Testimonials

"No one can do what Amy does"

"As we built the foundation of our new grassroots program, we knew our franchisees would be the most valuable part of it. They are a willing audience, but we needed to train them for the unique needs of grassroots organizing in a corporate franchised system. Amy kept them engaged, provided hands-on coaching and new tactics to help them be successful at influencing policymakers and their franchise colleagues. No one else can do what Amy does because she understands corporate and political realities as well as how to bring out the best from our grassroots leaders."

"An inspiration"

"I have loved working with you. You are a powerhouse and an inspiration."

"New methods for PAC results"

"Historically we have experienced strong PAC results, but with major legislative issues on the horizon, we anticipated a need to bolster our efforts. I interviewed many PAC consultants who told me what I already knew: that we "needed a peer to peer campaign" (which we had executed in the past). Amy knew that the challenges went beyond basic PAC recruitment tactics and common off the shelf solutions. We integrated a scientific approach to uncovering the reasons our PAC eligibles do and don't contribute to the PAC. We now know what works and what doesn't when communicating about the PAC, as well as how to build goodwill with our contributors."

"Solid organizational foundation and implementation strategies"

"Amy’s counsel as we developed our program has had lasting results. In fact, a recent employee grassroots campaign on major federal legislation resulted in over 13,000 personal letters to Members of Congress, helping to save our company millions of dollars a year. Our achievement was recognized and lauded by our company leaders. I attribute this to the solid organizational foundation and implementation strategies that we learned from Amy."

"Everytime I talk to you, I get inspired"

"You did an excellent job on our membership and message framing report. I am really pleased with the findings and you did a great job of clearly defining our challenges and opportunities. Thanks again for all that you do. Every time I talk to you, I get inspired!"

"I could have listened to her for two more hours"

"What Amy taught us can be used in any environment; with co-workers, family members, and customers. I was taking lots of notes and could have listened to her for two more hours."

"Ensured that we had the tools to get it done"

"We are bursting with pride and happiness. . .you two deserve so much credit for all that you have done to ensure we had the tools, data and support to get this done. On behalf of our Dow team, I am sincerely appreciative and offer you the warmest thanks!"

"Solutions backed up with research"

"Some people will tell you what to do, but Amy will tell you why a strategy or tactic works. She never presents any solutions that are not backed up with research, her extensive track records of what works, and/or the science behind the strategy."

"The guru's guru"

"YOU are the Guru’s Guru! The audience couldn’t write down your words of wisdom fast enough. Of all the presentations at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting, yours was the best."

"Great energy, applicable examples and valuable insights"

"As always, you bring great energy, applicable examples, and valuable insights to our Key Contact training that will help our advocates gain confidence in their new role."

"New ways to think about leadership"

"Our Leadership Development Network members have high expectations. Ann and Amy's workshop on how to increase our individual executive presence and influence was a well-developed program that gave them new ways to think about leadership qualities in themselves and others. Over 90% of the post-workshop respondents gave them perfect ratings, and fully 100% enjoyed the workshop format. The program was a new dimension to our in-house initiative which I would recommend to my Duke colleagues across the country."

"Difficult assignment carried off magnificently"

“What a great job you did. You had a very difficult assignment in a short period of time to energize and excite an audience – but you carried it off magnificently as evidenced by the audience participation.”
George Williams Vice President, Government and Environmental Affairs (formerly)
Darden Restaurants

"Customized counsel garners senior leadership support"

“It was critical that we rolled out our new advocacy and PAC initiatives with a solid foundation for long-term viability. Amy provided customized counsel and guidance that has helped us garner significant senior leadership support for our work as well as excitement and enthusiasm among our Key Contacts.” 

"She meets you where you're at and gives you the right guidance"

"Since we were starting our grassroots program from square one, we knew that a solid plan of attack was required if we were going to be successful. Amy's direct consultation was precisely what we needed to target and prioritize action items that are essential to starting a grassroots program. That is what is so great about Amy! Whatever the status of your grassroots program, she meets you where you're at and gives you the tools and direction to build the kind of grassroots results that will enhance your ability to shape and influence public policy.

