WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

I had the great fortune of participating in a 17-week entrepreneur workshop with Shizuka as my group facilitator. Shizuka is a mindful and compassionate leader, teacher and coach. Her unique ability to create a stimulating, caring environment for personal reflection and positive action supported me in making significant changes in my life and work. It is rare to find a guide who so generously and thoughtfully brings out the best in each person, helping one discover how to create meaning in everyday life. I have learned so much about cultivating true sustainable growth from working with Shizuka. Her leadership is exemplary, and her authentic presence is both nourishing and inspiring.
- Community Investment Collaborative Workshop participant, Charlottesville, Virginia

The best session ever! All managers should take this workshop from Shizuka.
- Corporate leadership development program participant, Virginia

"I could take a lot of ideas for development of my own business." "What a great workshop!" "I loved the activities - much better than lecture and questions."
- National conference workshop participants

Shizuka's gentle and compassionate coaching helped me to make changes I wouldn't have been able to make on my own. She encouraged me, gave me the practical tools to keep on track, and held me accountable, until I was able to do it myself.
- GG, Virginia

I took Shizuka's two-week intensive organizational behavior course at Kyoto College of Graduate Studies for Informatics in Japan. The course turned out to be the best one I have taken in my life thus far. I was thrilled by her eye-opening and thought-provoking lectures; I found myself learning heuristically every day. Shizuka carefully, yet timely reviewed my comments on reading assignments; she gave me a lot of feedback that invigorated and cultivated my thoughts. I am still closely in touch with her and am enjoying her coaching sessions via Skype on a monthly basis. Whenever I talk with her, I am stimulated and am convinced that our future will be bright.
- Corporate student, Kyoto, Japan

I just wanted to say thank you again for everything you have done for me educationally, professionally and now with the applications. You've been a true guiding light, exemplary educator, and if I may so respectfully, a great friend. I sincerely hope that we stay in contact as everything moves along, and that your years moving forward are as good to you as you have been to me.
- NT, Alabama

The faith you have in us and the encouragement you give us does not get its due thanks in class, but it means a lot.
- NI, Virginia

Shizuka is great at employee relations. Meaningful work is a great topic for awareness and appreciation.
- Anonymous, Webinar Participant

In 2014, my coaching colleague and I created and presented "Heart-Centered Work in a High-Tech World" for the women working in technology conference at Ball State University. One of the concepts we discussed was that of "meaning-making," an inviting phrase I heard Dr. Modica use during her 2013 University of Virginia Alumni Webinar entitled "Finding Meaning in Your Work and Perform at Your Best." Her lively descriptions of the relationship between meaningful work, optimal performance, well-being, happiness, job satisfaction, and intrinsic motivators were engaging and a natural fit for the work we enjoy. Funny enough, I had not met Dr. Modica until 2014 when I participated in a panel presentation for the International Coach Federation Virginia Chapter. Since that day, Shizuka and I have enjoyed several in-depth conversations about our work and the connections to meaning in our lives. One day recently when I was reviewing favorite coaching webinar notes, I realized Shizuka was the same U.Va. professor I had gotten to know over the past year, and whose webinar I had enjoyed so much in 2013. She is the same thoughtful and earnest person I experienced online.
- Small business owner/coach, Virginia

PAST AND CURRENT CLIENTS INCLUDE: