“S, you have given me the confidence to succeed and shown me the path to success. You are sharp, intuitive, and a first-class listener. You are my ally and my mentor. You have a heart of gold, a wicked sense of humour and I look forward to many years of knowing you as a coach and a friend. For your wonderful work, there should be a more powerful expression than ‘thank you.’”
— A company executive following the building of the supportive environment required for him to excel in a prestigious but difficult industry exam, May 2004
“Nobody expects to be laid off. I didn’t. Eight years with a global financial institution — promoted four times, senior management — I had achieved the company’s highest distinction for service, the President’s Award. I was devastated. S was brilliant! She sliced through the distractive clutter and rhetoric, to unearth deeper blocks to growth. She challenged my firmly held convictions — many based on fear. She brought clarity and focus. As a result, anxiety dissipated, I relished my “time off,” networked, travelled solo to India to teach children in an underprivileged school, and started a fantastic new consulting career. Without S, I’d still be stuck. The world looks great from this new vantage point!”
— A client who moved swiftly from crisis to triumph, March 2010.
“I appreciate having you in my life. You are truly special and I feel so lucky to have met you. The chance of just hearing you on the radio like that ... how lucky for me. I admire you so much and I think, wow, what connection of events created and nurtured this magical person. You are someone people can aspire to be, a true living role model and I am fascinated with the ‘process’ of how you came to be so wise. You have managed to forge your character and do all the things you preach. You are an amazing spirit — strengthened over time ... born with that muscle, something you are generous enough to share. You nurture an incredible spirit in others so that we can succeed like you.;”
— Comments from a client who, in a two-and-a-half-year period, did it all — successfully relocating to a major international city, where she re-established her business, elevated her relationship with her husband to a new level and created an environment conducive to her children’s continued growth, December 2008
“Your holistic approach to developing interview and presentation skills is terrific. Listening to your advice on interview management was an important aspect in my getting the job.”
— A surgeon who obtained the prestigious appointment he wanted in his medical specialisation, November 2007
“I do not know who sent you to my wine booth last year, I just know how lucky I am that that happened.”
— A European fine wine producer navigating the entry of his wines into the heavily regulated British Columbian retail wine market, March 2009
“I have been in the restaurant business for 24 years and am no stranger to wine, but working with S to up the ante for the 2008 Vancouver Dine Out event by incorporating creative elements into our service and revamping our wine list brought me and my restaurant to a new level and increased wine sales and bookings significantly.”
— Vancouver restaurant owner who increased turnover on food and wine significantly on his inaugural entry into the 6th Vancouver Dine Out event, February 2008. His restaurant was included in the Georgia Strait‘s Best of Vancouver lists in 2007.
“An afternoon with S is not about punctuation, it’s about motivation. S helped me be a grown-up when dealing with my writing. I now have methods to deal with my procrastination. She’s an inspiration.”
— A client who moved from wanting to become a writer to being published in a wide array of well regarded food and wine publications, March 2010
“S can change lives. She is THE best in this field — especially for creative people like us.”
— A client who cultivated a calm environment from which to achieve the balance she desired, improve the way she ran her business and find ways to fuel her creative side, March 2009
“Today was one of the most wonderful and transformative days of my life. Thank you.”
— A client working in international finance who believed the times demanded a seismic life change for her, which she got after an afternoon’s work, January 2009
“‘Be bold!’ she says. ‘Who is at your mentor’s table?’ she asks. ‘Less is more,’ she insists. This was the beginning of a unique coaching relationship which led to the completion of my book in six short months. Because Dr. S Fuller expected and believed in my best, I delivered — beyond my expectations.”
— An author and coach who successfully and quickly completed the writing of a book enabling her to heighten her profile and boost her coaching business, November 2007
“‘I really thank you for teaching me not just English and writing, but also the lessons of life. Thank you!”
— A client in his early 20s who wanted to get off to a good academic start in his senior years at a university foreign to him in language and culture, and for whom I designed a series of workshops to prepare him for the task ahead, July 2009
“This is great stuff! Exactly what I want to say and how I want to say it. Very eloquent, very professional, and very succinct.”
— A professional writer who wanted to increase the visibility of her writing business in 2009, both by perfecting her already considerable research, writing and editing skills and through a rebranding of her writing services, January 2009
“Months after my writing coaching sessions ended, I’m still applying things I learned to attracting new clients and earning a higher income than I expected. And whenever I have a quick question or a small challenge, Dr. S is always there to guide me through and continue my learning process, which helps me grow my business in the right direction — successfully!”
