Success Stories

“Working with Rhonda Morton and Savannah Consulting is a truly different experience than I’ve ever had with a coach or consultant—she really understands the deep synergy essential for a highly successful team. Likewise, she has a great sense of the nuance of both explicit and implicit communication and uses the FEBI assessment to explain and develop strategies specific to a working group. Our workshop truly opened new avenues of discussion for The Rockwell Museum staff through a mutual understanding of work styles and approaches to peers based on that information. The shared experience wasn’t just a binder that was placed on the shelf after we were done with the workshop, but was a deep and honest conversation that continues to be a touchpoint referenced in discussions and meetings across teams and departments. Likewise, it has informed our work process as we move forward in an effort to tweak and refine the systems of an already high-functioning and successful team. Rhonda is an amazing resource for leaders across all levels of any organization or team.” 

“As the Executive Director of a non-profit, I continually return to the lessons I learned in the Launchpad program. One of the most important things I learned was the connection between the body and the mind. ‘Trusting my gut’ is not just a euphemism. It is accessing a source of valuable knowledge that can be applied to my work life, as well as my personal life. The connection goes in both directions. By intentionally moving my body, I can impact my emotional well-being and capacity for leadership. The mind-body connection is only one aspect of what I learned from Launchpad. Launchpad is an invaluable tool for anyone seeking to be empowered in their career and more centered in their personal life.”

“I had the privilege to meet with Rhonda several times through her capacity as a coach. Rhonda has a unique ability to read between the lines of your words and body language to help you understand the heart of the matter, the thing or things that may be keeping you from realizing your potential, things that may seem as though they could never be connected. Rhonda helped me to see that if I am going to be the leader my team needs, and help bring peace to their chaotic and stressful day-to-day grind, I have to look into myself to ensure my own mind, body, and soul are at peace. After meeting with Rhonda, I am more relaxed, more comfortable in my own skin (I mean that literally) and in my role as a leader.”

“Rhonda Morton has changed the way I think about giving presentations. Her help was absolutely essential to Combplex winning a combined $750k in the GrowNY and 76West pitch competitions. Rhonda coached me with breath work and physical positioning to make sure I felt strong, and that every moment of my presentation was powerful. Her help crafting our company’s story made a big difference. Rhonda’s unique insights were a wonderful blend of theater experience, language craft, and psychology that transformed talking on stage from a nerve-wracking necessity to a joyful delight. I highly recommend Rhonda Morton to anyone looking to next-level their presentation and speaking skills.”

“I lead an academic center which works with underserved rural and American Indian communities in Montana. When I had done personal coaching with Rhonda, I found her to be extremely approachable, able to drill down to the issues very quickly while holding the big picture in mind, and adept at removing physical and mental stumbling blocks. So I asked her to do one-on-one coaching with our 18 staff members and faculty investigators, and then she facilitated an amazing one-day workshop for us in Montana. At the workshop, she led us in team- and small-group exercises. We had loads of fun! And our center reaped many benefits such as closer working relationships, more team spirit, and much less reticence to work together on projects. Individually, many of the junior faculty said it was so fantastic that they wanted her back, and could I pay for more one-on-one coaching? Several people have continued coaching on their own with her to help advance their careers. She has really infused a lot of self-confidence in faculty who were burning out, losing focus, and feeling lost. I highly recommend Rhonda as an excellent, insightful, and impactful coach able to move individuals and teams forward!”

“I’ve spent more time with myself than anyone else on this planet has, so I figured I knew myself pretty well. All it took was forty minutes into my first one-on-one session with Rhonda to realize just how wrong I was. Rhonda urged me to confront my fears and helped me unlock my deep, subconscious thought. She helped expose these honest truths that lived within that I never had the words to describe or the tools to recognize. I learned how this thought had manifested into my physical habits and became a detriment to me socially, professionally, and personally. Bringing this to light, learning how to change it, and going through these stages with a group of like-minded women was a powerful experience that prompted me to make changes I needed at that time in my life.”

“Looking to ignite organizational passion in your employees? Look no further than the Women Leaders Launchpad led by Rhonda Morton, whose inspirational prowess will empower your emerging leaders to transform as individuals, resulting in more efficient, driven, productive employees. Rhonda’s engaging persona makes her the guru of perspective transformation. For me, Launchpad has been the greatest gift of my professional career. Working with Rhonda and other empowering women in the community has transformed my life, both professionally and personally. Rhonda helped me believe in myself, my abilities, and my potential, giving me the tools to make lasting change.”