One of the projects we collaborated on was a persuasive grassroots presentation to hundreds of our franchisees. One franchisee after another came up to me and said it was the best and most interesting presentation of the whole two-day event. They admitted that they used to delete my emails when they received them, but after my presentation, they want to get on board with grassroots advocacy. The President of our company even thought it was great. After conducting just three of these meetings, our action call participation rate jumped from 7-8% to over 22%."

"One of the most creative and energetic public affairs professionals"

"Amy Showalter is one of the most creative and energetic public affairs professionals around. She never fails to motivate her audience and to provide unique insights into grassroots development. Working with Amy is always a pleasure!"

"One of the best training workshops I've ever attended"

"I’ve been at Pfizer 30 years, so I’ve heard it all. I’ve been to a lot of training workshops. This is one of the, if not the, best one I’ve ever attended. Thank you so much!"

"At the forefront of creativity in the political involvement field"

"Amy is without a doubt at the forefront of creativity in the political involvement field, as she offers innovative approaches to problem solving. Her enthusiasm is captivating as well as contagious. I have worked with many consultants during my 25 years with The Dow Chemical company, and Amy Showalter is at the top of the list."

"Amy took it up a notch"

"We have hired Amy numerous times for our annual Key Contact training event. On our program's 10-year anniversary, we asked her back to present a special motivational talk to our experienced Key Contacts, as well as our "rookie" volunteers. I heard so many great comments about her talk. Our employees are naturally motivated and enthusiastic, but Amy took it up a notch so that our veterans and rookies alike walked away with renewed energy and dedication to their tasks." Lori Cherry Manager, Legislative Awareness
Southwest Airlines

"How to get to the next level"

"Many groups use Amy to get them started on the path to an effective grassroots program. We asked Amy to get us re-juiced. We’d just won a major award for our program and we were determined not to rest on our laurels. Amy told us how to take our program to the next level so that we would not lose the energy that brought us so much success."

"Years of practical hands-on experience"

"Amy brings an enthusiasm and knowledge of the process that is unique and timely. Her years of practical hands-on experience really shows, and most importantly, motivates."

"Gives confidence and knowledge to maintain programs"

"We hired Amy because of her extensive knowledge of how to create sustainable grassroots and PAC programs. My staff was very comfortable working with Amy. As a result, they quickly organized a new Key Contact network, started a headquarter office grassroots program, and are gearing up to increase our PAC’s visibility and contributions. Our team now has the confidence and knowledge to maintain these programs."

"Knowledgeable, credible and likeable"

"I learned how to approach someone who may be opposed to our issue and turn them around. Amy is knowledgeable, credible and likeable."

"Extensive grassroots experience and the enthusiasm you have for your work was very inspirational"

"Thank you for the excellent campaign training program that met and exceeded my goals and expectations. Over 70 percent of the participants are working on a campaign. It is apparent that the trainees were very motivated by your training techniques. Your knowledge of the insurance industry, extensive grassroots experience, and the enthusiasm you have for your work was very inspirational during this process."

"Change in PAC Board and staff attitude"

"Contracting with The Showalter Group to help reinvigorate our PAC was important in teaching us what was needed to in order for the program to survive. Due in large part to your involvement, I have seen a definite change in the PAC Board and staff. I have not seen this kind of excitement or interest in our PAC since I’ve been a part of the Government Affairs staff. In fact, in our very first PAC recruitment meeting, we gained 40 new PAC contributors!"

"Persuasion, not PR 101"

"This made me think about what we should be doing as we launch our grassroots program. Amy included solid references to motivational psychology and demonstrated a grounding in the science of persuasion, rather than "PR 101."

"A vibrant speaker"

“Amy’s personal stories made it easier to remember her techniques and put them into action. She is a vibrant speaker, and the role playing and examples were very fun.”

"Helped us persuade our members PAC is important"

"Amy’s tools helped us to persuade our members that PAC involvement is just as important as direct lobbying and grassroots engagement. Now our members are proud to have a larger PAC and understand its value."

