Client Success Stories:
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
Case Study
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
Case Study
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 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
Case Study
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
Case Study
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
Case Study
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
Case Study
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:
Tangible strategies, insight, and accountability
During our strategy session, Amber helped me uncover where I was getting unfocused and gave me tangible strategies I could start using right away, including batching tasks, using a power hour on Fridays to answer non-urgent emails, and blocking white space on my calendar. Besides the specific strategies, though, the most valuable part of the coaching call was that I was finally being intentional about how I was going to spend my time. I made a commitment to myself to make a change and Amber's gentle yet direct guidance gave me the insight and accountability to do so.
Life changing results!
I hired Amber because I knew her expertise would help me gain control of my schedule and elevate my business. Our work together has been life changing and has allowed me to manage my time better and streamline my commitments. I highly recommend working with Amber if productivity, time, or email management is something you struggle with.
Loaded with practical, realistic, and usable tools and advice!
Prior to this course, I was swimming against my procrastination habit because I felt overwhelmed and struggling with perfectionism freezing my progress. The ideal week and weekly review I learned in this course have helped me to feel more confident about what is happening, and what is going to happen, with my to-do list, project list, and schedule. I can more readily recognize where delegation of a task is the best answer for the things that I don't need to do myself.
The course covered the content I was expecting and so much more! I liked how the productivity tools and sessions built upon one another and the last session was fire! I watched it two more times because it was so loaded with practical, realistic, and usable tools and advice! I particularly liked how the sessions built up to the last grand finale session where the information blocks from the earlier sessions all came together.
The program is a doable commitment (one hour per week) and affordable (great price point!) while being jam-packed full of helpful and workable information. I liked being able to re-watch portions of the videos in order to squeeze every last bit of information I could out of each session. Really nicely done. I appreciate Amber's positive energy and her friendly but direct manner of instruction/coaching.
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.
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!"
Amber De La Garza, is my hero!
Amber De La Garza, is my hero! Her two-part masterclass Dominate Your Calendar & Conquer Your Email has proven to be an excellent investment for my business. Understanding the difference between checking email and actually processing email has been a game changer for me and a huge time saver. Finally, I now have effective techniques to tame my inbox, resulting in more time to grow my business. I love starting each day with a cup of coffee and a manageable email inbox—thanks, Amber!
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.
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!
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.
A solid growth decision
Being an avid Productivity Straight Talk Podcast junkie for the past 4+ years, and having dabbled in a few of her free mini-courses, I finally took the plunge and reached out to Amber for a free discovery call last year! It was a solid growth decision. I have loved working with Amber one on one and having her help me dive into my business-specific hangups.
Amber has a wonderful way of helping me to focus on what is truly important to get my business to the next level. She has business insight that helped me see the big picture of how to move forward with both my personal and business goals. She takes a holistic approach in her coaching, knowing that one's personal life is as important as one's business life and she knows how to encourage and motivate her clients to move forward.
If you are on the fence about getting into coaching, no matter your profession, I would highly recommend jumping on a Discovery Call with Amber, to see how she can help you successfully grow your business and take your business to the next level! I have also enjoyed the insight, tips, and road map laid out for my business, being an active member of Leverage Lab.
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.
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.
Increased staff's ability to handle a greater workload
I hired Amber for her coaching and training services. She helped design new and more efficient systems for my staff and, as a result, increased their ability to handle more workload. I highly recommend her company and services!
Make every day as productive as possible
Amber has helped me put systems and strategies in place in order to make every day as productive as possible. Our sessions have been full of brainstorming ideas to keep me on track with my routines so that I can hit my goals. Amber is down to earth and very easy to talk to. I would highly recommend Amber to anyone looking to take their business to the next level.
Small changes that made a HUGE impact.
She helped me to organize my schedule and prioritize my day. Many of her suggestions were small changes that made a HUGE impact. I highly recommend Amber to anyone.
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.
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.
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.
Challenged my professional AND personal growth
With Amber’s guidance, I have implemented an abundance of new processes, hired a new staff member, and opened a new office. I am also working on a potential partnership with another professional and she is playing an integral part of that process. Amber has challenged not only my professional growth, but also my personal growth. I am looking forward to working with Amber for some time to come!
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!
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.
Solutions to my roadblocks
As a coach, Amber has a no-nonsense approach and a strong ability to hold you accountable. She called me out when necessary and never failed to dive deep into the nitty gritty to find solutions to my roadblocks.
My calendar used to be a mess and I was never able to keep up with the deluge of work. I had so much on my schedule that I worked late nights to get it all done. Amber helped me differentiate between what tasks needed my attention and what tasks just ate up my time that I could offload or just weren’t important. I started prioritizing, delegating, and creating white space for what matters most.
