Testimonials for Coach Millie Calesky

“I wanted to thank you for our work together over the past few months. I had never considered coaching before and didn't know exactly what to expect. From our first session on, you asked the tough questions that I needed to be asked. You assigned tasks that brought me through the woods of my issues and helped me recognize and harness the momentum we had created so I could move forward. I truly believe your coaching has caused me to not only he happier at my work, but also to look for opportunities to create happiness, to be a better part of the team and to enjoy the day-to-day moments that hold joy for me. I am very thankful for the coaching work that we did together.”
Carolyn DiCarlo, CIC
Sales Manager, Colt Insurance

"I have been working with Millie for almost a year, and I am living proof that she can work wonders. She is a terrific listener, and has the ability to cut right to the important points, recognize obstacles, and break down the steps over or around those obstacles into bite-size manageable pieces.  Since working with Millie, not only have I become more focused on my business, but I am seeing the results of that focus as our work together bears fruit."
Victoria Wright
Bookmark Services
http://www.bookmarkservices.net/

“When I started working with Millie, I was looking for a change and a new direction for my consulting business. During the year that we’ve worked together, my business has improved tremendously. I’ve developed several new clients and taken off in a different direction. More importantly, my life and work fit together much better now.”
Louise Abrams
Healthcare Consultant

“Through my work with Millie, I substantially increased my number of patient visits per month. She also helped me become more efficient and productive.”
Frank Toscanini, DC
Chiropractor

It is with great pleasure that I write a testimonial for Millie Calesky. Millie has been my coach for almost two years. When we started working together I had just made a major career change from being a social worker at a local Hospice to
becoming a photographer. The only things that I really had going for me were determination, a camera and Millie. I had no training as a photographer, no business experience and no clear idea of what exactly it was I wanted to be photographing. In the two years we have been working together, Millie has acted as a sounding board, a resource, a cheerleader and a guide, reminding me not only where I was
going but also where I had been. Millie has a wonderful, gentle but firm way about her. I quickly learned that if I made a self denigrating comment, I would be called on it and asked to find a more positive way to describe myself. She listens closely and comments wisely. She never imposes a course of action on me, but encourages me to find my own. Two years later, my photography business is now breaking even. A project that Millie and I spent many hours discussing will be exhibited at a museum. Most recently, I have made the scary but exhilarating decision to go back to school this fall. These are major accomplishments for me and without Millie's support and guidance, I'm not sure I would be at this point.
At the end of each hour Millie asks me what the "gem" of our conversation has been. I can unequivocally say Millie is the "gem"!
Julie McCarthy
Photographer

I worked with Millie for over one year. As a result I now have a new employer with whom I successfully negotiated terms of employment that are beneficial both economically and emotionally. I am an attorney and I began working with Millie in putting together a flextime proposal with my former employer, with the goal of spending more time with my daughter. Shortly thereafter, there was a turn of events at work that forced me to seek other employment. Millie worked closely with me (at all hours, I might add), coaching me through a difficult time and helping me to ultimately land the perfect position for me. Together we worked out each discussion with the managing partner that ultimately led to a job offer. Because of my work with Millie my thoughts were clear and my message concise when negotiating the position. After my firm offered me the position, my work with Millie allowed me to keep an advantage in negotiating and in setting the terms of my new employment.
I might add that I was pregnant at the time and also landed a job at my ideal law firm (and they were not seeking an additional attorney at the time). I believe the success I achieved was due in large part to my work with Millie.
Paula Almgren
Attorney

I have been working with Millie for about two years after a series of “chance” encounters -- first at a Toastmasters meeting, then at an entrepreneurial gathering, then at another meeting/gathering where the same types of individuals usually were present: positive thinking, intelligent, creative people who were all capable of alchemy in their business and personal lives. These were groups that I wanted to be a part of, and Millie’s personable, grounded, and sincere interest and caring made me decide to give coaching a try. What I like about Millie’s coaching is described below:
She is familiar with almost every philosophical/spiritual/self-help book, which has influenced me, and is indeed very “evolved” and savvy. Her life experiences have clearly been varied and she brings a keen intuition and worldly perspective to our phone conversations. She is gentle and nurturing as I put one tentative foot in front of the other in developing Animal DREAMS, but she is also gifted in being able to call my bluff when I slip into denial or when I create clever excuses that hold me back. This is a skill, which I greatly respect, because I need a coach who can see through my smokescreens! Yet she never judges or patronizes – she is tactful, supportive, keeps things in perspective and shows great integrity. My organization, which has grown in astounding ways since its inception, would not be as successful, fulfilling or balanced were it not for Millie’s help as a coach and mentor. She lives what she offers – and that is to me, the best proof of a person’s gift at their calling. We sometimes joke about the “Animal D.R.E.A.M.S. Team”, and Millie is an integral part of it!
Yvonne Borsody
Founder, Animal Dreams

