BUSINESS PLANNING TESTIMONIALS APPEAR FIRST
FOLLOWED BY TESTIMONIALS ON WORKSHOPS, PROFESSIONAL COACHING
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS AND OTHER TOPICS
BUSINESS PLAN DEVELOPMENT, REVIEW & TRAINING
Working with Bill developing the Growers & Co business plan was one of the best first moves we’ve made. It both clarified our business model and will open up a lot opportunities with investors.
I highly recommend working with Bill on developing new business concepts.
Jean-Martin Fortier – The Market Gardener – April 2015
Bill’s one-on-one coaching (on our plan) has both tangibly and non-tangibly helped me progress in my goals as the Campus Sustainability Manager. Bill has been working with me on the most daunting and largest project of 2012, the Campus Climate Action Plan Update. After Bill read the draft of this document, he came back with words of encouragement and incredibly helpful constructive criticism. His encouragement gave me confidence that I was working towards a successful product. But more importantly he shared his thoughts on how the document could have more of an impact and more effectively help the University achieve short term and long term goals. He suggested adding key elements to the document that it lacked, such as metrics for meeting goals, and a more succinct mission statement. Working with Bill so far has been incredibly rewarding and I look forward to receiving more professional coaching from him to help me progress as an individual and help the University become a better place to learn, live, and lead.
Ezra Small, Campus Sustainability Manager, UMass, Amherst
Relating to 60-page Climate Action Plan for UMass, Amherst, the largest Agency in the state of MA – Nov 2012
Our products result in energy savings for our clients so we understand ‘green’ and sustainability but our focus every day is on growing our company. We knew that there were opportunities internally but we didn’t have the time to have people research them and find professionals to implement the solutions.
GP&C made the job easy and jumped over all over our “to do” list and just got it done. They identified the resources and referrals we needed and included them in a simple Action Plan that listed our tasks and tracked our progress. They also provided a valuable sounding board on all of our sustainability ideas. The bottom line is we wouldn’t have done it without them and it saved us money and got our entire team reengaged in sustainability as a core tenet of our business culture and which has been a part of mission for a long time.
Lester Hensley, President EMSEAL Joint Systems, Ltd.
28,000 Square Foot Manufacturing facility, Westborough, MA – October 2012
I consider my enrollment iN the course “Green and Sustainable Business” a very valuable investment. In addition to broadening my knowledge of the environment and business skills, it helped be grow both professionally and personally. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and instructor.
Julie Crowley – June 2012
Full time professional and Masters Student at Suffolk University Boston, MA
We renovated our building space from scratch with sustainability in mind before we moved in last year. We had already considered compostable items for serving our yogurt and recycling and I wasn’t sure how much was left to do. So the benefits our engagement with GP&C was a pleasant surprise and we ended up saving $500 a month on electricity alone. Another thing I liked was that the approach was very well organized with a detailed action plan so that we always knew exactly what to do and where we were in the process. That made it easy for me to become a more sustainable business even at a time when I was focused on our startup.
Ted Domville, Owner, Wooberry Yogurt, Worcester, MA. – June 2012
Thank you so much for reviewing our business plan. Your advice was organized, direct, and packed a punch. You honed in on our weak spots like a hawk, and pointed out practical and creative ways to strengthen the business plan. Now we move forward with a uniform strategy, rather than one with big holes in it.
Valerie Gene Osborne – Tucson, AZ – January 2010
I am a seasoned instructor of LEED® exam prep training and project work but am starting my own business in that space and required a functional business plan with an emphasis on the triple bottom line. I took the GP&C green planning workshop with some follow-up coaching and now have a well defined path to my success. The workshop provided a quick and easy framework to help me formulate my vision. Then Bill’s coaching questions and experience helped me prioritize my goals and develop actionable objectives so that I can move forward with confidence.
