Client Success Stories:
Hear A Clip From
Amy Pearson
"Having Amber as a sounding board - someone I could ask my questions and pose my hypotheticals to - has been so incredibly impactful. And work-life balance now vs. before working with Amber has been night and day. I have always been pretty good about protecting my weekend hours but now I don’t go back to work after picking the kids up from school. I hang out and relax with them more. I find time to tackle home projects that used to be left until way late at night. I go to the gym and go on walks. I am able to take care of myself more. I even inverted the time I work in the business vs. on the business. It’s been a huge transformation. Amber really helped me successfully pull myself out of survival mode and transition to thriving mode. Now, I actually enjoy working on my business!"
~ Amy Pearson, Principal Interior Designer of Amy Pearson Design
One year ago, Amy Pearson was the owner and principal designer of a successful design studio in Portland, Oregon, a loving wife, and mother of 14 year-old twins. Her family was her entire world and her "why" for all of her business decisions - one of those decisions being hiring me to help her make some necessary changes in the way she operates as a business owner.
Though Amy was running a successful business, she was stressed out, burned out, and constantly feeling pulled between wanting to work less so she could spend more time with her family to wanting to work more so she could increase her revenue and afford private school for her kids. Decreasing her workload while increasing her revenue seemed like an impossible challenge to Amy but I listened to her plight, dove into her business, and was confident in the old adage where there is a will, there is a way. I remember telling Amy, “This is solvable and you are closer than you think.”
We got to work. First order of business: addressing Amy’s billing because the way it was structured- she was leaving money on the table. She was also being de-incentivized to work on her business even though that is where the passion and excitement lie, and that enjoyable work doesn’t feel like repetitive chores that aren’t profitable. She was literally floating after changing to flat rate billing. So much weight had come off of her.
Second order of business: Making a new hire. Over the year, Amy flipped her business model and decreased her unsustainable workload by hiring and training an assistant, improving her mindset, minimizing stress, increasing her capacity and profitability, and inverting the time she worked in the business vs. on the business - huge wins that she learned to celebrate!
Today, Amy’s weekends remain protected but now she doesn’t go back to work after picking the kids up from school. She spends more quality time with them and her husband. She finds time to relax and tackle home projects. She goes on walks and to the gym. She is able to take care of herself more. Amy had successfully pulled herself out of survival mode and transitioned into thriving mode. And her daughters? They are thriving too… in private school which Amy was able to pay for in cash. The transformation has been monumental, not just for Amy, but for her family, too. As it turns out, Amy’s challenges were solvable which has me smiling from ear to ear.
Hear A Clip From
Jenny Slingerland
"Before being coached by Amber, my business was thriving but running it didn’t feel good. I was a slave to my inbox, struggled with my ADD, had difficulty prioritizing, and my mind and body weren’t in a healthy place. I felt like I was short-circuiting. Amber gave me strategies to turn all that around AND make more time for my family. She helped me form a game plan to transform my business so it fits in with the life I crave and empowered me to make the necessary changes to see results. I wanted to change my life and with Amber’s help, I did!"
~ Jenny Slingerland, Owner & Principal Designer of Black Ink Interiors
Jenny Slingerland is the high-achieving owner and principal designer of Black Ink Interiors. When Jenny first came to me, her business was already thriving, profits were climbing, and the phone never stopped ringing. Still, running her business didn’t feel good.
Jenny was struggling as an entrepreneur wearing all the hats and feeling the pressure of ‘the buck stops with you.’ She was investing everything she had into her business and very little into herself. She wanted to be more present with her family but kept feeding the monster, giving the business more and more of herself. And no matter how much she gave, it didn’t feel like enough.
Jenny was a slave to her inbox and overwhelmed because she had a hard time letting go of tasks and delegating to others. She was also struggling with her ADD which made prioritizing and staying focused difficult. Jenny’s mind and body weren’t in a healthy place even though her business was. She felt like she was short-circuiting and got to a place where she’d had enough. Jenny realized she needed somebody to give her direction on how to manage her ADD, hold her accountable, and form a game plan for transforming her business so it fits in with the life she craves.
I look at Jenny today and am so proud of the progress she’s made in taking back control of her business and life. She is no longer bogged down working IN her business and actually works ON her business. She weighs opportunities against her goals and only goes down avenues she deems worthy of her time and energy. She anchors down her list of priorities and makes them happen instead of making excuses for why they can’t.
Jenny now executes strategies to curb her ADD and enable her focus. She no longer lets her inbox determine her day and is okay with something not being perfect but perfect enough so that her team can take the reins on some tasks and she can stay in her zone of genius.
Finally, Jenny got the permission she needed to create a schedule that allows her to work from home two days a week so she can be more present in her daughters’ lives. She now walks them to and from the bus stop twice a week and follows her passion for art by teaching art classes - things she could never have imagined doing before. Once Jenny’s eyes were opened to what was possible, she felt empowered to change her family life and did. Major props, Jenny!
Hear A Clip From
LuAnn Nigara
"Working out had been a non-negotiable for me six days a week. Once I started my podcast, all that time got sucked up as well as other personal time for my husband and passions. I was okay with that for a time because this huge, new project was so gratifying. I strongly believed I could produce an amazing podcast OR live a fulfilling personal life, but definitely not do both. Amber disagreed. She stepped into my life as a coach with different perspectives, knowledge, and strategies that helped me transform my mindset and realize what was possible. I let go of the notion that only I could do certain tasks in my business, made a new hire that has worked out brilliantly, and adopted an AND mindset that allowed me to reclaim what I’d lost in my personal life when I started my podcast. You really can have it all. Amber helped make that possible."
