Success Stories

Our clients and audience members are amazing action-takers! Here are their successes and results due to our programs. Will you be the next Success Story?

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Learn about our students’ coaching experience

DO NOT DELETE

"I joined Create Your Sweet Life because I was hoping to find different things that were missing from my life that this program would help me regain or add back. I definitely didn’t know exactly what that looked like for me, but I knew I needed someone who had the expertise and the guidance and the knowledge that Kristie had that would help me get there."

I knew I didn’t want to go down the same path I’d been down. Also I just turned 50 and  it was a very critical year for me and it caused me to rethink and refocus on my life. It causes you to look back, where have you been and look at where you want to go and I knew there was some things that needed to change in my life. That meant, I needed more balance, I needed a lot more direction and focus. And I wanted more time for me and more time for my friends and family and things that are really important. Work is very meaningful and very important to me too, however, I need all aspects of my life and that was an area I felt like I was really not giving enough to.

For me, what I’ve gotten from this program is so much more than I could’ve ever imagined it would’ve been. I am not the same person I was a year ago by any means. Previously, I think I was just getting through the day—just trying to make it from start to finish, but maybe really not living each day to the fullest as I could be. I have gotten things identified for me that I was looking for in life that are really important: setting goals—not just short-term goals, but long-term goals and how to develop those, how to create those. Focusing on what’s important each day and every day and that helps. Even when you have a tough day as we all will have, it helps put it back in perspective for refocus. Kristie, you have helped calm my nerves a lot during this program and have “talked me off the ledge” many times when I’ve had some tough days and tough times. I always feel better when we finish with our coaching call. I also enjoy the community as well. We share so much in this space, it’s very confidential, very private and you recognize other people get what you’re going through and we’re in this together.

The major insight I got was resilience—definitely not to give up. And if it doesn’t work the way you hoped it had, for that day or that week, or that month, it doesn’t mean you can’t get back on track. In fact, when you pick back up, it may be even better than what you produced before.  Trying to be positive helps me through this program. I’m learning each day. Each day there’s something beneficial that we get to live. It may not always be as obvious to us., but there’s something we’re going to get out of that day that helps us put tools in our toolkit for the future. It’s also helped me recognize what’s most important and most valuable to me. And I have a road map that I never would have had before. I would’ve had a little piece of it here and there, but not to the level that this program has provided. Every step of the way, it’s been extremely beneficial.

And even if I thought I might have had that road map figured out or written down, Kristie is really good about pushing us, so that we don’t stop, we don’t just go “Ok, I’m good”.  It’s been very encouraging and tough, but in a good way, not a bad way! And it’s exactly what I wanted and needed from a coach who’s going to push me and make me work really hard. It’s been the program that I needed. It’s been extremely important and I cannot thank you enough Kristie, for pushing me even when I didn’t feel like it that day, you still did it and I needed it.

Working with Kristie has been amazing for me. Kristie is so energetic, engaged in the conversations with us and knowledgeable of so many different things. She’s well read and knows topics about most anything that we bring up and if not, she’ll google it or find a book from her nifty bookcase that she can incorporate into this program. I had the sense I wasn’t alone. I never felt alone and if I ever needed anything anytime, I could just email her or message her and Kristie would respond sometimes within minutes. I always felt I could get an answer to a question or anything I needed. If I needed encouragement, I would get that. Sometimes she would just check in with me and would say “I know you really had a lot going on with such and such, how did that go?” I could not be more happy with Kristie as a coach. I’ve referred her to many people who I know they need coaches in their life and hopefully they’ll be able to do that. And hopefully they select Kristie.

I would definitely recommend Kristie for a coaching program.  I think this is the best program that’s  available. The reason I would suggest Kristie is because this is a program like none other. I wanted to create my sweet life. I have done that, I’m still doing that I will always be doing that and I will not stop doing that. And as a result of this incredible coaching program  I am not the same person.  I don’t want to look back where I came from, I want to move forward each day. I have such great tools, ideas and resources at my fingertips now that I never could have ever imagined. I would recommend that you definitely select Kristie for your journey, to create your sweet life and to find out what you’ve been missing all this time. Don’t wait. Don’t wait another 6 months or another year to start this program. Do it now. Do it for you. It’s the biggest and best investment you can do for yourself.

