FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

I've been speaking, training and consulting for more than 20 years. What I've learned is that people who hire me want to make sure they are making the right choice. That's why I've attempted to answer your burning questions here.

If you like what you read and you think I'm a good fit for your organization then Hire Gabrielle and we will discuss your goals and objectives.

click on the question to see the answer

What size groups do you work with?
What level of people do you work with?
How long is your typical program?
Are your programs “stand alone” or do you offer ongoing consulting and training?
What topics do you address?
Will you customize a program for our organization?
What are the advantages of having you speak to our organization more than once?
How would you characterize your style of speaking?
What is Gabrielle's professional background?
What makes Gabrielle an expert?
May I see Gabrielle in action?
How can we ensure the effectiveness of your program? Or what else do we get with your services?
How much do you charge?
What if we can’t afford your fees?
What do we do next?

What size groups do you work with?
The average size group we work with ranges between 30 – 60 people. However we have worked with groups as few as 5 and as many as 1400 people. We also offer one-on-one coaching.
Size only matters in regards to the types of interaction we build into the program so please let us know the expected size of your group.
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What level of people do you work with?
All levels of an organization. Most of our groups have a mixture of people from the executive level to the entry level and everyone in between.

Our programs are designed with your organization’s needs in mind.
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How long is your typical program?
Our programs fall into three categories; speaking, consulting and coaching. The length of each program as follows:
Keynote addresses range from 20-60 minutes
Breakout sessions range from 1-2 hours
Half day seminars range from 3-4 hours
Full day workshops range from 6 hours to multiple days
Length of consulting and coaching depends on the needs of the client
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Are your programs “stand alone” or do you offer ongoing consulting and training?
Our programs can stand alone as a one-time event or be delivered as a long-term training program. The benefits and effectiveness of our programs come from longer term consulting and training that supports your internal training and goals.

For example our most popular training program Thrivorship: Power Tools For Success addresses the human side of change management from both an individual perspective and an organizational perspective. A one-time event can only offer an overview of the program, whereas a multiple day workshop or a long term training program can teach managers how to use the tools effectively in order to manage the change within their organization or department successfully.
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What topics do you address?
Our programs and services address three primary topics; Change Management, Adversity and Communication Skills. Because these are all broad topics you may want a particular topic that isn’t mentioned on our website so just ask us and we will give you an honest answer about whether we can offer a program on your topic or not.

We pride ourselves on making sure we are a good fit for your organization, therefore if we aren’t the right fit or don’t offer a program you want we are more than happy to refer you to an appropriate resource.
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Will you customize a program for our organization?
Absolutely. The majority of our programs are designed specifically to address the needs of our clients. Many of our clients want a combination of multiple programs and we are more than happy to oblige. After all it is your objectives that we seek to meet, not ours.
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What are the advantages of having you speak to our organization more than once?
Research shows that a person needs to hear a message 7 times before it is committed to memory and acted upon. Therefore if you want to meet your goals it makes sense to deliver your desired message multiple times.

Another advantage is that we become a trusted partner to your organization which allows us to see and hear things that the average employee may not tell someone within the organization. That’s where our feedback and evaluation processes can help your organization meet its objectives even better.
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How would you characterize your style of speaking?
The top four words that describe our programs are: Energetic, Thought Provoking, Content Rich and Action Oriented. Our programs are designed interactively and with practical action steps to engage even the most introverted individuals. We involve the entire group and encourage everyone to share their experiences, expertise and wisdom because no one has all the answers!
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What is Gabrielle's professional background?
Diverse, which makes me a great fit for many organizations. I’ve been a waitress, cashier, receptionist, customer service representative, accountant, software implementer, project manager, consultant, technical writer, technical and soft skills trainer, speaker, event planner, and business owner. All of these experiences add up to a greater understanding of the needs and challenges at each level of an organization.

Professionally I have over 20 years experience speaking, training and consulting. I am a graduate of Coaches Training Institute and Co-Active Leadership Program, and a member of American Society for Training & Development, Society for Human Resource Management, National Speakers Association, Minnesota Coaches Association and Toastmasters. As a life-long learner I have also continued to develop and advance my speaking, training, consulting and coaching skills through ongoing education.

If a degree matters to you I have two; one in Accounting and the other in Computer Science. I’m a geek with a bold personality and the ability to motivate individuals to thrive, not just survive!
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What makes Gabrielle an expert?
As a former software consultant and trainer I was hired to radically change how my clients did business by changing their operational software systems. As much as I was excited and passionate about the technology and the change, I found the staff was less than happy to see me. In fact many were downright rude.

After years of experiencing resistance to the positive changes my clients were making I watched productivity and profitability drop. What was meant to improve productivity actually made things worse. That’s when I realized there was a need for a change management solution that would facilitate the human side of change.

Thus I set out to design a solution that would help my clients acclimate to the change without losing productivity or profit. As I began the development process, I discovered that I already had the best learning experience of my life – 26 years of abuse. Add the years of de-motivating and unfulfilled work experiences and I knew I had a unique perspective and a way to not only navigate through adversity and change, but actually thrive through it. It’s called Thrivorship. A mindset and lifestyle that enables one to thrive, grow, flourish, prosper and succeed regardless of the challenges they are experiencing.

Are you familiar with Weebles? They are egg shaped toys decorated like little people with a weighted bottom. The weighted bottom keeps them from falling over and the marketing tag line was “Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down.” This is the essence of Thrivorship. Adversity may make us wobble, but Thrivorship won't allow us to fall down or give up.

But I don’t rest on my expertise. I continually learn from my clients and research topics such as change, change management, adversity, fear, motivation, forgiveness, talent, personality, communication, management, and leadership to make sure your organization receives the most current concepts and tools to help your people thrive and be more productive at work and in life.
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May I see Gabrielle in action?
Possibly. Most of my programs are not open to the public, but on occasion my clients will allow a prospective client to pay and attend one of my programs.

You can also view my video and testimonials on our website.
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How can we ensure the effectiveness of your program?
One of our pet peeves is wasted time and money. Besides designing a program that fits your needs we are committed to helping you reinforce the concepts and skills presented in our programs for optimal effectiveness.
All too often speakers/trainers finish their program and say goodbye and good luck. That isn’t our motto. We know the real work and practice of the skills begins at the end of a program; therefore we offer the following:
2 hours of free consulting for questions that might arise
A comprehensive plan that offers insights and strategic steps your organization can take to make sure your goals are reached
A reproducible master handout
Our books and workbooks at a discounted rate
Our books and workbooks for you to give to your people at a bulk rate
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How much do you charge?

We do not publish our fees publicly. Please fill out the form on the Hire Gabrielle page and we will contact you to discuss our rates based on your specific needs; keynote, breakout, half/full day, consulting or coaching.
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What if we can’t afford your fees?
You can do many things. Many of my clients have had success using one or many of the following ideas:
Book several programs throughout a twelve-month period and receive a more favorable rate.
Share the event and expenses with another part of your organization.
Share the event and expenses with another organization in your community
Have us speak multiple times in one day to multiple groups. For example a keynote and breakout session in the morning and a breakout session in the afternoon offer a full day of valuable learning for one fee instead of having to hire three speakers.
Find a sponsor.
Ask for a "Giving Back" fee. Because we value volunteerism an giving back to the community, each year we donate 12 programs for 50% of our normal fee.
If none of these are feasible for you we are more than happy to refer you to a less experienced speaker who charges less.
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What do we do next?
Make a decision. If you think we can work together contact us or call (651-330-7300) and we will discuss your goals and objectives.
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