~ LuAnn Nigara, Keynote Speaker, Author, and Viral Podcast Host of A Well Designed Business
A few years back, a new client confidently said, “I bet I’m going to be your most difficult client.” I immediately became eager to dive into LuAnn Nigara’s successful business to help her fix what about it made her feel “difficult.” Running a business at LuAnn‘s level no doubt comes with a lot of chaos but I was determined to help her find more calm, create more efficiency, and have more time to live outside of her business, doing things she enjoyed. What that required was a giant mindset shift. Here’s how it all began…
Throughout her many years as a business owner, working out had been a non-negotiable for LuAnn six days a week. It boosted her energy, gave her all those feel-good endorphins, and kept her from getting “chubby and soft” (her words). That all changed once LuAnn started her very successful podcast and it sucked up all her free time. She let it continue like that for four years because she was:
Loving doing the podcast
Making a difference in others’ lives
Seeing higher revenue
LuAnn had willingly replaced recreation, personal time, and working out for something else that was extremely gratifying. The change in her personal life and freedom was dramatic but she accepted it. She had to, right?
I disagreed. I wanted her to have both and I knew she could. My goal was to help LuAnn figure out how she could regain all that she’d lost in her personal life while continuing to produce her amazing podcast and run her business. I was confident LuAnn could transform her mindset from thinking OR to living out AND. We just had to find the right strategy.
I dove into LuAnn’s business, approached it from a different perspective, and asked an insane amount of questions to find out where we could reclaim the most time to achieve the biggest breakthrough. I found the answer in her weekend routine. She was spending 6-12 hours writing the intro/outros to her three weekly podcast episodes every weekend! I recommended she give outsourcing her intro/outros a shot. LuAnn admitted her check engine light had not been working, continuing at the speed she was going was not sustainable, and something needed to change. Still, she firmly resisted outsourcing her intro/outros as she was emotionally attached to them and believed they were her secret sauce that only she could write.
My relentless recommendations to LuAnn eventually paid off. She hired a few writers, loved the intro/outros they wrote, and made final edits if needed before each episode aired. The result? The quality of the intro/outros didn’t suffer because the experienced, professional writers expertly mimicked LuAnn’s voice. LuAnn reclaimed her weekends for spending quality time with her husband, working out, and doing whatever else she wanted to do instead of what she had to do. It felt great and freeing not having the looming intro/outro deadlines hanging over her head every weekend.
Conquering LuAnn’s long-held beliefs that a) she was the only person who could write her intro/outros and b) she had to choose between serving her listeners at the highest level OR having time for herself on the weekends, was just one of the many strategies we worked on together to help LuAnn minimize the chaos, create more balance, increase efficiency, and give her more time to operate in her zone of genius. We also made moves to systemize parts of her business, switch gears less often, reduce the trips down time-consuming rabbit holes, stop bottle-necking projects, get out of her inbox, batch tasks, track her time, be more intentional with it, and achieve other mindset breakthroughs she can build upon. I am happy to say LuAnn’s check engine light is working again and she’s operating at peak performance.
Hear A Clip From
Tim Clothier
"I was the classic overworked business owner. Coming home late, never finishing projects, pulled in a million directions at once. Fast forward to today – I now have a daily schedule; tasks get done and things don’t drop through the cracks. I spend time each week working on business development rather than chasing my tail to just keep the business running. I delegate better, feel calmer and most importantly – spend time with my wife and my son. Amber has been instrumental in developing systems so I can run and grow the business I want and be the husband and father I promised myself to be. Amber has become an integral part of my team. She communicates ideas and concepts extremely well and is an excellent motivator. She now also works with my key management staff, which has helped them professionally and personally. If I could sum up my coaching sessions – I would say coaching is a business asset that is a key ingredient to growth and success."
~ Tim Clothier, CEO of Illusion Projects
Tim Clothier is the CEO of next-level fabrication shop Illusion Projects Inc. which originally got its start in taking magicians’ large-scale magic props from idea to completion. Once Tim got married and the let’s-start-a-family-discussions began, he knew he had to get his business house in order fast so he could be a good dad. Due to his upbringing, Tim was already hyper aware that he wanted to be a present dad which hardly aligned with how he had been running his business. He was consistently starting work at 8am and leaving work after 9pm six days a week. He knew his future child(ren) deserved better. Around the same time, Tim was feeling so exhausted from working so hard day after day that he asked himself, “Am I a business owner or just working really, really hard for a job that is not paying me enough for the work I’m doing?”
Tim’s biggest wakeup call came shortly thereafter when he arrived back at his workshop one morning after a late night there and realized he had left the doors open. Things HAD to change. Tim got to planning and identified some changes he wanted to make in the way he runs his business and how it affects the rest of his life.
He wanted to STOP:
Getting caught up in the day-to-day instead of moving projects forward
Operating in firefighter mode 100% of the time, making him constantly feel scatterbrained
Underestimating how long it takes to complete tasks
Spending way too much time at work
Allowing constant interruptions from his staff
The rinse and repeat of wake up super early, work until super late, sleep
Attempting to wear every hat
Being the self-proclaimed “world’s worst micromanager” which prevents others from doing their jobs
Being a “horrible chokepoint” holding everyone else up
The Tim Show! and actually allow his talented team members to execute their own creative ideas and flourish
So, Tim started planning how he could make those changes. What he could not have planned on was how big his business was going to get during the transformation. The demand for Tim’s services exponentially increased and his plan for changing the way he ran his business so he could be home with his family more first and foremost, was at risk of imploding. Tim needed someone to help him stay focused, be organized, and get unstuck, just as he helps his client get unstuck with their ideas. His mentor recommended he talk to me about coaching and seven years later, here we are, still meeting together twice monthly for private business coaching sessions.
