Thank you for leading us through such an impactful and energizing day! Your workshop was just what we needed – very engaging, empowering, and fun! I appreciate the tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm you shared with our team. It’s great to be able to learn and laugh! When I asked you to address change and leadership for our group, I had no idea that you’d be able to pack so much into the time available. I’m impressed with how many concrete ideas and illuminating examples you were able to share with us. Your message of taking charge of our own choices in how we communicate, staying attuned to our emotions and that of our teams, really resonated with the group. The models you shared for building trust and ownership are ones we can use to remind us of the power of staying positive. Thank you!
~Scott R. James, ED.D., Executive Vice President, Salem State University
As a CEO of a mid-sized not-for-profit, I have had many occasions to hear inspirational trainers across the country and abroad, however Carrie Stack surpasses them all. Carrie has the amazing ability to impact each of my 120 staff members as if each was the only person in the room. Her messages resonate with individuals from all walks of life and inform one’s professional and personal life equally. Carrie returns to Pathways once or twice a year by popular demand, each time leaving a stronger and more resilient and unified team.
~Sue Todd, CEO, Pathways for Children, Inc., Gloucester, MA
You will be hard-pressed to find another speaker who has such an engaging and entertaining style like Carrie’s! Carrie has an uncanny ability to connect with her audience and delivers even the most challenging messages with humor and sincerity (she is very, very funny). In our planning sessions, she was genuinely curious to learn about our goals for the meeting and understand the unique demands placed on our management team. The insights that she shared that day have stayed with us – at work and at home! She far surpassed my expectations for the workshop and I would highly recommend Carrie for your next training or speaking engagement.
~Rebecca LaPense, Director of Human Resources, Gunstock Mountain Resort, NH
Carrie is a dynamic, articulate workshop leader who has the ability to engage participants in challenging subjects. Her workshop was engaging and my team left feeling energized and inspired–ready to face challenges head on with confidence. She used humor to soften some difficult topics and welcomed all ideas. At the end of the day, my team wanted to know when we could bring her back to work with us. She was able to assist in moving my team forward in thought and action during a transitional time. I will be bringing Carrie back very soon!
~Bonnie Galinski, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management, Salem State University
We were thrilled to bring Carrie Stack to Texas as the keynote speaker to kick-off our statewide literacy conference. She spoke about the power of a positive mindset, a topic relevant to all audiences. Not only was Carrie inspirational, and provided some concrete tools on how to incorporate the positive in to work/life, she was incredibly funny. Her keynote address was uniquely tailored to our audience of literacy providers and she was the perfect speaker to kick-off our conference, as attendees left the opening session feeling energized and excited about their work! (She also provided a workshop, to a packed room, and at the end people told her they wanted to start a petition to have her relocate to Texas!) We received extremely positive feedback about Carrie’s keynote address and workshop, and would highly recommend her for any speaking engagement.
~Lori Donley, Executive Director, Literacy Texas
Carrie has the ability to bring out the best in people. I brought her in to work with our sales, marketing, and support group and she left a great impression on all of us. The response from the team was astounding and appreciative. I would absolutely recommend her. She is an outgoing individual with lots of energy that will help your group see the positive as well!
~Shane McCarthy, Sales Manager, N. America, SAGE
Carrie was an amazing speaker at the NBCVB (North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau) lunch. She had us all involved and interested though the entire presentation. I left with a new perspective on work and life and owe it to Carrie. She gave us all tools to work with others and to stay positive. Carrie’s enthusiasm and spark make her an excellent speaker and coach. I hope to work with her again in the near future.
~Jennifer Close, Senior Marketing Specialist at the Peabody Essex Museum
Carrie is a DYNAMIC presenter! Her insight is/was profound. Her ability to articulate her message in a unique way was refreshing and much appreciated to all those in attendance. It was very evident that Carrie’s message resonated with the group as she received a standing ovation which was a first since the inception of the speaker program. It’s refreshing to meet a person that practices what she preaches!!! Not only would I recommend Carrie I plan to use her whenever possible!
~Charles Sterling, Vice President of Business Development
I don’t know if I have ever met a more positive & influential motivational speaker and leader. Carrie is a true diamond with endless amounts of energy and ideas. Her concepts are easy to grasp and adapt to any environment. I enjoy working with Carrie to develop my team at work.
