Caralyn Cooley
Bowery Farming
New York, NY
“Amira has worked with Bowery Farming to deliver two amazing leadership experiences so far -- one for our VP+ group and one for our Exec Leadership Team. I've attended dozens of leadership offsites in my career and what Amira designs and delivers is truly exceptional.
For both experiences, Amira spent time getting to know our team and then designed two-day experiences that were curated for our specific needs. She is a skilled facilitator and coach with excellent intuition. She was able to quickly build credibility and connect with people of different backgrounds, experiences and strengths. She is able to read a room, make real-time adjustments and go off-script to get the best possible experience, and she does a great job of balancing tools / frameworks (like StrengthsFinder and the 5 Dysfunctions) with deep discussion, problem solving, action planning and fun. Our teams came out of the experience with a strong foundation of trust and a much clearer mandate for where we're heading together.
I am so grateful for Amira's expertise and partnership.”
Danielle Vogel
Glen's Garden Market
Washington, DC
On Culture Consulting
“We asked Amira to create and execute a plan for assessing morale at our company. The result was an incredibly detailed report on the state of our culture. Her observations were honest and actionable. They allowed us to take steps to fundamentally improve our employees' experience, and as a result, our company has become a better place to work -- and an easier place to run. It was the most honest assessment I've ever received in my professional career. The value of her work was tremendous.”
On Executive Coaching
“As a relatively inexperienced manager and sole proprietor, I've found it particularly challenging to resolve high-level personnel issues without the benefit of a full-time collaborator. As my executive coach, Amira has bridged that gap. She is as brilliant as she is forthright, and her ability to listen, challenge and activate has dramatically improved my decision-making process. Her insights have made me a better manager and a more confident business owner.”
Mike Greeson
AUVSI
Alexandria, VA
“Working with Amira provides a safe place to discuss vulnerabilities, areas for improvement and to receive the kind of radically honest feedback that most aren’t willing to provide. It’s also an opportunity to dedicate time for self-improvement, identifying goals and developing a strategy to accomplish them. She gives you the accountability necessary to stay on track and motivation to dedicate the time necessary to achieve your goals. I wouldn’t have accomplished what I did without her.”
Bassem Girgis
Akina Pharmacy
Alexandria, VA
“It is hard to know where to start after our team has worked closely with Amira to truly transform the way our organization functions - from company culture, sales and marketing, to operations. She did not leave a stone unturned. Amira is highly invested, very practical, and clearly experienced. She worked closely with me and my team on an organizational culture change initiative. Well, that's how it started and her approach turned it into so much more than just that. She led us through a comprehensive diagnostic process, investing quality time with every team member, and was quickly able to pinpoint the critical issues and opportunities that required attention. Her practical recommendations and thoughtful strategies have allowed us to confidently forge a clear path forward.
I've worked with many consultants in the past, and Amira has set the bar to a whole new level. She really has perfected the art of listening and was able to build the scope of work around the true needs of our organization. This is rare in the world of consulting, yet Amira has perfected it. Her devotion to our mission was crystal clear with every interaction, and she delivered above and beyond my expectations.
What truly amazed me was her commitment to follow through on every recommendation made and solution offered. She didn't just disappear, but instead she remained hands on as we implemented her recommendations, carefully and strategically. Amira truly dug deep to get to the very root of the issues we were having, and areas that could be better. Her ability to navigate through this process and identify the true issues is second to none. The issues we identified weren't covered up with a bandage, they went away for good. When you walk through our doors, you wouldn't even recognize us from one-year ago. The leadership team is connected and strong. The entire staff is happy and unified. This has even directly impacted customer satisfaction. To say the least, I HIGHLY recommend Amira!”
Sophie Silkes
e180
Montreal, CA
“We embarked on a strategic project to develop our company's first-ever marketing plan together with Amira because we were confident that with her guidance and mentorship, incredible work would unfold. Her expert coaching through this project has been invaluable!”
Heather Lee Landers
AUVSI
Alexandria, VA
“As I completed my first year in a new role leading a team of seasoned senior executives, I decided to focus on building stronger ties and on creating a more collaborative and supportive environment within my team. I knew immediately that I had to hire Amira because she is one of the most deeply insightful, thoughtful and thorough people I know -- I trust her implicitly.
