Mary Gardner » Speaking

Mary’s Celebrity & Professional Speech Coaching Testimonials

Mary — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:40:15 +0000

“Mary, your techniques gave me so much confidence as a speaker. It is a whole new world of speaking for me.”

Peggy Fleming, Olympic Gold Medalist Ice Skater and ABC TV Commentato

“Mary, you are the best coach I’ve ever had!

Bernard King, former NY Knicks and NBA All-Star & Legend

As a busy professional, I receive hundreds of requests to speak to groups. Mary helped me to organize my thoughts in outlined speech that helps keep me on track and creates impact. She found out my specific needs and worked with me to achieve my professional speaking goals.

Billie Jean King, Tennis Pro, World Team Tennis,
International Tennis Hall of Famer

“Thank you very much for all of your assistance with the coaching and development of our speaker, Tom Whittiker. Your thorough understanding of the speaker business combined with your superior motivational skills has prepared you for excellence in this field I would be happy to serve as a reference for you.

The dramatic turnaround in Tom’s delivery, style, and speech content can be credited to your perseverance and drive. Your ability to get Tom to stop relying on his visuals and to focus on the presentation on him was exactly what we were looking for. You were able to get him to emotionally expose himself to the audience and share the highlights of his remarkable story in both an inspiring and honest fashion….”

John Truran Director of Sales & Marketing, Keppler Speakers

“Thank you so much for all your help and assistance. I now have an entirely new model in my head as to how I will approach all future speeches.

Your enthusiasm is contagious, and I benefited greatly from the time we spent together. I will look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely, Richard E. Connors, CLU Senior Vice President The MONY Group

When the MONY Group’s Creative Department asked me to be a speaker on the company’s Main Platform of the Honor Club meeting, I did not know what a wonderful adventure this opportunity would introduce into my life.

Most people have a great fear of speaking in front of a few people, not to mention hundreds, even thousands. Although I had fear, I knew that with proper preparation, I could become effective at getting my message across to the audience. What appropriate insight MONY had to retain a speech coach to assist us novices in preparing for our speeches. The real gift was retaining you, Mary. It is specifically because of you that I was able to achieve such success in my performance. From the moment I met you in New York at the MONY Group’s home office to rehearse my speech for the first time, I felt confident with your constructive coaching and your sense of style in bringing out the best in me to the audience. Not only did you make suggestions for the content of the speech, but also for the delivery of the speech’s main points. Your exercise in my vocal variety was especially effective. You gave me confidence in my appearance, posture, and expression. But most of all, you so sincerely communicated to me to give the audience myself — which proved to impact the audience to an emotional extent. I titled my speech, “Along the Yellow Brick Road” because of the lessons of the importance of knowledge, knowing my heart’s desire and having the courage to pursue my desires I have learned along my life’s journey. I have also learned that there are those that help us find out way. Mary, as I continue along my journey, I will cherish you as one of my “Glinda’s”, my coach, my friend. I’m convinced that because you are pursuing your heart’s desire, you are so effective at helping others to pursue theirs. I thank you. Please wear my gift of the ruby slippers pin knowing that the power to pursue our dreams is within us. I wish you much success.

Respectfully,

Michele Florio Williams Financial Professional at The MONY Group

A young man with a new job that requires him to speak in public goes to take a class in public speaking. He goes into the class expecting to learn nothing. He is already a good public speaker, what else could he possibly learn? Enter one Mary Gardner, the instructor hired by Department of Personnel HRDI. The man leaves the first class raving to his family and co-workers about his fabulous instructor. He comes to class each week, anxious to see what else he can learn from Mary. He finds that there is always something to learn from someone with the experience and knowledge gained from years of public speaking and training other speakers. By the end of the class, he assesses what he has learned and realizes that Mary Gardner has had a profound influence on the way he will do his job and the way in which he will pursue new opportunities in his career and his life.