~Michael Alfaro, Organizational and Workforce Development
I recently had the great pleasure of seeing Carrie Stack at a national conference. Her beautifully inspiring and motivating presentation dealt with many of life’s stresses in a realistic and humorous way. Subsequently, I invited Carrie to give a presentation to my GED and ESOL students who were either moving forward or graduating. In a room filled with students, teachers, directors, executive directors, CEO’s etc., her message of forging forward and staying positive resonated with everyone in the room. Her powerful, passionate, and compassionate delivery made everyone realize that no matter who we are, or where we are in our lives, we all suffer adversity, but it’s how we handle our hardships that makes all the difference in the world. She is truly a unique and positive force.
~Lori D’Alleva, Director, Charlestown Adult Education, Charlestown, MA
Carrie Stack, Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, what was all this hoopla about? Persistence from my administrators had me contacting Carrie to be the opening day keynote speaker. She was a blast, people are still talking about her keynote and using the lingo! Her message resonated. Now I understand the excitement around her and wished the school department could have had her for a longer period of time. Thank you Carrie for your keynote at our school district’s opening day kick off.
~Donna Madore, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Augusta, Maine
Carrie Stack established a new benchmark for professional development in the district, with which all future training will be judged on. She was able to provide skills/tools in a way staff was able to successfully internalize, and can then replicate when dealing with children/adults within both a school and community setting. In regards to training, the feedback from her workshop has been the most positive I have experienced in many years. She uses humor, concrete strategies, and has a knowledgeable and inclusive approach which effectively engages all participants. Overall, an absolutely outstanding training.
~Richard Pelletier, M.S., C.A.G.S., Director of Student Services
Carrie was a pleasure to work with in the planning of our conference presentations. She listened to our needs and tailored a keynote presentation plus a workshop that fit our school audience wonderfully. She was so much fun to work with and so REAL! Participants and planning committee members from the Maine School Health Promotion Program conference (June 2013) shared in their evaluations and feedback, ‘What a wonderful keynote! You engaged us and had us laughing with each other; making connections along with giving us some wonderful, practical tools we can use for ourselves personally and with our teams. You were amazing! Keep the well full was one of the best messages!’ Thank you Carrie!
~Susan Berry, Maine Department of Education, Health Education and Health Promotion Coordinator
I have experienced, first-hand, an estimated 100 keynotes, and keynotes for me are mixed. I do not like to be spoken to or lectured at. Unless the speaker truly connects with me – engages me – in the first minute or two, I literally check out. I sat at the recent NCTN (National College Transition Network) Conference in the back of the room, skeptically awaiting Carrie Stack’s post-lunch “keynote” and a probable quick exit. Well, she had me at ‘Hello!’ The power of humor is well known and Carrie immediately connected with us and piqued my interest with her wit, engaged style, and obvious knowledge of her audience. Her powerful message of remaining positive, respecting others, and focusing on creating a better life at home and at work struck a nerve. Her time with us surprisingly passed too quickly and I literally ran to her follow-up session because I wanted to soak up more of her humor and positive message. The room overflowed into the lobby. I was so impressed by this presentation, I immediately sent along Carrie’s contact information and website address to several colleagues that are responsible for conference planning and to the committee and boards on which I serve. I can honestly say that her keynote- which was really more like a personal conversation – is one of the best I have been privileged to experience.
~Tom Nash, Director, Windham Raymond Adult Education, Windham, ME
If you ever found yourself rolling your eyes at the mention of a “motivational speaker over lunch” you have never heard Carrie Stack. I had never heard of Carrie and had no intention of staying to listen to her luncheon speech a month ago at a national conference, but when she started to speak all it took was about 20 seconds to be hooked! By the time I got to the door of the ballroom hoping to sneak out, she had me intrigued and within a minute I knew I had to hear what she had to say. She had the audience enthralled and my full attention! We have all heard the message before: if we don’t take care of ourselves, we cannot take care of anyone else. Carrie delivers the time-honored message in a way that reaches the audience; it sounds honest; it sounds doable. She charges her listeners with energy, with the feeling that, finally, we understand what we need to do. If you have never heard Carrie Stack speak, you owe it to yourself and to your organization to invite her to spend some time with you and your colleagues. You will be glad you did.
~Federico Salas-Isnardi, Adult Literacy Specialist, Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning at Texas A&M University, Diversity Consultant & Leadership Trainer
Carrie Stack offered a terrifically engaging and interactive two hour workshop at the Enterprise Center in Salem, MA. Over 90 small and medium sized business owners came to understand how their personal attitudes both come across AND affect the willingness of other people to work with them, buy their services and more . Her basic message was that 100’s of people offer the same or similar products and services as you do, so the major thing that can differentiate you is your ‘attitude’ . Carrie brought energy and enthusiasm and strategy to the session. She had people nodding in agreement, laughing and shaking their heads as they saw their own behaviors mirrored by her. Carrie is fabulous at teaching and engaging people, and the attendees left with both a renewed sense of energy as well as a ‘to do’ list for them to use as they grow their business. We would have her back in a heartbeat.
