Alpine Link Client Testimonials
"We hired Mike Hawkins to conduct a two day customized sales
training event for our North America sales teams. In three weeks he facilitated
management workshops, developed our sales approach, created a training workbook,
and delivered an outstanding sales training program. The feedback from the teams
was that it was one of our best events ever. His detailed facilitation,
training, and presentation delivery skills were excellent. Our team is excited
about the new sales model, fully engaged and Mike played a key part in making
that happen." Mike Crest, General Manager, Data Management, CA Technologies
"Mike has been an incredible asset to my growth as a leader. His
insight from a "been there done that" perspective is both gritty and insightful.
Knowing that he has been where we are adds so much weight to his guidance.
Working with Mike has helped me to be much more open to others ideas and learn
to communicate in a way that, while making my point, is not abrasive or
offensive. One of the things I remember from our first talk was when I made the
statement "I have a hard time when things are not right". Well Mike let me have
it.... questioning me on who says what I think is always right and others are
wrong. It was like a sledge hammer and has changed the way I think and approach
almost all of my duties, both internally and externally to the company."
Stuart Rothenberger, Senior Vice-President STV, Inc.
"During my business career I have utilized consultants and coaches to help in a
number of different capacities. Never have I worked with someone as capable
as Mike, his real world success combined with a skill set that simplifies even
the most complex systems, and the vast knowledge that he has gained from his
academic pursuits cause him to be a resource unlike no other. Mike leaves me
energized and empowered after our coaching sessions. Most importantly, Mike puts
himself in my shoes as we tackle the challenges in my business. I would highly
recommend Mike to any executive that needs a second set of eyes on their business
challenges!"
Mark T. Neely, CFP, ChFC, CLU, MBA, Executive Vice President AXA Equitable
“After one year of working with Mike under what was originally a 6
month commitment, I have not only been 100% convinced to continue to seek his
help for my own development but have implemented coaching for our COO as well.
Mike has not only been able to help me with the challenges that go along with
becoming the CEO this past year, but to help me plan and implement important
business initiatives such as leading an organization that is constantly striving
to improve efficiency and best operational practices. Based on Mike’s past
experiences and his ability to challenge me to lead and execute business
initiatives, I plan to seek Mike’s help in developing our sales approach as
well. Mike has been very quick to understand the unique dynamics of our
organization and our industry, and then help me seek the outcomes we have
planned together. Mike’s style is the right balance of encouragement, when
appropriate, and more importantly to challenge me along the way as well. If
anyone is hesitant to enter into the coaching experience, especially because
they don’t know what to expect, I would strongly urge you to get started. Mike
will help you develop your expectations and positive outcomes.”
John Lichty, CEO Rock River Environmental Services
"We hired Mike and his partners to host our annual
all-hands off-site team meeting. They put together a one-day team building and educational
program that was unsurpassed. Mike and his partners were excellent. The Alpine Villa
facility was amazing. Mike's workshop on Coaching Leaders to Lead as Coaches was
energizing, insightful, and stimulated great discussion. Mike hit the nail on the head.
It was exactly what the group needed." Rafael Alvarez,
Founder and CEO Genesys Works
"The coaching I received from Mike was practical, principled and
targeted; never in the abstract. He guided me through some rough waters in my
business, using insight from his own experience and timeless principles I will
carry in my toolbox, beyond merely situational guidance. His rare combination of
professional coaching and personal friendship developed our time into a highly
valued relationship." James Hamilton, Director Dixon Hughes
PLLC
"During my career as an attorney I have participated in various
programs as a participant as well as had group business coaches. Mike’s personal
style combined with his understanding of business have provided the most transforming coaching
experience I have ever encountered. While coaching all of our partners he has intuitively
identified the weaknesses in our fundamental value proposition and our marketing strategies.
Not leaving us with the mere identification of the problems, he helped us work through a
discussion of the issues resulting in implementing impactful solutions. Our initial short
term engagement of Mike has evolved into our team relying upon his regular coaching and guidance.
I would highly recommend Mike to anyone who wants to seriously address personal and organizational
hurdles that they face." Bill Dismuke, Senior Partner Dismuke, Waters & Sweet Attorneys and Counselors at Law
"Mike did a great job in helping our management team develop key leadership
competencies. His one week SCOPE of Leadership™ boot camps energized our team
and renewed their passion for becoming better leaders, both professionally and
personally. His SCOPE of Leadership™ program provides a unique experience to
allow leaders to step back from the busy day to day grind and sharpen their
leadership skills. Most of our managers and executives that attended the
workshop felt it was the best leadership development program they attended in
their careers." James Lewandowski, Executive Vice President McAfee Inc.