I want to thank you, Mary, for making me look at the way in which I was doing my job. I looked and decided that it was time for a change in the way that I present information and in the way that I present myself. You are a truly remarkable public speaker. I feel that anyone can learn something about public speaking from taking or even just attending one of your classes or lectures. I am certain that you are a tremendous personal coach to your clients. You have the ability to make anyone feel great about themselves. That is an amazing gift. I hope that your clients appreciate your talents and thank you every day. Thank you again for making me start the process of re-inventing our Pension Seminars and, in that process, starting to re-invent myself. I have enjoyed the chance to share in your experience and your energy. I hope that we can cross paths again. Good luck in your future endeavors. I am sure that you will be a huge success in whatever field you choose. You are already a huge success in life.

Sincerely,

Ken Hartman Manager Benefit Education Programs, NJ Division of Pensions and Benefits

Just a note to thank you again, and tell you how helpful your coaching session was last week in preparation for my audition.

The session really helped me identify specific things I could do to improve my performance. Your visualization techniques helped, as did your specific comments about my style and approach. If only I’d come to you before my Harry Belafonte tour, I could have put more of myself into that experience! At any rate, I want to thank you again for your constructive, objective tips, which really helped me do my best under pressure.

Warm Regards,
Monica Simms

Mary’s Speaking Testimonials

admin — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:08:14 +0000

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the excellent keynote speech you delivered to our graduates, guests and faculty of the Support Specialist Program. The speech was very well received, and many favorable comments were passed our way regarding the enthusiasm and zest with which you spoke. You not only exemplified what the SSP participants learned about presentation skills in class, you went beyond platform skills when you shared your own personal stories of commitment to life-long learning. Again, thank you for being a part of a memorable experience for all of our graduates.”

Sincerely, Phil Bruschi,
State of New Jersey ,
Dept. of Personnel, Human Resource Development Institute

“…My point is that I felt you were as effective a seminar leader/coach this past week as any of the dozens of leaders/coaches I have experienced in the last several years. Anyone who knows me as the managing partners of my CPA firm, as a published author, speaker at seminars to chief executives coast to coast, and former college professor, will all attest to the fact that I am not one to easily offer compliments. Set high goals and expectations for myself and seek them of all people that I work with. I am very sensitive to effective coaching skills and techniques. Your skills, techniques, and overall presence created a magnificent forum for all those attending the seminars. The attendees searched deep within themselves to create possibilities for the future that were untapped before your seminars. You transformed the mindset from the predictable way of being from the past to the exciting world of possibilities of the future…”

Rick Gould , CPA / Managing Partner,
leading NYC Financial Consultant,
StevensGouldPincus LLC, NYC

I just attended your seminar, “Top 10 Secrets to Developing Charisma and a Magnetic Personality.” It was not your ordinary lecture, everyone was having a wonderful time and learning great skills at the same time. I personally learned new information and reinforced ideas I had previously heard. You came across as the perfect example and a great model of what you were teaching. It was great to see your energy, attentiveness, and warmth as well as your desire to help others to better themselves. Thanks again for a great seminar.

Sincerely, Chris Ferrara

She was both entertaining and informative. There was plenty of hands-on participation. Such as telling the group what really interests you and enjoy doing. This was done to get you into the mood and show to others what a delightful person you are. Mary is full of energy that rubs off on you and others in the class. Mary takes the time to guide you by-the-hand so there is a clear understanding on how to appeal attractive and shine to others. After the class you feel refreshed and energized, like putting in a new set of batteries. Mary is just a fun person to be with. I recommend Mary’s course to anyone who wants to get ahead in life and feel good about themselves. I know Mary has had a great impact on my life. I am able to open up to people and talk in front of groups. Being a shy person I was always afraid to talk to people. Mary has given me support in my quest to seek out people.

Thank you,
Jeffrey Freed

Thank you so much for the invaluable information you provided in your seminar! I attend many seminars and am tired of those that are big on “motivation” and low on any real information. Your seminar, in contrast, was both inspirational and practical! You provided specific information on skills, materials, and resources to develop my career as a speaker. Your presentation was engaging and energizing. I left with the knowledge and the motivation to succeed. I am looking forward to putting into practice the tools I learned last night, and also am looking forward to attending more of your seminars!

Thank you again.
Wendy Weiss, The Cold Call Queen

I was enchanted with your presentation on charisma! .

I am writing to let you now how much I enjoyed your warmth and style, and that it was obvious that you brought magic into people’s lives.

It was a truly wonderful event!