“We worked with Rhonda to hone several of our pitches to different audiences—a “go-to-market” pitch, an investor pitch, and a 3.5-minute Demo Day pitch.  She was great in listening to our ideas and guiding us to produce a pitch that harmonized with our delivery style and our message.  Rhonda’s help with our pitching has been an integral factor in the success we have had so far, and I would highly recommend her as a pitch coach for new ventures.”

“Rhonda is so much more than a coach. I thought that we’d be following a more ‘conventional’ path, starting with the FEBI, toward helping me manage my business better. We went much deeper than that in very important ways to root out the challenges I was facing and put me on a better trajectory. I really appreciate the depth and breadth of her abilities, incorporating movement, voice and other modalities to break through barriers. I highly recommend working with Rhonda to discover the myriad ways that she can be helpful and transformative in your business and life.”

“I was so excited to take the Women’s Leaders Launchpad program with Rhonda! She’s intuitive and compassionate, and the Launchpad program is reflective of that. Learning about the different creative personality types (Visionary/Driver right here) was fascinating and I felt better able to communicate with people afterwards; people I’d had a hard time ‘figuring out’ before taking Launchpad. I think quickly about my body language and the messages it sends when I am educating young people or speaking in front of a group. The exercises I learned about re-configuring neuropathways to feel more positive or to slowly adjust prior ways of thinking are some that I continue to use almost two years later. I still keep in touch with a few of my “classmates” and it feels like we have a deeper, more supportive connection because we took Launchpad together. These are women I will always feel comfortable with and empowered by. Launchpad encouraged me to look deeper in to what energizes and fulfills me, both professionally and personally.”

“I participated in the Women Leaders Launchpad and was truly transformed. The techniques Rhonda taught us changed my leadership as well as my personal life. Her personalized approach to transformative leadership resulted in my ability to tackle tough situations with the exact skills I needed, no matter the situation. The FEBI leadership style analysis empowered me to manage staff in a style that suited them each, individually. I can evaluate others’ leadership style on the fly and meet them right where they are in order to achieve common goals. I learned how to lean in when faced with controversy and manage it appropriately. I learned ways to effectively and efficiently interact with my peers for the betterment of each individual in the group. But, most importantly, I learned a great deal about myself, on a deeply personal level. The resulting increased self-awareness allowed me to make much-needed changes in my personal life. I feel empowered from within. I learned skills that will last a lifetime. I cannot speak highly enough of Rhonda and the gift she has. I can assure you, if you attend her workshops, you will leave transformed.”

“The Buffalo Innovation Accelerator Fund is a technology commercialization fund administered by the University at Buffalo and supported by Empire State Development. The fund supports technology development projects that work to de-risk the technology and enable the innovation to become more attractive for licensing to established companies or to catalyze the formation of an investible startup.

The innovators, competing for these funds, present their project plan to an external review board of experts. The fund candidates must adeptly present their traditional research in business terms and demonstrate the extent of the commercial opportunity, the risks associated with the opportunity and the plans to mitigate that risk.

Rhonda has been instrumental in our innovator’s success since we launched this program in early 2019. She coaches the innovators on how to tell a concise and compelling story. With her partnership, we continue to update and improve the process with each cohort. She has a unique perspective that teaches skills to break down complex research into relatable stories that are easily understood by a variety of audiences. Rhonda is passionate about working with individuals who want to have a positive, lasting impact on society by advancing scientific discoveries. She is wonderful to work with and a vital partner.”

“I participated in the Women Leaders Launchpad leadership training for Elmira/Corning in 2015 and it was an amazing experience. The FEBI leadership style analysis taught me a lot about myself and the individuals I manage as well as interact with in my professional and personal lives. Rhonda challenged me to get out of my comfort zone, take more risks, and seek out additional leadership roles so that I would not waste my gifts. As a result of the training, I gained more confidence in myself. She is a phenomenal facilitator and coach but also a wonderful human being who truly cares about individuals reaching their leadership potential.”

“Short-term, Launchpad has made me a more confident, and happier person. I’m more collaborative, and I can read people better, which enables more effective communication. I’m able to stick up for what I believe is right, and am able to articulate why. I will use the influencing strategies we learned about throughout my career. Long-term, I’m better positioned to go after what I want than I was before Launchpad.”

