Testimonials
Customer Experience
Sessions
Emotional Culture Workshops
CliftonStrengths
Team Sessions
Kayleigh was amazing! With her help our team now has a great plan and the tools to help continue on this path.
Would highly recommend for anyone wanting to delve into their companies culture.
Excellent workshop with Kayleigh, extremely engaging and would benefit people at all levels within an organisation.
The emotional focus cards and the particular key question that went with them made us really think deeply about our reaction or feeling about a certain situation.
The subsequent group sharing in a non-judgmental environment allowed you to further think and expand on that particular response. Kayleigh nailed it. Her psychology background gave her credibility and her passion and life experiences served to further validate what she was communicating.
Kayleigh is an excellent facilitator, she keeps the group engaged, the topic lively and explains everything very well. Great session - definitely worth attending.
I am the perfect candidate for the positive effect a course like this would have on a working team.
I don't have an influential position within my company, so I can't make the call to allocate budget to development in terms of culture and wellbeing of staff because I am the staff.
But going to an event where we are tasked to answer honestly, and given the tools to do so by being able to add in a barrier of sorts that gives the 'feeling' a story and a life of its own meant that all the uncomfortable parts were easier to face, and easier to talk about.
The working environment has changed dramatically post-covid, but with knowledge like Kayleigh is spreading there is hope it will begin a positive trajectory in to the future.
I am not one who likes to openly talk about my feelings but I felt like the environment Kayleigh created was perfect for these conversations, it allowed me to feel safe and comfortable to share with my group.
Kayleigh was an excellent facilitator.
Feeling are a hard subject for most and Kayleigh made the session feel easy.
The content was interesting from a leadership perspective and provides a tangible application which could be implemented in my team and with my direct reports.
Enjoyed the session, Kayleigh was excellent and shared her own examples making it easy to understand.
A great workshop to help you really think and understand how your customers want to feel and how to you create those feelings.
Thank you very much Kayleigh for an engaging and insightful workshop. The customer service experience workshop created great reflection and creative time outside of the business and sparked new ideas.
​
The session was great and was structured so that everyone could think about specific areas of their own business as well as get an insight to issues and success of other businesses.
Kayleigh delivered it professionally and enthusiastically. It was well paced and being interactive meant it was also fun as well as useful - highly recommended.
I enjoyed finding out about my strengths and how they can help me work and communicate with others in my team.
​
This process is a great way to learn not only about yourself in a positive and constructive way but also understand how you team can work better together.
Kayleigh made this process so interesting and eye opening.
Can not recommend highly enough.
Amazing program, amazing tool, and amazing facilitator! So nice to be put into a box and have the freedom to acknowledge our actual strengths as human beings!
These workshops were of real value to our team as they shed light onto sometimes unexpected attributes and strengths we didn't know about each other.
We came away with a deeper understanding of each other and ourselves, which has been invaluable in working cohesively together.
I found that the CliftonStrengths (1:1 Coaching) has benefited myself greatly and we have since put our management team of 4 through the CliftonStrengths programme with Kayleigh, and it has brought real understanding and synergy into our management team and with that really lifted us to be a stronger company for it!
Thank you, Kayleigh, it was a positive and well-managed session. It was helpful for the team, and they made numerous comments to me on how much they enjoyed the process.
CliftonStrengths with Kayleigh was a fascinating insight into how we work as individuals and as a team. With the tools she has given us we have become a more confident and effective team who will continue to grow. I am starting to let go of actions and thoughts that aren't helpful, and to appreciate the unique strengths of those around me and understand how to leverage these to achieve the best results for our business. The sessions with Kayleigh were a lot of fun, both relaxed and insightful. I would recommend this to any person or team who is open to developing themselves, and their team. If you are all willing to have input into the sessions it is so rewarding, not just during the coaching but in every aspect of your work and home life afterwards.
​
I loved learning more about my self and also engaging with our team, opening up about each other's strengths and discussing examples of where we work well together and where we may find some some flaws.
Kayleigh, has worked with my team for the past year, primarily with our leadership team. The training output has been so valuable I invested in all our staff engaging in strengths training.
Our business goal is to create a high-performance business/sports team. Using the knowledge gained from strengths coaching we are understanding and connecting with our staff better and they in turn use strengths to achieve self-actualisation.
The staff have responded more positively to strengths training than any other professional development training we’ve engaged in, and they have a much deeper understanding of themselves, and connectedness to how they influence and interact with those around them.
A brilliant tool for personal and professional growth of successful teams and individuals, delivered by a very intuitive and effective facilitator, Kayleigh Woodings.
