Past participants have engaged
in a fast-paced, interactive process that was developed
around multiple topics: organization, motivation, leadership,
strategy, marketing, recruiting, performance appraisal,
accounting, finance, legal, productivity and succession.
Participants, having attended one of more of the MBA
Impact workshops,
had this to say after the session:
"I thoroughly enjoyed the class and walked away
with several key thoughts I plan on integrating into
my daily managerial demands. I also plan on utilizing
some of the tools to pass on to lower level managers
who will also benefit from what I learned from you
and Del during the MBA Impact: Essentials workshop.
Thanks again."
-- Forrest W. Arthur, General
Manager, Santa Lucia Community Services District, Carmel
Valley, California.
"What a learning experience! Dr. Del Mank and
Jim Bracher incorporated valuable materials into
fast action managerial insights with humor and passion."
-- Albert
Bettencourt, Assistant Director
of Security, Community Hospital of
the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey, California.
"Thank you very much for providing the very informative
MBA Impact - Insights - Finance and Human Resources
workshop. I really appreciate you taking the
time to meet everyone before you started the
morning session enabling us to connect with
others. The November 7 workshop was very informative. I
truly feel that integrity in all parts of life is
fundamental. Being true to yourself and your
employees is a must. I enjoyed the personality
tests. As a manager I feel it is important to know
the type of person you are and the type of employees
you have working for you. Knowing characteristic
traits of people can help you avoid conflicts, allowing
for greater successes. The financial portion
presented by opened my eyes to efficient and effective
ways to apply financial ratios. I hope to see
you at your next workshop."
-- Tom Bramers, Sales Manager,
River Ranch Fresh Foods, Salinas, California
"In today's competitive business world where results
at any cost equal success, this workshop can serve
as a guideline for doing business with integrity
and honesty. I would recommend this workshop to any
new or veteran manager."
-- Hugo Cazares,
Director of Field Operations , Mann Packing Co., Salinas, California.
"You and Del bring a wonderful mix of information,
strategic in its presentation, yet attending to all
types of learning styles. Your story telling
approach and Del's scientific approach meld the beauty
of business very graciously. It was a truly
revitalizing presentation for anyone looking to get
a boost on business and life, and learn a few things
they may not have picked up along the way.
My take away was valuable and I will gladly recommend
the program to my colleagues. I look forward
to the in-depth class next year, and of course, if
it's at Tehama; that in itself is one of the biggest
reasons for attendance. We are blessed with
such beauty in our area; thank you for giving me
yet another opportunity to appreciate it."
-- Jillian M. Clark, General
Manager, Kitchen Studio of Monterey, Inc., Seaside, California.
It truly was a wonderful, information-packed day.
One of the best seminars that I have attended in
years. I will certainly recommend it to others in
the future.
"Truly one of the most informative and rewarding
days I've spent...the objectives were clear, the
information concise, and I continue to think about
how to apply the materials to my daily business interactions.
I was surrounded by professionals eager to learn
and Jim and Del were as eager to deliver and see
us succeed with these MBA principles in mind."
I'll place a tentative hold on my calendar regarding
February 27.
Thank you for being so timely and responsive.
-- Ronda S. Combs, Risk & Compliance
Manager, California State University Monterey Bay Seaside, California.
"For non-finance managers, MBA Impact: Essentials is
powerful, concise, informative and necessary. Bracher
and Mank are outstanding instructors with well organized
materials presented in an exciting and engaging style.
Positive leadership concepts are interwoven with
essential business tools. One of the best days I've
ever spent in my own professional development."
-- Robert W. Coon,
Vice President, Menlo Worldwide, San Mateo, California.
"I sat on my response for a few days so I could
process the material (and there was a lot of material
to process). In terms of my personal experience with
the MBA Impact: Essentials seminar,
in my current circumstances, I found the
section on motivation beneficial and more specifically;
Alderfer's ERG model, the impact of our "corporate
culture" and being wise in terms of how I seek
to motivate my staff."
-- Brian Cosgrove, Security
Supervisor, Community Hospital of
the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey, California.
"Jim and Del make a formidable team in delivering
MBA Impact: Essentials. Their deep experience and
complementary styles allow them to address a surprising
level of detail on a broad range of topics,
while keeping the session fun. This is quality education!"