"We engaged Alpine Link to speak at our sales meeting. Expectations were high;
particularly given the strong recommendation for Mike Hawkins from one of my
managers. After sitting through his presentation, I came away very impressed
with Mike's knowledge, delivery, and most importantly inspiration. He clearly
exceeded my expectations. Further, my view was shared by all the other
participants in the presentation. I look forward to continued work with Mike and
the significant impact he can have on our sales and management." Salvatore
Cangialosi, President Metavante
“Mike and his team at Alpine Link provided some of the best consulting, training
and coaching services our company has ever received. They worked closely with us
to develop a customized sales approach. Working together, we created a training
workbook for our sales team and future new hires. They also provided coaching
workshops, complete with materials, for our global sales management team. During
the past seven months, they led nineteen workshops training over 600 people that
consistently produced comments such as ‘Alpine Link’s sales training programs
were the best I’ve ever participated in’. We use Alpine Link because they
deliver high-impact services and consistently exceed our expectations.”
Doug Wride, President and COO, Websense Inc.
"Thank you Mike very much for the insights and coaching that you shared with
me. Not a week goes by that I don't think of your comment that they are all "A
players" and I have worked much harder to help them discover their strengths to
succeed. We just completed a project that is being considered one of the most
successfully executed in many years, and I was lucky enough to shepherd it from
inception to a successful completion. The teamwork on the project was unique,
special, and at times almost magical, and I wanted to say thank you, because the
knowledge that you gave me contributed to creating a great experience for over
2,600 people working on the project." Chris Heger, Project
Manager Turner Construction Company
"Mike's insight was revolutionary in a few areas for us, but to limit him to
being just insightful is short selling his impact on our organization. Mike
proved to have a masterful grasp of leadership principles in theory and practice
and used them to guide and coach us during our sessions. We loved all those
elements, but I believe what we cherished most was that he spent time equipping
us to use those principles on our own in the future. In essence he taught us to
fish rather than fishing for us in the non-profit world where we work day in and
out. We now have a few of the tools and principles to continue forward on our
own." Mark Wilson, Executive Director Malachi
"In today's uncertain business environment, it is rare to find someone who so
clearly and completely 'gets it'. Mike has consistently and calmly helped me
focus on the important things that make a significant difference in my
consulting practice, leadership challenges, and personal life. His counsel has
helped me gain the confidence to embrace the opportunities that exist in a
challenging market. He plays a critical role in my success and my team's
success." Clark Ellis, Principal Continuum Advisory Group
"Mike led a great lecture session for our faculty and staff. He is a model for
learning and leadership like we are trying to develop."
Kathy Hubbard, Director Center for Engineering Leadership Southern Methodist
University
"Mike Hawkins has an uncanny ability to crossover from the for-profit to the non-profit,
and specifically the church environment. I don't know of a pastor who couldn't use Mike's coaching.
After thirty years in ministry to congregations from 300 to over 1,000 in size,
he has helped me transform
some of the deeply ingrained patterns we all have that hinder our full blossoming as leaders--not to
mention his ability to hone basic skills with surprising clarity and ease. From understanding the
need for communication frequency and intensity, and precisely what it means, to efficiently
organizing my work flow, to more efficient time allocation, to developing key leadership competencies,
I have far more traction than ever before. Add to all this Mike's strong but kind way of confronting
with firm care, and his sincere "atta boy" abilities as a coach, and you have a good prescription
for the personal change that must precede organizational transformation."
Brian Myers, Senior Pastor Dillon Community Church
"Mike Hawkins is an excellent presenter and I am thrilled to have had the
opportunity to take this class from him. Excellent presentation of clear and
concise material! Very tangible material, so I can go away from class and
begin applying the material tomorrow." Sally Morris,
Student, Colorado Mountain College
"Mike brought strong expertise and credibility to our organization. His ability
to work cross functionally in our company allowed us to increase the deployment
speed of our solution by six to nine months. Not only did we save money but the
credibility we have driven in the market has produced strong results. We fully
expect to work with Mike in the future." David Roberts, Senior Vice President
McAfee, Inc.
