Testimonials

Stacey did an excellent job facilitating the virtual meeting. I feel she kept everyone engaged and helped us answer a lot of questions we had about a variety of different topics. I look forward to receiving a copy of the topic discussions. Thank you, Stacey.

I want to follow up on the question above about virtual versus in-person. I prefer in-person, but this session broadened my perspective on the virtual meeting. I don't know that in-person I have seen the level of individual participation that the virtual meeting showed me yesterday. I sensed a level of comfort with everyone on the call to freely speak up and engage and share that I do not get at in-person events. I appreciate the connecting with people and meeting them in person and talking but felt that more was shared in the virtual environment. After what was shared my interest is more peaked at what some companies are doing and projects they are trying to achieve at their sites.

I wanted to share that I thought this webinar was fantastic and one of the best I’ve ever attended. I got so much out of it, and Dr. Codrington was such an excellent presenter. I can’t wait to see the next one from him in September. Thanks!

I just want to say thank you for this awesome presentation from Dr. Codrington. He is such a knowledgeable and charismatic person. I hope we can have more and more of his content. Your team is always raising the bar.

Today's #womenonwednesdays shout out goes to Stacey Schroeder - Founder of EVelop and Director at The Institute for Management Studies!

I was first introduced to Stacey years ago when she sat on a panel at a Women in Manufacturing event. What struck me immediately was how realistic she was. She was sharp and in-tune with the challenges manufacturers faced in workforce development. She didn't sugar coat things or tell us what we kept hearing already - it was refreshing and amplified her credibility.

I've had the pleasure of following her on LinkedIn along with her adventures, challenges, and successes as her career took a path that, when you look at her experience, is a no-brainer.

Stacey helps trade associations and mid-sized companies design relevant training (keyword here - relevant!) to help individuals be successful in their roles. She uses data to help create those solutions - this isn't a cookie-cutter approach. Her background in teaching and development helps guide these custom designs.

Thank you, Stacey, for the initiative you take in the industry to help make a difference in #manufacturing!

I really enjoyed getting to hear your story and understanding how you got to the place you are today with owning your own business. It was very reassuring to hear that I do not have to have my entire life planned out as a sophomore in college, and that I can continue to learn and grow well after my time in school.

Some of the most valuable lessons I learned from you were:

· Be resilient if unfortunate things happen that are out of your control

· Be positive, open, and always looking toward the future

· Be kind and offer to help people whenever possible because you never know when that kindness will pay off and they will return the favor

· Networking is way more important than you may think for finding jobs in the future

· And most importantly, how communication is the key aspect to being successful

I looked into the resources that you provided for me to help find internships and improve my communication skills and they were incredibly helpful to help me narrow down my path for what I want to do soon, so thank you for doing the research and providing those sources to me.

Again, I am very grateful for your help during this Wisdom Project and I look forward to applying what you taught me to my own life.

Thank you for offering the one hour "lunch" learning sessions. Not only are they conveniently scheduled to squeeze in an hour of leadership conversation but the caliber of speakers is top notch. The last one that I attended with Lida Citroen provided great insight into leadership and personal branding.

Thank you Stacey! I have to give credit to Carrie Tyree….she had sent me some info last year about a training with IMS that she thought I might be interested in attending. I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to keep coming back!

You all do wonderful job of bringing interesting and relevant topics to us.

hank you so much! IMS is such a great resource. I always learn so much from the sessions.

I’m grateful Medical Mutual offers staff the opportunity to attend. I look forward to attending more in the future.

Stacey provided database design, metrics development and implementation for key training performance effectiveness indicators. Additionally, Stacey's analytical experience, technical knowledge and lean skills were instrumental in executing a functionality assessment of a Learning Management System.

I have worked with Stacey for some time now, and her project management skills are among the strongest I've seen. She is organized, thorough and thoughtful with her approach. She also gets the most out of the teams she manages because she leads by example. Stacey also exhibits strong instructional design acumen. I look forward to many more years of partnering with Stacey.

Hi Stacey,
As always, this was another outstanding learning seminar.  I have gathered so much information that I can apply both professionally as well as in my personal daily activities.  Thanks for designing all these resources to help us in our awareness to grow as an individual.
 