During our seven plus years together, I have become what Tim calls an “integral” part of his team. I work with his key management staff to ensure the business is running smoothly and Tim is able to continue achieving his goal of going home at a reasonable hour each night to be with his family. I’ve sat on the hiring committee to help him choose the right assistant out of 140 applicants. I love motivating Tim, helping him prioritize his ideas, and working with him to overcome his challenges as he continues to scale his business. We have accomplished a lot throughout our years working together (I say “we” because I partner with my clients in their success) and I am so proud of Tim for how he has transformed the way he runs his business and for what he has been able to achieve.
Since Tim started private coaching sessions with me, he has been ABLE TO:
Lead his team more effectively and stand tall in the visionary role of the company
Breathe and maintain a greater space to think and create
Go home a lot earlier to spend quality time with his wife and son
Hire more team members to reclaim time for focused design work
Take his son to school when he wants to
Take sick days and not be worried if his team is moving forward on projects
Successfully manage interruptions because there are far fewer these days
Not be stuck in the shop all day
Have a CEO Day once a week in which he does big picture planning off-site, away from distractions, and flushes out the steps to execute his vision and ideas
Deliver projects to clients on time
More readily step outside his comfort zone because he has the bandwidth to execute
Effectively manage his inbox, sales calls, and projects
Magically bounce between his CEO role and creative role in no time at all
Tim created his business because he loves to push the envelope and do things that haven’t been done in terms of design, and he wanted to share that passion with the world. Now that Tim’s much better equipped to navigate any situation that arises and run his business confidently, he is achieving his vision daily and actually enjoying the journey that once felt entirely too overwhelming and time-consuming. Top hats off to you, Tim!
*To discover the new projects Tim took on, the personal goals he smashed, and the successes he achieved since his initial interview, check out Tim’s Update Interview
Hear A Clip From
Vita Vygovska
"Knowing how goal-oriented, efficient, and productive I am, everyone thought I was crazy for wanting to hire a business coach. I figured that top athletes in the world have coaches to help them reach peak performance, so why shouldn’t I? The long hours and amount of work required to keep my business thriving had been wearing on me. I knew there had to be a better way so I made some hires to assist with the workload. New employees meant new challenges though. Amber stepped in to help me navigate some hiring changes and take my time management and productivity to new levels. My business is still thriving but now, it feels way less messy. My quality of life has also improved, I am more present with my family, I feel more balanced, and I have more time for self-care. I have evolved into a better version of myself (Vita 11.0)."
~ Vita Vygovska, Owner of Vitalia, Inc. WIndow Treatments & Awnings
Ever come to a crossroads in your entrepreneurial journey where you had to make a difficult choice between two paths that look and feel very different and lead to two very different places, both of which would be better destinations than where you currently are?
Vita Vygovska, the owner of Vitalia Inc. Window Treatments & Awnings, came to such a crossroads about 12 years after becoming a self-proclaimed corporate dropout and starting her own business as a solopreneur. It was just a few years ago that Vita came to the realization that she didn’t want to be doing a lot of her tasks anymore. She was working very long hours and the work was wearing on her greatly. Vita knew there were plenty of tasks she could delegate but just the idea of developing a team seemed scary - not on the financial level necessarily but just the high responsibility leading a team involved. She worried whether she’d have enough work for team members all the time as her business has a seasonality and ebbs and flows for other reasons as well.
Building a team seemed scary but Vita knew she didn’t want to continue as is either. As a solopreneur, she was maxing out on time, revenue, and net income. Sure, she was working at peak productivity but at the same time, she was feeling resentful for the amount of work she had to do and the amount of time she had to dedicate to her business to stay at that level. Vita was at a crossroads where she had to say no to some clients OR develop a team so she could continue to say yes to clients. The decision of which path to take took a lot of soul searching and journaling. It was somewhat of a tumultuous process for Vita but once she decided scaling up was the answer instead of scaling back, she pressed on full speed ahead.
Vita asked herself: How am I going to grow my team? How am I going to become version 11.0 of myself in order to support my team? Who is going to help get me there? Vita decided hiring a productivity coach was the next right step in scaling her business. Knowing how goal-oriented, efficient, and productive Vita is, everyone thought she was crazy for wanting to hire a productivity coach. Vita shared her analogy that Olympians have coaches even though they are the top athletes in the world. Why shouldn’t the best business owners have coaches to help them reach peak performance? As Vita said, “Having a coach is non-negotiable.” That’s where I came in.
I partnered with Vita on her entrepreneurial journey once she had already scaled her business to a team of five but I coached her through some necessary employee changes. Her revenue was at $500,000 as a solopreneur and now she’s exceeded $1 million two years in a row with a team of seven supporting her along the way. According to Vita, her quality of life has improved, she’s more present with her family, she feels more balanced, and she has more time for self-care. We restructured Vita’s day so her journey is more enjoyable and running her business feels less messy. She feels that she has evolved into a better version of herself (Vita 11.0) and loves that I held her accountable during our time working together. As Vita said, “When the chemistry is right, it’s amazing.” Vita truly is a great student who was willing to learn and change her actions to change her life!