-- Christopher Cross,
Director Global Education, McData Corporation, Broomfield, Colorado.
"The MBA Impact-Insights-Financial and Human Resources workshop was a very informative and eye-opening experience. I went into the seminar not sure what to expect, but I left with a clear understanding of my personal management style, as well as a clearer focus on the core problems that may occur in the office on a day-to-day basis. I came into the seminar with plans for change in my department, and the lectures and workbook examples gave me the means of executing those changes successfully. Only time will tell, but I feel that this seminar has given me the focus and tools I need to be successful in my role as a manager."
-- Ayumi Dairoku, Accounting Manager, The Salinas Californian, Salinas, California.
"The one day workshop is very well organized.
It does cover a considerable amount of material.
I can't help wondering what the retention level will
be for some of the participants. Perhaps the workshop
is designed to give people an overview of a business
course and no one is expected to remember the details
of the material. The workshop should be helpful
to anyone who is relatively new to management. They
should follow-up with specific courses at the university
level on those subjects they need to know more about
in order to be more effective as managers."
-- John H. "Jack" Davis, Pebble
Beach, California.
"The MBA Impact: Essentials is
a powerful one day seminar which delivers specific
ideas to motivate and inspire others. As attendees,
we were given valuable information in the MBA modules
that will enable us to lead with a greater understanding
of all areas of business - leadership strategy, marketing,
production, legal and finance. With the inspiring
words of Jim Bracher and the practical MBA essentials
from Del Mank, this is a comprehensive seminar suited
for current and prospective leaders."
-- Mary Echevarria,
Director, Finance and Human Resources Denise Duffy & Associates,
Inc., Monterey, California.
"The MBA Impact: Essentials Workshop
was a very well spent day! The combination of both
practical and thought provoking information regarding
business management will be used on a daily basis
in my position as Controller of Joullian Vineyards.
Thank you for the invitation to join you in the inaugural
event. I will personally recommend the upcoming July
11 workshop to others very highly. Much success in
the future MBA Impact events!"
-- Robert H. Fain Jr.,
Controller, Joullian Vineyards, Carmel, California.
"I really enjoyed the MBA Impact: Essentials workshop
yesterday. It reminded me once again of the importance
of valuing people. I found the practical financial
tools essential in business dealings particularly
helpful to me, as well as the explanation of terminologies
and strategies. There were great insights for dealing
with and understanding employees, their needs and
their assets.
In a world of changing realities and shifting paradigms,
it is essential for the leaders of tomorrow to arm
themselves with every possible advantage. This good
solid business information crosses over all boundaries
and applies in many industries."
-- Kay Filice,
Owner, Filice Farms, LP, Hollister, California.
"I found your course to be broad in its business
applications, detailed, fast paced and enjoyably
presented. You have my endorsement.
I would enjoy covering all of the chapters again
over a longer period (perhaps 3 days for four hours
each day) and drilling down a little deeper. Also,
I would enjoy following detailed case studies to
illustrate important key business concepts. Both
successes (turn-a-rounds) and failures. Glad to have
spent the day with you all."
-- Kurt Gollnick, Chief
Operating Officer, Scheid Vineyards, Salinas, California.
"Thank you Jim for an inspiring day! I
have been using your materials already as I am planning
for new hires. They gave me some excellent
ideas to incorporate into my hiring practices - not
a minute too soon! Once again, thank you for
helping me on my path to continued professional growth
and development."
-- Siobhan Green,
Executive Director, CASA of Monterey County, Salinas, California.
"I found two parts of the workshop particularly
valuable. One is the section about types of personalities
and the awareness of the personality types in an
organization. I have found this kind of information
to be invaluable in functioning effectively within
a staff.
The second is in the area of strategic planning
and the clear definition of values, mission, vision,
environment, etc. All too often non profit organizations
miss the step and continue on a day to day basis
without adequate longer range planning. I found the
workshop to be concise, fast moving and a good overview
of the various aspects of business. It was helpful
for me to understand some of the business terms used
in the for profit world."
-- Beverly
Grova, Dean of Advancement, Hartnell College, Salinas, California.
