Corporate Training & Workshop Testimonials

“Leadership & Effective People Management” Workshop

“Excellent program and well presented. Sandy was great!” – Coastal Community Insurance  

“Thank you Sandy, I really enjoyed the course and would recommend it to all supervisors and leaders.”

– Credential and The Ethical Funds Company

“Sandy was fantastic….knowledgeable and approachable. The course was very helpful, applicable, stimulating, thought provoking and useful.” 

– Citizens Bank of Canada

“The best course I have been on.” – Interior Savings

“Excellent presenter – interesting, related to group easily, easily got group discussions going. I have learned a lot from this course and feel my role as a supervisor will greatly improve.” – Interior Savings

 “I received some excellent insight on coaching, motivation and understanding leadership styles and development levels.” – Citizens Bank of Canada

 “Presenter was great! The course was easy to understand and apply and gave me ideas and examples that I can bring back to my organization right away.” – Citizens Bank of Canada

 “Sandy was excellent – she put a different slant on it. I finally GOT a lot of it. She is a real jewel in the HR team.” – Prince George Savings

“I really enjoyed Sandy’s teaching style. I feel much more positive and have an action plan to implement when I return to the office. Thank you!” – Envision Financial

“Sandy was very knowledgeable; did a great job; put everything into perspective in everyday terms. The course was everything I expected and more. This will definitely help me understand people more.” -Envision Financial

• “Sandy was excellent.” 
• “Excellent presentation – personal touch and stories made it real life and relevant.”
• “Presenter awesome.” 
• “Sandy Russell was fantastic! She was focussed, prepared, patient and knowledgeable. This course was very interesting, practical and insightful. Keep Sandy in this course and develop follow-up courses with her input and instruction! 
• “I learned a lot about myself that I was ‘blind to and will use that knowledge to help better manage my future staff. Thank you so much Sandy!!” 
• This has been the best course – presentation was excellent.”
• “More than I expected. Great interaction and verbal input.”
• “Fantastic! Best course I’ve been on, … I obtained some good tools to deal with performance issues and conflict resolution. Good practical, real life situations…” 
• “Sandy was very good.” 
• “Most enjoyable course.”
• “Sandy was great! Course was very positive – lots of great information.” 
• “Excellent – great job Sandy! I have never had training on how to manage people so I thought this course would help. It’s is amazing how this course makes a difference.”
• “Really enjoyed Sandy as a facilitator. Great job.” 
• “The whole course was very good. Sandy was perfect.”
• “Excellent course. I have learned lots of new skills that I can implement right away.”
• “Sandy was great, full of life and made the 2 day course enjoyable.”
• “This course was suggested by HR – and I am very thankful that I took it. Really enjoyed it!”
• “I was recently promoted and have been managing some of my former peers. I have not had the skills and tools to coach them to perform and that has made me very stressed. I am so glad I have had this training!”
• “Presenter – awesome. I really enjoyed the course and would recommend it to all supervisors and managers.”
• “This course provided the necessary tools and roadmap for me to implement to be a good people manager. I just got new staff added to my team and one of them was an existing member promoted to be my “successor”. I found that I didn’t have the skills and tools to coach her to perform. I am so glad I had this training! This would also be a good course for our support staff so that they also manage up.”
• “This course was everything I expected and more. This will help me understand people better. Sandy was very knowledgeable; did a great job; put everything into perspective in everyday terms.”
• “Great presenter. This course has given me the skills and confidence to be able to lead and coach my staff to perform to the best of their ability.”
• “Excellent presenter; The course was very informative and Sandy kept our interest all through the course.”
• “The course was darn near perfect – invaluable for both on the job and in my personal life. I feel I can confidently use the tools and skills I’ve learned.”

– Various Participants

“Collaborative Communications” Workshop

“I wanted to follow up with both of you and say thanks again for the great day I had during the ‘Collaborative Conversations Workshop’ last month! I have really been able to use my action plan and establish designed alliances. I have really experienced the practical benefits in my day to day! I find myself much more aware when engaged in conversations with my colleagues and consultants. I look forward to continuing to work with you guys. Thank You!”
– Jeff, Development Manager