Hi Stacey! I was able to view all of these great resources and I wanted to comment that I couldn’t stop talking to my family about Carol Kinsey Gorman’s messages about body language.  I really had several aha moments during her presentations that I think answer some of my questions about myself and how I could be perceived differently than “my best, authentic self.”  I am excited to work on some of the things that I know I do!  If she has any more videos on this I would love to view them!

I also loved Param’s message about negative self-talk and shared it with our department.   The “monkey on my back” was a great illustration!  My team and I are participating in a book study that starts tonight on the book, “Self Love Workbook for Women—Release Self-Doubt, Build Self-Compassion, and Embrace Who You Are” by Megan Logan.  This video really fits some of the things that we as women struggle with and is a nice intro to our study!  I am going to suggest we play it.  Any other similar videos would be helpful as I support myself and my team.  

Many other take aways from the other videos, but those were my favorites.  I hope you will continue to share with us while we participate in the cohort.  You have a knack for selecting helpful resources!
Thanks again!
 

I attended the virtual IMS program, Leading vs. Managing: The Difference is Key to your Success with Ann Tardy. I found this session content to be exceptional. Ann’s method to inspire us to become better leaders is inspirational and her dynamic and energetic personality is both captivating and contagious. She encouraged group discussion in a way that made you want to participate. Ann delivers her approach to becoming a better leader with practical guidance that exudes conventional wisdom.

Ann’s session provided thoughtful discussion around topics that make a good leader ‘better’, through fostering an environment of hope, compassion, stability, and trust. In addition, her presentation on managing expectations and mentoring people in such a way that shifts culture and promotes desired outcomes was insightful. One of my favorite areas of this session was on the topic of Fixed vs. Growth Mindset and I thought the ‘think of 3, then ask me’ strategy was an extremely useful tool to use in our everyday critical-thinking and problem-solving applications.

I am thankful for the opportunity to participate in this workshop and have found the tools provided on the IMS platform to be a great resource for further education on this topic. A true leader, mentor, and coach, I would follow Ann into the fire!

Hi Stacey,
I completed the survey, but this was one of the best IMS webinars I have attended in a while, and I really appreciated Nicole’s perspective. I cannot wait to hear the feedback from others at Smucker who also were able to attend.
 

Q: What did you like best about the virtual format?
A: The virtual format was most enjoyable in that the participants can establish connections with each other via chat! I was able to connect with some individuals on LinkedIn and share resources and contacts.  

Q: What is your perspective on the interactivity during the program (breakout rooms, chats, polls, etc.)? Was it enough? Too much? Just right? Were there other things you were hoping for in that regard?
A: I liked the breakout rooms and activities. I would like see the IMS team figure out how to create a little more interaction in the rooms and have time to go through each of the room’s responses. Like split out a three objective document to be filled out and covered by the breakout room representative once the group is rejoined.

Q: What are your top 1-3 takeaways from the session?
A: Connections, knowledge share with my team and resource alignment (pulling and pooling) the ideas and different perspectives from the multiple industries in their leadership.

Q: If someone at your company asked you why they should consider attending an IMS learning journey, what would you say?
A: I would say they should definitely consider it essential to growth in their leadership and potential for others.

Q: If you had the chance to speak directly to the thought leader, what would you tell them about your experience during the session?
A: Particularly to the instructors I would say thank you for their efforts and recognizing the need for individuals in leadership to continue growing and accepting paths that are relevant to the newest generation. It should be our duty as leaders to groom new leaders in our wake and to never remain static in approach. 

Q: What are some suggestions for me and the IMS team to make these learning journeys even better?
A: Only to have a more inclusive interaction coming out of the breakout rooms as mentioned in question {2}
 

Stacey
Thanks for the privilege of working with you and Women in Manufacturing back in November.  I really do want to applaud you because you were way ahead of the curve.  You were planning out virtual meetings months before that became about the only way training would be delivered … at least for a while. It’s no wonder you’re so successful.
I found you and your participants to be so eager to learn and respond, the marks of true professionals.  So again thanks.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas for you and your loved ones with a much better New Year.  
Looking forward to our paths crossing in the future.
 

