Testimonials

Testimonials

How do you know if they're the real deal who can prove that they've helped businesses achieve real results?  See what clients are saying about them.  This is just a small sampling of actual customer testimonials for TeamWorks International. Ready to get started on your business' success? Contact us now!

 ‘Growing Pain’ Consultants     *     Executive Education    *     High Performance Organizations

"Let me start with this:   I wish I had this program for my management teams 20 years ago. It takes me, the CEO, out of the day to day grind into thinking about the team. You help me think out of the box and focus in on the important topics of leadership and managing my team. I don’t want to understate that. It’s vital for me to focus on my team’s effectiveness and working together in improving our execution. It is extremely critical for us to have the ability to engage in candid and critical conversations with our peers. I had board members a few years ago who didn’t want me to spend money on this and now a number of them think this was the best money we’ve ever spent; and this is from just seeing my executives every three months, and again, I wish I had this 20 years ago."

Barry Phelps
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Empower RF Systems 
Inglewood, California
"One of our most successful engagements (at the division director level and at the senior executive level) has been with TeamWorks International. We had been looking for an approach to leadership and team development that emphasized involvement, action, and results. TeamWorks significantly enhanced our business results through highly engaging and purposeful management development. Their work very quickly generated heightened clarity of focus, relevant discussion and effective management interactions helping us to advance our key organizational objectives.

Personally, we found their work extremely useful to our efforts in sustaining key senior and middle management teams, as well as the company’s overall direction. Further, while strengthening our individual managers, they also gave us some of the most useful and effective tools to gain timely focus, perspective, and acceleration of our performance. TeamWorks leadership approach and team development have been refreshing, simple and powerful. Their work points to a bright future for business where the attainment of company results indeed can be reached through people".  

Glenn Grindstaff
Senior Vice President
Human Resources
Spirent Communications
Calabasas, California
"Eric and Athena are world-class consultants. Working with them is like watching my dreams come to life. I know that I need our team to transform, and I see the behaviors that do not belong, but I find it hard to communicate my vision of teamwork to my staff. Eric and Athena took the foundations of what I thought I needed and created relevant, fast-moving group activities that really drove the discussion for needed change. By dinner on the first night, my team was acting like a championship NBA team. Laughing, caring, and engaging like they had known each other forever. Such a large change in such a short time."

Susan Opp
Sector President
Space and Power Systems
L3 Technologies
Salt Lake City, Utah
"I have known Eric and Athena for over ten years now. First, as a VP of Marketing at Spirent Communications for our Calabasas, Sunnyvale, and Hawaii offices where they provided outstanding leadership and team development to our executive and mid-management teams. Second, and more recently, while the CEO of Sunrise Telecom at my Silicon Valley corporate HQ. Over the course of a year and a half there, they facilitated two perfectly timed and compelling strategic offsites for my executive team. I have found they have a unique combination of excellent understanding of both the business and the leadership challenges facing executives and middle management. They are among the few I have met that are truly effective in helping the people side of business click and be more productive."

Bahaa Moukadam
Founder | Head Coach
SeeMetrics Partners 
West Lake Village, California
"Actually, tremendous. Eric Smith and Athena Lou delivered the right message at the right time for our organization. Their engaging, hands-on style established immediate rapport with our audience. They excel at helping organizations build team and the right direction for the future." 

Dr. Heidi Pace
Deputy Superintendent
Academy School District 20 
(U.S. Air Force Academy and surrounding community) 
#1 Academic School District in Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
"You know what man, this was powerful and really useful. Thank you again. Aloha."

Wally 
Wally “Famous” Amos
Founder 
Famous Amos Cookie Corp. 
Pioneer of the Gourmet Cookie Industry
Lanikai, Hawaii 
Mid-Manager Series (14 participants) 
"Remarkable and significant. TeamWorks’ Facilitated Results™ has propelled my company to new levels. The program has helped me to make fundamental shifts in alignment, engagement, trust and execution. Our ROI over the extent of the Facilitated Results program has been excellent. We experienced inventory reductions in excess of $1M, cost reductions that more than paid for the training and improved on-time deliveries. We expect to leverage extensively these projects further in the next 24 months through reduced time-to-market for our development programs and significant product cost reductions."