Hear A Clip From
Michael Costantino
"I took a leap of faith when I hired Amber to be my coach and that decision is one I now know I’d make 100 times over, having experienced the results. Amber helped me surpass my annual revenue goal in February! We then started dreaming bigger and I’ve been upleveling my goals ever since, including building my team. That growth was made possible by Amber helping with the key areas where I struggled: delegating, time blocking, staying focused, creating SOP’s, work/life balance, reducing overwhelm, and implementing a time management system that could keep up with the growth. I no longer let every buzz, beep, and click distract myself but instead, use effective strategies to cut out the noise and use my focused time to intentionally get my best work done. Thanks for partnering with me Amber."
~ Mike Costantino, Co-Owner, President, and Principal Architect for Montebello Architecture & Design
As a business owner, sometimes we fall short of our goals.
Sometimes we overshoot our shot. Other times a change in circumstances or resources prevents us from hitting our goals or we simply don’t put in the required effort. Still, other times the opposite of falling short happens and we crush our goals in record timing. That’s what happened to Michael Costantino, the Co-Owner, President, and Principal Architect for Montebello Architecture & Design. Shortly after growing his team, he became a goal-crushing machine. His entrepreneurial journey didn’t exactly start out like that though…
After starting his business in 2018, Michael hired his first employee and felt like he was stumbling through figuring out how to lead a team. On the design side, he found it difficult to delegate tasks and decide which portions of projects he could pass off. On the leadership side, it was hard finding time to train his growing team while also navigating the many other challenges of being a business owner. Michael was also hellbent on providing exceptional service to his clients so he was making himself available all day long. That meant he allowed every buzz, beep, and click to distract him from what he was doing and therefore didn’t have enough focused design time. Michael was working long weekends to compensate and while his wife was fully supportive, he didn’t want to be away so much and miss out on quality time with her and his daughter. Michael sought support from business podcasts and stumbled upon my Productivity Straight Talk podcast. A year later, he took a leap of faith and hired me to be his coach.
After working together for some time, Michael and I set realistic revenue goals based on his previous year. We were optimistic he’d hit them but midway through February he had already surpassed all of the goals he had set for the entire year! That’s when we really ramped up what was possible and dreamed even bigger. Ever since, Michael has had to keep upleveling his goals as his team and business have grown.
So what had changed? Well, Michael had started running his business with a growth mindset, a better stocked tool belt, a great deal of intentionality, and a coach who supported him through building a team of three employees plus contractors and navigating tremendous growth in a short amount of time.
During our time working together, Michael specifically learned:
- He can ask for help in both his business and personal life which gave him greater balance
- How to time block effectively which helped him manage his time better and stay focused for longer periods
- How to trust his team and delegate more to them which freed up his time
- A new task management system that enabled him to keep up with the growth
- How to create SOPs and dummy proof their hiring process which minimized hiccups during scaling
- How to invest his best time into his best activities so he could continue achieving at a high level without constantly feeling out of balance and overwhelmed
Contrary to popular belief, it IS possible to not feel overwhelmed all the time in your business. Sometimes a decision just needs to be made, a system created, a process documented, a workflow shifted, boundaries maintained, or you simply need to stop overcommitting yourself to tasks and activities that don’t align with your goals.
Once we partnered up, I dove into Michael’s business, asked the tough questions, pinpointed what projects and tasks should be focused on, and helped him identify solutions that could work to overcome his challenges.
Asking for help is not a weakness. It’s giving yourself the opportunity to grow.
Hear A Clip From
Robyn Howard
"Working with Amber has been transformative. She helped me get clear on what type of client I wanted to serve which laid the foundation for niching down from four different types of clients to one. That radical change to my business model was the breakthrough that made everything else just click! I had far fewer “exception” clients so I was able to automate my systems and create SOP’s which made delegating much easier. I was able to serve more and better clients because I no longer had to create varied marketing to speak to four different types of clients. I reclaimed time for priority tasks and quality time with my kids. I also made major strides in finding my CEO voice which helped me lead my team more effectively and increase my business’ revenue. I owe so much of that growth and success to Amber’s guidance and support. Now that I'm intentionally working ON my business, I have reduced the amount of time I spend IN in my business from 6+ hours each day to less than 8 hours each week! Everything about my business feels better and I am so much less overwhelmed these days."
~ Robyn Howard, Owner at Top Level Content
Robyn Howard is as great of a coaching client as they come. She’s extremely coachable, actionable, and comes to every session prepared to unload and strategize so she can get the most out of the sessions and leave with action plans she’s excited to execute. Robyn finds so much joy and freedom in running her business these days but it wasn’t always like that…
A couple of years back, Robyn was running her successful blog content writing agency that supported SEO and digital marketing companies in sourcing blog content for their clients. She was also parenting her two children with special needs who had their own demanding schedules. Robyn was grateful for her full client load but at the same time, she felt like a duck, smooth sailing on the client-facing surface, but paddling for her life beneath the surface. That’s because Robyn was doing most of the work in her business herself and was therefore completely overwhelmed.
Robyn sought support in productivity podcasts, became a listener of mine, and went on to take one of my masterclasses, join my group coaching program, and then become a private coaching client. Together, we dove deep and got to the bottom of her overwhelm. Mainly, Robin wasn’t running her business efficiently and she wasn’t using her CEO voice. Instead of investing her time intentionally into the projects and tasks that needed to get done, she was operating in firefighter mode - running from fire to fire to fire, putting most out, getting burned by some. That incessant fighting was wearing on her mind, energy, and passion for her work greatly. She needed to catch her breath. So, we created goals to free up time so she could breathe, minimize the chaos, and reclaim time for marketing and sales so she could pursue her bigger goals.