• “Content was very relevant to the whole group. Facilitators read the group well. An engaging and great workshop!”
• “Very interactive and useful content. A valuable tool in guiding company culture.”
• “Great understanding and delivery of content- it was very relevant to our work. Thanks and great job!”
• “Appreciated candor and humour nature of the leaders. Very valuable. Great job!”
• “Leaders were approachable, knowledgeable and great facilitators. Fantastic workshop, thank you!”
• “The high level of participation, personal analysis and group discussion was excellent.”
• “Leaders had good energy. Content was made relevant to our day to day issues.”
• “Great job. Great delivery.”
• “The leaders were great facilitators and understood team members’ needs, problems, strengths and weaknesses to help bring up their best performance and integrity to achieve the team goal.”
• “Great job! Very applicable, useful content.”
• “The leaders embody the content they discuss.”
• “The leaders were very knowledgeable and effective.”
• “Great team, facilitators worked well together.”

– Various participants

“Assertiveness and Influence” Workshop

“Sandy’s Assertiveness & Influence course is absolutely fabulous. I have been able to put into practice a lot of the skills I learned, not only in my professional life but also in my personal life. I find myself jumping out of my comfort zone a lot now and getting the results I want. I believe that the skills I learned in the course, such as choosing the right words to say and the right time to say them were so beneficial. The format of the program was great, and Sandy, you are an awesome facilitator. It was a safe and comfortable environment to speak up in and the activities were beneficial to the learning and well-timed. Great job!”

– Avis Johnson, Manager Member Service, Assiniboine Credit Union, Manitoba

“Sandy Russell’s Assertiveness and Influence workshop introduced our staff and leaders to important life skills along with increased self-awareness designed to support the pursuit of healthy, positive, interpersonal relationships at work. Providing this course for our staff was an important step in the evolution of our workplace culture en route to increased individual and peer accountability and candour.” – Glenda M. Rowley, Store Manager, Calgary

“I found this seminar to be very informative and applicable to every part of my life. I left with information that will assist me in becoming more assertive vs. aggressive. Sandy speaks passionately about the topic and her enthusiasm is definitely contagious. Overall great workshop!”
– Colleen Dacquay, Manager Member Sales & Service, Assiniboine Credit Union

• “Thanks for a great course! It pointed out almost everything that I need to do to be more assertive and build confidence in my communication.”
•  “Great workshop – surpassed expectations!”
• “Sandy was easy to listen to. She knows her field very well.”
• “I learned a great deal about techniques for increasing assertiveness. I was also very interested to learn about the different levels of listening. These skills will be invaluable when dealing with members, especially during conflict.”
• “Great reflection – I feel I’ve gained tools to be a better listener, to be more assertive and to be more thoughtful and empathetic as a communicator.”
• “There is a great deal of information here. The big one for me is to check my tone and stance so that I am not perceived as tough and insensitive.”
• “The tips and skills learned can be used every day in a management position. The course was well presented.”

– Various Participants, MEC, Toronto

“Wonderful Workshop – Thank you!” – Elizabeth Dunbar
“Great job and valuable information and demonstration of skills. Excellent materials.”
– Val Gregory
“Well done! Clear, easy to follow and great topics. The tools I received from this course will be used daily – valuable information. Sandy, you are very good at what you do! “
– Lori Motion
“The workshop was wonderful. Thank you Sandy for delivering workable solutions to communication difficulties.” – Mari J. Clark
“Sandy – this is a great course. Your facilitation skills are superb! You are confident, light, respectful, radiant, clear and knowledgeable. Overall, great material, well presented and fun.” – Juhree Zimmerman
“The delivery was excellent and very pragmatic. There were a lot of practical tools taught in the workshop that are directly applicable to my professional and personal situations. It was a great workshop – engaging, interactive and focussed on practical issues.” – Janet Wong
“Sandy is a very confident and polished facilitator. I learned a lot from just observing her.” – Tina Lai
“I learned so much. I’m thrilled and excited to receive this training and eager to practice!”
– Emily Hostetter

– Various Participants, Vancouver Public Offering

• “Our team was really impressed with the workshop and the information you shared with us was so hands on/applicable to our day to day work. Thanks again!”
•  “Very good, one of the best courses I’ve taken. I would definitely recommend others take it.”
•  “Sandy was engaging, fun and very focussed.”
•  “Great workshop. Surpassed my expectations.”
•  “Sandy is very well spoken and articulate. She brought in real life scenarios which everyone could relate to and she kept an excellent pace.”
•  “Held my attention throughout the day (not easy to do!).”
• “Sandy was great and very knowledgeable. The course was valuable personally and very applicable to my daily work experience.”
•  “This is a good course for most/all organizations as it helps reset one’s frame of mind around how to be an effective communicator.”
•  “Sandy was a great presenter/speaker. She did a great job and her session was well received.”

