Testimonials
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Why True North Christa Collins, Partner, Jones & Jones: When I first started working with Paulette, I was in a very negative place regarding all aspects of my life. When we started to set goals, I didn’t know where to start because I was unhappy about everything. Somehow, and without consciousness, I had become withdrawn, angry and bitter. I was in a place where I viewed life as difficult—full of pain and disappointment. All of that changed when I met Paulette. From the very first meeting, I felt a connection with Paulette unlike any I had felt in quite some time. She could immediately see past the wall I had built around myself to the shining star underneath. Paulette’s compassion, love and encouragement created a space where I was able to open myself to be coached and embark on a path that I would not have been able to realize on my own. First and foremost, Paulette helped me achieve the clarity to understand that all of the negativity and limitations were merely the result of “stories” made up by that little voice in my head. As soon as I became aware of that little voice and gained the tools to stay present, my life began to transform. Although I have noticed drastic changes in all areas of my life, the biggest improvement has occurred at work. Before working with Paulette I had descended into a pattern where I was extremely stressed all of the time, lacked confidence in my ability to be an effective leader, felt limited and complained about everyone and everything. Since completing my coaching sessions with Paulette, I have re-gained my confidence. This confidence has allowed me to shed my fear of acknowledging my own greatness and led to a new and exciting path (including a substantial pay raise and an expanded role within my law firm where I’m a partner). I no longer live under a cloud of stress. Instead, I feel peace and calm, even when encountering deadlines or angry clients. And, in the rare moment when I hear the voice in my head trying to take over and bring the negativity back in, armed with the tools provided by Paulette, the voice is quickly silenced. Coaching has completely changed my life. I now truly believe that as long as I stay aware and positive, the possibilities are endless and I have the power to create anything. Instead of thinking life is hard and painful I now know that life is a beautiful gift full of hope and happiness. What I learned from Paulette saved me. It gave me the difference between having a closed and sad life and an amazing life. Paulette is truly a master of her craft! Michael W. Trollan, Production Manager, Martha Stewart Omnimedia: What a great coaching experience! From day one, Paulette brought focus and structure to our coaching sessions. I came to coaching wary about what it takes to move into an executive leadership role from being a subject-matter expert, lost about how to manage my growing and unwieldy network of contacts and unsure about what it means to relax and enjoy personal hobbies. From the start, Paulette helped me identify my top challenges, create an action plan for overcoming them, and then execute the plan. Her insight, support and her partnership was invaluable all along the way. In the end, I built the confidence I needed to pursue my passion for leadership, I created the perspective I needed to bring my networking list down to earth, and I found clarity that has enabled me to start enjoying hobbies. Jean-Claude Brizard, Executive Director for Secondary Schools, NYC Department of Education: I first came upon the idea of coaching when I met Paulette at a social event, and we had a conversation about my work and the challenges I was facing. I had gone through a lot of job advancement, from being a high school teacher, to principal, to working in the Chancellor’s Office. It’s been pretty dramatic. These things happened quickly and were great opportunities that I would not turn down – but my family life was suffering as a result. The time I had to put toward work skyrocketed to nine to twelve hours plus two + hours of commuting each day. It just became overwhelming and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t sacrificing My first immediate goal with coaching was to find balance between my working and personal life. In my work with Paulette we clearly defined the answer to, “What does it mean to find balance?” identifying what it looks like, and how I can create steps along the way to really get where I want to go. Paulette, as my coach, has forced me to take a step back and reflect again – to go back to understanding what I really want in life, beyond career, beyond immediate goals – to remember, “What am I really looking for in the first place? Where am I in this journey, and where do I want to go?” It brought out and helped me remember those things that always mattered for me, but I’d The thing I’ve gained most from coaching is freedom. I don’t have any more time, but I see that I can set priorities and make choices, and this has helped me realize that I am not going to be slave to work any more. I’ve really been able to carve out time, and to focus on things that are much more important! Here is an example. Father’s day, I got up, and had to look at a file on my computer. So of course, I had to check email – before you know it, I’m writing emails. Suddenly I caught myself – I realized that my wife was cooking breakfast with my 4 year old without me, and it hit me, “What am I doing??” So I closed up my computer until tomorrow. Thanks to coaching, I am living in the present more, enjoying the process, not worrying so much about the destination. I’ve remembered things I used to know in college, for example, that life isn’t about destination, it’s about