"I attended your MBA Impact seminar last week and
while I am a long time CEO I enjoyed the day very
much and took away a number of things with me that
I feel will be of significant value. I am looking
forward to getting other of my staff members enrolled
to go through this course as I can see when they
will surely benefit. The section on Finance stood
out in my mind as a wonderful tool for those without
accounting backgrounds but with bottom line responsibility
to aid them in understanding basic accounting valuations
and ratios. I think this is the best I have seen
on this subject. Great job and continue the good
work."
-- L. Cade Havard,
Chairman, CEO, Ecom PPO.Com, Inc., Dallas, Texas
MBA Impact: Essentials is
excellent for those who would like to understand
the important concepts in business in a day-long
format. There are some categories which are just
exceptional, for example the Finance section takes difficult
concepts from accounting and finance and makes them
very easy for anyone to understand. In other sections
the combination of Jim Bracher "the strategist" and
Darrel Mank "the technician" deliver
pearls of wisdom across a very diverse set of topics.
-- Chuck Hixton,
Vice-President, Indicative Software, Southlake, Texas.
"The MBA Impact: Essentials workshop
on effective leadership was time well invested. The
subject matter was presented in a very logical sequence.
The training confirmed to me that people in leadership
positions are cut from the same mold and they have
similar character traits. People look to the leader
to establish the company's cultural identity. Jim
and Del's illustrations through sharing past
experiences brought each topic front and center to
the audience. They were excellent presenters because
they were good listeners who had a wealth of experience
to share. They also stuck to the schedule while taking
time to answer questions from participants. Behind
the scenes attention to detail items that I appreciated
was the way Jim, Jane and Del took the
time to greet participants when they arrived,
the working lunch, which took advantage of every
minute, the venue was conducive to learning and the
custom training binder was a nice touch. I recommend
this workshop highly to people in leadership positions
looking to find something that gives them the edge."
-- Ron Johnson,
Vice President of Operations, Boys & Girls
Clubs of Monterey County, Seaside, California.
"Jim's & Del's preparation,
professionalism and practice of the principles discussed
made not only for an educational day, but also an
enjoyable day. Their ability to "cut
through" large amounts of information across
several key business areas and reduce it to digestible "courses" is
exceptional."
-- Clyde W.
Klaumann, Owner, Peninsula Property
Maintenance, Carmel, California.
"The MBA Impact™: Essentials program
offers business and organizational leaders a means
of obtaining a succinct and quickly applicable set
of business tools through their easy to comprehend
presentations. The MBA Impact™ program
offers a key points refresher course of critical
MBA principles that all business and organizations
can benefit from. This is one of the most intense
yet enlightening experiences that any business leader
can experience in one day, a highly understandable
and practical approach to organizational management."
-- Sharan Lanini,
Agricultural Consultant, Salinas, California.
"I certainly benefited from your seminar,
realizing the tremendous importance of integrity.
You are an amazing man and I have the utmost respect
for you and everyone involved in your group. I only
wish that I had felt a little better. I normally
have much more energy. It is always a great day when
you can walk away with more knowledge and feel good
about the person you are and what you do."
-- Lee Ann Luongo,
Sr. Development Associate, Boys & Girls Clubs
of Monterey County, Seaside, California.
"Thank you for suggesting that I attend the MBA
Impact: Essentials workshop. I was not
sure as to how this would impact my life, but after
the workshop was over, I could see how it would
benefit many aspects of my personal and professional
life. Since I serve on several foundations, boards
and nonprofit groups, it was clear that many of
the topics you presented are central to my responsibilities
as a board member. MBA Impact: Essentials certainly
impacted my personal life, our family businesses
along with charitable foundations that I serve.
Thank you again for a well organized and educational
day."
-- Susan Merrill,
Owner, Merrill Farms, Salinas, California.
"The MBA Impact: Essentials workshop provided our
family business a multi-generation set of tools to
sustain values, support teamwork and communication
while adding to our skills in marketing, finance,
strategy, production, hiring and legal. Our three
generation's of attendees from Mills Family Farms
walked away informed and inspired and we are able
to implement what we learned immediately."
-- Basil E. Mills,
President, Mills Family Farms, Salinas, California.
"Wonderful course and review of the essential elements
of running and organizing your business and your
life! Jim and Del bring to the surface the solid
and sound elements that are essential for strong
leadership and combine their presentation with a
sense of humor that keeps the program light, fun
and grounded with real life application and insight.