Barry Phelps
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Empower RF Systems 
Inglewood, California
Executive Team Series (Five participants)
"It is with great pleasure that I offer this endorsement for TeamWorks and their signature training series, Facilitated Results™ (FR). When we began the program, our leaders and their management systems were stretched beyond capacity. We had no idea how transforming this series would be on us and our company. To say that FR completely changed our perspective on how to collaborate and win together, better, faster and with greater synergy, is an understatement. It is not difficult to pencil out an ROI for this program. Collectively, the signature projects alone will deliver $500,000+ in near-term financial impact.
 
Our company has a culture of high achievement, but we did not always work together as a team in a highly synergistic manner. FR created an environment that helped our leader team build trust in one another, which we believe has been instrumental in our company experiencing extraordinary results this year. The leader team of GCommerce recommends this program enthusiastically and without reservation."

Steven Smith 
President and CEO 
GCommerce Inc. 
Des Moines, Iowa
Middle Management Series (16 Participants)
"Our engagement of TeamWorks to deliver tangible results to the University far exceeded my goals. Their customization of the program throughout helped my sixteen leaders measure, deliver and document results in critical areas on campus. The collective value of the program through the coming three years will be well over three million dollars! Thank you Eric and Athena for bringing this powerful toolkit to the university." 

Bill Chen
Vice Chancellor
University of Hawaii at Hilo
Hilo, Hawaii 
Executive Team Series (Five participants)
"Facilitated Results™ provided a heightened sense of the power of synergy and specific management tools to not only work together as a cohesive team, but to very quickly identify and start generating additional revenue and key gains in efficiency. The sessions were direct, entertaining, and extremely thought provoking. Facilitated Results is a great program and I would highly recommend this fast paced program for any management team. I think I speak for us all when I say that the training that you provided for us has been extremely helpful. You have given us the tools to really expand our abilities as Managers."

Thad Calciolari
Director
Four Seasons - Hualalai Sports Club & Spa
AAA 5 Diamond Resort, World’s Best Places to Stay – Gold List
Zagat Survey – Rated #1 U.S. Resort Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii
"Thank you very much for dramatically improving the level of teamwork at the Hualalai Grille. Our partnership in this project proved to be very effective and rewarding for all. We appreciate your personal commitment to attaining measurable results. Eric Smith and Athena Lou created a series of team development sessions that were tailored for our staff, meaningful and highly effectual. The Hualalai Grille will enjoy the rewards of these sessions for months…and hopefully years! We look forward to another opportunity to partner together on future projects and continually developing our team. Ultimately, developing Hualalai Resort as the best-focused, effective and motivated team in Hawaii! Mahalo."

David Oliver, Vice President, Operations
Patti Aoki , Director of Human Resources 
Four Seasons - Hualalai Resort
AAA 5 Diamond Resort, World’s Best Places to Stay – Gold List
Zagat Survey – Rated #1 U.S. Resort
Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii
Mid-management Team Series (15 participants)
"TeamWorks not only met the basic criteria … but also added much, much more to our engagement. We were able to customize and develop a very practical and effective approach in meeting our leadership development needs. The rapport that TeamWorks was able to develop with our staff was truly the “icing on the cake” and contributed immensely to the resulting success or our training and development efforts." 

Del Kleckner
Vice President
Human Resources 
Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation
Kea`au, Big Island, Hawaii
Executive Team Series (7 participants)
"TeamWorks presented a dynamic program that stimulated and involved all who attended. Their program is much more than a lecture but a thought provoking, compelling presentation that allows for serious self- assessment. I would recommend them very highly to any company seeking to improve not just their financial performance but to create a sense of teamwork and partnership."

Dr. Gary Kondo
Chief Executive Officer 
Hawaii Family Dental Centers
Chairman – American Dental Alliance 
Honolulu, Hawaii
Executive and Middle Management Teams Series (45 participants)
"I am delighted to write this letter of recommendation for TeamWorks and their team productivity program Facilitated Results™. Organizational education is only as good as the long term results that are generated. On that note I would like to say that we have been very pleased with the work that TeamWorks has done for us. They provided some excellent insights in ways that grabbed my attention. I have seen myself and my managers make simple adjustments and changes that have already begun providing meaningful results.