One place Robyn and I worked on together to reclaim loads of time was in getting clear on who she wanted to serve. A self-proclaimed people pleaser, Robyn had been serving four different types of clients which had made automating her systems and processes difficult. It also made delegating incredibly challenging because there were so many necessary exceptions. She kept so much how-to knowledge in her head that she would constantly get interrupted by her team members asking her how to complete certain tasks or communicate with particular clients. Total time suck.
Once Robyn got clear on the type of client she actually enjoyed serving, she niched down from four different types of clients to one and radical, positive changes occurred. She had far fewer “exception” clients so she was able to automate her systems and processes. She was able to create SOP’s which made delegating much easier. She was able to serve more and better clients because she no longer had to create varied marketing to speak to different types of clients. She reclaimed time for priority tasks and quality time with her kids. She made major strides in finding her CEO voice which helped her effectively lead her team and increase the business’ revenue. Everything felt so much better after Robyn got really clear on who she wanted to serve and how she could best serve them.
And that was just one of the many areas Robyn and I worked on to alleviate her overwhelm. Robyn now creates her schedule guilt-free and puts out far fewer fires. She’s better able to adapt and reset when her plans get hijacked and she has the bandwidth to dream bigger for herself and her business. Because she’s now intentionally working ON her business, Robyn has reduced the amount of time she spends IN her business from 6+ hours each day to less than 8 hours each week. That change has been transformative. It has been such a pleasure to watch Robyn evolve as a business owner and make running her business more joy-filled. Her journey has truly been an amazing one to partner in, and it’s far from over!
Hear A Clip From
Jessica Risko Smith
"I brought my challenges to my sessions with Amber and she brought the hard truths of what habits I needed to change and what actions I needed to take to be a better, more impactful business owner. But -- she did so with empathy and compassion that set the stage for me taking strategic, determined action. I had so many ah-ha’s working with Amber and was able to navigate some of my greatest challenges in business because of them. Having a coach who understands the intricate challenges business owners face and who is able to support you in overcoming them made all the difference."
~ Jessica Risko Smith, Owner at Jessica Risko Smith Interior Design
Before launching her business, Jessica Risko Smith had a long career at Gensler where she worked with Fortune 500 companies. Jessica was able to gain a full range of experience at the worldwide corporate design firm, especially in business systems and processes. She eventually took what she learned and opened her own firm in Santa Barbara, choosing to specialize in residential interior design.
Jessica was a one-woman show for a couple of years as she built her clientele and residential portfolio. She didn’t have the support of a large team but drew on her background at Gensler who had a well-defined team for everything. After she had her second child and moved to a new office space, Jessica decided it was time to grow. She first brought in a bookkeeper then kept adding others to her team. As a budding business owner, Jessica was a natural but as a lifelong learner intent on honing her craft, she constantly attended conferences and listened to podcasts. Over a decade and countless satisfied clients later, Jessica was still doing a lot of listening and absorbing but she had gotten to a point where she couldn’t implement what she was learning in a way that felt supported. She recognized that her team, although awesome, simply didn’t see the business the way she saw it and they couldn’t help her navigate her biggest challenges:
Hiring
Being the kind of boss she wanted to be
Deciding when to wear each of her many hats
Knowing what tasks to prioritize each day
Managing self-criticism
Celebrating her wins in a compassionate way
Recognizing her own capacity
Creating efficiency systems
Her all or nothing attitude
So… Jessica took action and entered my world as a coaching client. I commended Jessica for investing in herself. I also let her know that in order to see the changes she desired, she’d have to be brave and vulnerable. And boy, was she ever! Jessica willingly poured out her life, business, setbacks, and ideas during our sessions which allowed us to deep dive into limitless possibilities for positive changes. Together, we continuously reflected on what she already accomplished… is in the middle of… made decisions on already… tried that hasn’t worked… tried that has worked… and discussed how her wins can empower her to make decisions on what’s next and where to invest her time. Now equipped with a sounding board and supportive strategies backed by a coach who understands the intricate challenges business owners face, Jessica began investing her time more intentionally. She even dug more design time into her foundation which paved the way for more joy-filled work and higher profitability.
According to Jessica, I gave her the hard truth in areas where she could improve but with empathy and compassion that set the stage for determined action. Jessica is now working more efficiently, touches things less, judges herself less, systemizes more parts of her business so they can practically run themselves, leads her team more confidently, moves through decision making more quickly, and is no longer kicking the can down the road indefinitely because she creates realistic goals for how much she can get done. Instead of setting impossible goals and feeling bad about the 80% of her tasks she couldn’t accomplish as planned, Jessica now schedules only 20% of her work - her most important work that moves the needle forward - and if she is able to accomplish more, great!
Jessica absolutely loves owning her business because it merges her passion for interior design which allows her to be creative and her passion for business which challenges her to grow. She especially loves owning her business now that she’s ironed out many of the challenging kinks. Jessica’s journey to become a better, more impactful business owner has been remarkable to watch - and this chapter of growth all started when Jessica realized she couldn’t go farther on her own and took action to get support via private coaching.
Client Testimonials:
An amazing experience
Working with Amber in Leverage Lab has been an amazing and invaluable experience! I love her upbeat personality, her compassion, knowledge, and how easy and efficient she has made this experience. Having the opportunity to ask specific questions for clarification about the unique pain points in my business is a huge time saver. The format is supporting me beautifully. After having the busiest year in my business to date, I realized "busy-ness" does not equate to productivity. I started working with Amber to learn, to bring clarity, and to have accountability as I streamlined my business. Awareness of what needs to be done and HOW to accomplish my most important tasks are two huge benefits I've gained. Overall though, improving my operational efficiency was the greatest gift I received from Leverage Lab. Also, creating weekly/monthly/annually business process maintenance plans has been a game changing for me. Thank you for your diligence and excellence shown through everything that was presented.