"Mike Hawkins presented Time Management training to our part-time staff members. He delivered quality information to
our diverse group creatively. Our employees enjoyed the perfect mix of open discussions, small group activities,
and a few chances for individual reflection too. Thank you!" Joanne Breigenzer, Recreation and Culture Director Town of
Silverthorne
"I started working with Mike about four months ago as part of an executive
coaching program. Mike established an immediate rapport and I find myself
communicating with him as I would with an old friend or mentor. Each of our
sessions have been engaging and often exhausting. They have always been followed
up with a written summary and a practical action plan. I would highly recommend
Mike Hawkins to anyone seeking an honest, straight forward guide to their own
self examination and improvement." Mike McParlan, CEO The Jamar Company
"Mike Hawkins of Alpine Link is the first consultant Snap Drape International
has ever used for our business. He did a fantastic job of working with my staff
to understand our needs and develop solutions to improve our business. Our
management team enjoyed our sessions with Mike and have already begun
incorporating the solutions we developed as a team. It may have been our first
experience with a consultant, but it will certainly not be the last time we call
on Alpine Link and Mike Hawkins." Darrin Garlish, President, Snap Drape
International, Inc.
"For most of us introverts, marketing and sales don’t come easily. The thought
of getting on the phone, or walking into a room full of people we don’t know and
actually talking to them can be terrifying! Mike Hawkins knows more about
marketing and sales than any person I know. Mike focuses on identifying clients’
“pain” and providing tailored, value-added solutions to their problems. He has
helped me and my company develop an approach to marketing and sales that works
and fits our personalities. I recommend Mike without reservation to
companies that want to take the productivity and effectiveness of their
marketing and sales functions to the next level.” Mark Bodnarczuk, Author,
Diving In: Discovering Who You Are In the Second Half of Life, and Island
of Excellence: 3 Powerful Strategies for Building Creative Organizations
"I am not a big fan of all day meetings. However, when I met Mike and discussed
his approach and preliminary consult, I looked forward to getting my group
together for the day. Mike did an excellent job leading our management
workshops. He kept our attention and managed to have fun while we worked on
eliminating our 'squandered energy'. Thanks Mike for a job well done!"
Jeff
Ramsey, President Benefits Consulting Group
"It has been our pleasure to have Mike Hawkins working within our Coaching
Advantage practice at FMI this past year. Mike was recruited to fill the
strategic role in our coaching practice of developing our senior most leaders.
Mike’s many years of real business experience along with his interpersonal
warmth, intellect, confidence, and drive toward results make him a dynamic coach
to our clients." Chip Toth, Consultant, The Leadership Group, FMI Corporation
"Select International needed to reinvent its sales strategy to better utilize
all individuals in its “Sales Value Chain”. This included the Marketing Dept.,
Sales, Consulting, and Support staff. What at first appeared as a complex maze
of misaligned processes, Mike Hawkins was able to use his model to sort through
it all and bring alignment. His consultative approach helped Select
International’s Executive Team see the gaps and develop with his guidance a more
functional model. The result is now all groups have a stake and motivation in
the acquisition of new clients, delivering best in class solutions, and keeping
clients satisfied year after year. This is exactly what Select International
needed, and what Mike Hawkins delivered very efficiently. I highly recommend him
to any organization needing to add Lift to their sales endeavors."
Christopher
Klinvex, Executive Vice President and Co-Founder Select International Inc.
"We are very pleased with the strategy Mike and Rick co-developed with us. They
put new ideas on the table that we could not have come up with otherwise, and
had the know-how to realize how it should be implemented. The collaboration
between our firms was an ideal combination. Working with them has been a
delight. They strike the right balance between thought leadership and bias for
action, plus their team kept delivering value outside the scope of the immediate
engagement." Jim Lang, President Strategic Decisions Group
“We had Mike lead our sales and leadership team through a two-day solution
selling workshop at our Las Vegas kick-off meeting. Everybody came back all
jazzed up and energized about using the best practices of solution selling. Mike
did a great job of expanding our thinking beyond product selling, of explaining
how to better satisfy our customer’s needs and in showing how the new approach
could increase our sales. We are off to a terrific start to the year now and
much more focused on selling solutions.” Michael Sgroe, President of Fundtech
"Mike has been my coach for almost a year now. Mike's experience in leadership
and his practical approach to management has provided me with another
perspective that has proven to be very beneficial. With Mike's insight and
assistance, I have been able to enhance my own leadership skills as well as
those of my leadership team. Because of the tremendous value that I have derived
from our coaching sessions, I have extended our sessions for another six
months." Dennis L. Daniell, CFO Roebbelen Contracting, Inc.