I would definitely suggest that you enlist in this program with Kristie.  Do that as soon as you can—it will change your life. I am so different today than I was a year ago in every aspect of my life.I could not be more pleased with any other program. I am not the same person. I don’t want to look back where I came from, I want to move forward each day. I have such great tools, ideas and resources at my fingertips now that I never could have ever imagined. I would recommend that you definitely select Kristie for your journey, to create your sweet life and to find out what you’ve been missing all this time. Don’t wait. Don’t wait another 6 months or another year to start this program. Do it now. Do it for you. It’s the biggest and best investment you can do for yourself.

Melissa Hoeschen, CCP, PHR

Sr. Director in HR Consulting, ALSAC/St. Jude

DO NOT DELETE

"I started working with Kristie because I wanted to get a hold of the procrastinating behavior I’ve held for so many years."

But my greatest challenges were with
commitment, fear of failing myself and fear of next steps toward a happier life.
Coaching with Kristie, I received driven direction, learned prioritization of goals
and time management and even did a full budget analysis. I really enjoyed our
heartfelt deep conversations of reality. My major insights were that I procrastinate
way too much, too often and too long. I discovered my strength is my deeper
passion and purpose for helping save lives. I defined who I am with a positive
Value statement. What I liked best about working with Kristie is her honesty, she’s
highly respectful and she kept things discussed private. She’s an encourager, a
motivator and an overall Rockstar! I’d highly recommend this program to everyone
who has ever procrastinated getting going with their business or discovering their
Purpose.

— Doug Brinker, MA, DTM

Founder, Beacon 4 Hope LLC

DO NOT DELETE

"I joined Create Your Sweet Life because I wanted to figure out what kind of career change I wanted to make. I realized I didn’t want to be in IT and I wasn’t feeling excitement for the jobs I was applying for. I didn’t know exactly where I was going and needed guidance."

I had just lost my job and very much dealing with the dragons of anxiety and depression. I was in survival mode and couldn’t see the future because I was just trying to make it through the day. I wasn’t myself—the things you’d take your identity from, didn’t exist.

I received many benefits from the program like being able to look forward, getting those steps to start dreaming and writing, making goals again, planning for those years in the future and getting that career focus. I have steps to know what I want to do to change my career and have guidance when I have questions on what the next steps are. There’s lots of advice and having the advantage of having others in the mastermind group. There’s a wealth of knowledge just being in the community, not just with Kristie, but the other Sweet Lifers have something to bring too.  I turned and made a mindset that I’m a warrior and I’ve been reminded of that warrior mentality and moving forward.

In the very beginning I wanted to see myself as a warrior in the face of fear and challenges. Sometimes I just needed to talk it out and with Kristie’s method on facing adversity, you realize what you can and can’t control. I was able to dream again and also create that road map. I knew where I wanted to go and I may have gotten there, but it would’ve taken way longer and a lot more difficult if you don’t have somebody to help you out. A coach isn’t necessarily there to help you do something you can’t do on your own, but to give you the guidance and support to do what you can do. Being able to pick up and move twice and still live over a thousand miles away from my family and to be on my own and take all the challenges in stride. When you see things coming up, learning how to take a step back and take another look at it. I’ve learned to keep the focus on what I can control. I also learned to just do that next step and keep moving, keep that momentum going, it’ll get easier.

Kristie is full of energy and has a listening ear and asking questions, not necessarily telling you what to do. She asks questions to make you think and push. If your action items aren’t quite there, she asks “What could you do?” She makes you think.

I like the fact that we work in a community especially because I’m very much the connector type. The fact that Kristie set up a community is great. We can cheer each other on and there some things that we all have in common. There are ways that we can relate so it’s not like with someone who’s not familiar with things, like in the corporate world and just life in general. 

I would recommend you hire a coach and particularly Kristie. She’s full of energy and she’s really passionate about this. She really wants you to succeed, she’s there and she really cares about you. What makes this great is she makes sure you know who you are and everything is based off that. We talk a lot about our core values and why we make certain  decisions. She wants to make sure you reach your dreams and goals. This program is for somebody who wants to better themselves and get to the next level and to want to do it well, so you can get it done correctly the first time. You learn how to enjoy your life and not just live day by day.

One of the best things about the community is not only does Kristie believe in you, but we all believe in you. If you need some belief in your life — you know you want to do something, but you need some belief behind you — THIS is for you!

Faith Cooper

Holistic Nutritionist, Health Coach, Speaker, Founder, CEO of Beyond Empowerment Services

DO NOT DELETE

"I worked with Kristie because I wanted to be more true to myself by aligning my life purpose with goals and accomplishments."

Also I wanted to be highly productive and stick to my goals more. Working with Kristie enabled me to be high achiever, find my life purpose, be more specific in selecting my goals and achieve them faster. I realized that perfectionism is the enemy of achievement. I also figured out that I have to find grace in all difficulties I’m facing and to accept myself more in order to achieve my goals. She was very insightful. 