~Susan K. Moulton, Senior Programs & Mentor Manager, Enterprise Center at Salem State University
Carrie recently worked with North Shore Community Action Programs around our strategic planning process and the morning training session from our staff retreat. The employees learned a lot and had fun with the workshop on developing group norms and emotional intelligence. The lessons learned came back to us when we moved from three locations into one this winter. People still refer to it and talk about how to make adjustments to the new work environment at NSCAP.
Her work around the NSCAP strategic planning process was even more helpful, because she was able to transform a boring, difficult process into a fun and engaging event. Several board members were very happy to hear she was the facilitator as they had previously worked with her and had positive experiences/feedback around her skills. We are still amazed that we were able to develop a Mission Statement is just one morning session. I have only gotten positive feedback from the staff with regards to the hour-long information sessions that she facilitated with them. They felt like they were heard, and they were able to have meaningful conversations with each other. Likewise, I think the focus groups were also very productive. Our clients and collaborating partners at other nonprofits welcomed the chance to share their ideas and to know that they were part of a larger process that would address the needs in the community. I have recommended Carrie to other Community Action Programs and look forward to continuing to work with her.
~Laura MacNeil, Executive Director, North Shore Community Action Programs, Peabody, MA
Thank you for a wonderful workshop, I learned many helpful tools to apply in both my work and personal life. I took copious notes- and then even made a small presentation to the rest of my sales team later that day, as your words are very inspiring!
~Tinia Suggs, Sales Manager, Hawthorne Hotel, Salem, MA
In my capacity as both a local and regional director of membership-based economic development organizations in Essex County, I have had the privilege of working with Carrie several times. Each time she has presented, she has left the audience wanting more. Her lectures about emotional intelligence and self-care in the workplace are relevant to all industries. Carrie’s charisma and command of the human condition is bar none.
~Ann Marie Casey, Executive Director, North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau
Carrie Stack is an invaluable asset for any organization looking to boost or sustain morale as she employs innovative emotional intelligence techniques needed today in any organization. Carrie was asked to speak to our faculty & staff here at North Shore Community College this summer. Her words captivated the audience and she ignited energy and enthusiasm coupled with innovative concepts with how we may best serve our students, internal employees, external employers as well as our faculty & staff. Carrie has leadership qualities that you just cannot teach. We have all heard of the ‘it’ factor. Carrie has it! I was fortunate to hear Carrie speak yesterday at a networking event for the second time. I learned new concepts yesterday and that is a true indication of her ability to motivate and lead others. One of those concepts is “to be present and to be your best self” each and every day in all that you do. The biggest compliment that I say about Carrie is that I have taken her tools and try to incorporate them in all that I do on a daily basis. Thank you Carrie!
~Mathew Qualter, Coordinator of Cooperative Education/Internships at North Shore Community College
In over 30 years in education, I have never seen a trainer, teacher or workshop facilitator change the dynamic in a room like Carrie Stack. Her positive energy engages and motivates attendees to participate in the process of self improvement like nothing I have ever seen.
~Steve Quann, Senior Advisor for Technology in Education, World Education, Inc., Boston, MA
Carrie has a tremendous reputation in the field, as both a trainer and a coach. She is a dynamic trainer with the unique ability to successfully work with diverse populations- from teens to senior managers. Her work is rooted in finding the positive/strengths and building from there, which is an important foundation for agencies to support staff and build programs. It is rare to find someone that is able to integrate an extensive background working in the field, with such solid training skills.
~Margo Casey, Former Executive Director, North Shore United Way, Beverly, MA
As a regional nonprofit affordable housing organization, our staff are scattered throughout New England. Carrie has done multiple trainings/workshops with us over the years, and each time she seems to strike a new cord in each person. Every staff member- new and old- finds relevance to their work and personal life that empowers them to be better people and professionals to the residents we serve each day.
~Debbie Nutter, President and CEO, The Caleb Foundation/The Caleb Group
Carrie is one of the professionals that keep me going! Her enthusiasm, insight, directness and overall brilliance helped motivate me to grow as a manager. She is a master trainer and talented personal coach, and every nonprofit should do themselves a favor and engage Carrie’s services.
