Endorsements/References

Besides being incredibly talented and honest, Linda is one of the hardest working people I know. One of the many skills she had that stood out is her ability to clearly, concisely and consistently communicate within all levels of an organization. As a Franchisee I found her follow-up skills to be timely and helpful. She always went beyond her responsibilities to find out how we, as franchisees, were doing and what else could she help with. Her concern and care were legitimate and appreciated.

Equally important, though, was the high quality of her work and the work of her team. Through her leadership skills her team improved the quality and turnaround time of the materials we received in the field.

I have a high degree of respect for Linda and the highest confidence in her ability to provide quality services and successfully lead a high-performing team.

— Doug Imholte, previous Franchisee, Wireless Toyz; Franchise Risk Management Consultant, Marsh & McLennan

“…I have hired Linda for a multitude of marketing projects and have been quite pleased with the extent of her marketing knowlege, especially in mobile marketing. Always thinking of mobile marketing as just a little more than text messaging, I was pleasantly surprised as Linda tirelessly demonstrated to me the various aspects of effective mobile marketing and how it could be utilized to significantly increase foot traffic to local businesses.

I’ve also had the pleasure of working with Linda as a guest on her Strategic Growth Concepts Blog Talk Radio show, and have been impressed by her ability to keep her guests engaged and the conversation moving along without missing a beat. Upon downloading the podcasts of several of my guest appearances on the show, my clients have expressed similar sentiment. Her professionalism has certainly left a lasting impression on my clients. Ultimately, that is a good reflection on me as well.

Linda has completed several very important projects for me as a Strategic Partner of my company, franchisEssentials. The attention to detail has been second to none and the projects have always been delivered ahead of schedule. Overall, the projects have always exceeded my expectations despite some interesting challenges I’ve been forced to share with her along the way. Plain and simple, she gets the job done with no excuses. I would highly recommend Linda for any simple or complex marketing project for small to mid-size companies, as she certainly has the drive, knowledge and resourcefulness to accomplish the “wow” effect that is often needed to exceed the goals and objectives of the project itself.”

– Paul Segreto, Founder/President, franchisEssentials

“… When I first hired her firm …, I was amazed at the level of detail that went into the process. From the education of the customer, to the training of the employees and all of the communication and execution in between…”

— Bernie O’Meara, CFO, Wireless Toyz

“Linda provided clear thinking and recommendations in an extremely tough business environment.  She is thorough, knowledgeable and pro-active. She is confident…engaging…assertive. I would hire Linda for her terrific interpersonal skills, financial acumen, and the ability to get results.”

— Sandra Jackson, former VP Marketing, Roberd’s

“In the years I worked with Linda, she demonstrated leadership, loyalty, self-motivation, honesty, and integrity. I would work with her again anytime.”

— Carole Leandra, formerly Critical Situation Manager, IBM; now retired

“… teamed up … for ideas for marketing franchises to prospective franchisees…insures that the company’s branding message is consistent across all channels.  She values measuring and monitoring to maximize the use of available marketing dollars…”

— Gail Parker, National Franchise Development Manager, Wireless Toyz

“… very detailed and organized management style…Linda knows how to get the job done right…”

— Louie Katsaros, National Yellow Pages Manager, Simons Michelson Zieve Advertising

“…has always been professional, direct and honest.  Linda has worked tirelessly to help franchisees get their message out to the public in an efficient, cost-effective manner while always exploring and keeping an open mind re:  getting the biggest bang for our advertising dollars. Linda will tell you what you need to hear, maybe not always what you want to hear.  I appreciate honesty and directness.”

— Cynthia Solaka, Owner, Solaka, Inc.

“… offers extensive leadership experience building teams that produce results.  Linda possesses creative skills in developing and implementing Advertising / Promotions that drive top-line sales. She is a very hard working dedicated employee who always exceeds expectations. She is very professional and a great communicator, her vast knowledge of marketing and retail is one of her strengths”

— Dave Keegan, former Vice President of Franchise stores, Wireless Toyz; General Manager of AEFC at Adam & Eve Retail

“Linda is the consummate professional in every sense of the word. She is extremely focused and dedicated, and possesses an uncanny ability to trouble-shoot.  She has the ability to develop strategic planning and marketing campaigns on many levels simultaneously, and easily grasps the nuances that others miss.  I found Linda to be an exceptional team player, and she is generous with her knowledge in helping others excel as well.”