I REALLY like Kristie’s positive energy — her ability to lift other people up is unique. I would be motivated to achieve more every time I met with her. Also I like how she’s always approachable and easy to work with. I would definitely recommend this program. Kristie follows a robust method to help others reach higher and become a better person. Anyone who would like to pursue personal development or want to be a high achiever and live a happy life should join this program.

Aseel Al Ezzi, PMP, MBA

IT Delivery Manager, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

DO NOT DELETE

"I joined the coaching mastermind to understand how to be an entrepreneur and to determine which business venture I will pursue to have a sweet life."

I was challenged with a lack of vision, fear of failure, not knowing what to do and not believing in myself. I received so many benefits like, encouragement, direction, understanding purpose, leadership skills and confidence. I learned to create and go after your happiness, and remove things that are not beneficial to reaching your goal. I discovered that I hold the key to my success. I must have confidence in myself and my craft. Constantly second guessing yourself will create doubt and lack of movement. Celebrate the wins and learn the power of saying No!!! 

Kristie is an awesome spirit whose goal is to help you live the life that you are destined to live. What I like best about working with Kristie is her ability to change the way you think. Kristie always sees the glass as half full versus half empty. Even on your darkness day Kristie always can find a way to brighten it and encourage you to keep pressing on.

Create Your Sweet Life is a great program to jump start any goal you have in life. CYSL will help you confront the barriers that is prohibiting you from taking the leap of faith in pursuing your dreams.

David Logan

Senior Project Manager, Rocket Mortgage

DO NOT DELETE

"When I first met Kristie I was recently moved into a team leader role with a handful of people to manage. My only prior experience with managing people was in a volunteer setting. Now it was real. With real decisions to make, monitoring performance, delegating tasks, managing workloads, helping guide people, and more. She found me as a stressed out, burnt out, and exhausted semi-functioning human being."

I was working 12-14 hour days and didn’t know how to handle the many new responsibilities.  I had so many issues that I didn’t know what they were or how to go about dealing with them. I met with Kristie and through our casual conversations, she helped identify and guide me on three of my biggest areas of improvement: time management, dealing with personalities, and life purpose.  

Using some of my real-life experiences, she provided me advice on how to approach each of them.  She also provided additional tools (recordings, documents, apps, etc) to help me through my battles.  The counseling sessions were always a great way to quickly get me back on track and re-focused on what I needed to change. The additional resources she provided were continually re-enforcement to keep me on track between the times we meet.

I remember one specific moment in my career that I used Kristie’s advice to make an important decision without stressing myself out.  I was contacted to see if I would be interested in a position available in another department.  I went through the interview process and learned about what the job would be.  I was interested but I was also content with where I was at in my current job. Kristie encouraged me to make decisions on if something would take me closer or further away from my life goals and purposes.  After some thought I decided that taking the job would not be good for my personal life. I had some major life changes coming up that I wanted to be able to have the ability to take time off whenever needed and not be stressed out with taking that time off.  I had that comfort with my current job and didn’t want to risk losing that to impact my personal life, which was my priority at the time. I was confidently able to decline. 

The counseling sessions were always a great way to quickly get me back on track and re-focused on what I needed to change. The additional resources she provided were continually re-enforcement to keep me on track between the times we meet. With practicing the various time management and prioritizing advice from Kristie, today I am working 8 to 9 hours a day, have an amazing healthy relationship with my significant other and family, travel more, and have a healthy lifestyle overall. By learning from Kristie on how to work with people of different personalities, backgrounds, and viewpoints, I have been very successful in my career.  I have won back-to-back divisional leadership awards, multiple individual recognition awards, and endless compliments from my own leadership on how well I manage my people.  

I am extremely grateful for everything Kristie has done to help me live a life that I want to live, both in my career and personal life.  I hope many others are able to be blessed with such a positive life changing experience through conversations with Kristie.

Tracy Cook

Health Care Manager, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

DO NOT DELETE

"I decided to work with Kristie because I wanted to bring alignment to my career and leadership goals and prepare for the next steps of my development journey."

