks after she joined the alliance I had a client request a DiSC assessment to be performed for their management team. This client still has Claire deliver a DiSC program annually.  Claire continues to work with virtual teams and she is continually raising the bar in the level of service she provides for our customers.

To review Claire’s Profile click here: www.athenatrainingandconsulting.com/alliance-partners/claire-sookman

Athena Alliance Members – A Closer Look at David Boyce CSP

Since I started the Athena Alliance blogtalk radio show I have had the opportunity to share with our listeners the expertise of our diverse group of trainers, facilitators, coaches and consultants.  Each member has a profile featured on our website and I thought for upcoming blogs I would share with our readers a more personal look at some of our partners and in no particular order.

David Boyce CSP

I first met David when we both worked for an experiential training company.  He was one of the first members of my alliance and continues to delight customers with his legendary customer service, supervisory skills programs and he is also my video grapher for our “Make Your Point” presentation skills program.   He also works with organizations when they need support in creating more effective sales teams.  He was one of the first sales people to achieve the CSP (Certified Sales Professional) designation through the Canadian Professional Sales Association.

David and I share the belief that training can and does make a difference in performance, job satisfaction and bottom line results.  David has a very diverse background and has worked as hands on manager in his past positions, which gives him a deeper understanding of the situations our customers face every day.

David is one of those people who is extremely flexible and very easy to work with.  One of the first customers he worked with as an Alliance Member was a funeral services company.  He was contracted to deliver customer service tips training in Toronto offices.  Originally this client was going to run the program for a select few employees and later decided to have the entire company participate in the training.  I remember calling him one day and he was on his way to the grave diggers to gain a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities so he could design their part of the program to address the areas where the needed the support.  Now that’s dedication!

In addition to facilitating for corporations David is a certified coach, conditioning sports trainer and participates in adventure racing and travel. David lives in Oakville with his wife and teenage son.

To review David’s Profile click here:  www.athenatrainingandconsulting.com/alliance-partners/david-boyce

So Much to Do in So Little Time!

As I have shared in many of my previous blogs, I am so grateful for the opportunities we have to work with the training and development professionals in organizations.  This story I am sharing is no different.

I had the pleasure of meeting with the learning consultant and his colleague of a large retail chain.  I met with these two gentlemen much the same as I meet with most of my clients, by prospecting.  During our initial meeting they shared that they had no immediate needs and were quite happy they chose to meet with me.  I explained everything about how the alliance worked and how we have consistently been able to provide the right fit training partners.  At the end of the meeting we agreed I would follow up in three months.

Two weeks after our appointment I received a call from one of the consultants explaining they had a rush need for an instructional designer.  They had just got approval to roll out a new program and did not have the internal resources to make it happen on time.  During my conversation with him I learned that they needed this in less than a two week turnaround. They had to design the program and conduct a train the trainer so it could be rolled out in several locations across the country by their internal staff.  I said I had several instructional designers in my alliance and I said I would get to work on it right away.

I called one instructional designer and she was just heading out the door to an appointment.  We continued the call while she was enroute to her appointment.  In order for this to happen, it would mean she would have to work the weekend.  She said of all the weekends, this would be the perfect weekend for her to work on such a project as her husband and son were out of town at a hockey tournament.

She needed a little more information than what I had at the time so we agreed I would virtually connect the two of them so they could determine the fit.  I got a call back the next day advising me that they were going ahead and she was excited for this opportunity.

When I did my follow up call after the completion of the project, the consultant shared with me that our alliance partner was such a delight to work with and she came through above and beyond what he could expect.  He said he was so impressed with her level of commitment to their project, so much so that she actually came and sat in the pilot program on her own time.  Pretty awesome!

 By
Cindy Stradling CSP, CPC