Donna Isaacs, LEED AP, BD&C
President, CocoGreen, Inc. Fort Lauderdale, FL – May 2010
“When I signed on to work with Bill Bean at Green Planning & Coaching, I had a one-page written executive summary and a lot of information in my head about the solar service business I hoped to launch. In two and a half days of intense sessions we generated a business plan in PowerPoint — with financial projections! — and I had never created PowerPoints before. This not only provided me with a more effective way to communicate my business to potential investors, it helped me to better organize the concept in my own mind and to understand what I was trying to accomplish and how to do it. Even more important, the process and result enabled me to be much more confident in presenting it.”
Steve Nelson SESC Solar, Cambridge, MA – New residential solar purchase concept -June 2010
Our engagement with GP&C caused us to set aside time specifically for planning and think about our business with a different perspective and with a more structured approach. That helped us make choices and decisions for moving forward over the next 3 years and beyond.
Bob Shatton, Principal, Boreal Renewables – July 2010
Designers, Project Managers & installers of Wind Turbines, Solar PV and other renewables
Bill was able to help us corral our diverse wants and needs into a cohesive strategic plan. He taught u techniques to prioritize objectives and transform complex goals into concrete steps.
Maggie Brigham, Principal, Four Corners C&C – October 2009
Also President of (WPMA) Wood Product Manufacturing Association at that time.
“Bill helped us quickly capture the most important ideas to effectively move our nonprofit business from concept to reality and to communicate our message to others. It is hard to imagine doing a project like this in the future without his involvement in the very beginning of the process.”
Bry Sarte, CEO Sherwood Design Engineers – March 2009–
Business Plan Development for new NONPROFIT business called “Sherwood Institute” launched to safeguard and extend the availability and energy efficiency of the vital and threatened fresh water resources in the 6 developed continents.
We had a Vision in our heads but Bill helped us extract it and bring clarity to it… And it is not just extracting the plan that makes his process worthwhile, it is the coaching that goes along with it. We now have a plan and the ability to move forward.
Martin McCarthy – Principal – North East Wood Sales – August 2009
My prototype of an innovative solar window unit created a media buzz that I hadn’t expected. It even caught the eye of my local Senator and Congressman who scheduled a meeting with me the following week to see how they might help me launch the business. The problem was I had no plan to present to them.
The next Monday I met with Bill and in one day he helped me develop the foundation for my plan and a well thought out presentation outline for the meeting. He listened carefully, asked questions, answered questions and coached me toward presenting my goals in my style. More importantly, he identified a number of important do’s and don’ts in packaging and professionally presenting my business concepts. I worked the details further myself and delivered my initial plan in a very successful meeting two days later.
As I fund and build my new company, I look forward to having Bill as part of my team. His green credentials, and business and coaching experience will be considered an asset not only by me but by potential investors as well.
John Yates, Founder, Solace Energy™ – November 2008
In 2007 Green Planning & Coaching helped us develop a detailed plan to position our Green-built Event Center as the “go to” place for Green information for our industry, community and Kimal Associates. In doing so, we realized that Bill provided a missing piece to the puzzle on “Green” education. Everyone wants to learn about the technical aspects of Green like LEED®, however what we hear in the industry is “We don’t know how to get there”.
No one we know has coupled the technical training with formalized business planning so that people can change the culture of their companies or their positioning in the marketplace. This is where Green Planning & Coaching fills the gap.
As part of the execution of our own plan, Kimal Lumber has further engaged Green Planning & Coaching to develop a workshop on planning for others that has recently been approved for CEU credits in FL and will be offered at our Event Center in the Spring of 2009. Now people will not only learn about Green requirements, but will also be able to develop a plan and execute it to pave the way for success in their Green initiatives.
Debbie Liscum, Marketing & Event Manager
Kimal Lumber Event Center, Venice FL – November 2007
BUSINESS PLANNING WORKSHOPS FOR MANAGEMENT & SALES TEAMS
Bill brought a unique mix of business experience, planning expertise, “green” knowledge, and presentation skills that will enable my entire team to think differently and plan more effectively for the upcoming year. He also provided a customized planning template so that I will, for the first time, be able to consolidate the 12 plans from my staff into a higher level plan for my use and for Board review.