I'm glad our group was in attendance."
-- David G. Mills,
Senior Vice President, Mills Family Farms, Salinas,
California.
"First of all, I would like to thank you for
putting together an MBA Impact
- Insights educational
package, which has the potential to revolutionize
our approach to doing business as usual. I am currently
in the non-profit arena but having been in the profit
sector and I can attest to finding business practices
all over the spectrum. Your MBA Impact workshops,
both the Essentials and now the Insights, go to the
core of any business transaction by posing the underlying
question: Is this the right thing to do? MBA
Impact Essentials and Insights have given me the
basic tools and inspiration to work with my
own team in implementing our mission more proactively.
I know our community and especially our youth will
benefit from our commitment to always do what is
right."
-- Jose Moran, Development Coordinator,
Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County, Salinas,
California
Your workshops have provided me with business tools
that have helped shape my approach with selling and
delivering services. Your straight-forward
methods for addressing interpersonal issues allow
efficient and effective actions that still come across
in a caring and kindly way. The Nickel Philosophy
is a great reminder of priority setting at work and
at home. Your questions around interviewing
are burned in my thought pattern: 1. Do I like
the person? 2. What has the individual
accomplished that required serious commitment and
sacrifice? 3. What does the person
do for others simply because it might be the right
thing to do? You call these your LIKE, SACRIFICE
and DIVINE questions.
Your approach makes a difference.
-- Robert "Ducky" O'Toole, PGA
Professional, DNA Golf, Carmel, California.
"It was very enjoyable being a part of the inaugural
Leadership seminar. I thought the workshop was very
well done and educational. I particularly liked the
Organization, Motivation and Leadership section along
with the Finance portion of the program. I agree
with you that the three most important things to
know to be successful are how to say "thank you", "please" and "I'm
sorry". By saying these three things and coupling
them with a handshake to "seal the deal" the complexities
of life seem to be facilitated.
I appreciate the time and energy both you and Dr.
Mank invested in this seminar. It shows in the quality
of your lectures and presentations. I like what you
are starting and am proud to be a part of it. Keep
up the great work."
-- John Pietro,
Head Golf Professional, Santa Lucia Community,
Services District, Carmel Valley, California.
"The MBA Impact: Essentials workshop
opened my mind to the management facets that one
needs to understand and balance to transition effectively
to a leadership role in a high growth organization."
-- Glenn Price,
Director of Sales - Central Region, Indicative
Software, Fort Collins, Colorado.
"Thank you first of all for a wonderfully fulfilling
day. I cannot get over the mountain of material you
covered in a day. I found it all practical and useful.
I would strongly endorse business professionals
to attend your MBA Essentials workshop. What I liked
most about the day were the core values that continued
to be reinforced. In today's world and in the work
place I see it as paramount for employees to have
a grounded foundation. Integrity Matters provides
a value based foundation for the young professional.
I endorse Integrity Matters and what it stands for.
I like how you come right out and explain how important
it is to be gracious. Say thank you and mean it.
I look forward to staying in touch."
-- Chris Pryor,
General Manager, The Ranch Club, The Santa Lucia
Preserve, Carmel Valley California.
"Many thanks for the opportunity to attend the July
11th MBA Impact: Essentials Workshop at
Tehama Golf Club. Your outstanding program gave a
comprehensive and in-depth look at the essence of
good leadership and provided penetrating insights
into the many challenges facing both businesses and
non profits today. The caliber of the workshop was
excellent, and the breadth of topics covered during
the course of the day was truly amazing. With a wonderful
mixture of theory, best practice, common sense, humor
and an on-point story or two from the real world,
the presentation was lively, engaging, beneficial
and ultimately inspiring. Rarely do I leave a conference
more energized and invigorated than when I first
came, but at the conclusion of MBA Impact, I couldn't
wait to get back to work and begin again. You and
Dr. Darrel Mank make a magnificently effective team,
and you have put together an invaluable and highly
useful workshop that I enthusiastically recommend
to all those in leadership positions. BRAVO!"
-- Michele Rench, Head
of School, All Saints' Episcopal Day School, Carmel,
California.
"Thank you for providing the MBA Impact:
Seminar. As you know, it's been a while
since I was in your "portrait" program, and the
seminar was an excellent review and reminder of
some of the material we went over during that process.