the journey. These are the things we forget when we fall back into immediate concerns – like a rat in a wheel, working hard but not getting where we want to go. Because I can now be present to the journey, living in the moment, and being more aware of what the outcomes will be, I’ve been enjoying every day, and I don’t stress as much about different issues. In fact, in a recent check-up my blood pressure was much lower! I’ll just say that I don’t think coaching is something that anyone can do – you have to have training, personality and experience. You have to know right questions to ask to get your clients to go deeper. I really think Paulette has those unique qualities. She can really put herself in people’s shoes, listen well, know where they are coming from, guide them to reflect, and force them to go deeper into their own thinking. This is crucial – without this, I wouldn’t be able to connect with her. Many people I know couldn’t do this work. She’ll say things like, “I’m wondering if . . .” How the hell did she know that? She has the kind of laser insight to be able to sense and intuit what you are thinking and probe – and she’s always correct in that. She draws out what’s really happening behind your thoughts. If you’re not being honest with yourself, she challenges you to go back and think about what you’re really thinking – and that is invaluable. It has led to me to great insights. I have recommended Paulette to other senior leaders in my organization. She can connect with people, she’s a great listener, and she teaches people how to listen to other people. She helps you take a step back away from the BlackBerry and the computer, and she really, really listens — the work she does really offers people something they’re missing. People should know that coaching is not therapy or counseling – it’s about helping people define their goals and more importantly, who they really are. It helps them reconnect with goals from years before, remember what their life dreams are, and find their way – it helps them wade through the murk and keep their eye on the light of the dreams that they had fifteen or twenty years ago. If I had to select words to describe Paulette, I would say: empathetic, passionate, smart, intuitive and many, many more! She has been my guidepost. Deana Zelenka, CEO, Oppelle Paulette is an exceptional executive coach and facilitator. Her authenticity and ability to connect on all levels enables her to form real and lasting relationships that directly correlate into increased awareness, self-value and bottom line results. I can confidently recommend her to anyone looking to take themselves to the next level. Stacy McCown, Underwriter, Chubb If you would have asked me one year ago if I would have ever considered coaching my answer would have been no. That answered changed about five months ago when I first met Paulette at a networking event where she was a guest speaker. She touched on so many valid issues and concerns that I have been experiencing as a young woman in the corporate world. When I first began coaching, I was experiencing a lot of self doubt that spilled over into all aspects of my life. However, over time I have learned to recognize all that is good about me and how to handle things whenever negative feelings manifest themselves. (Paulette calls them gremlins and so do I.) Paulette has helped me to become a much more confident person and has shown me the tools I need in order to advance myself and reach any of my goals. Several people (friends, family, and co-workers) have noticed a change in me that I solely attribute to having been coached by Paulette. It’s amazing! I am still working on my goals that I set during my coaching series, but it’s so much more than achieving goals. It’s about truly finding out about yourself and that path is an eye-opening and rewarding experience. Paulette has that “personal touch” that is hard to find in many people. She takes time out to really be “present” for you. I was really touched by how much she encourages you to call and/or email her. Whenever I found myself dealing with a difficult situation, she was always in my corner cheering me on! As a result of having been coached, I believe my coaching series with Paulette is such an amazing tool for personal and professional growth! Coaching is a serious commitment if you are truly serious about wanting more out of life and more for yourself, then coaching with Paulette will help you get to where you want to be. Mary Teresa Nelson, Assistant Principal, NYC Public School: I have been an Assistant Principal in the New York City Public School system for five years. The first few years I felt I was growing and perfecting my craft. This past year I felt I was stagnant in my position and my relationship with my Principal was becoming challenging. I knew I needed to do something to change myself and grow professionally, but I also knew I could not do it alone. I needed help, and I engaged the services of Paulette Rao as an Executive Coach. Initially, the goals I set for myself were to improve my performance at work that would earn me more respect and authority, and at the same time, I also wanted to move on to become a Principal in the NYC Public School system. With these goals clearly defined, Paulette and I set a plan and began our work. After twelve weeks of coaching, I feel stronger then I have in years, have increased confidence, and better communication and negotiation skills. I am also feeling smarter about how to strategically network myself and promote my strengths. Learning to effectively use my contacts and communicate my strengths helped me land an opportunity to apply for a job I really want. The other positive outcome is that my relationship with my Principal has changed