Stacey has done a great job sharing her expertise with workshop participants. She provides an insightful presentation to help them understand an important manufacturing concept - Lean Six Sigma. It is volunteers such her that help our clients gain valuable information to help them pursue jobs in the manufacturing industry

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the highest) how important do you think effective communication is in the workplace?" Stacey said, "11, if you can't clearly communicate your vision you can't accomplish what you want." She was gracious enough to give me a couple of tips on effective communication; pay close attention to the questions a person is asking, look at if they are asking or telling, facial expressions, and always adjust yourself to the style of the other person.

(...) I was curious to see if she had been mentored or has mentored somebody... Stacey says she has been mentored at every job. You don’t have to ask somebody to mentor you. You just need to value something about someone and start to ask them more question to learn how you can gain that knowledge or skill.

(...) I appreciate her taking the time to speak with me answering all of my questions.

I just wanted to take a second to say thank you again for allowing me to interview you and capture all of those great nuggets of advice for school and for life! I especially enjoyed what you said about really trying to enhance your soft skills when it comes to those higher level positions that have to deal with a wide variety of people. I definitely apply what you said about meeting a person where they are being the best way to understand someone everywhere that I go.... I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to talk with me..!

Dr. Hannah is awesome, Stacey displayed utter professionalism in facilitating the event. I gained more in 6 hours than in three weeks of Lean Leadership Training.

Great presenter and great content / materials that can be taken back to staff and other leadership within my organization. As hard as it is to be away from the office for a day, this was a great six-hour session.

I led a 90-minute session on Objective Setting, Delegation and Performance Management for 30+ members of Women in Manufacturing as part of the Management Development Program in October 2023. Needless to say, it was a hit!

Corliss Lemke - ArcFlo - This session has been Fantastic!!!!!!
Caroline Bridges, BASF - This was a really great session!
Heather Smith, BASF -  Truly enjoyed this session-thank you!!
Hannah Rolon, Waters - Agreed I really enjoyed all the content on this one!
Kelly Marflak - Love all the helpful information and ideas?
Tracy O'Neil, BWXT - Thank you so much Stacey!!

In regard to a global Quality Management System implementation for a healthcare company: I just have to say I’ve been so impressed with you; you’ve jumped right in and are understanding each BUs requirements, you’re talking like you’ve been involved with this/worked here for years. It is complex and you’re able to explain it very clearly and concisely. Keep up the great work!!!!

I have been able to attend a handful of the IMS programs since I started at JM Smucker. First, I want to say thank you for the variety of options and length of times that are offered. 

Most recently I was able to participate in Magic Words with Jonah Berger. I enjoyed listening to him explain how simply changing from help to helper makes people want to help more. I am looking forward to reading his book that goes along with the information he provided as the hour was not long enough. 

I have been able to attend others, the other one that stands out is “The 7 People all Leaders Need in Their Life” with Richard Osibanjo. He really helped me understand that who you surround yourself with is important and how your group you rely on for work and development doesn’t have to be your friends and maybe shouldn’t be. 

Thanks for all you do, I really appreciate these learnings and wish I could attend them all! 
 

I attended your most resent IMS training program; “Magic Words.”  Let me tell you, that was one hour that was worth my time.  There were many “Ah Ha” moments, where it dons on you that what Johan Berger just said makes perfect since.   I will start to put to practice what I learned from your program today.  I also ordered a copy of the book, Magic Words, and am looking forward to reading it.    

Stacey - You have been such a big support to us already and I appreciate you accommodating any of our special requests. We are only halfway through the year and the course topics have been outstanding! Strong attendance and great feedback are proof of that too. The virtual sessions are definitely receiving a lot more attention and participation from our group since we have a lot of employees based regionally all over the US. I will continue to promote sessions on a company-wide basis and individually to employees who could benefit from certain topics. Thanks again for everything.

Testimonial #2:

Ohh yayy, this is wonderful news! Thank you so so much. That is more than enough time for me to promote a few more microlearning learning videos. The team is loving the powerful and impactful messages these short videos contain!

I really appreciated the presentation by Margaret Morford. All 7 strategies spoke directly to me. I was particularly glad that she reminded me of something that I had failed to remember. As we transition from one leadership management style to another management style, we need to be cognizant of our behavior. The only thing that I have control of is my own behavior. This reality will help me be successful in my interactions with our new leadership team. I also appreciated her phrasing in getting people on your side - Rule #5. These 7 rules will help us in relationship development and in doing our best work as Margaret Morford suggested.