– Various Participants

• “This course will help me with tackling difficult conversations ideally with greater ease and grace.”
• “I feel this workshop will translate well into all areas of my life. Thank you!”
• “Sandy was very enthusiastic and competent. Lots of confidence too!”
• “Sandy is very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter. This is not just a job for her.”
• “I found that I went through a variety of emotions during the course – which in turn made me understand just how much of a role assertiveness can play in my life.”
• “Thanks so much Sandy – you really shed some light on the subject. Much success to you!!
• “Lots of information. Appreciate the take home binder. Very positive interaction. Very respectful.”
• “Excellent Course! This course was way better than I had expected!”
• “This course gave great tools applicable in all aspects of relationships. Thanks Sandy!
• “I enjoyed this course and have taken a lot of out it. It will be very helpful both at work and home.”
• “Really well done. Very interesting.”
• “This course has made me more aware of how to be assertive, happier and to move toward less stress.”
• “Very good, one of the best courses I’ve taken though our organization. I would recommend others take it. Thanks. Sandy was a good listener and was great at answering questions.”
• “Sandy was so professional, organized and clear. She communicated the material in a fun and interesting way.
• “My expectations were exceeded! Great job! The material was concise, informative and helpful.”
• “Sandy was exceptional. She knows the course content well. I am excited to use the tools I have learned today.”

– Various Participants, Calgary

“Assertiveness for Sales Service” Workshop

• “Great program – makes you stop and evaluate a few things; a lot better than other courses – down to earth and involved real solutions; flowed along well.”
• “Awesome! Really helps with my barriers that I haven’t had tools to overcome on my own; now I am not scared to ask people questions because the worst thing they can say is no.”
• “Great review; best idea was part on dealing with irate customers.”
• “Well organized, well presented, relevant to my position; change my views on sales – not a four letter word? It is a service to members.”
• “Interesting and productive; sales “panel” was very helpful in relating down to earth tips on sales; a comfortable workshop – some stretching and lots of ideas and ups.”
• “Good – it gave some new perspectives and I am now very aware of assumptions I make in sales.”
• “I learned new things that I will be able to apply to work and personal life; I now have the knowledge on how to deal with myself and members in difficult situations; I found Sandy to be a good teacher – she kept us motivated and she was fun, friendly and confident.”
• “Great – Loved Sandy! Very well balanced, better than other courses – pertains to our job and is more realistic; changed my views on assertiveness and how personalities work and how you can choose a better work environment when you are more assertive.”
• “Great; exciting; best ideas – choose the high road, see the big picture, be authentic; She was a great speaker; always great to be sent on a high performance workshop – you come out feeling empowered and to be more in your higher self.”
• “It has motivated me to push myself out of the comfort zone and into bigger and better experiences. Thank you.”
• “Excellent job Sandy; best idea – sales tips; a lot better than other courses – instructor and course contents.”
• “Beneficial in my corporate and personal life, a lot better than other courses – not so repetitive – there were lots of new learnings.”
• “There was a nice balance of topics; a lot better than other courses – the trainer made a HUGE difference – she was confident and powerful in her words and stance.”
• “Sandy was a great instructor and very easy to listen to and great ideas! Thanks Sandy! Has changed the way I react to things I can’t control….I’ll be taking a step back.?”
• “It was helpful for me in how I approach some people and how I can also be more approachable.”
• “Very informative on how to deal with all sorts of members and how to become assertive not passive; best idea – to be adaptable and not afraid of trying things whether it is right or wrong; Sandy was inspirational, not judgmental; changed view about myself – I seem to be more confident about confrontation and to be assertive.”
• “Very useful info and techniques that definitely apply to our job; best ideas – assertiveness and positive self-talk; I like the balance of a few different topics; a lot better than other courses because the tools and techniques apply not only to the workplace but personal lives and relationships as well; confirmed I would like to be more assertive and that I have grown over the past few years in terms of being less passive. Thanks!”
• “I thought it was great! I’m looking forward to putting this info to work back at my branch.”
• “Very good – I learned lots of great ideas on being assertive with members.”
• “I really like how everything was taught in this course. It will really help me to give my members better service.”
• “Great course. I now know I can be assertive without being rude or offending someone and it will raise my confidence and how I feel about serving my members.”