​
Kayleigh and Blue Mercury have opened my mind, to itself, and to others.
What I love about Kayleighs approach is that it is inclusive, positive, and helps you think about yourself (people generally) as they are, complex, beautiful tapestries that, with care and awareness, can line up to become a beautiful rich landscape.
I no longer think about my 'flaws', and instead consider my unique combination of skills and attributes.
​
It was really valuable learning how each of our individual strengths works for each and every one of our team. It's exciting to see the collaboration potential and the diversity of thought playing out in the room. Thank you Kayleigh for facilitating such a great session for a whole lot of busy minds - it's definitely one of your strengths!
​
I thoroughly enjoyed the session! I found it fun and informative and I enjoyed how we had to challenge ourselves on subjects that we might have otherwise skimmed over. We were made to think deeper and and as a result it was almost like we were learning by teaching ourselves through more thought and consideration. Kayleigh is great and very good at what she does! 10/10!
CliftonStrengths
Individual Coaching
Kayleigh is a great listener and developer of conversation to lead them in the right direction.
A valuable and respected mentor.
​
I thoroughly enjoyed the sense of empowerment over my quirks. The value of this session allowed me to see my strengths as actual strengths and not defects. Minimise the harshness and the negative backtalk I have to myself on my strengths. Relook at how my strengths can hinder, oppress, block and become single minded when communicating with another person.
​
My session helped me gained confidence in my strengths and how I can use them to help me in the future especially in looking for a job. I now understand how I can use them in a better way so I make the most of them.
​
This CliftonStrengths coaching is such an invaluable resource that I will use in friendships, work and my relationship with my wife and my kids. Being given tools for communication and understanding the way I am, and the way I’m not. And most of all that it’s ok to not be everything to everyone, that the way I do things is unique to me.
​
I loved this process and the conversation that it generated. It is something that I will use for the rest of my life. A deeper understanding of myself, why I have done the things I have done and why some things have worked and others haven't. A more visible relationship with what I need to double down on and what I need to outsource or surround myself with to support my weaknesses.
​
I received a lot of value in the process. I now realise the things I have been told were weaknesses because of a challenging
relationship, are actually strengths and the rest of the world doesn't see things the way I do. I feel more positive and confident about the next step.
​
It was great to discuss the results of the assessment with Kayleigh as she gave me a greater understanding of what these strengths mean and how they particularly resonate with me and my role. By drilling deeper into my strengths it was interesting to understand how these relate to others in regards to little annoyances I often have in particular in my HR role with my developer strength.
​
Kayleigh was an excellent facilitator for this conversation. She made me feel completely comfortable from the outset and I look forward to further sessions.
I learnt a lot about who I am, why I act the way I do, and understanding why my parenting style is so different from my husbands. Not better or worse, just different. I really enjoyed the session, and will be looking at doing an additional follow up on in the new year, so take the next step .
​
I really understand how these themes weave through my life and actually make me tick. I now understand that each of these strengths are interconnected and don't sit alone, they super charge each other. I also realised my Learner is turned down a lot, and I need to go and find something to make my brain tick.
I loved my one on one session and found it super interesting. I feel like deep down I knew that these are kind of the values I follow/ have set for myself however I have never seen them as a strength. The session really helped me understand the power they bring to the table - at first I thought they were a bit boring but diving into each strength individually helped me understand them and myself a lot better. Thanks again, absolute great session. Already looking forward to the next one!!
​
Kayleigh was very easy to talk to with top notch analogies which helped me to better understand myself :)
​
A great and pleasant experience! Kayleigh was lovely and took me through each of my Top 5. I came out of the meeting knowing more about myself and that I am powerhouse thanks to my strengths. I have lot more clarity and direction. I would recommend doing the test and the follow-up session with Kayleigh.
​
The coaching session was fantastic, the nature of it feeling more like a conversation than a "session" helped me to feel relaxed enough to comfortably talk about my self in a positive way, something I'm normally adverse to doing. I came away from this coaching with a massive sense of positivity, looking at myself and my behaviours, both personally and professionally, with a focus on my strengths, has given me a a renewed sense of purpose.
A reason I chose Clifton Strengths is because I tend to be skeptical of systems which try to define people or group people based on a few key traits, this session felt completely personal and tailored to me with no pigeon holing.
Kayleigh presented questions and ideas to me in a way which played to my strengths, everything felt natural.
The session has given me a desire to learn how to further tune into my strengths and how I can use these in everyday life.