dramatically. She said she sees a significant change in my professional presence and performance and has given me more of a leadership role in my present position! My staff and students have also noticed a positive change in me. It’s as though the potential that’s always been inside of me has come to the surface. As the classic line in a famous song goes: “Oz never gave anything to the Tin Man that he didn’t already have.” The thing I’m most proud of? Because of coaching I have been selected for a coveted spot in the NYC Advanced Leadership Academy where I will be training for the role of Principal—the job I really want and came to coaching for! I would definitely recommend Paulette to anyone who wants to take charge of their career and create success for themselves and their organization. She has the experience, insight and tools to assist in cultivating everything good in her client and bringing it to the surface. She helps you fine-tune your software—create a new, improved version of the old. This new operating software will help me for many years to come. It was a great investment that I know I’ll continue to tap into in my new position as Principal. I will be forever thankful to Paulette for helping me break through the stale existence I had, and for developing an “in charge, take control” hold on my life. Debbie Francis, Technical Manager, Oppenheimer Funds: Before coaching, it was about the trappings—newer car, better clothes, higher position. Now, I see that those aren’t really the prize. While nice to have, I’ve discovering something much more precious: my personal power. Coaching has helped me realize that I have much more of it than I first realized and ever exercised, and I’m learning how to harness it with intention and clarity. This is putting me on the road to a different place — a place I intended to go so many years ago. I’m finally where I always wanted to be. Without coaching, this could have taken another forty years. I am realizing my potential – and if that’s not what it means to be human, I don’t know what is. Jovi Offitto, Professional Hair and Makeup Artist: When I came to coaching I wanted to develop more of a professional image as a hair stylist and makeup artist, grow my clientele, feel more confident in my skin, and feel more satisfied with my life as a wife, mother, and friend. I was stagnating and wanted to break through and start making real change. In coaching, Paulette helped me see my own negative thinking. I saw my tendency to underestimate myself and to under-perform. When I realized that I held myself back in this way, it was as though a light went on. Suddenly, I had a choice. The most important thing I realized was simple but really powerful: I am better than I think I am. I surprised myself by committing to and accomplishing things that were important to me that I had let go for years. It felt good to take back control of my life and see how easily I could create successful outcomes by simply choosing to and following through. Paulette challenged me and supported me to take actions that allowed me advance closer to my goals. Sometimes, I felt that she believed in me more than I did myself. She inspired me to reach for more—to be more. She showed up for me every week 100%. Coaching taught me to be more accountable to what I want out of life, to take full responsibility for my career and overall well-being. This has been a great experience for me in that has really allowed me to moved forward. John Mirrione Jr., Sensei, Harmony by Karate, Reebok/L.A. Sports Club: I’m not only impressed with coaching… I’m even more impressed with how she does it. Getting coached by Paulette was so invigorating for me. I achieved far greater than I thought I would. One of the great things about coaching was that I finally put words to my goals which gave them life and as a result, I felt committed to them on a deeper level. During the coaching engagement, I would get on the phone thinking ‘what can she possibly do to help me with this issue’ and I found myself getting off the phone blown away by her very special gift. The experience was so powerful. I believe coaching is the most profound method for individual change. It’s incredible. I truly feel empowered. I would say to anyone thinking of working with Paulette: I would guarantee that if you go in with openness and trust in what she is doing, whatever it is you are looking to change in yourself, it will happen.. . It did for me. Patricia Johnson, Internal Coach—Human Resources, NYC Law Firm: I came to coaching feeling stuck, and looking for alternate perspectives for everything going on in my life. I was ready to work, to take a look at myself, and to make some changes. Working with Paulette gave me clarity, and an overall sense of feeling supported. She helped facilitate my thinking around subjects that were important to me. Our weekly sessions alone made a huge improvement in my personal life. One of the things that I wanted to acknowledge about Paulette is that she lets you be where you are. She does not demand overnight change, but she works with you, at your pace, to help change occur, step by step. I would recommend Paulette for either business or personal coaching. She is a caring, supportive an active listener, and she works with her clients to facilitate alternate viewpoints. She really helps people to get to the basics of setting goals and creating a pathway of action to get there. Audrina Crothers, HR Director: I had an amazing coaching experience working with Paulette. I had never worked with a coach before and found it to be one of the single most valuable experiences of my life. Coaching with Paulette has taught me to take control of my destiny, and to find my own truth. I feel like a different person, and