"Just had our staff meeting and got great feedback from the strategic planning
retreat. Thank you so much for facilitating the retreat. I think we are making
great progress! Thanks again for a great retreat." Mindy Watrous, CEO of Special
Olympics Colorado
"I have been working with Mike for approximately 9 months to better develop my
leadership skills. While I was hesitant at first, it did not take me long to
realize through Mike's honesty and sincerity that this was going to be a very
beneficial task. I feel the discussions we have had will benefit me both at work
and away from work. I think Mike's skills would benefit anyone trying to expand
their leadership skills and I have recommended him to other individuals within
our organization." Rick Charles,
Executive Vice President and COO Western States
Fire Protection Co.
"I would like to express my sincere thanks for the valuable knowledge and
leadership you and Colleen provided to our Timberline team. It has been a
pleasure working with the two of you and I know we will greatly benefit from
this relationship." Dan McAllin, CEO of Timberline Steel
"We conduct regular off-site meetings and Mike did a great job in
leading/facilitating our gathering. Our need to build trust within the team and
encourage a challenge culture to drive performance was spot on. He was prepared,
professional and capable of directing content and discussion towards the most
effective resolution. We enjoyed the energy and his passion for people
development. Great Job!!" David Pearson, General Manager, Dealer Partner
"Mike has been my personal coach for the past year. Along with being my personal
coach, I have had Mike work closely with my Management Team. Mike’s role is to
help me understand my roles and responsibilities to my Management Team, to be a
member, leader and friend. Mike periodically interviews each one of the
Management members (5) and provides me feedback (report card) on how I am doing.
This has become an invaluable tool for me and my Management Team. It really has
taken down walls and barriers for our team. I truly value Mike’s candid, honest,
and professional style." Charles T. Graft, President, Gerald H. Phipps
"Mike and I met via a mutual work associate, and realized immediately the value
Mike could bring to Webroot. Mike and I spent a few hours planning a sales
kickoff training session for more than 250 people on the value of customers. He
delivered a customized presentation from Mike’s “Ten Tips to Maintaining Your
Customer Service Edge” interwoven with real examples from Webroot’s customer
support. It was a great learning and inspirational experience for the entire
field team. Simply put, Mike hit the bull’s eye not once, but four times in a
row! Fantastic consultant and I plan to use him again next year, as well as for
my own personal development." Kenton D. Sieckman, VP Worldwide Services and Support,
Webroot
"I asked Mike Hawkins to provide expertise and perspective as our company
moves through a season of growth and transformation. He interviewed my key team
members and created a prioritized list of items for us to tackle. His insights
were invaluable and his recommendations were practical. He made great use of time
as we moved through our action plan, and really made a difference in how I approach
my role as a leader. Mike’s coaching will benefit any leader genuinely seeking to
improve performance, regardless of the industry or circumstances. I feel well-equipped
to reach the next level as a result of my work with Mike." Dave Finley, President & CEO, LeadsOnline
"Mike did an outstanding seminar for our association. From the comments I heard, many felt
it was thought provoking and well worth the time and money to attend. As word of mouth spread
after the seminar, I’ve been told by others they wished they had attended." Jane Dvorak,
Executive Officer, Summit County Builders Association
"Mike Hawkins' intuitive style and deep insight involving corporate business interaction and
coaching proved increasingly beneficial as our sessions progressed. His grass roots approach to
the abstract makes his suggestions extremely quick and easy to implement and the results are just
as positive." Troy D. Craft, MarCon, Inc. Project Manager
"Mike Hawkins was instrumental in identifying a core
developmental need I have had all my life. That revelation
and other techniques aided me in turning my personal and work life around. I was amazed with his follow-up
and ability to use visual aids and benchmarking to keep me on track. I would definitely recommend him
to anyone who feels stalled in their career development or personal life."
DJ Hartley, Controller, Everist Materials
"On behalf of my professional selling students, thank you Mike for sharing your
time and perspectives with us. The student feedback has been extremely positive
and you gave us a lot of excellent points for future discussion. I particularly
enjoyed the way you engaged the students and encouraged them to participate."
Tom Ingram, FirstBank Professor of Business
Administration, Colorado State University, Marketing Department College of
Business