— Patty Marcum, former Director of Retail at BoRics Haircare

“I have done business with Linda and have found her to be one of the most forthright individuals that I know. I feel Linda would make a wonderful addition to anyone’s team.”

— Bernie Lash, President at Focus 2100 LLC

“… awesome to work with. Very hard working (crazy hours), dedicated, organized, and a strong leader of her team, vendors, and franchisees across the country.  She is both an idea person and a program executor.  Wins the respect of her colleagues with an honest, straight-forward approach.”

— Howard Krugel, Director of Sales and Marketing, Dietz Trott Sports and Entertainment

“…has always displayed a high degree of integrity, responsibility…”

— D’Jhonia Hicks, Operations Communications, Wireless Toyz

“… an engine that doesn’t stop and is always available to give her insight. In a world where having someone return your call is a miracle, Linda always provided proficient and efficient service.  She knows marketing, earns the respect of her peers and employees, and can be counted on.”

— Sanjay Dave, Entrepreneur in Residence, INC3 Ventures, LLC

“WOW!  What a dynamic person!  Linda amazed me on a constant basis, she never sleeps!  Linda operated her department producing a consistent product with exceptional results. She took a program that was in complete disarray and turned it into a product that was easy to use, and produced ads that we in the stores had never even dreamed about.  She is a winner for sure.

— Jay Young, President,  Atlantco LLC

“.. She has passion and her expertise speaks measures… defines what it truly means to be a leader.”

— Lawrence Dawood, Director of Training, Wireless Toyz

“…has an exceptional instinct for seizing marketing opportunities that many others would miss.  She has a keen ability to assess the strengths of those around her, enabling her to utilize the talents within her team to their maximum potential.  Linda’s work ethic is second to none…”

— Brian Tripp, Advertising Manager, Aco Hardware

“… faced the unique challenge of selling her very good ideas to several strong-headed franchise owners. Linda was professional and well-spoken … and did an amazing job of “selling” her ideas, teaching these owners how to grow their businesses independently, while also positively impacting the company as a whole…”

— Kelly Young, Owner, Wireless Toyz

“… She brought experience and guidance to the table.  Her background with planning and implementing events was exceptional, as well as her attention to detail…

— John Lee, CEO, Impact Marketing Services

“I am a small business owner that had the pleasure of working with Linda quite frequently.  She had the same interest in the success of my business as I did. I will miss working with her, and I intend to keep in touch with her and hope she is still able to assist me with her great ideas to grow my business even more.”

— Tom Kirma, Owner, Wireless Toyz

“…played a key role for our organization in developing our marketing plan for us…researched and assembled a detailed plan which fed our budgeting process and continues to act as the template for on-going marketing activities…”

— Jeff Henel, Consulting Executive, Resources Global

“Linda’s extensive marketing skills have helped her clients achieve success.  She has had experience in all facets of marketing, and uses this to her benefit when developing marketing plans.”

— Linda Kostka, Regional Director of Development, Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio

“…beautifully balances careful planning and involving the right people to move initiatives forward quickly and steadily.  She has perfect follow-through and has always exceeded my expectations in the quality of her work.  She is fearless, honest, and sincere.  I trust her completely…”

— Andrea Sorensen, Owner, Wireless Toyz

“… Balancing multiple projects, working with many diverse personalities and keeping it all moving forward takes a special skill set and Linda definitely has it.”

— Kathy Johnson, Owner, Old Dog New Tricks Advertising

“Thank you for conducting the seminar for our members of the Youngstown Education Association who are being scheduled for layoff. Our members were uniformly impressed with the quality of your presentation. All of the feedback was extremely positive. This seminar gave our members a sense of reassurance regarding their ability to locate other work…”

— Donald E. Banas, Employee Relations Consultant at Ohio Education Association

“…day long seminars were held to help staff at Woodside Hospital prepare for the closure of the hospital by informing them how to do job searches… The evaluations submitted by staff on this training we outstanding. Staff commented on her professionalism and wealth of knowledge that she shared with them.”

— Janet L. Thomas, Human Resources Manager at Ohio Department of Mental Health

“has worked very closely…for the past year in recruiting high quality individuals for our firm and our clients and has done so with a high degree of professionalism. The quality of Linda’s referrals exemplifies her commitment to matching the best qualified people to individual job requirements for her client companies…”

— Anne Tuite, Assistant Personnel Director, Hoffman & Dykes Certified Public Accountants