have a tremendous change in positive energy. My whole mindset has shifted – every thing seems different. I believe in the possibilities of life, and my ability to contribute to the quality of my own life. I credit Paulette with working so hard to understand what makes me tick, and then to lead me – in a way that works for me – to this higher truth. I have experienced numerous examples thus far and I truly believe that this will ultimately empower me to move forward in my life in more profound ways than I could have envisioned when I embarked on this journey. How did this happen? I first came to the coaching process thinking I had only one meaningful toleration (financial discomfort) and one very serious and challenging goal (to have a successful romantic relationship). My life was good before I started coaching, and I believed that the other categories in my life were positive enough. Only through coaching was I able to recognize that my thought processes and mindset – and therefore much of my whole life – were actually not positive at all – honestly, I realized that deep inside, I really felt defeated by life, and like I somehow didn’t deserve what I really wanted. Paulette introduced certain ideas that allowed me to make connections between my thought patterns, my actions and therefore my situation. By identifying these very tangible connections, I have started to change my thought patterns, which has changed everything else in my life. Paulette has been tremendous at helping me identify when I am being my own worst enemy, and allowed me to really take control of that and transform it. So it wasn’t just about being coached to attain this one goal – it was about taking steps back to figure out other steps that need to be taken first. The most valuable benefit was seeing what I needed to take care of before I could be successful in actually attaining my main goals. She really helped me break down impediments and brick walls to enable myself to achieve those goals. Now I am feeling fantastic! I’ve had huge gains of optimism, confidence, and positive energy. I have had numerous achievements in the course of the eight weeks and I have been able to leverage my successes to help create new “brain wiring.” I removed many of the “blockages” that were so internalized that I did not even know they existed, let alone that they were preventing me from moving forward in many areas of my life. I think this new-found freedom has enabled me to utilize the tools I have learned with Paulette’s help, to my benefit. Ultimately, this will allow me to not only realize my defined goals, but also to envision the possibility of even more ambitious goals. That, in itself, represents HUGE progress – and I think perfectly captures how incredibly meaningful this experience has been. I will say that my new perspective is not just internal – it’s definitely coming through in so many areas of my life, clearly having a positive effect in my world. My friends recognize the changes in me, and I’m exuding this positive energy that other people can’t help but notice. I’ve moved forward in areas that literally weren’t even on my radar screen – from exercising, to reintroducing fun, recreation and salsa dancing into my life, to reevaluating how I spend money – things that are a huge gain for me that I wasn’t even aware that I was missing before. I’m convinced that moving forward in all these areas will help Professionally, I’ve gained tremendous confidence in my worth and ability and am celebrating and taking pride in my contributions at work. Other people are noticing, too. My manager and the partners have noticed my results. I received a great performance review and a great raise! I’m now working with Paulette to use the information in my review to capitalize on my potential even more. My career path has shifted positively and I am feeling like the rewards are now Working with Paulette helped me realize all of this, and to gain insight and clarity about my own thought patterns to move successfully toward what I really want – and it is dramatically improved the quality of my life. Everything I achieved points back to this overarching theme. I can’t say enough good things about the experience for me. About Paulette I attribute the success of my coaching experience directly to Paulette. Because I approached the experience with a strong commitment, I suspect it would have been a valuable exercise with a wide range of coaches, but I cannot imagine an individual who would have been able to offer as much as Paulette did for me in the eight weeks we worked together. Her rare blend of intelligence, insightfulness, compassion, conviction, enthusiasm and focus was at the heart of every “Aha!” and “win” I had. What was incredibly valuable to me about how Paulette coached me in particular. She tailored her “coaching” to me – personally – and I imagine she does that for all her clients. We had what I would consider to be a perfectly synergistic partnership, which of course, enables the highest possible achievement. In my opinion, it is the ability to achieve this rare relationship that will set Paulette apart from her peers. These are really a perfect blend of qualities, and I feel genuinely confident when recommending her that Paulette will find the way to work with people that really works for them, and that gives them powerful results. About coaching When I first heard about coaching, I thought it was more about simply setting and goals and then making checklists about how to achieve them – for example, “you want to have a successful romantic relationship – here are the ways…” What I learned is that it is much more powerful – it is really identifying what is keeping you from reaching your goals, and then really breaking them down to