I would highly recommend this workshop to other business leaders for their management teams.
Ellen Spear, President & CEO, Hancock Shaker Village, Hancock, MA – Oct 2010
HSV is a living museum with over 50,000 annual international visitors.
“Bringing the Shaker story to live and and preserving if for future generations”
I wanted to write you personally to thank you for the insights you have been able to provide our organization. I have been developing businesses for many years but have never been in commissioned sales role and wanted an outside perspective on developing a plan to make a talented but struggling sales team more effective. After our engagement with GP&C we have a clearer direction on targeted market segments to go after, and the tools and tactics we can use to be successful. Sometimes it really takes a seasoned professional like you to take the many aspects of sales that we intuitively know and put them in a highly organized program which makes sense to everyone. It was well worth the investment.
Thanks to you, I now have a big chart on the wall outside my office tracking the progress of the key drivers that we identified for our success. That helps with visibility, accountability and results.
James G. Dadmun, President, Smithcurl, Burlington, MA – September, 2010
Electronic Communications Solutions
I have attended a lot of workshops and presentations that did not meet my expectations. This one exceeded what I expected and gave me some direction.
Phil Dwyer, Principal, AdditionSolutions, LLC, North Falmouth, MA
Workshop participant – Oct 2010
Bill makes the planning process easy to understand and simple to learn. With it I was set, without it I would have been lost.
Susan Puder – UMass Amherst Course participant- May 2009
“The tips, tools, templates and planning workshops that you provided made the planning process much easier to understand and made it quicker to implement. It also introduced everyone to a standardized approach so that the input from all of the different territories was developed in a similar format which made it possible to consolidate the results at regional and division levels. That allowed it to be used as a valuable management tool going forward.
iLevel by Weyerhaeuser – June 2008
“Bill Bean was extremely effective in reducing rambling discussions to succinct phrases. He was encouraging and very good at directing discussion. I give Green Planning & Coaching very high marks.”
“Excellent planning presentation skills and process to keep participants enthused and on task.”
“Bill Bean provided great facilitation and had the right combination of task focus, energy and light touch to get people working together on a Saturday.”
Berkshire Center for Families and Children – Planning Facilitation – May 2006
PROFESSIONAL COACHING TESTIMONIALS
Bill taught me how to think things through and write proposals and action plans that influence people and attract funding and support. I now know how to ask the right questions, build a plan to get from point A to point B and get things done. This has really helped me advance in my career and also helped the UMass Permaculture Team to position itself to win the White House Campus Challenge for Change award which, as team leader, was presented to me personally by President Obama.
Ryan Harb – Nov 2012
Former Student and current Permaculture Coordinator at UMass, Amherst and international speaker on the topic
Working with Bill was a real pleasure. I had been looking for new opportunities for some time. I’d been to the seminars, I’d worked with resume writers, I’d heard the conventional wisdom, and I was doing most of those things.
What Bill did in a few short sessions was cut through all of it and got me laser focused on exactly what I was looking for and how to better present my capabilities to prospective employers. He was a great sounding board for new ideas, and I felt I was collaborating with someone truly engaged in my success.
I now have a position that is challenging and rewarding and I can finally focus my energy on doing my job rather than finding one. Bill is by far one of the best career resources I found, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use him again.
Eric Shalkey, Engineering Product Manager, Sonos Sept 2010
At the end of every session with Bill I had leaned at least one key fact or insight that I hadn’t know before.
David Heimann – Retirement Career Coaching Client – Sept 2010
“We had 5 coaching sessions over 4 months during which time Bill helped me focus on the right things and kept me motivated toward finding my current position.”
David Fulton, Boston, MA – July 2010
I wanted to switch sectors from high tech to clean/green. I was also re-examining my own skill set to determine whether I would be happier doing something different from marketing (different but related). When Bill spoke at a local career conference I stayed behind to meet him because I was toying with the idea of a career transition coach.