"Took our PAC leadership to a higher level in fundraising strategy"

"Although we have one of the larger PAC’s in the country, we always look for ways to improve. Amy’s session on the science of persuasion and how to ethically integrate it into our PAC presentations received very high reviews from our members. Based on specific after-conference evaluations, her session was extremely well received. She took our PAC leadership to a higher level in their PAC fundraising strategy. We will include Amy at future events."

"Best in the business"

"Any association or company which seeks to implement a new grassroots program or fine-time an existing program should only look to one person -- Amy Showalter. Amy knows what works and can tailor it to your specific needs. Simply put, Amy Showalter is the best in the business."

"Strategic long-term thinking"

"Amy and Kelton's work was fantastic. The combination of their Influence Audit process and dynamic workshops (in fact, our members are still quoting Kelton's advice) enabled us to better frame our issues, and gives us an opportunity to be more proactive on future issues. We could tell our members' eyes were opened during this process -- they now think more strategically with a long-term view."

"All time high in receipts and number of contributors"

"Our CouncilPAC is at an all time high in receipts and number of contributors. Not a day goes by I donÂ’t greatly appreciate all the work you did to get us to this place."

"Game changing strategies that take programs to the next level"

"Our Government Affairs Directors are experienced, savvy professionals who demand high level information. I hire Amy to deliver that because of her keen political acumen and game-changing strategies that take their programs to next level. Our Government Affairs Directors really,really loved her presentation on how to measure and sell the value of their grassroots, PAC and lobbying functions."
John Ferruggiario Vice President
Political and Community Affairs
National Association of REALTORS

"Proof that influence is a science"

"Our state executives got A LOT out of the work you presented. I especially liked some of the comments afterward from our state executives about your research being so well documented. Sometimes we have to sell lobbying as an art to our folks in the field. Your proof that influence is a science places our charges in a position where they have to sit and take notice."

"Great stuff as always"

"Great stuff, as always! Our registrants at our annual conference found your comments timely and informative."

"Thank you for another amazing presentation. As always, your workshop was a show-stopper. I wish you could have heard all of the praise and positive feedback that I heard after your workshop!"
Patti Jo Baber Executive Director
American League of Lobbyists

"Insight and expertise for success"

"Thank you for everything you do to support all of us out in the field trying to engage in mobilized advocates. YouÂ’re the best cheerleader we could have - always providing insight and expertise to make us more successful. Innovate to Motivate® is the very best and we are all your fans."
Betsy Vetter Director of Government Relations
American Heart Assocation Mid-Atlantic Affiliate

"Raised more PAC money"

"We raised more money for the PAC last year than in the two previous years, and we are building on our success. I just used the materials you created at a Board meeting last weekend and our constituent groups will be using it, so I'm sure it will again help us raise more money."
Pamela Phillips Director of Health Policy and Government Relations
Society for Vascular Surgery

"One of the best ever ASAE Fly-In presentations"

"You were fantastic! Weeks later, I'm still hearing tons of positive comments about ASAE's Legislative Fly-In. It was one of the best ever Fly-In presentations. Amy, thanks again for the tremendous role you played to ensure that ASAE's Legislative Fly-In was a success."

"Increased program focus"

"Our collaboration with Amy has given us a strategic plan with a clearly defined work schedule. It increased our program focus and weÂ’ve been able to see results and grow the program because of this increased focus."
Brian T. Pallasch, CAE Managing Director, Government Relations and Infrastructure Initiatives
American Society of Civil Engineers

"No one better than Amy Showalter"

“On behalf of the Public Affairs Association of Canada, thank you for your presentation at our annual conference.  People loved the message and the messenger.  Your enthusiasm and energetic delivery  made your presentation an entertaining and memorable highlight of our conference.  Frankly, I was surprised at who came up to me afterwards and told me how much they enjoyed your presentation and how much they learned from you.  I can honestly say you now have a pretty firm fan base north of the border. If a colleague asked me today to recommend a speaker on grassroots,  I would tell them there is no one better than Amy Showalter.  She delivers the goods!”
Joe MacDonald President
Public Affairs Association of Canada

"A joy to listen to"