It has been my great pleasure to work with Millie Calesky as my personal/professional coach since February of 2001. Her potential value to my established veterinary practice and my new start up company enticed me, and her delivery of solid benefits have kept me with her.
Those benefits have included aid in:
Evaluating my position clearly
Evaluating my choices
Long range vision
Productive perspectives during crisis
Realistic and effective goal setting
Acknowledgement of accomplished goals.
I look forward to a time when my business expands to include employees so I can also send them to Millie to keep the ship on smooth sailing!
Michele Yasson, DVM
Homeopathic Veterinarian
Owner – Holvet Holistic Veterinary Services, VETScripts Prescription Veterinary Supplements, IHN Pet Supplements

“It’s amazing what’s possible when you feel as if there’s someone cheering for you. I couldn’t have made it through my electoral campaign without Millie. It was as if there were two of us out there knocking on doors.”
Jeanne Ashworth
Town Supervisor

I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation for Millie Calesky. We have worked together as coach and client for two years, a partnership that has been vital to a project of mine. I can say without reservation that without her encouragement and skills, this project might still be buried in my inbox.
I learned about Millie Calesky's work when writing an article about her for the newspaper that I edit. Rather than simply ask her to explain her work, I decided to ask her to pretend that I was a client. We jumped right into the hypothetical client-coach relationship and before the end of that conversation - much to my surprise - I had resurrected a writing project that was important to me, but that had been sitting on the back burner. As a result of that interview I decided to work with Millie. During the next year I worked to accomplish many small goals toward the project's completion. As a busy writer/editor for a weekly paper, I have often prioritized my time to the neglect of that project; in fact, I had put it away completely. With her insight and encouragement I was able to take many small but crucial steps to resurrect it, to envision it, and to move it toward its completion.
Millie is a gifted coach who seems to have found work that suits her perfectly.
Judith Monachina
Writer and editor

“I considered working with a job coach because I wanted to take full advantage of the opportunities that my transition into self-employment offered. Moving from lifelong corporate employment, I knew I needed help doing this. I began working with Millie in 2000. I chose her because, with her experience and background, she understood the challenges that I was facing as a self-employed person. She understood the issues I was facing in starting a business, bringing in clients, developing a network and determining the direction my new career should take.
Our coaching has helped me focus on creating work that I love. It has also helped me develop a plan for moving forward in my field and tools for handling unexpected change. Working with Millie has also helped me create dedicated time for evaluating my career direction and goals, allowing me to ensure that I continue to follow a path that is right for me.
I love what I do but, without the support and focused advice of a Career Coach, I probably would have abandoned my new career and returned to working in a "safer" corporate environment. Working with Millie has helped me change the direction of my life.”
Ann E. Johnson
Consultant/Trainer in Information Technology

After the initial session, I decided to work with Millie because I received the impression of a strong, supportive, neutral and encouraging person. I was looking for such a person as a "backbone" so that I could learn to be independent and create possibilities.
The focus of our work takes the form of honoring myself and my values, learning to appreciate what I'm doing, and seeing myself moving forward. The past several months of coaching have helped me to appreciate aspects of myself that I couldn't see before. I have more clarity in direction and intention than ever before. As a result of the confidence, I can see and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves in my life.
Ariana Daglian
Entrepreneur

“I find working with Millie very helpful. She is honest and able to push me forward, but not too much. I appreciate her straightforward manner. She is sincere and informative.”
Bob Sullivan
President, Berkshire County Lock and Maintenance

I met Millie at the Whole Health Expo in Boston in November 2002. I had decided to change my career, to align my work life with my life work as a health researcher, consultant, and advocate. I knew that I needed a coach, because I was not a seasoned businessman, and this venture involved starting a real business. (I had already had the experience once before of starting a failing business, something I did not want to repeat.). Millie seemed very focused and practical, which was completely compatible with my own temperament.