His approach made sense to me and I signed up for his services. Best investment I made in my career search! With his coaching I became much sharper in my elevator pitch, my cover letters, my phone screening interviews, and most important for me, in using the interviews to assess whether I will thrive at that company working for that boss. Now I have a job and manager I love.
Bill does way more than career coaching, and he speaks often in the area. Now I’m working with Bill to refine the business plan / marketing plan for my company.
Brenda Kelly, VP Strategic Communications AER – June 2010
It is good to know you are there supporting me-it helps me keep focused and positive. I always feel like I can accomplish anything after we talk.
Natalie Clark, Event Coordinator, Kimal Green Event Center, Venice, FL – June 2010
Bill is a great help in narrowing down choices and establishing goals that can lead to results.
Buzz Gray, Principal, Berkshire Environmental Design – 2010
Thank you for the feedback and for our conversation last night! I’ve been hesitating to follow up with the company we discussed and now know exactly what I need to identify (my value proposition) before I do so.
Ann Marie Kamensky – May 2010
Working with someone like you is a goldmine. It is what I have been looking for because most people don’t understand me and they try to pigeonhole me. You really listened and helped draw me out and understand it myself.
Debbie Moore – Holden, MA – December 2009
Bill is a gifted and talented Coach, and helped me sort through my ideas and values to come up with a plan that made me happy in my work and my life.
Susan Regis – South Salem, NY – November 2009
After 12 years as a department manager in the financial services industry my entire department was eliminated and I was laid off and forced into job hunting in one of the toughest markets ever. Fortunately, I contacted Green Planning & Coaching and over the next few months I worked with Bill Bean, clarifying my career goals and then fine tuning my resume, interviewing skills, and the negotiating process. I had been doing home renovations on the side for years, really enjoyed it and used that as a springboard to build my new career. I was also interested in green construction, studied for the LEED exam with input from Bill and became a LEED AP. Now I am a Project Manager for a growing construction company, pursing a career with a green impact that gives me great satisfaction. I would highly recommend Bill to anyone who is looking for direction and strategies for career changes and job searches.
Anthony Lodi – Project Manager, Haynes Group – July 2009
UPDATE: As of Nov 2012 Anthony is now V.P. of Operations in thia successful, growing company.
“I think of my executive coach in the same terms as a personal trainer. We may work on specific “muscle groups” in each session, but the result over time is that I am a stronger overall leader going forward.”
Carolyn Burns, Executive Director, Berkshire Children and Families – September 2008
“I have the highest regard for Bill. His manner was consistently professional, but still friendly. He enabled me to engage in some difficult self-evaluation and analysis, which was crucial in helping me take my professional skills to the next level.
Anonymity requested – June 2007
“What I enjoyed most about my coaching experience was gaining the ability to take some random wants and start to really consider how to turn these wants into action. Working with a coach helped me to sort through a wide collection of frustration, fears, goals, interests, to finally get to a “real” inventory list of important issues.”
Anonymity requested – Black Rock Investments, NYC – March 2007
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT TESTIMONIALS
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Your talk was great; a number of people came up to me after the meeting and indicated how much they enjoyed it. I’ve informed the leadership team at St. Matthews how good your presentation was and to promote your visit to them next month.
Gil Krispien, Head of H0kinton Networkers Group, Hopkinton, MA – Oct 2010
I wanted to congratulate you on a fine program yesterday, I have received very positive feedback from the folks I spoke with. I thought your slides and guided dialogue questions were well thought out and generated great discussion.
Christopher Noonan, Senior Program Advisor
Institute for Energy & Sustainability – Concord, MA – June 2010
OTHER TESTIMONIALS
ELECTRONIC SURVEYS
“The electronic survey was tremendously helpful. The results and the consulting that went along with it provided information and insight on a number of issues within a few weeks of the survey distribution. We could begin using the feedback immediately and it has proven to be a sound investment.”
Howard Miller, President, VideoLink