Solidified business systems and got them up and running
Amber helped to solidify business systems and helped get them up and running. I highly recommend Amber if you need accountability, motivation, and help putting systems in place.
Everything about my business feels better
Working with Amber has been transformative. She helped me get clear on what type of client I wanted to serve which laid the foundation for niching down from four different types of clients to one. That radical change to my business model was the breakthrough that made everything else just click! I had far fewer “exception” clients so I was able to automate my systems and create SOP’s which made delegating much easier. I was able to serve more and better clients because I no longer had to create varied marketing to speak to four different types of clients. I reclaimed time for priority tasks and quality time with my kids. I also made major strides in finding my CEO voice which helped me lead my team more effectively and increase my business’ revenue. I owe so much of that growth and success to Amber’s guidance and support. Now that I'm intentionally working ON my business, I have reduced the amount of time I spend IN in my business from 6+ hours each day to less than 8 hours each week! Everything about my business feels better and I am so much less overwhelmed these days.
My business has truly been transformed!
Despite years in business, my business wasn't operating at its full capacity and it certainly wasn't providing me with the things that I originally set out to achieve as an entrepreneur. Through months of tracking, small tweaks, reviewing and generally getting back to basics, not only is my company growing rapidly, but in a direction that fulfills more of my personal goals as well.
My coaching experience with Amber was extremely valuable. Her guidance, persistence, and experience gave me greater insight into my business, as well as confidence to make the decisions that needed to be made. As with all things, I am sure I left things on the table simply due to time and resource constraints, but my business has truly been transformed!
Packed with step by step digestible information!
Amber's masterclasses (and podcasts) have improved my day to day productivity while chiseling away the overwhelming feelings of being an entrepreneur. Packed with straight forward, step by step, and digestible information, her teaching has allowed me to immediately implement activities I've been wanting to improve for years. Thank you Amber, I wouldn't be making this progress without you!
Less clutter in my inbox and my brain!
What was really valuable was the breakdown of the five different steps of taming your inbox. I was excited at how simple it was considering the massive return it provided. I appreciated understanding how the folders create less clutter in your inbox and in return, less clutter in your brain.
Able to reduce waste and surge forward!
I had the pleasure of working with Amber from the beginning of 2017 to 2018! I had never had a coach before other than my physical trainer so this was an eye opening experience. I found that I was able to throw all "my balls" into the air and, with Amber's talent and assistance, catch them, put them in order, and have them make sense so that I could continue to work at my optimum! So much of the time, there are time wasters and I found by concentrating and discussing my business with her, I was able to reduce the waste and surge forward!
Doing much better with my planning, calendar, and routines!
I didn't know what to expect from Time Management Made Simple, but I knew it would be awesome based on Amber’s existing content. The format of taking small, actionable steps and building on prior concepts really resonated with me in a way no other productivity method or planning process ever had.
I loved learning to identify and apply high-value activities to workload planning across our entire team, and finally creating my ideal week. TMMS is an incredible framework for high-performing folks with tons of priorities to get truly focused on actual productivity.
Huge benefits to my productivity!
I love Leverage Lab® and am learning so much! I joined because I enjoyed the Productivity Straight Talk Podcast and the Email Masterclass. I felt overwhelmed with the way things were going and wanted some productivity strategies to help me manage my business and life better. Amber takes her time answering all my questions and gives well thought-out solutions to try. Power Planner has especially been a game changer for me. I'm still working on implementing it fully but can already see how planning my week effectively and being in execution mode has hugely benefits my productivity.
Coaching is a business asset that is a key ingredient to growth and success
I was the classic over-worked business owner. Coming home late, never finishing projects, pulled in a million directions at once. I knew something had to change (my wife DEFINITELY knew something had to change!). I needed someone to help me to do this as I knew I couldn’t do it myself. My business mentor recommended Amber to me and I decided to book a session. I canceled and moved the first session three times as I was too busy to make it happen. It became a running joke with my staff that I was too disorganized to schedule time with the organization coach. Fast forward to today – I now have a daily schedule; tasks get done and things don’t drop through the cracks. I spend time each week working on business development rather than chasing my tail to just keep the business running. I delegate better, feel calmer and most importantly – spend time with my wife and my son. I vowed to not be the business owner dad who missed soccer games or birthday parties and was never home at dinner time. Amber has been instrumental in developing systems so I can run and grow the business I want and be the husband and father I promised myself to be. Amber is excellent in helping understand the business and create a custom structure with me that works. She asks the right (and sometimes) hard questions to get me to think about where the business is going and how I can organize my life to achieve those goals. Amber helped me understand not just vision and goal setting, but how to effectively create a plan to have the time to work towards and ultimately achieve those goals. I honestly don’t know how I managed to keep everything together before I worked with Amber. Amber has become an integral part of my team. She communicates ideas and concepts extremely well and is an excellent motivator. She now also works with my key management staff, which has helped them professionally and personally. If I could sum up my coaching sessions – I would say coaching is a business asset that is a key ingredient to growth and success.
I benefit daily from Amber's coaching
I hired Amber as a business coach because I knew I needed to tighten up my schedule to service my clients better. I also craved support in fitting people in without sacrificing my schedule and sanity. Amber was a pleasure to work with and greatly helped me in customizing a plan that works for my unique brain. I now benefit daily from a more organized calendar, a process for capturing information, and clarity in using my time purposefully.