“All of Amy's workshop was valuable, but the social capital piece was very informative and interesting. Amy is a wealth of information, such a joy to listen to and learn from.”
Stephanie Wentz Member Services Manager
NFIB – Colorado

"Our members were highly engaged"

“Our members are relatively new to grassroots involvement. Amy carefully tailored her program to their level of grassroots understanding, but yet challenged them to take the next steps toward making a difference. Our members were highly engaged in her presentation, and I thought it was just great.”
Mary Harris Executive Director
National Association of the Remodeling Industry

"Best program ever"

“You three are terrific. I have been involved with USGBC for seven years, and have attended tons of meetings and conferences. This is the best one ever.”
Sara OÂ’Mara LEED AP
Choate Construction Company

"Our chairman is very pleased"

“Thanks for all your help in bringing our idea of an educational grassroots DVD into being - our chairman is very pleased and I think it will be a useful tool in convincing our members to break out of their shells and get involved in grassroots. So thanks again for all of your hard work.”
Leslie Nolen Senior Manager, Grassroots
American Society of Civil Engineers

"Not just education, influence"

“I am happy to shamelessly promote those who help build grassroots capacity among the physician population and get them to understand what needs to occur in order to not just educate, but to influence. Amy and Kelton are two of the best!”

"From theory to practice"

“Amy's session helps to take grassroots from theory to practice, from theory to results. She truly champions grassroots activity.”
Carolyn Hutsen Member Services Manager
NFIB – Wisconsin

"Energy and new ideas"

"You are the real deal! Your PAC workshop was one of the best presentations I’ve ever heard. Informative, and filled with energy and new ideas. You were a big hit with our members, and you will definitely be invited back."

"Great insights"

“Amy was fantastic! She has great insights and is incredibly engaging.”
Jaime King President
NFIB - North Carolina

"Perfect ratings - high energy"

"Amy received perfect ratings from our staff. She put the time and effort into understanding our organization and our needs before the session and then had an energy level that kept everyone motivated to learn."

"Unparalleled credibility"

"Amy’s expertise was perfect for our situation. Her passion and credibility are unparalleled."

"Professionalism and meticulous style"

"When the ACC PAC was established in early 2002, we were concerned about our ability to motivate our members. Amy’s reputation was tops in the industry, and while preparing for the meeting I was confident that Amy’s professionalism and meticulous style were a win/win. Not only did she motivate our members, but her presentation was so convincing that 90 percent of our attendees at that first ever PAC fund raising meeting became members at the top giving level."

Dana Langley Birdsong Director, Political Action Committee
American College of Cardiology (formerly)

"Stretches my thinking"

"Amy always inspires me to think about grassroots on a higher plane that stretches my thinking and approach."

"Nothing but positive comments"

"Thank you for speaking at our State Leaders Workshop! You were a real hit! We heard nothing but positive comments from our State Chapter Leaders. I am confident that they left motivated and energized to effectively recruit and motivate more audiology advocates."

"I've never seen our State executives so engaged"

"That was the best presentation I've ever seen! I've never seen our state executives so engaged. Brian always told me I needed to experience one of your workshops. Now I know why."

"She made a believer out of me"

"We never had a speaker like Amy before. I was skeptical that anyone could make this topic interesting, but she presented it in such a way that made a believer out of me."

"Expertise based on real world experience"

"I learned how to manage our member's expectations. Amy has expertise based on real world experience."

"Enchanced our credibility with candidates and lawmakers"

"This represented the first time our organization ever achieved this type of attention from candidates during campaign season. Best of all, we did it through real people, thus enhancing our credibility with candidates and lawmakers."

"You Rock!"

"Engaging, funny and smart"

"Amy is engaging, funny and smart. She stayed on track at a reasonable pace. She is chock full of anecdotes about what does and doesn't work. As a result, I will implement a system of more personalized messages to my prospective Key Contacts."

"One of the best presenters I've ever seen"

“You are my new hero! Thanks for being one of the best presenters I have ever seen! I have learned so much from you in the short time we’ve had together. You are a great role model to me. I look forward to “sitting at the feet of the master” again soon.”

"I will use this information to lobby more effectively"

"The scientific information on why so many people rely on what others are thinking before making a decision was very valuable. I will use this information to lobby more effectively."