– Various participants

“Personal Leadership” Workshop

•  “Excellent workshop. Although the topic was ‘fluffy’, you managed to make many connections to the business to ensure tangibility.”
• “Sandy did a great job facilitating this workshop. She is enthusiastic and colourful!”
• “Very good session and well presented. My expectations were exceeded.”
• “Sandy speaks from the heart. It is easy to see she is passionate about the subject.”
• “This was great. Very enjoyable learning experience. Let’s have more of these sessions.”
• “Sandy has passion in her presentation and it is appreciated. Excellent management of the session and very good pacing. Good job Sandy!”
• “Expectations greatly exceeded. Very engaging. Presenter was natural, funny and confident. Thank you!”
• “Great workshop. I will now have more confidence to do what I need to be a great team leader.”
• “Enjoyed the interaction. Great participant and excellent facilitation.”
• “The environment and materials were well selected and Sandy was very knowledgeable.”

– Various participants, Citizens Bank of Canada

“Discover Your Edge” Workshop

• “I like the quick simple exercises, interactiveness, information to suit all and partnership dynamics.”
•  “Practical, inspiring, nice combination of activity, interaction and instruction.”
• “Very good flow between you both. Tone and pace was perfect.”
•  “Great quick and dirty tool to get better at dealing with thoughts and reframing them.”
•  “Great work – I loved the course and am totally recharged.”

– Various participants

“Amazing Women’s Weekend” Workshop

• “Thank you to the facilitators for your love and commitment to women and families.”
• “Loved all the amazing women and the secure atmosphere made me feel very safe.”
• “The facilitators were funny and professionally dedicated women.”
• “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
• “The facilitators’ compassion helps us grow into the Amazing Women we have inside us.”
• “The facilitators made everyone feel connected, encouraged and enforced safety as a priority.”
• “Felt inspired and encouraged in every step and risk I took.”
• “Great that exercises covered all aspects of learning – visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and spirit.”
• “I was able to become vulnerable in a totally safe environment.”
• “You will learn to let go, to trust and you will meet some truly amazing women.”
• “Whether you need to heal OR NOT – you will find value.”
• “Young women have to take this before they make too many mistakes.”
• “You will grow in ways never imagined possible. “You will become more of who you already are.”
• “FUN FUN FUN”
• “The work is hard but SO WORTH IT.”
• “It was strange, intense and overwhelming at times – a cleansing and transforming at the same time. It was inspiring and amazing, educational, stimulating, draining and FUN.”
• “No woman should go through life without attending an Amazing Women’s Weekend. It is life changing.
• “Spend your money on THIS workshop.”
• “Beautiful experience and I loved it.”

– Various participants

“Soul Retrieval Spa Retreat”, Punta Serena, Mexico

• “Sandy and her co-leader were brilliant and a great compliment to one another.”
• “This retreat will ROCK your world!”
• “Facilitation was AMAZING, knowledge incredible and intuition – WOW.”
• “Overall experience was a 10.”
• The Soul Retrieval (aka Botox for the Soul) has changed my life forever. It provided me with a safe place to get off the treadmill (I think I was catapulized) to have a look and clearly identify who I am and who I am not.
• “Both facilitators are inspirational women who allow vulnerability and demonstrate sensitivity. They walk the talk: both AMAZING women!”
• “As facilitators, Sandy and her co-leader are an 11. What really works for me is the intimacy. Many facilitators put distance between themselves and the group both in and outside of the classroom. You two met me exactly where I am and always were there with open hearts. You never made anyone wrong and you always focussed on just giving a safe place to be real.”
– Various participants

“Having a full week has given me time to focus on me. I arrived in survival mode and am leaving with a clear understanding of who I am and where I want to go. there is no doubt in my mind, heart & soul this year is going to be my very best year yet. – Terry

“This retreat will rock your world!! The facilitators are knowledgeable and skilled and they have a way of making you feel so at ease by their vulnerability. The setting is fantastic and unbelievably gorgeous. Yet…this retreat is no joke. The workshop is in depth and at times intense yet the serenity and beauty of the surroundings helps to create a space that soothes the soul. If you can do just one thing to be kind to yourself you need to do this retreat!! You will never regret or forget it!! – Lorna F.S.