I have received many positive comments from my managers. Their commitment to working with these tools has helped us be more relaxed and collegial in our honest dialogue and open communications. This is, as I write, moving us forward well through some very difficult challenges in the larger and local economies. For example, there has been a simple change when issues are brought to my attention. Now, it is in a new, more constructive manner, focusing on solutions and leaving criticism out. There is a more cohesive, supportive tone to interactions.

We were so pleased after our executive team completed the course that we agreed to expand the offering to second and third levels of management which is the balance of our management and supervisory teams. We are stronger and better now to achieve our objectives through the challenges of business today. We have been reenergized, and some of us have been re-infused with a recommitment to their units and to the company. We are grateful to TeamWorks, I give them my whole-hearted recommendation."

Karl Yoneshige
Chief Executive Officer
Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union
Honolulu, Hawaii
"It has been a pleasure to work with Eric Smith and Athena Lou of TeamWorks on leadership training, coaching and team building since 2010. They have helped my engineering group build the foundation of a high performance team. Founded on the diverse backgrounds of the members and based on greater respect, collaboration and common language, I am a better leader, and my Engineering group is now a team. My team is functioning at very high and productive levels, and to me, the effect of TeamWorks’ programs is amazing." 

Paulo Correa
Vice President Engineering
Empower RF Systems
Inglewood, California
"Well…… truth be told, I feel exceptionally well about the tools and concepts I have acquired during our time together. Every time I think about it, a tremendous sense of exhilaration comes over me knowing that I now hold the capacity to finally create the kind of environment about me I have always desired.  

I write this with sincere gratitude and appreciation owing to the initial benefits gained from this program. I am continually recognizing new ‘pearls and gems’ not only in my behavior, but in the behavior of those colleagues around me. I am convinced this program has created a genuine sense of ‘synergy’ that prompts us to overcome impulsive behavior, strive for new and greater goals and ultimately, strengthens our relationships.
  
I am also very confident our collective objectives will be met by virtue of our newfound commitment to excellence, increased level of confidence and willingness to extend our limits beyond those we have previously established; to which I sincerely believe the benefits gained from successfully completing this course have yet to be fully realized. Eric and Athena’s service towards professionalism, creative thinking and resourcefulness is deeply appreciated. Thank you for making a meaningful and lasting contribution to my life and to my company. 

Abel Baca
Lead Design Engineer
Empower RF Systems Inc.
Inglewood, California
"TeamWorks’ programs are like a waterfall – full of energy, wisdom and life. I have received a wealth of excellent information and tools. As a result, my peers and I are more motivated and able to collaborate, take action and deliver on our goals. Thank you Eric and Athena -- we are grateful for this life-giving waterfall cascading throughout our company now and into our daily lives."

Jaime Montejano
Production Supervisor
Empower RF Systems Inc.
Inglewood, California
"Ah, fantastic. Our Executive Offsite with TeamWorks really helped us focus on one main thing -- building a stronger and more cohesive senior team. The Offsite allowed us to respectfully delve deeper as colleagues and further improve our connectedness and trust. Through various exercises, we realized we are the company’s 1st team. And now, because of this, we are operating noticeably different and better.

The highlight of our program, and which is still helping us today, is candid conversations. Sharing at this level is essential for executive teams today, and for many leaders, is an uncomfortable subject. But our ability to be candid with each other impacts our bottom line. 

By us going through all of the Offsite activities, not only were we able to practice it back in the workplace, but we are now more equipped than ever to lead and teach by example. Thank you TeamWorks, this was truly a special and valuable event." 

Stevette Santiago, SPHR, CTM
Senior Vice President
Strategy and Solutions
Hawaii USA Federal Credit Union 
Honolulu, Hawaii
"We engaged TeamWorks during a time of enormous organizational and business challenge in our company. TeamWorks helped guide our executive team thru this difficult process of realignment, while helping us harness the tremendous human and technology prowess that our company possesses. We could not have transformed our business and in turn the markets we serve, without the partnership and participation of TeamWorks. They are truly an exceptional partner to our business and we recommend their services and trainings without hesitation."