"New ideas to achieve our goals"

"This was a fresh look and new ideas to achieve our goals. Today, not only do I feel a new inspiration, but her presentation caught on to the entire group, giving us a better plan to reach greater success."

"Not stopped talking about your presentation"

"Thank you for speaking at our National RPAC Conference. Our State chapter members and staff have not stopped talking about your presentation regarding the science of persuasion and how it relates to PAC fundraising."

"Kept me focused on program goals"

"Why did PhRMA hire Amy Showalter? We were seeking to hold the PhRMA standard of excellence high and believe that all PhRMA member company grassroots representatives deserve the most effective grassroots expert available. Personally, I enjoyed working with Amy so much because her one-on-one grassroots coaching kept me focused on my program goals. Amy's attention motivated me to fulfill each goal and create long term strategic plans for the future of PhRMA's Grassroots Program."

"Outstanding job of energizing leaders"

"The Showalter Group led our Leadership Council through a dynamic program that enabled us to identify the strengths of each member. As a result of the program, the NFIB/Ohio Leadership Council members have already begun to develop ways to work together more effectively. I highly recommend the Showalter Group for any board or organization that is made up of a diverse group of individuals. They did an outstanding job of energizing and drawing together my organization's leaders."

"Wise and on target"

"Just wanted to follow up and thank you again for the valuable time you spent with the Grassroots Activism team of the Midwest Region on Friday. There is no question that your thoughts and counsel are wise and right on target. We are setting the stage to really grow our ground game, and your input is so important to help us build on the current foundation."

"Immediate rapport with our members"

"Amy immediately established a rapport with our volunteer Federal Political Directors. She gave them the political information they needed and put it in terms that the layperson can understand. They now have a better sense about the importance of grassroots activities and how they can better motivate the troops back home."

"You knocked it out of the park!"

"A reputation for bringing new insights to the grassroots profession"

"Amy has a reputation for bringing new insights to the grassroots profession, and her new underdog persuasion findings are very important for grassroots professionals to know and understand. The feedback from a webinar she delivered for our coalition partners was so favorable that I wanted a wider audience of public health professionals to hear her message. Her presentation to a national CDC audience was both engaging and energizing. Amy is different from other grassroots trainers because she tailors her presentations to her audience and speaks to their practical needs."

"Valuable insights and engaging charisma"

"Hundreds of green building advocates across the country are now superbly equipped to navigate the policy process and successfully influence policy makers thanks to Amy Showalter and her invaluable insights and engaging charisma. She uniquely inspires and informs our advocates."

"Research helped us to increase grassroots membership"

"We have a diverse grassroots membership with various sub-groups and cultures. Amy conducted research with each sub-group and revealed the message frames and message delivery tactics that are most likely to gain their participation.  I refer to the research results frequently when planning our grassroots program initiatives and crafting important grassroots communications.  As a result, we have significantly increased our grasstops membership of hospital administrative and physician leaders."

"Enthusiastic and energetic delivery"

“On behalf of the Public Affairs Association of Canada, thank you for your presentation at our annual conference.  People loved the message and the messenger.  Your enthusiasm and energetic delivery  made your presentation an entertaining and memorable highlight of our conference.  Frankly, I was surprised at who came up to me afterwards and told me how much they enjoyed your presentation and how much they learned from you.  I can honestly say you now have a pretty firm fan base north of the border. If a colleague asked me today to recommend a speaker on grassroots,  I would tell them there is no one better than Amy Showalter.  She delivers the goods!”

"Her passion and devotion are evident"

"Amy is a great speaker. As she speaks, her passion and devotion are evident. It is great to spend time with people who love what they do. I am going to use her information to help me in my relationships with my local, state and national elected officials."

"Enabled me to be a better patient advocate - dynamic speaker"

"Thank you for being a part of the NPF conference in Boston this year! I enjoyed the three times that you spoke and learned very valuable information that will enable me to be a better patient advocate and lobbyist. You are such a dynamic speaker and really hold the attention of the audience."