move forward in a truly successful way. I would wholeheartedly recommend coaching, but only for those individuals who are prepared to participate in the process. I can’t imagine getting much out of the experience if I did not have a strong personal commitment to work hard. Having an open mind, the ability to be honest with yourself (and your coach) and the willingness to prioritize the process are all crucial elements. You have to take it seriously and commit to it, or else don’t bother. Unless you’re ready I feel like I have such a strong connection with her on a personal, intimate, emotional level – somehow we’ve transcended the relationship that is warranted from the time that we’ve spent together – and I’ve never even met her in person. She is so positive , energetic, insightful, intelligent and caring. Michelle Broomfield, Human Resources Consultant and Coach When I first started coaching with Paulette, I was at a place where my energy was a bit low. I had just gone through a life-changing event in my life that brought me to seek out a new career and a new way of being. I however was still quite scattered in terms of what to do next. I selected Paulette after previewing other coaches at first simply because she made me feel comfortable with her. She shared with clarity how she works, what to expect and the fact that she would be acutely aware of where I was at each stage of the coaching relationship. I felt her support and professionalism from day one. At the end of session two I was clearer on my career/business goal, health and work life balance and financial goals. I didn’t have all the answers but was confident that the strategies we developed together would give birth to them. Paulette’s careful and insightful questioning, willingness and ability to stretch and challenge me and compassion and generosity allowed me to chart a course that would do just that. Three months later and I can tell you that I’ve taken a journey with Paulette that has reconnected me to my core self and strengths, awakened the entrepreneur within me and moved me closer to achieving my dreams. My health goal has been achieved and with a clear strategy in place will be maintained. I am clearer than I’ve ever been about the vision for my business and clientele. We even changed course on this goal without it being a traumatic event. I am also much more in tune with what it takes to create a thriving work/life balance. What made this work so well? Paulette gave me the space and freedom to open my heart and mind to success. It was okay to not have the answers, to struggle with wanting to be perfect while still being human and to know that all of it was okay – that I would rise above the rubble, learn from the struggle and be victorious. She kept me accountable to the relationship and most importantly, to myself and my dreams. Without judgment, with grace, expertise and love for coaching she took me on a journey that has opened up the way for me to move more powerfully within and through my life. For me the best is yet to come and I can see it in my line of sight Anonymous, Slow Food USA: I came to coaching feeling confused about my career direction and as a result, negative about my life. From the first session, I felt a level of trust and genuine commitment on Paulette’s part to help me. Her belief in me instilled me with the power and confidence to take on the challenges I faced. One of the more important insights for me was identifying and managing my negative, self-limiting thoughts. By applying some of the strategies that Paulette introduced, I gained more awareness into my thoughts and was able to erase some of the limiting inner dialogue that was plaguing me. I gained more clarity into my thinking because of Paulette’s ability to reflect back to me what I was saying so I could see my mental filters. She has an intuitive way of understanding people, and she has the ability to help them realize their own personal truths. As a result of working with Paulette, I’ve developed a newfound confidence which has helped me take bigger steps towards my ideal career path. I recently started a new position in a different field, and I feel that coaching helped open up new world of possibility for me, and helped me realize that my options are so much greater than I initially thought. Paulette exposed me to a new way of positive thinking which I would have never experienced had I not met her. Coaching was the jumping-off point for me—the beginning of my realizing my potential! Isaure Renaud, Human Resources Manager, G-lll Apparel Group, Inc.: I hired Paulette to help me negotiate a higher raise. I just received a pretty decent increase and a positive performance review, but, I felt that it didn’t fully reflect my worth and what the market would bear for my position. Paulette asked me to go back over the past year and document every contribution I had made and quantify it. It was amazing to see what, in fact, I had actually done. I, myself, was a bit in awe. We took this information and fleshed out the talking points that would serve as my guide when I met with the ‘powers that be’ to make my case. From there, she assisted me in writing a memo that presented these facts in a way that made the firm’s ‘return on investment’ on me crystal clear. I began seeing how saying no to my request wasn’t likely. In the process, I grew more confident, which really helped me command the increase I was asking for. In fact, one of the senior leaders commented to me that she wanted some of what I had! The process of being coached helped me prepare a persuasive argument based on quantifiable facts and my delivery of it was more confident that I had felt in years. It was as if I had my own senior leader on my team helping me negotiate at every