— The same client 10 months later, after some additional sessions which led to her attracting even more of the clients she wanted, and at the higher level at which she wished to be engaged, both professionally and financially, October 2009
“I met S in a happy coincidence at a flower shop. I was exhausted and discouraged, struggling through the last year of my degree. Working with S, I regained confidence I didn’t realise I’d lost. I was able to re-focus my energies, my goals became clearer and more immediate, I rediscovered the drive I’d lost and regained the determination to fulfil my ambitions. Obstacles in the way of my progress — some of which I had yet to even identify — dropped away. I successfully finished my coursework, went on to intern in my ‘dream job’ in New York City and quickly secured work in my chosen area of specialty. S’s clarity, perspective and questioning not only put me back on the right path, but what I learned through her coaching continues to propel me forward to both personal and professional success. ”
— A client who successfully completed her law degree and became a member of the legal community, December 2007
“Tonight when I celebrate I will toast in your direction to a mentor who helped me scale my Everest!”
— The same client on the day she took oath and was admitted to the bar, January 2009
“While the three-day selection process was long and draining, I was able to keep it nicely together. In the interview I was in the flow, using the techniques we had worked on to respond in all the appropriate ways by tapping into the ‘mentors’ we had created together. Thank you.”
— An airline pilot (so successful in the interview process he was told they wished they could “clone” him) who was subsequently offered a position with a highly regarded international airline he wished to work for, February 2008
“I passed my evaluation in the simulator yesterday with the highest of compliments: ‘Continue to progress at this pace and you will be well and ready for the left seat (captain) in three years.’”
— The same client reporting his success after his first six-month assessment with the new airline, October 2008
“At the breaking point of divorce, you gave me the big picture of how to be a friend. Thank you for keeping my marriage together when I had lost all hope. We (and my children) can’t thank you enough. Thank you for being an inspirational motivator in my career. You are forever the guide and mentor, leading me one more step beyond, just when I’m ready to be there. Your poetic one-liners and impeccable timing — are forever an inspiration and motivator.”
— A client who used my “baker’s dozen” coaching package to successfully address the personal and professional issues in her life, November 2007
“S is not just a great writing coach; she is a first-class psychiatrist.”
— A company executive on receiving results placing him in the five per cent who passed an exam, October 2004
“S has a fierce moral intelligence that enables her swiftly to cut through the fog of confusion that surrounds so much of human thought. It’s a quality that makes her a wonderful coach and teacher, because she can quickly put people on the path to wiser decisions about their lives — sometimes with a single penetrating question at exactly the right moment.”
— A media manager after being helped to make an important career decision, February 2006
“You are remarkable. With your wonderful memory, you can quickly and easily draw from your vast bank of sayings and quotes at just the perfect time.”
— A client who had successfully worked to bring balance to her life and meet the competing demands of aesthetic and commercial success and of family and community, December 2007
“Your coaching is better than sex, and the effects last longer.”
— A professional writer after building the supportive environment required for professional and personal development, October 2002
“And for most recently modelling inspired teaching (and showing me how helpful skilful coaching can be), my thanks to Dr. Sharon Fuller.”
— An academic in her dissertation acknowledgements on successful completion of her PhD, October, 2002
“During the short time you have been coaching me, my relationship with my wife has improved and you have shown me that what I wanted has always been within myself. You have taught me that communication is so important to a healthy relationship and to life in general. As a result, my love life has never been better and I owe this to your award-winning, world-class coaching. You are a remarkable person and I am honoured to be your friend and I am grateful for your professionalism . . . Thanks for helping me come such a long way in such a short period of time.”
— A client, married for two decades, with a job in the technology field for even longer, who got rid of feelings of anxiety, built his self-esteem, worked on procrastination and dramatically improved all his important relationships, July 2004
“S will never accept second best. The word ‘no’ doesn’t exist in her vocabulary. You make winners of all of us that work with you. A heartfelt thank you.”
— A client who moved from a position of social anxiety to one of confidence, taking on challenges that he had always feared, such as public speaking, travel and entrepreneurial risk-taking, May 2005
“We designed an alliance which allowed everyone to shine and that is thanks to you. What sets you apart, S, is your capacity to bridge your remarkable intellectual background and your intuition. You can evoke quotes, metaphors and references on the spot and connect concepts with ease.”
— A sports coach following the designing and development of a business project, June 2003
“You’ve dramatically assisted in my transformation to truly being in the best state I’ve been in in my life. Now I can ‘exhale’ and cross any bridge … you took me from a place where I was ‘just going through the motions’ … to really finding out that it was holding me back from living! I can accomplish anything now, thanks to your insight, positive demeanour and great coaching skills. I am very fortunate to have met you.”
— A client who had overcome an obstacle that had been blocking her development for several years, November 2002
“S, some comments about my writing … thanks to the best coach in town!”
— A professional writer after being given an excellent review of her writing abilities and work practices, February 2003
“I’m starting to get a life! I owe you so much gratitude for cheering me on … It has meant so much.”