"New ideas and new ways to think creatively"

"I have been to numerous grassroots/advocacy training seminars and they tend to be advocacy 101 with little or no information from which to grow or improve your grassroots network. You presented new ideas, new ways of looking at the familiar and new ways to think creatively about the challenges of keeping our grassroots advocates informed and interested in participating in our agenda."

"Great at getting group participation"

"Amy has tremendous verbal skills, is very energetic and is great at getting group participation. She was adept at including our thoughts into the course material."

"I could listen to Amy all day"

"I could listen to Amy all day - she is always good, regardless of the topic."

"Even better"

"I saw you a year ago and thought you were good. I didn't know you could get any better, but you are even better than you were a year ago!"

"Focus saved the project"

"We were depressed and beat. Your focus and humor saved this project!"

"Good style and energy"

"Amy has a good delivery style and energy. Her tips on recruitment and retention of volunteers was very valuable. I’m going to use this information to shape the organization’s volunteer management efforts."

"Relates to people from all walks of life"

"Amy Showalter is outstanding. She has the special ability to relate to people from all walks of life and political persuasions by effectively using motivation, interaction with the audience, as well as process to achieve organizational goals. Top ratings at our national conference from our very active and vociferous grassroots volunteers."

"Thorough and thoughtful approach"

"Amy's thorough and thoughtful approach to coaching enabled me to deliver a major presentation with great success and high-impact results. Amy challenged me to highlight key points with proven techniques instead of just saying words. I've never delivered a presentation with so much confidence and credibility. As a result of this presentation, I have unprecedented support for my strategic plan and am working to build a movement within our grassroots program."

"Love of grassroots comes through"

"I enjoyed your presentation to our state advocacy staff. Your love of grassroots comes through with every word of your presentation. I will think of you on those tough days--'how would Amy handle this situation?'"

"Unique way of presenting new information"

"I have always been very active in politics by holding fundraisers in my home. I really did not think that I would have a lot to learn from this workshop. However, Amy has such a unique way of presenting new information. I gained new insights that will make me even more effective in building relationships with my elected officials."

"Everytime I learn something new"

"I first heard Amy speak when I began my government relations career right out of college. As a part of my next job, I attended a staff development session she conducted. I then heard her conduct a Key Contact training. Every time I hear Amy speak, I learn something new."

"Your work is now a model for us to use"

"Thanks for all the work you did with the Ohio Coalition. Your work is now a model for us to use in other states."

"Superb"

"All the reviews on your presentation about building a grassroots team and Underdog Influence were superb. Thank you!"

"Rock star facilitation skills"

"Amy’s broad background in government relations and grassroots coordination, as well as her rock-star facilitation skills really added punch to a recent meeting of government relations staff from associations across the Western United States. Throughout the meeting, she was able to keep the conversation moving along, while at the same time adding colorful examples and best practices observed from other industries—all adding tremendous value to the program!"

"Most interesting message ever"

"You are one of the most interesting people we've ever heard from and your underdog edge message was the most interesting ever, as well."

"Awesome and quite entertaining"

"Amy is awesome and quite entertaining in her PAC presentation on how to just ask!"

"Our members loved her"

"We loved having Amy and our members loved her!"

"Amy that was awesome! Everyone needs to hear this message."

"Every time I hear her I learn something new"

"I've heard Amy speak several times, and every time I hear her I learn something new that I can apply to my work. As a result, we asked Amy to deliver workshops on the science of relationship-building to our member hospital executives. They are accustomed to a high level of content and motivation, and Amy did not disappoint."

"Enthusiasism spreads to the audience"

"You are a very dynamic speaker and your enthusiasm appears to easily spread throughout the audience. I personally took away some very helpful tips. Rizza told us you were great, and now we know this fact for ourselves!"

"Thanks for the motivation"

"I really got a lot out of Amy's teleclass on recognition, especially the altercasting technique. It reminds you what a personal business we are all in. Thanks for the motivating seminar. Sometimes it just takes someone else asking you to sit down for an hour and think about this information. I will definitely use the ideas in both my PAC fundraising and our grassroots program. We have very aggressive goals for both programs this year and didn't have any fresh ideas on how to get there. Now, we do."