I can finally breathe
I knew I wanted a calmer life for myself and a more balanced life of running a business. I just didn't know how to go about it. I constantly felt like I didn't have a minute to breathe and I was miserable. I was constantly putting out fires and trying to do too much by myself. Then, I discovered Amber's podcast and decided to reach out about coaching. Once we got started, I quickly learned to protect my time. I block schedule and manage my day versus let the day and circumstances manage me. I hired more people to do the things I hated doing and implemented some automated systems. I can finally breathe and I owe it to Amber.
How every business coaching session should go!
This is definitely how every business coaching session should go in my book. Thank you, Amber De La Garza, for an incredibly heart felt, eye-opening and empowering day of downloading, learning, and reconstructing my life. The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa was the PERFECT choice. You're a beautiful soul with an extraordinary gift. It is an honor to work with you! I know what the before looks like oh-so-well. I can't wait to see the "after!"
Take the next step and schedule a Discovery Call
Having Amber focus her insights on my business' productivity challenges was unbelievably valuable.
If you think Amber is great on her podcast, take the next step and schedule a Discovery Call to find out how you can work with her!
Extracted the roots of my issues
Amber demonstrated such a gift of intuition and the ability to quickly get laser-focused on the specific problems that were getting in the way of being productive. During our strategy session, she put me at ease with her warm personality, extracted the roots of my issues, and provided an actionable plan for helping me implement the strategies we discussed (so long, sticky notes and redundant notepads!). She knows her stuff, and the passion she feels for her work shines through when you work with her.
Overdelivered and transformed my business!
Amber’s group coaching and training experience was amazing! She definitely over-delivered far more than I expected. She helped transform my business, all the way from the foundation through growing my team. She gave us all the tools we need for everything in between those two stages. I have definitely seen a huge increase in my productivity and revenue. I am now confident with my business plan and goals ahead. I no longer overcomplicate areas of my business and have a clear agenda each day. This experience has given me extra time in my schedule and less to worry about. I would highly recommend Amber De La Garza, The Productivity Specialist for all business owners and entrepreneurs. You cannot go wrong with her.
Out-of-the-box thinking
I was blown away by Amber's ability to extract the true cause of inefficiencies and create a new plan based on what's already working. While the challenges I presented during my strategy session were geared toward my home life, she quickly recognized successes in my business and translated them to my home life. She encouraged me to utilize my existing resources in a new way, allowing me to make progress in areas that were previously stalled. Amber recommended using my business manager for my business to debrief all of my personal tasks and allow her to help me manage them (and take ownership of many - which she was happy to do) - it has been a game changer! In the week following our strategy session, my son's birthday party was booked, invitations sent and cake ordered - all I had to do was answer a few questions. We now meet weekly to go over home-related tasks she can take off my plate, which leaves me more room to build my business. I highly recommend working with Amber for some out-of-the box thinking that will have real impact on your life and business.
Walked with me like a friend and a professional coach
I found Amber's podcast serendipitously over two years ago and enjoyed her content. Her style was friendly and professional, and I used her tips and got encouragement in my business. As a newer realtor, I was getting information coming in from so many sources, but I continued to go back to Amber's messaging over and over. In about December 2020, after putting in 50 - 60+ hour work weeks the whole year, I needed some clear focus to create the business I wanted and not just be run over by the business. I hired Amber for 1:1 coaching, and she quickly figured out where I was coming from, what my strengths were, and what my weaknesses were. She helped me create a work week that included boundaries, family time, and organization, and taught me how to implement an assistant so I can focus on what I love (serving people) while knowing the other work was also getting done. Her Master Classes are excellent as well. Amber has walked with me like a friend and a professional coach. I trust her and truly appreciate the opportunity to work with her.
Doubled our production.
Amber exceeded our expectations in helping to create organization and purpose for our business. Without her, we are certain we would not have accomplished our goals in such a short amount of time and with such simplicity and quality use of time. We believe that it is in part a result of her work that enabled us to double our production.
Helped me organize my business from the ground up
Amber helped me organize my business from the ground up and really listened and catered to exactly what I was missing and needed.
I am getting more done now than I have in years.
I have always considered myself extremely organized but I found myself never having enough time. I was frustrated and overwhelmed. After my first meeting with Amber, I knew I had found my solution. She helped me put systems in place to be more efficient and productive. I am getting more done now than I have in years.
Business running smoother, with less stress and increased revenue
Amber has become a valuable and trusted member of the team. She has helped us pause and think through our processes and change many aspects of how we run our business and client relationships. In doing so, we have greatly improved our efficiency and productivity. Our business is running smoother and with less stress. Our staff is more focused and organized. Our calendar, reviews, systems, travel, etc. all has been greatly improved and more productive. We have increased our business revenue as well as peace in the office. We will continue to work with Amber as a trusted and valuable resource on an ongoing basis.
I'm now on a positive path
l like Amber’s direct but personable style of giving valuable advice and teaching concepts. I joined Leverage Lab because I was tired of feeling like I “should” be able to apply the concepts talked about on her podcast on my own, when in reality I need help applying them. I’m now on a positive path toward a goal of feeling greater clarity, intention, and control in my workdays and workweeks.
I have really appreciated being able to attend the many masterclass sessions in person and/or watch replays (often more than once). I’m a novice productivity student and value the group coaching dynamic that allows insight into other perspectives, real-world implementation, and similar productivity concerns that small business-owners face at all different productivity levels.
Determined avenues to be more organized and effective
I have greatly benefited from working with Amber to streamline my business and gain greater productivity levels. Amber has great intuitive ability to determine possible avenues to helping people be more organized and effective. She is a great listener and has always inquired whether an approach she has suggested would be workable for me. I have implemented many strategies and put them into daily action steps that have certainly helped me in my business and in my mindset.