However, I had issues with prioritization and taking action. But after working with
Kristie in her program, I received so many benefits! Clear goals were set by
learning prioritization of my core values then set goals related to my core values.
We also focused on leadership development, networking and coaching
opportunities and building confidence to move forward in my aspirations. A major
insight was confirming my primary personality style. This helped me identify the
opportunity to be bolder and to gain confidence to move forward with my goals
and dreams. What I liked best about working with Kristie, is her insights and
personal examples she used when coaching plus the opportunity to grow with
others in a group coaching environment. I appreciated the flexibility of the program
and the opportunity to do some things at my own pace while being encouraged to
set short term action items to keep my momentum going. I would certainly
recommend Create Your Sweet Life to those that are either looking to take the
next step in their development journey and need additional insight to boost them in
the right direction, or for those that need guidance to identify their career goals
and discover more about who they are.

— Heidi Saucier, MTD

Manager, Provider Training, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

“When I first heard of Kristie’s program, I needed direction. I was unsure if I wanted
to focus on a corporate position or start a company. These were my greatest
challenges — focus and direction. While in her program, I was able to identify all
the possibilities and my desired outcomes then define the actions needed. I most
liked the applicable information; the breadcrumbs along a path and the strategies
that aligned with DISC personality traits.

I’d definitely recommend her program! It helps identify your current location,
realistic goals, and the work required to navigate that path.”

— Christopher Johnson

Founder, Calm Clear Communications, LLC

“I had a one on one coaching session with Kristie and she gave me ideas on how I can broaden my reach to certain leadership opportunities in our organization. I’ll take these as actions for me, so I can be more successful at the role I play at my company.”

— Steve Busco

Vice President Business Process and Controls at Korn Ferry

Learn what others think about Kristie’s speaking skills

“Kristie did a fantastic job at conveying a leadership message to the students. I would love for her to come back because I think this topic can truly benefit our students on campus and it would teach them a way to understand how to work with others in a professional environment.” 

— Maite Hall

Coordinator, International Student Services, Bowling Green State University

“Kristie has boundless energy, she really knows how to talk to the group. I really enjoyed our session on how people can understand how they think, how they work and how to better work with other people. I’m hoping people will take this to work so they can utilize it more.”

— Kelly Rennie

Operations Manager (Service) at Robert Bosch Tool Corporation NA

“We really appreciated Kristie working with us on our event — it was both in person and online. It was a great opportunity for people to learn how to grow their business especially when so many need help with that. We highly recommend Kristie!

— Mark Tremper

Vice-President of Marketing & Business Development, Downriver Community Federal Credit Union

“We just completed a great program thanks in large part to Kristie. Our Board walked away inspired and I feel having her there to help with expertise in managing these programs really helped facilitate a great program for us. I plan to pass her name and information to other organizations that I’m involved with.”

— Marc Bakst

Member at Bodman PLC, Board Chair for Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit

“Every year at our Board retreat, we aspire to kick off the year strong and with Kristie’s leadership, we definitely did that. Kristie kept us on track the whole day with engaging experiences. I really appreciated that we stuck to the timeline and got through everything that we were supposed to. As someone who’s been in many agency staff experiences and been to other retreats, I can say this one was by far the best one that we’ve had! I would highly recommend Kristie’s services!”

— Amy Newman

Chief Development Officer, Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit

“I would recommend this seminar with Kristie purely on the level of true fulfillment you feel from her. She’s truly emotional on what she’s passionate about and what she cares about. This shows in her demonstration, experience and what she brings. I felt inspired and encouraged because now is the best time to push myself to do the things I really want to do and to grow. I feel organized and empowered!”

— Theresa Skonieczny, MBA

Data Analyst at General Motors

“Kristie’s presentation on leadership and personalities was a great way to frame out the importance not just of leadership, but its applicability to our profession in finance and accounting. I would strongly encourage anyone who wants to use her, to bring her into the team, especially if you want to bring the team closer together.”

— Christian Cuzick

Vice President of Finance, Johnson & Johnson Vision

“Kristie captivated the audience from the very beginning. We really got engaged to think out who we are, how we think and how we can work together. What she was able to communicate in her message was this bold confidence to do what you truly truly believe to do. And for me it’s opened up a whole new world of opportunities and I’m excited to take  some of these skills and bring them back to my own company. This is what it’s all about. Taking these skills and applying them to real life.”

— Krystal Melton

Transitional Work Experience Assistant Manager, Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids

“The melding of personalities matter, especially in a place like Bosch where we have a very diverse culture and everyone has a different background and as an Admin, I have to deal with all of that. Kristie’s session was very helpful in teaching me how to assess people’s personalities as well as my own. And figure out how to get them to work together in harmony because at the end of the day that’s what we all want.