“I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Rhonda in her Woman’s Leaders Launchpad program. At the time, I had 10 years of leadership experience under my belt in the field of Fundraising and Development for a variety of not for profits. Rhonda helped me dive into my personal and professional goals, as well as look at some of my mental barriers as I worked to make some life changes. We flushed out my true desires and she gave me the tools and confidence to make decisions that truly benefited me–and in turn my community. I will forever be grateful for her positive, authentic energy and meeting me where I was while encouraging me to be more of what I knew I could be.”

“Launchpad helped me clarify my sense of identity and catalyzed the next phase of my adventure. I was already good at my job, but now I have more confidence and more room to grow, with joy and respect for my skills and talents, passions and personal strengths. Also, the concept of differing work personalities has been incredibly useful to me in understanding and working with other people. All of this is beneficial to the organization I work within because the healthier and stronger I am personally, the more I have to offer professionally.”

“Rhonda Morton has been a tremendous resource for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. Several Food Bank employees have gone through her Launchpad program over the years and each has grown both personally and professionally as a result. Rhonda has also helped our management team build trust and work better together through a combination of group and one-on-one sessions. Finally, she has facilitated workshops for the entire staff on topics such as storytelling for organizational branding, and interpersonal/work styles assessment. What I appreciate most about Rhonda is her uncanny ability to understand the heart of an issue and develop a customized training in response to our needs. She is engaging and inspiring while also providing us with practical advice that we can put to use right away. Our work with Rhonda has provided us with the skills we need to realize our mission to build and sustain hunger-free communities throughout the Southern Tier.”

“We hired Rhonda for our yearly non-profit team building retreat. We had a great morning and came out with a renewed commitment to each other as co-workers and to our business. Rhonda is the perfect mix of smart, understanding and funny. She gets how teams work (and don’t) and she looks for ways to help your team cement through your individual and shared strengths and develop strategies to help yourself and each other to work on areas that are not your strong points. I highly recommend Rhonda for team building.”

“Working with Rhonda absolutely changed my life. Rhonda is amazing at identifying limiting beliefs and cutting through the BS. By reframing the beliefs that are holding you back, it allows you to finally embrace who you are. The tools that Rhonda has given me to shift my thinking have also been invaluable. They are completely manageable to integrate into my daily routine and have fundamentally shifted my thinking over time. I cannot highly recommend Rhonda enough.”

“I have greatly enjoyed working with Rhonda Morton as a coach through the Women Entrepreneurs Program at Rev Ithaca. She works with several effective methodologies that help uncover and conquer habits or mindsets that might be keeping you from reaching your full potential. She’s a talented and insightful coach and I would highly recommend her services to other entrepreneurs or mission-driven companies.”

“I worked with Rhonda Morton in her capacity as the coach for the REV Ithaca Passenger to Pilot Program. She has the unusual ability to immediately hone in on what’s at the core, whether it’s something holding you back or that breakthrough that has been frustratingly hiding around a corner. She will surprise you and you may be surprised by yourself. I highly recommend Rhonda for anyone looking to traverse a big transition or take on a new venture with increased confidence and vision.”

“A leader in any capacity needs the ability to identify his or her strengths and weakness in order to be effective. Rhonda’s in-depth and passionate approach to coaching allows you to gain this knowledge while identifying any blind spots you may have. More importantly, she provides you practical tools and techniques to enhance your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses. I personally benefitted from working with Rhonda and know her coaching and workshops can provide value for those looking to better themselves.”

“I am a self-employed artist and have struggled with feeling overwhelmed and unsure about directing my career. When I went to see Rhonda I thought I needed another to-do list and mission statement. Rhonda helped me see that what I needed to do was spiral back to the center. I needed to decide for myself what kind of artist I want to be for me, not what kind of artist others expect me to be. I have realized that in order to be truly successful I need to be authentic to myself. Rhonda gave me tools and insights to help me along in this wonderful, exciting journey of developing and growing as an artist.”

“Rhonda took my thoughts and ideas, and crafted them into a highly impactful presentation, while still keeping my original voice and message. She worked with me on the details of delivery—body language, tone and storytelling. Overall, I would highly recommend Rhonda’s coaching for any pitch, presentation or speech.”