Steven R. Smith
President and CEO
GCommerce, Inc.
Des Moines, Iowa
"Eric Smith and Athena Lou have been on point every time. They have a very open, precise way of presenting information that gets to the core and helps transform the thinking of our organization’s leadership. I definitely recommend them to any management team that is looking to strengthen, grow and improve synergized execution."

Jason Popillion
Chief Technology Officer
Two-time winner, Iowa’s Chief Technology Officer of the Year Award
GCommerce, Inc. 
Des Moines, Iowa
"Getting together as an executive team to “Work On” our business is always valuable. However, the facilitation of TeamWorks enables us to be 3 times more effective. Their exercises and coaching enable us to practice the candid and respectful conversations necessary to resolve issues and guide our company forward. Investing in the inter-relationships of our executive team has an immediate return in the effectiveness of our company!"

Rick Main
Executive Vice President
Sales & Marketing
GCommerce, Inc. Des Moines, Iowa
"It has been my pleasure to hire and work with TeamWorks for several team building interventions. Eric and Athena's most recent engagement at USDA NASS occurred at a USDA Field Office, during a time of unprecedented organizational change. TeamWorks worked tirelessly to support our office staff and leaders in learning new ways to successfully navigate the white water rapids when the only thing we see is change. I recommend them without reservation for any organization wanting to thrive in a dynamic and uncertain environment." 

Dr. Linda Raudenbush
HRD and OD Specialist
National Agriculture Statistics Services - United States Department of Agriculture
Washington, DC
"Our office just completed a week long team building session with Eric Smith and Athena Lou. It was the best training we have ever had. We all learned techniques and tools that have improved our communications, planning, and office operations. They also instilled personal confidence that will help us all face upcoming organizational changes that will impact how we work and live. Highly recommended." 

Robert Battaglia
State Director
United States Department of Agriculture 
National Agriculture Statistics Service 
Wisconsin Field Office 
Madison, Wisconsin
"If I had to choose one word that described the program our office had with TeamWorks, it would be “Outstanding”. Eric and Athena spent a lot of time upfront to help us identify what our specific office needs were and then completely customized the sessions to fit our needs. Before the program, I heard many excuses from the staff about not needing the program or that they had other work that was more than a priority over building our team. The staff became fully engaged quickly with Athena and Eric. It was incredible how TeamWorks got our leaders to open up and collaborate. TeamWorks is definitely worth the investment in time and dollars." 

Greg Bussler
Deputy Director
United States Department of Agriculture 
National Agriculture Statistics Service 
Wisconsin Field Office 
Madison, Wisconsin
"On March 18, 2008 the Shell Vacations Hospitality senior management team attended a team building/leadership retreat facilitated by Eric Smith and Athena Lou. During the latter half of 2007 and into early 2008, our team experienced some challenges. In an effort to jump on the issues and not allow them to intensify, we brought in Eric and Athena to assist us in March. Prior to the retreat, Eric spoke with each team member individually to obtain their comments and feedback using a pre-set list of questions so each individual would be commenting on the same topics. Not only was this pre-work used to create a “personalized” program for Shell Vacations Hospitality, it allowed Eric and I to talk about the bigger picture issues in advance of the retreat to ensure the actual program was targeted to the pertinent need areas of the team.

On the day of the retreat, Eric and Athena were incredibly prepared and approached our group with enthusiasm, humor and high levels of energy. More importantly, however, the content of the retreat was absolutely right on the money! There was simply no doubt that Eric and Athena has spent uncountable hours doing their homework in preparation for our group’s get-together. We talked about all aspects of leadership and their importance but, more to the point, we devoted very beneficial time to bonding and coming back together as a team. What a great day! Every member of the team commented on how much they enjoyed the retreat and they are all still talking about it! If they’re still talking about it 10 days later, that’s a sure sign the message was presented extremely well and hit home! I have subsequently recommended TeamWorks to other divisions of our company. Certainly, the Hospitality group will look forward to working with Eric and Athena again in the future. We THANK YOU both for a fabulous and incredibly effective day!"