Amira took us individually and collectively on a personalized leadership development journey using StrengthsFinder. Her commitment to helping us succeed in learning more about ourselves and our teammates came through so strongly. Every team member knew instantly how knowledgeable, passionate and dedicated she was—and that led to people rallying to take the initiative seriously, being engaged and enjoying themselves through the process. As a result, we now have a new shared language to celebrate one another. We more clearly get what makes each of us tick, and are more intentional about leveraging each others' talents to accomplish our goals collaboratively.”
Benton Crane
Harmon Brothers
Provo, UT
“Amira helped me design our company’s first executive retreat. The focus was discovering our WHY so we would have clear direction on how to steer the company's future. It was actually a lot harder than it sounds and Amira's expertise and guidance made all the difference. If you need a thoughtful partner with a clear vision, Amira is your person. If you need a memorable and business-shifting experience for your team, Manifesta is the way to go.“
Paul Brewster
Roundabout Theatre Company
New York, NY
“What a fantastic day and I’m hoping this is a sustained relationship of coaching for our team to focus on collaboration, strengths, and productive outcomes! I was so impressed with your authentic presence and responsiveness to the room. We’re a tough bunch! Thanks for what you do, and do so well!!”
Bruce McNamer
Greater Washington Community Foundation
Washington, DC
“We had a chance to work with Amira as we introduced the StrengthsFinder assessment and methodology to our staff. She was terrific! She is whip-smart, organized, understands Strengths cold, and is a real professional. More than that, though, Amira is a remarkably, warm, empathic and engaging guide and facilitator. We had a first rate experience, and I would enthusiastically recommend Amira to any organization!”
Paul Allen
SOAR
Provo, UT
“If you care about your employees and customers, and how they feel when experiencing your brand, you will never give a better gift to them than by asking Amira to help you bring your brand to life.
She maximizes every moment of the experience, through the words, images, videos, events, and experiences she creates to help your people feel loved, wanted, valued. And to learn something they won't forget.
Her strategic thinking and planning is world class—and lightning fast. She seems to know and feel in advance everything that matters—she just needs to be asked. She flies into motion, sparks ideas and engages others, and crafts a plan that might take other teams weeks to conceive. She's amazing and brilliant, and warmer, kinder and more fun to work with than anyone.”
Justin Rosengarten
Glen's Garden Market
Washington, DC
“Through insightful, results driven methodology — Amira empowered me to think bigger and more boldly about my goals; carefully guiding my way toward rapid personal and professional growth. If it weren't for Amira, chronically debilitating thought patterns and vague ideas of success would still be the source of great frustration in my work. Instead, through her uniquely precise, qualified, and grounded approach I have broken through all that, achieving clarity of purpose and new perspective on effective leadership.
Bottom line. If you know you have the tools but your tool box is a mess — investing your time with Amira would probably be a good idea. So go for it!”
Andy Ellwood
Basket
Arlington, VA
“When designing our office to match our company and culture and prepare for the surge of growth we recently experienced, Amira and Manifesta created the absolutely perfect physical space for us to inhabit and begin the next chapter of our company. From overall layout to small, but extremely impactful, design touches, our office is not just a functional office, but a place where amazing stories and breakthroughs can happen.”
Kristin Meek
WYLD
Fairfax, Va
“I have a space that represents my work and my spirit that I thrive in and can invite others into — I believe our places represent and share the invisible parts of who we are and what we value immediately to others and Amira and Lori manifested my hopes and dreams into [a space] I cherish and am proud of. They also helped me stretch myself as a creative and learn new and better ways to communicate my internal vision in an external way. If you want to create a space and place that truly serves you in functionality and embodies you in style and soul, Amira and Lori will take you on a journey and make that vision a reality for you. It's impossible not to love them and learn from their leadership and partnership.”
Torrance Hart
Teak & Twine
Washington, DC
“After working with Amira, we have a clear accountability chart, a scorecard and our Level 10 meetings are moving the needle like never before! It's the foundation we were looking for to continue growing! Amira is amazing. She's professional, an outstanding communicator, and knows her stuff. She was the perfect person to guide us, and provide the expert opinion we needed to weigh big decisions.”