~Jim Ryan, Director, Northeast Center for Healthy Communities
I was at your presentation and I still think about many of the things you said, but especially ‘people who feel good about others will gather information about the world that reinforces that belief and conversely those who feel negative will do the same thing.’ It hit home about our own attitude can and does profoundly affect who we are in the world and how effective we are in our relationships. I also found your approach to emotional intelligence accessible, spot on, playful and profound. Your presentation was memorable and you appear to live what you teach. I believe that so many groups, from leaders of major companies, to teachers, and those in the public sector, ie., government workers, would benefit from your seminars.
~Deborah Greel, Executive Director, Marblehead Arts Association, Marblehead, MA
As the Executive Director of a multi-site, multi program social service agency, I have found Carrie Stack to be an invaluable asset in training and team building, as well as inspiring, motivating and communicating our program goals and philosophy to all staff. She possesses a remarkable set of training, communication and interpersonal skills which empower her to engage, captivate and challenge staff during her sessions. My staff always looks forward to Carrie’s training, as she makes each session productive, enjoyable and informative! Carrie is always prepared and encourages and receives staff “buy in” and participation. Moreover, she offers advice, counsel and feedback to me, which I find exceptionally useful. In short, Carrie Stack is one of the best, if not the best, in her field!
~Cynthia Christ, Executive Director, Gregg Neighborhood House, Lynn, MA
I think Carrie’s approach to an audience is spot-on. She gathers attention, commands the room without overwhelming it, and goes with the flow better than most speakers I’ve seen. She also approaches group exercises (never easy) with spirit, humor, and intelligence, never dismisses an opinion, and shows respect to all commentators. She also handles unexpected turns in the discussion with patience and aplomb. Handling a group as large and talkative as ours was no easy task. On two different occasions, Carrie managed us beautifully without losing her cool or her place in the progression of the presentation. She showed that she has the experience, grace, and wit to ease a participant gently out of a too-long monologue and get the discussion back on track. A top-shelf trainer and presenter.
~Francie King, Principal, HistoryKeep, Marblehead, MA
Carrie has boundless optimism which is balanced by sharp, critical analysis of any situation. She comes into the room and people are immediately engaged by her down-to-earth manner. Our staff wants to “come along” with her because she infuses a “can do” attitude and clarity of mission into whatever goal-setting or team-building tasks lay before us. She currently is working with individuals, small teams and the whole staff of RAW. She deftly assesses the current position of whichever part of our staff she is working with, and gets right to the issues, helping to identify their assets, short- and long-term goals, and helps to craft practical action plans. Her emphasis is on plans that are living entities, not forms to be filed away. Her reputation precedes her, she is held in high regard by every Executive Director and management team leader with whom we have spoken.
~Kit Jenkins/Executive Director and Mary Flannery/Founder, Raw Art Works, Lynn, MA
Carrie has an uncanny ability to sear positive and powerful images in my brain that stay with me long after the training has ended.
~Caroline Haines, Chief Operating Officer, Pathways for Children, Inc., Gloucester,
Carrie Stack will shake up your most seasoned employees and the newbies as well. She will challenge and empower employees within the context of your workplace and mission. Many trainers and trainings later I clearly believe that Carrie has the know how, the knowledge and most importantly, the natural ability to engage everyone at the table. From skeptics to believers the participants will leave with new tools to relieve their workplace and personal stressors, enhance boundary setting, and will generally feel better about their work. Carrie doesn’t just talk; she always has a phrase or saying that invites participation. Involving the participants is always the goal for a trainer and Carrie has that down pat. If you want to grow, learn, be challenged, and oh yes, laugh out loud, then get Carrie into your workplace!
~Ronna Resnick, Director of Job Training and Education at Action, Inc, Gloucester, MA
Carrie Stack’s simple, yet riveting, philosophy in which she calls ‘See it, Say it, Share it’ is a powerful piece of advice that absolutely every human being should adopt!
~Alex Dominguez, Model, Boston, MA
Carrie is wonderful. She provides so many concrete ideas and images about maintaining a positive attitude- from unhitching the u-haul trailer that many of us carry around, to keeping our wells full so we can be resilient to enjoy our journeys and manage the challenges. She is funny and direct! Her playful manner allows her to guide people over hurdles and move forward. She helps you remember to say ‘yes’ more and more often! When I got home I couldn’t wait to share all the anecdotes I could remember, and we laughed all the way through dinner! I’m going through some major work transitions right now and your presentation was wonderful. Thank you.
~Michael Weiss, Principal, Michael Weiss Designs, Marblehead, MA