Provides solutions that best improve your business
Amber’s services have proven to be effective for me and the success of my business. She listens to your needs and provides solutions that best improve your business. I have recommended her to many of my peers and I will continue to utilize Amber’s services in the future.
Great value for the transformative information and lessons given
I had been having issues with being able to effectively get my day started with a new assistant, finding a solid routine that balances work and home life, and getting all my tasks and calendars in one place which was a huge issue since I split time between offices. Since executing what I learned in the program, my assistant leaves me alone until our daily meeting (Amber’s suggestion worked like a charm!), I have consolidated all of my tasks to Trello, I no longer use paper for notes or task lists, and I am making progress toward fully have integrating Trello with my calendar.
While I still have a lot of work to do, I feel this (program) gave me some good basics to start me down a better path of time management. Some of the tips and lessons learned have truly transformed my ability to be more productive in the office. Amber did a good job at starting with a larger picture, identifying our current issues, and then breaking it down and providing solutions to those issues. It was a great value for the information and lessons given. I have spoken about it highly to numerous people.
Have time now to create new products and services!
I kept getting frustrated with my unpredictable schedule and how to grow my business when I felt like I didn't have time to focus on activities that moved the needle. I'd done nearly everything (Amber) recommended on her show but when I finally sat down with her for a coaching session, she helped me see the time block that I had in my schedule each week that would allow me to focus on growth. Since our session, I was able to do a big product launch that I never would have considered in the past. I'm months ahead in content scheduling and have time now to create new products and services that are going to help me diversify. Thanks Amber!
Productivity guru, kind spirit, and a wicked smart lady
Amber is a gem! Productivity guru, kind spirit, and a wicked smart lady. Her coaching and support helped me tremendously! She had a way of getting to the true core of my challenges, something I was not able to see on my own. As someone who is also fairly organized and loves all things productivity, I was thrilled to find a kindred spirit, where we would speak in short-hand, finish each other’s sentences, and just really get each other. It was a gift and a blessing to work with Amber, whom I continuously recommend to my peers
Amber helped me evolve
Knowing how goal-oriented, efficient, and productive I am, everyone thought I was crazy for wanting to hire a business coach. I figured that top athletes in the world have coaches to help them reach peak performance, so why shouldn’t I? The long hours and amount of work required to keep my business thriving had been wearing on me. I knew there had to be a better way so I made some hires to assist with the workload. New employees meant new challenges though. Amber stepped in to help me navigate some hiring changes and take my time management and productivity to new levels. My business is still thriving but now, it feels way less messy. My quality of life has also improved, I am more present with my family, I feel more balanced, and I have more time for self-care. I have evolved into a better version of myself (Vita 11.0).
Full of unique ideas
I hired Amber to help me get back on track with my business. I was lacking organization in my back business. She helped me focus on income-producing activities and work on a day-to-day schedule that allows me to be successful. Amber is full of unique ideas, taking you from the norm to outstanding in my industry.
I have progressively increased my volume year over year and have worked on my business in the most basic sense. I found myself thinking everything had to be perfect before rolling out my drip campaigns, my presentations, or websites. She has made me realize that growing my business is always evolving and that over time the simple daily tasks will get me the results I desire and deserve. I highly recommend Amber and know she is there with me every step of the way!
Made all the difference
I brought my challenges to my sessions with Amber and she brought the hard truths of what habits I needed to change and what actions I needed to take to be a better, more impactful business owner. But -- she did so with empathy and compassion that set the stage for me taking strategic, determined action. I had so many ah-ha’s working with Amber and was able to navigate some of my greatest challenges in business because of them. Having a coach who understands the intricate challenges business owners face and who is able to support you in overcoming them made all the difference.
I thrive on the accountability we've set up!
I hired Amber to help me come up with a system to manage a variety of challenges I have surrounding my business and personal goals within my demanding luxury design service industry. I am only in the first month of my coaching process with Amber and already she has provided me with a solid direction for my work based on the goals I have set for myself, not to mention the bonus simple little hacks to set me up for success going forward. I can’t wait to see where she takes me and I thrive on the accountability we have set up together that I really have needed to push me forward.
Consistently blown away by Amber's coaching!
I hired Amber to help me take back my time & allow me to focus on being creative and focus on the things within my nonprofit that I love most and that bring the most value to my team & my organization! I am consistently blown away by her coaching & strategy sessions and how much it's helping me! I have had breakthroughs in my time management, my abilities to curate the life & business I really want, AND have new creative ideas for goals I've had for years!! These sessions have been even more incredible than I expected and I just want to thank Amber so much for taking time with me <3
Her skills definitely helped me in my business!
I was so impressed with Amber. She easily pinpointed areas that I needed to work on. Her skills definitely helped me in my business. She is really good at what she does and the bonus is that on top of it all, she is easy to work with, pleasant, professional and overall a terrific person! I would definitely recommend her.
Created more freedom and joy!
I originally reached out to Amber hoping she’d give me the secret magic formula to having enough time because I perpetually felt like I never had enough, despite trying all the time management tools and strategies in the book. During our work together, I quickly came to see that there is no secret magic formula for having enough time but I felt really comfortable with Amber so I let her behind the scenes of my business to see my struggles. We worked a lot on my calendar and my relationship with time which had been negatively impacting all the area in my business and life. I am now better equipped to manage my business in a sustainable way which has created more freedom and joy in both my professional and personal lives. A great example is that during my time being coached by Amber, I took my business to such a healthy place that I was able to take a step back from my work and enjoy a four-week sabbatical which enabled me to recharge and then re-engage with a fresh outlook.