"Helped me prepare for new responsibilities"

"I credit you, in part, with helping me to be prepared for my new responsibilities. The trainings I have participated in with you, the resources on your web site and just generally being able to observe how you carry yourself in your role, have all influenced me greatly over the past several years. So thank you, and keep up the outstanding work!"

"Talk was a 10"

"Amy's examples kept our interest and were fun. They also helped greatly in our understanding of how to better communicate with legislators. She was excellent at keeping this presentation informative, yet informal, which most speakers fail to do. It made her talk a '10.'"

"Ability to relate to our staff"

"You were right on the money yesterday! Your ability to relate to our credit union staff was immense. You were the talk of the afternoon, as we were given many kudos for having you come down. There are few motivators in my life, and I can say you are one of them."

"70% increase in PAC revenue"

“Our consultations with Amy opened up a whole new era for our PAC fundraising campaigns. She helped us realize we could reach our goal with a systematic, persuasive approach to PAC recruitment. As a result, we achieved a 70% increase in revenue, our largest ever. Our average corporate contribution increased by 400%, which helped us surpass our goal several months in advance. Her philosophy changed the entire outlook of our PAC. It also changed the structure, as we added staff and increased our PAC budget.”

"Appeals to an audience with different levels of expertise"

"Amy did a terrific job of engaging our insurance industry grassroots network and providing them with practical steps on how to build relationships with legislators, particularly off-session and during an election year. We received great feedback from our lobbyists, as well as, new recruits and seasoned grassroots folks. It's difficult to appeal to an audience with different levels of political involvement, but she really pulled it off!"

"Innovative approach"

"Our advocates are very diverse in capabilities and experience, which requires an innovative approach to advocacy training and motivation. Amy is able to bring a pragmatic, baseline understanding of advocacy to new folks, while energizing old hands with new ideas and insight -- not an easy task. Our Board members loved Amy's approach to understanding legislative motivation and achieving success in advocacy. Amy is a ball of energy!"

"Changed our perspective"

"Our Executive MBA students' expectations about the importance of addressing and being able to impact political issues were very low. Your presentation and lively discussion with them had a marked effect on changing their perspectives about the way in which they can truly manage the legislative process to benefit the interests of their organizations."

"A ball of energy -held everyone's attention"

"Amy sure is a ball of energy. She certainly has a passion for what she does and in my opinion is very good at what she does. She didn't have any problem in holding everyone's attention through out the presentation. I plan to try and put some of her information to work."

"Connected very well withour members"

"What a great program! You connected very well with our members. The evaluations from our attendees have been very positive."

"Impressive material"

"Very impressive material... you truly are an innovator. This comes as no surprise to me."

"Livened up the Fly-In"

“I really enjoyed your presentation at the ASAE Legislative Fly-In! I thought you were great, very knowledgeable and quite spunky which definitely livened up the Fly-In.”

"Your class was even more than I thought it would be"

"I really enjoyed your presentation at Institute. I was looking forward to your class, and it was more that I even thought it would be! As a former aide to a governor, congressman, and mayor, I needed to learn effective lobbying techniques and appreciate learning from experienced professionals like you."

"Average individual PAC contribution jumped 300%"

"As a result of your "Principles of PAC Persuasion" presentation, our average individual PAC contribution jumped 300%! I attribute this to the solid ethical persuasion skills our members gleaned from your talk."

"Concise, entertaining and fun"

"Thank you for your presentation at the OSAE Annual Conference. I enjoyed the program this time just as much as the first time I heard it, and I even picked up some new points! You two [Annie Gallagher] do a great job of presenting your material in a concise, entertaining manner and you're fun to listen to also."

"Enthusiasm is contagious"

"Amy's enthusiasm is contagious. I will use this information in formalizing our PAC member appreciation program. It's a great topic. I wish we had more time."

"Advanced approach to grassroots beyond 'do's and don'ts'"

"As a result of Amy’s insights, we will be able to be even more effective in our grassroots and PAC work. Amy brings a unique, advanced approach to grassroots and PAC development beyond the traditional "do's and don'ts" that everyone has heard before."