Millie immediately helped me to focus on the first priorities: what is it that I want to provide, who is my audience, and what are the steps I needed to get there: a task list. This may seem simple and obvious, but it isn’t. Most people in the workforce have their jobs pretty well defined for them. Starting and running a business needs tremendous attention to details with which we have very little experience. It is very easy to get sidetracked and to procrastinate at getting things done, especially those that we are not used to doing all the time.

But getting sidetracked or procrastinating isn’t a problem with Millie as a coach. Each time we met, I knew that I had a task list that we had jointly prepared that I needed to have done, or have a damned good excuse for not having it done. It’s not that she would be annoyed or angry that a task didn’t get complete. It’s more like it seemed silly and frankly embarrassing to tell your coach, with whom you are conferring and whom you are paying to help you succeed, that you procrastinated!

My challenges seemed enormous: to create, from almost nothing, a convincing series of documents that introduced who I was and what I offered, and to figure out a way to market my services. With Millie’s help, guidance, and encouragement, I was able to create an effective and convincing message about myself and what I had to offer, and assemble usable natural therapies that people could use for solving significant health problems.

Once these two initial steps were accomplished, I felt secure enough to make the decision that offering the therapies as information for sale would serve more people and have a better chance of providing a sufficient income than just offering my consulting services (my initial approach).

I have developed a website that has the message that I developed and the therapies listed for sale. It has top ratings in google.com, one of the primary search engines on the Internet, and I have begun to get a few orders literally from all over the world. It isn’t a flood by any means, but it is enough that I know that the message is there if people are looking for it. The business is ready for its second phase, which I can now handle on my own, since it is in my own element, using the expertise I gathered in my “work life.” Thus I am much closer to my life goal.

I frankly don’t know whether I could have accomplished this much without Millie’s help. I do know this: it would have taken me many more months and into many more blind alleys. The systematic analysis and questioning of goals - what it is that I wanted to accomplish and who is my audience – the focus on task preparation and accomplishment, and the encouragement she provided during the process guaranteed that I stayed on track.
Jon Campbell
Alternative Health Consultant, Writer

I found Millie to be both an inspirational as well as a very practical coach. She helped me launch my coaching business. During the time that Millie coached me, I developed my website, was on a local TV talk show, presented two
workshops at a large expo in Manhattan, taught two classes in adult education on life balance and published an article on coaching in a national magazine, all of which were "firsts" for me. Millie helped build my confidence and trust in myself and my talents. She made herself very available and was responsive to my needs in every coaching session. During a dark period when I was extremely frustrated and a bit despairing, Millie held my hand as well as my vision. When I was stuck, she was resourceful in helping me to get unstuck and move back on track. I feel being coached by Millie was a true blessing.
Janet Catalina, MSW
Founder of The Gift of Coaching.

My experience in working with Millie was nothing but positive. I work by myself and, when we first started working together, poor organization and motivation problems were leading to loads of stress. This caused my performance to fall off, which only caused more stress. I wish I hadn't waited until I was
near breaking point to get help. Having Millie as my coach taught me many things. I learned how to work more
effectively. I learned to set goals, learned about limits (mine and other people's), and prioritization. I am now working more effectively. While it can still be lonely working by myself, I have been given the tools that I need to improve the way I work. My stress is minimal and I have learned how to handle it when it does come up. The coaching experience has been a blessing for me.
Thomas P. Sullivan
Research Engineer
Persistor Instruments, Inc.