turn. The bottom line is that my increase nearly doubled and my self-confidence was raised. My investment in coaching paid off not only for this situation but in terms of what I have learned about asking for and getting what I want in the workplace. Every woman out there who feels she is not being paid what she is worth would do good to talk to Paulette. She really helped me achieve my goals. D. Martin, Financial Services Professional: Coaching allowed me to peel away another layer of myself so that I could hear my inner voice more clearly. What I discovered in this process inspired me to take a stand and set my professional compass to it. I set three challenging goals, and developed three realistic strategies which we then operationalized in our journey together. I’ve gotten some really good tools. Tools for life. As a result of coaching I now have what I refer to as my ‘internal code of conduct’—a way of operating that allows me to contribute and be recognized for the value I deliver to the organization—something that I can use over and over again with a variety of challenges I will encounter in life. I have experienced a change not only in my attitude and views, but in the results I’m able to achieve. I’m a better decision-maker, have more confidence, communicate more effectively, and learned to promote my strengths so others within my organization take notice. I even gained clarity around my thinking habits which has helped me become a better thinker. Enhancement of my leadership skills is having a huge impact in my career. Coaching has placed me firmly on the road to achieving my objective—improving my ability to be a leader and the architect of my dreams. Paulette did a phenomenal job. She understands the challenges in corporate America as she’s come across them herself and busted through many to become really successful. It’s was really helpful to tap into her experience and wisdom as we went along. She helped me calibrate my compass when needed and was a committed partner throughout the journey. For that I am really thankful. Zvi Oksenberg, Real Estate Developer, Entrepreneur: I would definitely recommend Paulette – she is kind and patient, and she knows how tough it is to make change happen. She really knows how to help people define their goals, which helps them further define who they really are. I came to her with a few goals for my getting my business re-energized. I benefited most from her ability to ask the right questions at the right time and helping me take effective action. Paulette’s approach to goal-setting was useful. She helped me learn how to focus on my goals—not look around them. It’s something I always knew I could do but couldn’t have actually done it without her coaching. She helped me build this as a permanent habit. It’s always been really hard for me to change—my brain always goes back to the old thinking. But with Paulette’s coaching, I’ve become Andrea Strong, Editor, The Strong Buzz: I came to coaching feeling bad about myself because of my financial situation (I’m an entrepreneur) and lack of a romantic partner. It felt good to finally start tackling issues that were clearly significant and had broad implications in my personal and professional life. As I learned about my thinking process and way of seeing the world, I started to feel extremely positive and powerful. I was hopeful about a new, warm, loving, kind and very cool guy in my life. I was also feeling thrilled about a new business sponsor I aligned with. I could see that my thought patterns and mental outlook were changing. And, I could see how that translated into my taking better, smarter and more action towards my goals. I feel more positive and a lot less helpless. More empowered and happy—less angry and bitter. It feels good. It feels like me. There’s a lot that’s going to come from this change in outlook—many more opportunities. I am putting more energy in my work and in my life in general—fueling and generating good energy and good karma. I am moving forward and making positive change. I love you, Paulette! Lalit Panda, Senior Vice President, Harman Consumer Group: This has been a great experience for me and I want to continue it. Paulette is a wonderful person and very thought provoking. She is genuinely interested and committed to her clients and their transformation and is a very engaging conversationalist. Harry Wamboldt, Vice President, ARC International North America: Paulette is very strong–very perceptive. The best feature of my coaching? I was given feedback, not direction. Even though I had only one coaching session it seems to have borne some fruit. I was recently described by one member of the Senior Management Group as “a big teddy bear” whereas before I was found to be intimidating. I benefited from this session more than I thought possible given our brief time together. Simon Osborn, Vice President, 7-Eleven, Inc.: Paulette did an excellent job of coaching me. She was intent, listened and made me think. I feel energized. I would recommend this for everyone. John C. Hogg, CIPM, Director, Rich Products Corporation: Fantastic session! Wow! I would definitely keep these sessions as part of the program. I would definitely seek out Paulette in the future. In a short period of time we were able to develop an excellent action plan. One of the key highlights of this year’s forum. Thanks!!! My coaching experience with Paulette was very enlightening. She combined her listening skills with great perceptions to immediately identify things I could do to improve my performance. I would absolutely recommend her to others. Tom Kennedy, Vice President, Bacou-Dalloz: I found Paulette to be a true pro. She was able to, not tell me what I needed to do to have success, but drew out of me what