"Terrific resource - made significant differences in our efforts"

"Amy, you are a terrific resource and a great person to work with. I enjoyed the work we did together and I want you to know it made a significant difference in our efforts. This morning, I just finished sending a number of thank you notes to CEOs who made personal contacts with a legislator regarding an important bill. We achieved our desired outcome because of these contacts. The positive response from learning the outcome and being thanked is overwhelming, proving the truth of another Amy-ism!"

"Never heard the issue addressed that way"

"The best piece of information I received was Amy’s tip on “pushing back” when members want to 'undo' something that is effective in fundraising. I have never heard the issue addressed that way before. This time I understand the level of effectiveness it can have."

"Learned more in one day than years on the job"

"Our consultation was so worthwhile! I learned more about grassroots from you in one day than I have all the years on my job."

"Includes participants in her workshops"

"I found most valuable Amy's strategies and solutions to common problems we all have. I will utilize this and pass it on to our communications staff, as well. She has good communication skills, and great material that is well presented. She includes the participants in her workshops."

"Everyone loved it 100% higher attendance"

"Everybody LOVED the RPAC "How to be a Motivating Team Leader" training yesterday. You were great, everyone learned a lot. Your presentation was a great draw this year, it brought 100% more attendees from the previous year when you spoke."

"Huge amount of talent"

"We were impressed with your knowledge of grassroots advocacy . You added a huge amount of talent and value to our conference."

"Increased network and coalition members"

"We watched the light bulbs go on as my grassroots networkers listened to Amy and took part in her activities. I now have a network of more assertive recruiters, more effective networkers, with more happy and rewarded volunteers that are sticking around. We had a coalition of 20 with a network of 50. After working with Amy, we have a coalition of 75 and a network of 500."

"Great ability to engage the audience"

"Amy taught me to survey and screen our grassroots advocates as well as measure and prioritize my efforts. I am going to survey members to determine which legislators they know, and better prioritize my grassroots efforts. She has a great ability to engage the audience with facts from her own research, stories, visuals, humor and excellent speaking skills."

"Customized her talk"

"We appreciated how you customized your talk. You made the science of persuasion applicable not only to PAC fundraising, but to the real estate profession, as well."

"Engaging speaker and quick thinker"

"The discussion of recruitment and retention competencies was very valuable. I am planning to incorporate this information into our department's annual planning session. Amy is an engaging speaker and a quick thinker. She covered a broad amount of information in a short time."

"Motivation and insight"

"Your discussion cut through the excuses and provided both motivation and insight for how to encourage political participation at the grassroots level in our member companies."

"Personalized the program"

"Amy’s ability to personalize the program to fit our specific needs was terrific. Our members left enthused about not only our grassroots program but the legislative process in general."

"I'm rejuventated and refocused"

"I wanted to thank you for providing such an inspirational, informative presentation at the AAA State Leaders Workshop in San Antonio. As a state leader I often struggle to get members active and interested in our grassroots efforts. From your insights, I realize now that it is because they do not know what EXACTLY is expected of them. I went home with a list of things to do for our state organization. I am rejuvenated, refocused, and ready to put your 'Commandments for Grassroots Mobilizations' into place."

"Practical, hands-on ideas for busy professionals"

"I was encouraged and inspired by this presentation. Thank you, Amy! Your presentation was quite beneficial to those of us 'in the trenches,' because it supplied practical, hands-on ideas for busy professionals that will help us become a stronger political voice. As someone who has experienced some measure of Washington D.C. politics, I felt that you communicated the reality there and the results if we don't get involved."

"Thought she worked for us"

"Excellent! Amy customized her presentation so much, I thought she worked for us."

"Tailored her workshop"

"Amy tailored her workshop to meet the particular needs and challenges we are facing. A very practical workshop. I especially appreciated her insights on the best ways to make sure advocates feel like they have authority and confidence."

"Advanced approach to advocacy"

"Amy presents an advanced approach to advocacy. She knows what peer reviewed research is and integrates it into her presentation. Her information on how to avoid being biased and avoiding authority traps when talking to legislatures was very valuable. I loved the videos!"