It has been both a pleasure and a gift to work with Millie over the past five months. She has helped me focus and clarify my goals and vision as I pursued a new job. Throughout this time, Millie has been a source of encouragement, affirmation, challenge and insights. If I became discouraged, she always highlighted the positive progress I made. I am most grateful to Millie for her expertise and gracious manner, her objectivity and concerned interest, and her humor. Thank you Millie.
Sister Eleanor Joyce
Director of Religious Education

Your coaching has really helped me learn patience and perseverance. Also to not lose sight of my goals. When I sometimes feel overwhelmed, I always think of the encouragement I received from you and your kind words of comfort.
Jane Heroux
Reiki Practitioner

Millie has been a tremendous guide in helping me clarify how I present my work to others. I have gained more self-confidence and focus, increased my business, and honed my skills in thinking creatively about expanding my practice.
Roberta Roll
Movement therapist

Millie Calesky has been a valuable personal & professional coach. Since I started my journey as an entrepreneur, Millie has been with me every step of the way, both supporting and motivating me. She would take my feeling of disorganization and refocus it to organization and direction. Millie can take anything and turn it into an opportunity. Millie constantly amazes me in her ability to help me move my business ahead. I look forward to each session with her and to succeeding in my business with her help.
Janis Mancini, RN
Homeopathic consultant

The world of real estate sales has been going very well for me. I think about what a significant role you played in getting me to my goal of passing my certification test and becoming a real estate agent. I want to thank you again for doing such a good job of keep me on track as I zigzagged toward my long-time goal.
Dorie Lucey
Realtor

About two years ago I sought your help as a personal coach when I considered making a career change. After some serious consideration, I recently left the healthcare field to pursue a new career as a sales representative. I would like to thank you for helping me move toward my goal of leaving the healthcare field. I am much happier in the sales profession selling a product that I like and enjoy selling to others.
Susan Engstrom
Sales representative

I worked with Millie Calesky for a couple of months to help me prepare to give a presentation. Her positive manner enhanced my confidence. She acknowledged and cheered my accomplishments. Millie encouraged me in a straightforward, practical and friendly way. She was full of really good ideas and has a way about her that is helpful and inspirational.
Joanne Fortune
Homeopath

I have gained a new sense of self through the work that Millie and I have done together. I am a better decision maker and feel more self-assured in all areas of my life. With someone taking my concerns seriously, I felt enabled to make changes. After every session I felt like I had a direction to go, a path to follow, and a goal to meet with a true fan cheering me on through it all.
Christie Higuera

Millie is a trustworthy and kind coach who is very knowledgeable in her field. I am a sales rep for a hard-driving company. Millie’s coaching helped me realize that I can be the best of the best. By working with Millie, I was able to put more of myself into my career, and set and achieve concrete goals. That meant achieving 150% of my quota. I’m now on pace for President’s Club, and plan to win company-paid trips to London and Paris. I am very thankful for my coaching experience as Millie helped increase my self-confidence. She also helped me design a plan that I now follow on a daily basis.
Linda Ellis-Morganson
District Manager, Automatic Data Processing

I approached Millie in despair about writing my dissertation. I had negotiated most of the major academic loopholes, including my course work, my oral exams and my prospectus. I had even conducted the study around which my dissertation would be based. However, in the face of what I experienced as negative feedback from my professors as I hesitantly began writing, I was struggling to sustain my belief in my work and in my ability to construct my argument. While I could articulate most of my ideas, I had little faith that I could effectively convey them to an academic audience with the passion I actually felt for those ideas. My self-esteem and confidence were suffering and as a
result, I avoided the work.

The most important element of my work with Millie has been her ability to reinforce my past successes. Remembering and understanding how I had reached the point I was at helped me to understand how I could negotiate writing my dissertation. She listened with a sympathetic ear to my concerns (including my self-doubt), and helped me to carefully think through my ideas. She constantly reminded me that approaching any given
problem with the idea that the glass was half full rather than
half-empty, helped me to re-evaluate my professors feedback and think about how I might use that feedback to strengthen my ideas and my writing. Establishing a time-line and weekly goals made the project less daunting.

Now, as I am preparing for my final dissertation exam, I do so with the knowledge that I am in a much different place than I was. I also have a job as a professor at a local college. Not only am convinced that I could not have written the dissertation without her help, but don't think I would have done as well as I did throughout the job search process. Key to finishing my dissertation and preparing for the multiple interviews the job required was a renewed confidence in both
the process of writing and in me. I attribute both directly to her influence.
Jennifer DiGrazia, Ph.D.
English Professor