I feel very positive since the session and I'm very grateful for having had the time to do it, I know that my coaching with Kayleigh is something I will take with me as I go forward, it is a simple idea, but one I know I am guilty of not doing - focus on the things you're good at!
​
​
​
TESTIMONIALS and feedback
​
A great workshop to help you really think and understand how your customers want to feel and how to you create those feelings.
Thank you very much Kayleigh for an engaging and insightful workshop. The customer service experience workshop created great reflection and creative time outside of the business and sparked new ideas.
​
The session was great and was structured so that everyone could think about specific areas of their own business as well as get an insight to issues and success of other businesses.
Kayleigh delivered it professionally and enthusiastically. It was well paced and being interactive meant it was also fun as well as useful - highly recommended.
A really useful and informative session. Not just about customer experience, but structuring the business and marketing and delivery of our service.
pre - 2020 Testimonials
Please note the testimonials below are based on a different professional and personal development programme offered by Sharon, prior to her passing in 2020. I want to leave them on here, to show the impact she had on the world, and help those below keep developing because of her contribution.
Blue Mercury Leadership has continued from her passion, her experience and her dedication to people.
The vision remains the same, therefore I offer the comments below as the building blocks to
for renewed Blue Mercury.
​
Blue Mercury is grown from this strong foundation of success.
I would like to say thank you for all the tools / skill sets that you have taught me over my year of attending your leadership focus group. I have found these to be invaluable in stepping up to my new role as Silverdale branch manager.
My key learnings were:
-
Negotiation
-
Communication
-
Understanding the different stages of a high performance team and how to keep that team performing.
-
Tools
Lastly and by no means least PLANNING, EFFECTIVE DELEGATION, ENCOURAGEMENT and MOTIVATION.
I could not have had the success that I have had at Silverdale, without the use of some or all of these skills that I have learnt from Blue Mercury.
— Niel Wade,
Allied Concrete
Having completed this programme, I now feel confident and enthusiastic about striving for management-level position.
I thoroughly enjoyed the inter-active nature of the training, and the support received from Sharon and Nola throughout, was exceptional.
— Sue Harris,
Netball Mainland
I recently finished the "Lead the Way" programme coached by Sharon.
The Blue Mercury Leadership course helped me improve my relationship not only with my working team but also with my family, because I started to listen more than I talked.
I found the experience challenging and very rewarding.
I would recommend Sharon and the Blue Mercury Leadership team to people who wish to improve their interpersonal skills and be part of a winning team!
— Sandrine Smith
I really enjoyed the leadership training provided through Blue Mercury and I now feel more confident and empowered in my role as an Area Manager.
You have done a fantastic job of tailoring the training to the Tradestaff AM team, your encouragement and support is very much appreciated.
— Geoff Campbell,
TradeStaff Area Manager
I decided to do the Lead the Way course (National Certificate in Business - First Line Management (Level 4) with Sharon and Blue Mercury Leadership because I felt that that I needed to get into some more study; I think study and self-development, regardless of your age or life situation is always important.
I did this, alongside the WILSS National Certificate in Sport Administration course. As a full time working mother with two boys aged 8 and 11, this course structure allowed me to study without interrupting my other everyday commitments.
This course provides a wonderful foundation for those in organizations who are working alongside other people all the time, both paid and in volunteer positions. It gives you some guidance and support in various aspects of developing not only yourself but those around you.
The skills and knowledge gained to help you to build productive high performance teams with effective leadership. The practical knowledge gained can be applied to all aspects of life and work going forward into the future.
Sharon is an amazing and inspirational person, and without her guidance I would have really struggled. I always went away from course with a great sense of achievement, not just with the course work, but also with the other words of wisdom that Sharon uses in the delivery of her course.
I have definitely gone away from the course with a greater sense of self-ability, and strength.
Since finishing the course, I have changed jobs gaining a position in a multi-million dollar company, and now have the tools and strength to trust in my abilities going forward.
— Keri Baillie
I would like to say thank you for all the tools / skill sets that you have taught me over my year of attending your leadership focus group. I have found these to be invaluable in stepping up to my new role as Silverdale branch manager.
My key learnings were:
-
Negotiation
-
Communication
-
Understanding the different stages of a high performance team and how to keep that team performing.
-
Tools
Lastly and by no means least PLANNING, EFFECTIVE DELEGATION, ENCOURAGEMENT and MOTIVATION.
I could not have had the success that I have had at Silverdale, without the use of some or all of these skills that I have learnt from Blue Mercury.
— Niel Wade,
Allied Concrete
Having completed this programme, I now feel confident and enthusiastic about striving for management-level position.