was buried inside to be successful. It was like finding the right path in the woods and she knew which way to go but also knew it would be better if I discovered it on my own. She is also very perceptive of background clutter and knows how to get through it. I look forward to working with her in the future and would highly recommend her to others. What Former Managers Have to Say Siobhan O’Neill, Maple Street School Gala Chair: Coaching is to my professional life as training is to my body. Yes, I could do it on my own. But, boy, oh boy, are the results smarter, better and faster! I love the accountability, challenge, exploration and discipline that working with Paulette provides me. Having worked with coaches since ‘92, I feel Paulette is one of the best out there Joe Teeling, President, TrueNorth Enterprises. Former EVP of Marsh Advantage America and Former Vice Chairman of Marsh Benefits: I had the pleasure of working with Paulette for over fifteen years. During that time I came to know her very well because she reported either indirectly or directly to me in varying capacities. Paulette was a top sales professional (seven straight years as one of our top U.S. producers), an office head (tripled the office revenue and NOI), an area head and finally a region head responsible for the results of the Northeast U.S. Her accomplishments, though many, were the results of her exceptional skills. Key to her success was an unparalleled desire for positive feedback and self improvement. She has great intuition, empathy, ambition and is extremely detailed. One of Paulette’s best qualities, though, was her honesty. It was very important to me to be able to trust my senior leaders and I could go to bed at night knowing the Northeast was in good hands. Paulette is a terrific human being, well rounded and very balanced personally and professionally. I miss working with her. Guy Migliaccio. Former President of Marsh Advantage America: For several years I served as President of Marsh Advantage America, a national insurance and benefits company. Over that time Paulette Rao was a senior manager responsible for sales and client services in the Northeast including New York City. Since I was also based in NYC it provided me the opportunity to observe Paulette up close. She has an uncanny ability to recognize and attract talented people. Paulette skillfully motivated, challenged and directed her staff so they could perform at the peak of their abilities. She is a true leader. Always alert to new opportunities and challenges, Paulette considered realistic ways to deal with each. She then communicated her plans and ideas to senior management in a clear, concise way so they could be acted on. A real asset to any organization. Diana L. Corkum, Principal, Mercer Health & Benefits: I have had the pleasure of working with Paulette Rao for several years. Paulette successfully led a team of colleagues in my division using her strong motivational skills and business acumen. She is an exceptional communicator who conveys her thoughts and ideas with clarity and passion and manages to keep her audience well-informed and interested in her message. Paulette is extremely intuitive. She exhibits an exceptional work ethic which results in dedication to her job and responsibilities. She follows through on each task from inception to completion. In addition, her extensive business background gives her the credibility necessary to provide relevant coaching and advice to her clients. What Former Clients Have To Say: Nick Romano, Vice President, Human Resources, Sika Corporation: Paulette is one of the most professional, knowledgeable, confident, and effective women executives I have ever met in my 28 years of professional work. She always delivered the results she promised in a timely, organized, succinct fashion with blinding clarity and passion. She also had the ability to rise above the details to the “big picture” level which I found valuable in a business partner. I would put her talents up against the best of the best. Her manner of speaking—to the point but soothing at the same time—is a great quality as it allows her to be firm without being offensive. All this, plus a high level of intelligence and a professional attitude, demeanor and image, and everyone would agree she is truly the whole package for success. The bottom-line? She is terrific! Jane Beale, Regional Vice President, The Leader’s Edge. Former Executive Vice President of Human Resources/Benefits of a major communications company: I was a client of Paulette’s several years ago, for a period of about seven years. To put it mildly, the situation Paulette and her staff walked into with my company was far from ideal. Our company had not upgraded their knowledge of benefits in several years, and frankly were squandering money. Paulette did intense research, built strong relationships with me and my team, responded to our corporate political nuances with grace and poise, and saved us over $1 million dollars the first year they served us. Critically, not only did she save us money, she actually expanded our offerings to our employees. She made me a hero, which is always a nice thing! The plan that Paulette and her team devised was cutting edge, and really smart, in an environment of great change in the employee benefits arena. Her day-to-day dealings with me were always thoughtful and professional; her staff worked very well with mine, and I was proud of what she managed to produce. Since the days we worked together, we have maintained a warm friendship. I have had the privilege of watching Paulette reinvent herself from corporate executive to executive coach and believe she will be as thoughtful, intelligent and caring in her new career as she was in her earlier one. |