Sue Kelley
President
Shell Vacations Hospitality
Northbrook, Illinois
"We have utilized the talents of TeamWorks at the Mauna Kea Resort for such diverse programs as an Offsite for our executives of both properties, and mid-management leadership courses. We have been extremely pleased with the results which have come forth from the coursework and our association. Their work is excellent and I recommend them without reservation."

Chris Krueger, Director
Human Resources, Mauna Kea Resort
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel
Kohala Coast, Big Island, Hawaii 
"TeamWorks is a company to be reckoned with. Eric Smith and his wife and business partner Athena form a dynamic, inspiring duo, with a captivating aura and professionalism. I’ve taken many other classes and top national programs which claimed fabulous results, but they merely entertained and results were ineffective in productivity and staying power. However, after spending many hours with Eric and Athena in seminars and private sessions, I am now much more confident and well on my way to reaching success in our ever changing and challenging world, in both business and my personal life." 

Daryle Kitamori
Vice President
Castle Resorts
General Manager, Hilo Hawaiian Hotel
Hilo, Hawaii 
"We engaged TeamWorks for a half day Team Building exercise for the IT Americas Management team in December. This was an opportunity for us to get together a geographically dispersed team of Department Managers, who needed to work together differently than in the past, due to a major Organizational Change we had. TeamWorks was brought in to get us started on our future track towards unity, with better interpersonal relations between the Managers, who have a wide range of different personalities.

All of us had participated in such events in the past. As IT professionals, we don’t typically have high expectation from such HR related events, but everyone promised to keep an open mind. To our (pleasant) surprise, it was a very well done training! All of the participants agreed that it was very effective, had a good atmosphere and was well worth the time. The highlight was maybe afterward, when some participants sent TeamWorks an appreciation e-mail on their own, and at least one Department Manager asked me if we could arrange this for his Team Leaders. This is serving us very well."

Oren Bierkatz    
Director
IT Americas
Teleplan  
Roseville, California
"The session that Eric Smith and Athena Lou did for our student leaders was life-giving. The students really got a lot out of it. They felt motivated to run better meetings and enjoyed thinking critically about how to improve group dynamics. They learned a lot and grew as leaders from the experience."

Marie Thomas
Assistant Director of 
Intercultural Affairs
Pepperdine University
Malibu, California
"Wow, we just completed a miniseries of motivational sessions with Eric and Athena for our staffing offices. All of our employees are still thanking us for opening their eyes on new ways to communicate and work in a positive environment. I cannot thank Eric and Athena enough for their devotion, follow up and professionalism throughout this process. I know our return of investment will be forthcoming. I see a change already! Thank you."

Debbie Shapiro, CSP
Chief Financial Officer
2009 California Staffing Professional of the Year
Perfecto Staffing, Inc. 
Alpha Omega Professionals, Inc. 
Sherman Oaks, California 
"Thank you for stepping in for Governor Lingle and delivering a compelling and timely lunch keynote at our SHRM Hawaii Chapter State Annual Conference in October. It was a highlight to hear you speak about the pace of change and how the Human Resources professional will be the chief navigator to help their organizations into the future. You provided us fresh perspectives on how to deal with and become stronger leaders for change in today’s diverse employment culture."

Stevette Ku’ulei Santiago, SPHR, CTM
President SHRM – Hawaii Executive Board 
Honolulu, Hawaii
"This is quite an accomplishment. We were so impressed last time. We usually don’t bring people back a second time but we are bringing you back this time because it was so good and the feedback was so positive."

Dr. Mark Hatchell 
Superintendent
Academy School District 20 
(U.S. Air Force Academy and surrounding community) 
#1 Academic School District in Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
"Through my many years as a Safeguard franchisee, I have attended dozens of national conferences with big name motivational speakers like Zig Ziglar, Joe Theismann and others. Eric and Athena’s presentation was just as good, or better than theirs."

Greg A. Cook
President
Safeguard
Oxnard, California
"TeamWorks’ business coaching and training seminar is by far the most cost effective training I invested in ACM Computers! It injected enormous amounts of energy and ideas into improving my business. I cannot thank Athena and Eric enough."

Allan Chio
President
ACM Computers
Ventura, California
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