I thoroughly enjoyed the inter-active nature of the training, and the support received from Sharon and Nola throughout, was exceptional.
— Sue Harris,
Netball Mainland
I recently finished the "Lead the Way" programme coached by Sharon.
The Blue Mercury Leadership course helped me improve my relationship not only with my working team but also with my family, because I started to listen more than I talked.
I found the experience challenging and very rewarding.
I would recommend Sharon and the Blue Mercury Leadership team to people who wish to improve their interpersonal skills and be part of a winning team!
— Sandrine Smith
I really enjoyed the leadership training provided through Blue Mercury and I now feel more confident and empowered in my role as an Area Manager.
You have done a fantastic job of tailoring the training to the Tradestaff AM team, your encouragement and support is very much appreciated.
— Geoff Campbell,
TradeStaff Area Manager
I decided to do the Lead the Way course (National Certificate in Business - First Line Management (Level 4) with Sharon and Blue Mercury Leadership because I felt that that I needed to get into some more study; I think study and self-development, regardless of your age or life situation is always important.
I did this, alongside the WILSS National Certificate in Sport Administration course. As a full time working mother with two boys aged 8 and 11, this course structure allowed me to study without interrupting my other everyday commitments.
This course provides a wonderful foundation for those in organizations who are working alongside other people all the time, both paid and in volunteer positions. It gives you some guidance and support in various aspects of developing not only yourself but those around you.
The skills and knowledge gained to help you to build productive high performance teams with effective leadership. The practical knowledge gained can be applied to all aspects of life and work going forward into the future.
Sharon is an amazing and inspirational person, and without her guidance I would have really struggled. I always went away from course with a great sense of achievement, not just with the course work, but also with the other words of wisdom that Sharon uses in the delivery of her course.
I have definitely gone away from the course with a greater sense of self-ability, and strength.
Since finishing the course, I have changed jobs gaining a position in a multi-million dollar company, and now have the tools and strength to trust in my abilities going forward.
— Keri Baillie
I would like to say thank you for all the tools / skill sets that you have taught me over my year of attending your leadership focus group. I have found these to be invaluable in stepping up to my new role as Silverdale branch manager.
My key learnings were:
-
Negotiation
-
Communication
-
Understanding the different stages of a high performance team and how to keep that team performing.
-
Tools
Lastly and by no means least PLANNING, EFFECTIVE DELEGATION, ENCOURAGEMENT and MOTIVATION.
I could not have had the success that I have had at Silverdale, without the use of some or all of these skills that I have learnt from Blue Mercury.
— Niel Wade,
Allied Concrete
Having completed this programme, I now feel confident and enthusiastic about striving for management-level position.
I thoroughly enjoyed the inter-active nature of the training, and the support received from Sharon and Nola throughout, was exceptional.
— Sue Harris,
Netball Mainland
I recently finished the "Lead the Way" programme coached by Sharon.
The Blue Mercury Leadership course helped me improve my relationship not only with my working team but also with my family, because I started to listen more than I talked.
I found the experience challenging and very rewarding.
I would recommend Sharon and the Blue Mercury Leadership team to people who wish to improve their interpersonal skills and be part of a winning team!
— Sandrine Smith
I really enjoyed the leadership training provided through Blue Mercury and I now feel more confident and empowered in my role as an Area Manager.
You have done a fantastic job of tailoring the training to the Tradestaff AM team, your encouragement and support is very much appreciated.
— Geoff Campbell,
TradeStaff Area Manager
I decided to do the Lead the Way course (National Certificate in Business - First Line Management (Level 4) with Sharon and Blue Mercury Leadership because I felt that that I needed to get into some more study; I think study and self-development, regardless of your age or life situation is always important.
I did this, alongside the WILSS National Certificate in Sport Administration course. As a full time working mother with two boys aged 8 and 11, this course structure allowed me to study without interrupting my other everyday commitments.
This course provides a wonderful foundation for those in organizations who are working alongside other people all the time, both paid and in volunteer positions. It gives you some guidance and support in various aspects of developing not only yourself but those around you.
The skills and knowledge gained to help you to build productive high performance teams with effective leadership. The practical knowledge gained can be applied to all aspects of life and work going forward into the future.
Sharon is an amazing and inspirational person, and without her guidance I would have really struggled. I always went away from course with a great sense of achievement, not just with the course work, but also with the other words of wisdom that Sharon uses in the delivery of her course.
I have definitely gone away from the course with a greater sense of self-ability, and strength.
Since finishing the course, I have changed jobs gaining a position in a multi-million dollar company, and now have the tools and strength to trust in my abilities going forward.