Sincerely,
Annette Grauman

“…Her high energy and willingness to share with the group allowed us to feel free to ask questions. Mary’s approach to presenting a workshop was professional, nurturing, and encouraging. The time flew by very quickly. Having been so impressed with Mary Gardner, I took another workshop … Again, Mary had the class laughing, sharing, enjoying, and learning. There was never a dull moment.

As a workshop presenter myself, I congratulate and complement Mary on her dedication, professionalism and charisma. She is delightful and I encourage others to attend her workshop…”

Sincerely,
Ms. Connie McKnight
Executive Director
Life Skills Consulting

I would like to thank you very much for providing an incredible seminar on how to develop charisma. This was my first time ever going to a seminar of this type and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am only eighteen so I thought I’d feel very out of place.

However, you made me feel very comfortable and you created a relaxed, interactive environment in which I had all my questions answered and I learned a lot. I like how we were taught concepts and then given the opportunity to utilize them with the other people in the seminar. The two and half hours that the seminar took went by very, very quickly and all the information I learned is applicable to all parts of my life.

I couldn’t have been any happier with the value of the information I received. Being a freshman at NYU and the owner of a web development firm I feel that I will be able to use the skills I learned both in networking and in small talking with people at school. Little things that have always bothered me such as what I should do with my hands after I shake somebody’s hand and how long I should hold a handshake will never bother me again.

Another aspect of the seminar that I really liked is your enthusiasm and unconditional willingness to help all of us. You didn’t want us to buy a book or register to be coached by you. You just wanted to help us and I really felt it.

I wish you good luck in all your future endeavors, and I look forward to attending more of your seminars.

Sincerely,
Michael Simmons
Co-founder and Partner at Princeton WebSolutions

In every class she gives a wealth of information that I have found, and other people I’ve talked to in her classes have found, invaluable. Her classes are extraordinary in every way. Not only the invaluable information but her ability to present it in a way that involves, motivates, and uplifts her audience.

Mary not only has talent, but also the character, vision, and deep commitment to help people improve their lives. To watch her is truly experience being in the presence of someone who deeply cares about each member of her audience as individuals and is committed to helping them achieve their dreams.

Part of the success of her seminars is that through exercises and questions she is able to get to know each individual and give them feedback on a one to one basis. When she senses someone has a larger problem that is preventing them from participating she will move off center stage to come into the audience. She will then sit beside them, look into their eyes and give them her undivided attention. She will continue to work with them until she has found a way for them to move forward toward achieving their goals.

This passion and commitment to finding out about each person and caring about them as individuals creates a successful team environment.

In Mary’s seminars we all become one big, enthusiastic team. No one ever left on the sidelines. Everyone becomes a part of everyone else’s success and you can feel the energy rising. You always leave wanting more!

I sincerely believe that Mary Gardner will be a major star in the near future, and we fortunate at this point in time to be able to have the benefit of her classes. I am, therefore, hoping more of her classes will be offered while she is still available.

Quite simply, meeting Mary and having the good fortune to be able to attend even one of her seminars has changed the direction of my life dramatically.

Sincerely,
Kathy Kavanagh, Colgate-Palmolive

“…In particular, I am writing to compliment the instructor of the class, May Gardner. As I am sure you already are aware, she is a very capable and accomplished teacher and speaker but what made the class especially enjoyable was her enthusiasm and dynamic presentation of the subject matter…”

Sincere regards,
Jana Emerick

“Thank you for presenting such a thorough, informative and fun program at the Seminar Center last week. “Developing Charisma” was a joyful experience and you modeled the subject dynamically. I enjoyed the interactive periods where we got to put the information into use, making it more practical and real, and something to take home and apply immediately.

I would not hesitate to recommend your program to friends and colleagues. In this day of information overload and keen competition, I think everyone could use a little more personal dazzle and magic – known as “charisma”.

Martha A. Snee, President
Transcending Limits Center

I enjoyed your presentation and identified with many of your personal stories. I loved your energy and zest for life.

Thank you for putting yourself out in the world. You make it a better place.

God bless you.
Debbie R.

Mary,

I really enjoyed your program tonight! It was very energetic, lively and interactive!

Most speakers are not lively, fun nor interactive. You stood out from the crowd! Great Job!

Bruce