Amber provided all the tools to effectively manage my time and be a productive business owner. Now, when I come across something that I instinctively want to tackle right away (like an email that requires more than a simple response), I ask myself, ‘does this really need to be addressed right now? If not, can it wait until my Power Hour later in the week?’ That one habit keeps me on task and gives me so much more freedom!
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).
Provided the motivation and accountability we needed
By hiring Amber, we gave our business a jump start and she provided the motivation and accountability that we needed to change the focus of our company, reorganize, and to move forward.
Created a better business plan
I highly recommend Amber’s group coaching & training program to anyone who wants to improve their productivity and get out of that busy cycle of not getting their tasks done. With her strategies, methods, and accountability, I’ve been able to spend more time where I belong - in business development, leadership, sales, and marketing. She also helped me reevaluate my systems so I can create a better business plan that will take me and my business to the next level.
My life has substantially improved in all areas
(Before working with Amber), I was juggling a multitude of people, projects and processes and not necessarily doing ANY of them well. While working 12-14 hours a day often 6 days a week, I spent my days running from one fire to another, missing deadlines and accomplishing very little. I managed my “to do” list by handling the most pressing items in my email box and the hottest fire. Every aspect of my personal and professional life was suffering.
After coaching with Amber, both professional and personally, my life has substantially improved in all areas.
My organization is improved, my business has grown, I have systems and methods that work. I have been able to execute on many aspects of my business plan. The new focus has allowed me to be more successful. I have clear goals and most importantly, I have boundaries. I prioritize my tasks and accomplish more in my days. My friends, co-workers, and family recognize the change in me personally. I am more accomplished, peaceful with a larger degree of life balance.
Amber is a mastermind when it comes to organization and productivity. Amber talks you through what needs to happen, and holds you, the client, accountable. Learning a new skill is not easy. It requires constant re-directing and discipline. Amber did not fix me. I fixed me – with new tools that Amber provided. Changing habits takes so much effort and work; however, the results are fantastic!
Business coaching: the 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. 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.
Always brought her A game!
I was struggling with how to make my business run like a well-oiled machine. I did not have my processes in place yet. I was struggling to understand the bookkeeping. I was putting out fires left and right. I wasn’t getting enough sleep and I was so busy all day but getting very little done. The amount of hats I wore was making it tough to get it all done.
Amber always brought her "A" game to the coaching calls. We started with productivity strategies but it always turned into broader topics she could help with, as well. I learned how to time block, which was the biggest help! I learned when to hire, how to get finances in a better position, and how to set realistic and stretch goals. I also learned where my bookkeeping was going completely out of whack (and yes I'm on bookkeeper #3) and learned that my work time was valuable enough that it made sense to hire support at home. So, I not only hired a housekeeper to come a couple of times a month but hired a personal assistant to help with picking up/taking kids to school/practices, starting dinner, folding laundry, etc. That way my time at home was quality time with my family and my time at the office was focused on work. Overall, I cannot say enough great things about Amber and her coaching!
Gave me a better understanding of how to time block
I struggle with distractions and lack of planning. I also have no consistent way to track to-dos or tasks and fail to make concise plans. A lot of it is in my head or in a running notebook that I don’t do a great job of using. This program gave me a way to approach improving my time management skills (or lack thereof) and a better understanding of how to time block in order to fit in " all the things." Since doing the Time Management Made Simple program, I anticipate big changes on feeling less overwhelmed!
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.
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.
Permission to LEAD my team - a beautiful gift!
Thank you for giving me the permission to LEAD my team. I had always put that as a back seat to client fulfillment, but by spending the time at the beginning of the day to set up tasks and give my team what they need to do their work - it has significantly reduced my time in client fulfillment. What a beautiful gift!... I didn't know that team delegation, work review, and team communication was a "high value" activity. Allowing myself time to set up tasks at the beginning of the day has been a GAME CHANGER. Thank you! I talk about you often with my Mom and she has noticed a significant decrease in my stress level as well!
Amber is the "real deal"
I was stuck and overwhelmed trying to manage my time and being successful demanded more effort than I had time. I needed to learn how to work smarter! After listening to Amber’s podcast, I knew she was the "real deal" when it comes to mastering time and productivity, things I really wanted to transform.
Amber's expertise, coaching, and tools helped me get clarity on what actually needs to get done each day and implement the best productivity and time management interventions for me! Our 1:1 sessions were always focused on my real concerns and ended with clear actions and next steps. Since starting coaching with Amber, I have changed my behaviors, implemented helpful task management programs and time tracking tools, and greatly improved my time management and productivity which has resulted in much less stress and overwhelm!
Great content and flow - I'm now more productive!
This course covered great content and flowed well. I especially liked the content on how to focus and I like Amber’s style. She has a wealth of information in many areas that I need help with. But it wasn’t just information, it was inspiration to create habits and routines to make me more productive. Since the program, I have better focus, use my calendar more effectively, and am more often able to create an environment that favors high productivity.
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.