— Keri Baillie
Yeay, I passed!!
Having not studied for several years I was a little apprehensive about signing up for the First Line Business Management Course. – Now, having done the course I can honestly say it has definitely set me on an awesome career pathway.
With the support and encouragement given by staff at Blue Mercury I learnt how to set goals, work to a timetable, research information, and gained skills to present to an audience with the confidence and knowledge that what I am delivering is easily understood both verbally and in written format.
I still go back to the tutors from time to time and run questions past them - that’s the great thing about Blue Mercury – even after you have completed the course they are still there to support you 100%.
The whole program is amazing and promote it wherever I can – if you are looking to further your knowledge, add an extra tool to your toolbox, or looking for something a little bit different – GO FOR IT – you should never stop learning!
— Jeni Nunn
Primary School Events Coordinator, (SBOP)
Completing Strength Finder gave me greater insight into what drives me, how my mannerisms can affect others, and how I can be more successful by using my strengths in conjunction with each other.
I have found myself more conscious of how I approach tasks and interact with those around me.
I would highly recommend this process to anyone looking to enhance their natural abilities and glean an insight into who they really are.
Sharon’s debrief session is amazing and while I knew my strengths, I had no comprehension of how they impacted me on a daily basis.
— Shelly
— Shelley
Sharon helped me uncover and understand how and why I work.
This has really helped me with the way I approach potential clients & market myself.
The information learnt will not only benefit my business life but personal one too.
Thanks Sharon you are an amazing lady.
— Lynda Walters-Smith
Lead the way has been an amazing journey that has given me the confidence to lead my team properly and get better results.
— Nathan Brown
Hydra Plumbing Supplies
— Shelley
Sharon has this wonderful trait of teasing the best out of people. Sitting quietly in the background in one of her coaching sessions is not possible.
She ensures that all are engaged and personally challenged while not being intimidated.
All of my staff members have left her sessions with a positive energised outlook that has endured in the workplace.
— Brian Godfrey
National Training Manager, Allied Concrete
Sharon’s Personal Brand course has made the single biggest difference in my business.
She has helped me realise how good I can be and helped me find my own style.
I would recommend to anyone who thinks they could be better in their role, especially if that role includes personal relationships.
— Matt Richens
Financial Adviser
When I first heard about Lead the Way I can safely say my life was a mess. Not in the sense of anything dramatic, but I was late (everywhere), disorganized, and negative – about everything.
To be totally honest I was struggling. I wasn’t doing my job well, I was pushing my body to the point I had shin splints in both legs and feet and was sick what felt like all of the time, and if there was a negative in a conversation with my friends and family I could find it. I had lost my way.
I was then encouraged to do Lead the Way. To begin with I could not imagine anything worse, where was I going to find the time to study among everything else? But slowly the idea took hold and I signed up. Lead the Way changed me, and still impacts my everyday decisions three years later.
In a work sense I am more organized and now have the skills to get the best out of the team I work with. I changed my communication style, become more organized, and now plan every meeting I go into. I also have more confidence in myself and am continually working with my team to achieve our goals, which in turn allows us to achieve our company objectives. Lead the Way changed my mindset and encouraged me to come up with solutions to issues, and an action plan for these solutions so they are put into place.
A lot of what I learnt along the way transitioned into my everyday life, my time management improved, which includes scheduling in time to cook and eat the meals my body needs to train and remain healthy. In my volunteer role I become easier to deal with as I had the skills to reach our objectives in the timelines required. I also learnt about buying into the politics’ of a sport and the impact other people’s attitudes can have on your personal mindset.
The most noticeable difference across both work and personal was my attitude. Gone was the sulky, negative person who was scared to step outside her comfort zone. She was replaced by a confident, on time, positive, young woman who will push her boundaries in every way possible to improve and be a better person than she was the day before.
— Jane Hickmott
Business Development Manager, MasterCard
I completed the 'Personal Brand' leadership course with Sharon and found it to be invaluable in both my business and personal life.
She helped me to concentrate on my delivery, including communication, voice modulation and consistency to name just a few.
This course was comprehensive and educational and I would recommend it to anyone who is considering taking up a leadership role, or wishes to improve their leadership skills.
Sharon's expert knowledge was conveyed in a professional yet friendly manner and I cannot recommend her more highly.
— Trish Lawrence
Sharon's Leadership course has taken me through a journey to challenge, explore and condense all aspects of leadership in a practical manner.
This has allowed me to move my business to the next level - highly recommended
:- )
— Maria Gold