— Michele Belczak

Executive Administrative Assistant, Bosch North America

“The session was just awesome. This is something that every team can take with them, something that’s simple.  This gives you insight into the different ways people think to understand where they’re coming from. It eliminates  those blocks that happen when people don’t quite understand each other—this is something that will bridge that gap. Excellent training!”

— Kathleen Zurlinden

Staff Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin

“The session was just awesome. This is something that every team can take with them, something that’s simple.  This gives you insight into the different ways people think to understand where they’re coming from. It eliminates  those blocks that happen when people don’t quite understand each other—this is something that will bridge that gap. Excellent training!”

— Mary Gibbs

Doctor of Philosophy, Public Policy/Administration/Education, Walden University (Facilities Analyst, MDOT)

“Kristie did a fabulous job. Everybody was coming to me afterwards saying how great the session was. We particularly liked the interactive exercises she does. You really get to learn a lot about yourself. I’ve heard this session twice now and I’m still thrilled! I want to thank Kristie for really making our conference.”

— Susan E Bos, CMA, CPA, CFE

Deputy Treasurer, Washtenaw County

“Kristie was extremely motivating and got the audience involved. I’m in finance and will be thinking about what I learned in her session for a long time.”

— Ron Musich

Finance & Personal Health Empowerment

“Kristie knocked it out of the park! She did a great job bringing enthusiasm, excitement and amazing amount of organizational skills into the room. She was amazing. Thumbs up! Thank you Kristie!

— Perry Ohren

Chief Executive Officer at Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit

“I heard Kristie speak and got an ah-ha moment around my goals. It was so easy and yet, I never thought of it. It was my biggest ah-ha moment that I’m definitely going to incorporate starting now!”

— Jume Irmscher

Bosch

“I just listened to Kristie give her presentation on leadership and personalities which is a great way to frame out the importance not just of leadership but it’s applicability to our profession in finance and accounting. I would strongly encourage anyone who wants to use Kristie to bring them into the team especially where you want to bring the team closer together, or where you might be having issues. People don’t really understand or haven’t taken enough time to do that “storming and norming” maybe at the beginning where you’re forming a new team or where you’re going through challenges with a current team. You can get some of those personality and behavior differences out.”

— Christian Cuzick

Vice-President of Finance, Johnson & Johnson

“This event was definitely worth it. I’m already thinking of people who should attend this session—my sister, my mother, everyone! This was an eye-opener for me. I now understand what it’ll take in order to fulfill my purpose by managing my time wisely and eliminating unnecessary business. Today I realized how to discover my purpose in life, which is a question I continuously have asked myself and couldn’t come up with an answer.” 

Dawnyale Jones

Provider Relations Advocate, UHC

 

“On behalf of our Board and our Chapter members, a big thank you for your high-energy and engaging presentation / workshop on personality, leadership and the DISC model. It really got our members “up and moving” on a topic so necessary for everyone to understand if they are to be successful. You had the audience involved and engaged for both our sessions. Thanks for your dedication and passion!”

David Soubly, CISA

ISACA Program Committee Chair, Detroit Chapter and Cyber Security & IT Strategy Professional

I was real pleased to watch Kristie Stocker’s program—she did a fabulous job! Everybody was coming to me afterwards saying how great it was. We particularly liked some of the interactive exercises she had and you really get to learn about yourself. This program is great for anyone who really cares about their career, really knowing yourself and knowing the people around you. I found it very valuable. I’m so thrilled! It’s fun and easy to do and I highly recommend it! I want to thank Kristie for really making our conference! 

— Susan Bos, CMA, CPA, CFE

Deputy Treasurer, Washtenaw County

“The experience today was exhilarating! What I learned today and the experience I had exceeded my expectations. Phenomenal job Kristie!”

— Greg B.

Risk & Financial Advisory Senior Manager, Deloitte

 

“I greatly appreciate your coming and sharing with our group. I have attended probably seven or so of these annual conferences and your presentation is one of my favorites, that I both enjoyed and felt that I can use everyday, even outside of business.”

— Richard Stinehart

CFO, Grand Haven Steel Products

“I suggest you consider Kristie if you or your company or organization has any interest in, or plans for professional success programs. At our meeting Kristie did a great job taking everyone through her company’s suite of leadership program modules, including the personality assessment tool set. She had everyone up and moving — moving to different parts of the room as part of completing a condensed assessment. Kristie had the group complete some eye opening exercises that helped understand that while each person may favor certain personality traits, everyone has some level of every trait. Take a moment to visit Kristie Stocker’s site to learn more about her company and how you can book Kristie for company, organization and personal success programs.”

— Patrick VandenBoom

Principal at Seasoned Veteran L.L.C.

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