The leadership philosophy you espouse and your
entire integrity message has always hit a chord
with me. It was helpful to have some of that knowledge
refreshed and expanded on, and it gives me pleasure
to know you will be spreading this message to more
leaders through this program.
"The MBA materials were crisp, clear and helpful.
I've been exposed to some of the "business material" before,
but there was quite a bit that I hadn't seen and
it was a well thought out overview of such a broad
range of material. Dr. Del Mank is also an effective
presenter. It's always a pleasure to have somebody
explaining the material who is obviously so in command
of it."
-- Bryan Richter,
Principal Engineer, Wyse Technology, Fremont, California.
"The inaugural MBA Impact: Essentials workshop
was by far the most valuable one day class that I
have ever attended. The sessions were well planned,
and well paced, and the information covered a wide
variety of topics associated with leadership in an
organization. The speakers were knowledgeable and
the information was presented with clarity and with
humor. I look forward to the offering of additional MBA
Impact workshops."
-- Sandy Rosenbaum,
Administrative Director, All Saints' Day School,
Carmel, California.
"I would like to congratulate you and Dr. Mank on
providing an exceptional one day management seminar.
The MBA Essentials truly did hit the essentials that
will assist managers in the important aspects of
effective business management. It was refreshing
to attend a seminar / workshop that wasn't touchy
feely but concise, relevant, and on point. A day
well spent."
-- Kevin R. Saunders, Executive
Director, California State University Monterey
Bay - Auxiliary Corporations, Seaside, California.
"Your May 23 MBA Impact: Essentials workshop
at Tehama far exceeded my expectations and those
of three of my associates who also came away with
insights that will be practically applied in our
business environment, immediately. The "take-home" value
was and is real. The pay-back benefits certainly
exceeded the time and dollars invested. On another
note, this workshop is perfect for anyone who is
or intends to be a valuable member of a board of
directors."
-- Andy Smith,
Owner, Andrew Smith Company, Salinas, California.
"Once again thank you for providing your May 23rd
Inaugural MBA Impact: Essentials workshop.
I recommend Bracher Center's MBA Impact workshops
for entrepreneurs, whether they are working in a
start-up or a larger enterprise. The program offers
substance and content for all business owners. For
me the section dealing with "identifying talent" hit
a home run. Further, I am already applying these
practical insights to my practice immediately."
-- James C. Sterbick,
Branch Manager, LPL Financial, Monterey, California.
"Finally, a workshop that is more than just a vague,
refresher course. The material covered was meaningful
and thought provoking. I look forward to the next
session and what further insight can be given to
driving a successful business."
-- Machell Sterbick, Designer,
Kitchen Studio of Monterey Peninsula, Seaside,
California
"Thank you for providing such an excellent overview
of the essentials of business in such a gorgeous
site. It helped clarify several of my objectives
and provided insight into the direction for the future.
I look forward to participating in some of the more
advanced seminars."
-- Gary Stowe, Owner, Stowe
Contracting, Marina, California.
"The MBA Impact: is a powerful, concise, informative and most importantly down to earth one-day seminar. It delivers some great ideas in motivation and inspires leadership strategy. Jim Bracher and Del Mank provided some practical tools that can be utilized in all area of leadership / Management / marketing / legal and finance. Their experience and deep desire/ passion for providing their message of learning was outstanding. I would recommend this workshop for any organization that is seeking improvement and a direction of excellence. This was a quality workshop."
-- Sid B. Turner, Battalion Chief, Salinas Fire Department, Salinas, California.
"Thank you to you and your staff for presenting MBA
Impact: Essentials workshop. I work in
the field of health-care at Community Hospital
of the Monterey Peninsula have only recently been
promoted to a supervisory position. Now there are
15 staff members I am responsible for and your
May 23 workshop gave me very useful tools to help
me manage and grow our department.
I look forward to attending more of your workshops
in the future and will recommend them to others."
-- Forest Weber,
Supervisor, Patient Transport Department, Community
Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey, California.
"Great seminar! Who needs an MBA when you've got MBA
Impact? Jim Bracher and Del Mank provided
a good overview of all the important business issues
that members of middle and upper management are
faced with every day."
-- Rich Weissmann, Finance Manager,
Sipex Corporation Milpitas, California.