— A business owner following the successful transformation and redesign of her business, May 2002
“S gives me the motivation I require to concentrate on my current challenges — and in one phone call. She provides great insight, contributes positive thoughts, offers many suggestions for reflection and gives many options for looking forward. Her worldly experience and wisdom give me enduring confidence.”
— A client who had been promoted to a challenging writing job, September 2001
“I am happy … as I have never been. I feel rejuvenated … and more motivated in my teaching. I am sure it is also the result of the work we did together. Everything I did this year contributed to make me the more mature and happy person I am today. Thanks, Sharon, for your contribution in this process.”
— A university instructor following a three-month programme of coaching, Fall 2002
“My attitude has changed so much since working with you that in a recent one-to-one session with the head of my department, he said that if everyone had the same attitude as me, his life would be so much easier.”
— A communications executive working in a large technology corporation during a restructuring, May 2003
“I also have to thank you S for showing up the way you do in our relationship. I love that you ask me my thoughts and opinions and share yours. I appreciate and value you and the relationship we are building.”
— A coaching colleague with whom I established a coaching association, February 2009
“S, I love your high spirit, wisdom and powerful “Just do it” approach. Thank you for recognizing my passion and giving me confidence to do the things I love to do.”
— Jolanta Gorwa, Bella Vita Holistic Health and Nutrition (www.bellavitawellness.com), December 2006
“It was a pleasure to have you facilitate our team-building session. I want to tell you that I have received many encouraging comments and positive feedback from the various participants who attended your workshop; not to mention our VP’s remark that he had cancelled his appointments for the day in order to be involved in the sessions and viewed it as important for his personal growth.”
— Amani Abraham, Solution Team, Telus, October 2003
S has a natural affinity for great performance. She has contributed to our association as a lively panelist for a conference session, and she has been a key player in ensuring our fundraising drive was a success. S's communication skills, creativity and drive make her a valuable asset to any project or event.
— Susan Stevenson, Executive Director, Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance, March 2006
A writing workshop I was invited to give at La Casa de Inspiracion on Mayne Island elicited comments that I jump-start creativity, eliminate excuses and give very useful examples and advice; that the five-hour workshop was worth every minute, with its wonderful combination of inspiration and practice tips; and that it was an interaction with “light and laughter” that was excellent, getting people “ready to go and write!”
— June 27, 2009
As a teacher, I'm often asked by students for advice and tips on how to become a better writer. Even though I offer up my best in response, I am always searching for new strategies. S's writing workshop has opened up to me several approaches that I had never even thought of using in the classroom. If you’re a teacher who is serious about your profession and self-improvement, I highly recommend her workshop. It’s fun, informative and enlightening. I was particularly taken with the idea that practice does not make perfect; rather good practice makes perfect, and S's workshop is all about good practice.
— Dan Fromowitz, secondary-school teacher and educator, July 2006
“You have a wonderful way of bringing creativity into everything that you do, which heightens the learning experience. The workshop [From Writer’s Block to Writer’s Cramp] has led me to think differently about my work habits and how I approach writing in particular. The concept of preparing to write as if I am going on a backpacking trip has made a huge impact on my work behaviour. Looking at opening and closing statements has improved my thinking on what it is I really want to say. What impact do I want to have on the reader? Thank you for assisting in this concise shift in my thinking.”
— Jacquie Small, Catalyst Business Coaching, August 2003
S has been a valued and dynamic volunteer for the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre for nearly four years. She brings great energy, passion and knowledge to the many roles she fills as a volunteer at VHEC. S has led hundreds of students through seven educational exhibits, contributed to our newsletter, Zachor, presented to B.C. teachers on behalf of the VHEC and facilitated at three UBC high school symposia. We are fortunate to have S as a member of our volunteer team.
— Rome Fox, Program Co-ordinator, Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, May 2006
“In her traditional, well-known fashion, Dr. S over-delivers all the way. The speaker series [Buddha, Bertrand, Bateson, De Bono & Beyond: Need-to-Know Thinkers for Coaches, Trainers, Facilitators and the Well-Informed] is brilliant. Everything from the topics to the questions and discussions that follow is refreshing food for the brain. I find it a privilege to engage in intellectual dialogue and discussion with a group of like-minded individuals in a relaxing setting. I am looking forward to participating in these sessions and trust that Dr. S will keep them coming.”
— Amin Hirji, life coach, January 2004
“I just had to say how grateful I am to have met you, and to have had you as our chapter host. I’ve been exposed to more things these past couple of years through our meetings than through any other group I’ve even been part of. You have an amazing gift to bring together all the elements — some great learning, the people you brought in, the food you offered, the libations and, of course, the people we attracted to the group.”
— Debbie Kemp, coach, co-founder of aVirtualRetreat.com and member of the Vancouver Coachville Chapter for the four years during which S Fuller chaired the group, January 2006
© S Fuller 2010