Testimonials

“Beth Herman’s greatest strengths as a strategic planning facilitator are her deep understanding of academic culture, her superb listening skills, her organizational know-how, and her ability to synthesize large amounts of diffuse feedback into clear statements.  But none of that quite captures the magic she brings to workshops and other sessions through her ability to win the trust of participants and to elicit powerful contributions.  She inspired confidence in the process and excitement about the results.”

“Beth brings insight, compassion, humor and wise counsel to solve challenges and move the fund raising needle. Her unique brand of authentic communication and razor sharp focus on client needs make her an irreplaceable asset.”

“As a new dean, I came to lead an academic unit that, like many large organizations, had faced leadership turnover and slippage in organizational identity and self-confidence. Beth Herman’s highly effective facilitation helped us to reimagine the mission and values for my College of over 1200 students.

“Beth is a professional in every sense of the word. She understands academic culture, yet she provides a refreshing context that allows us to move forward in new ways. I highly recommend her to organizations that have the desire learn more about themselves. She can lead you on a planning process that will fully engage the internal unit and generate highly useful quantitative and qualitative data, while inspiring a broad range of stakeholders to new commitment.”

“Beth Herman came to us highly recommended by a Museum Board member.  This has proven to be a very fruitful relationship over the last three years.  Happily Beth’s work with us has paid off in fine-tuning our fundraising strategies.  Her positive attitude and ability to listen are wonderful personal traits of hers that has led us to manageable and forward-looking solutions.  Beth has given us a fresh insight into our own ability to craft a very compelling message about the worthiness of what we do at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.”

“Beth Herman facilitated a retreat for our development team focused on communication and emotional intelligence that was eye-opening, instructive, and really helped us gel as a team.”

“Beth’s insight, guidance, and counsel have been invaluable. She has the knowledge of an advancement professional who has raised transformational gifts over an extensive career and the coaching expertise of someone with keen understanding and insight into human behavior and motivation. She blends the two to craft engaging and effective strategies that help us build meaningful and lasting relationships with our alumni.”

“I did not know what to expect from leadership coaching but I found the result to be outstanding. I’m more focused on major priorities and relationships–and generally more productive and happy. If you get the chance to do a 360 with Beth, you are a lucky person. Enjoy the experience!”

“Beth is a quintessential pro who cares deeply about what she does. When I became President of the University of Puget Sound in 1992, I had secured a number of grants but had very little experience asking individuals for gifts. Over the next decade, Beth and I together met with many donors across the country who, I am happy to report, gave generously. I don’t exaggerate when I say that Beth Herman taught me everything I needed to know to become an effective fundraiser with individual donors. In recent years, as President of SRP Consulting, I have recommended that a number of presidents whom I advise retain Beth as a fundraising consultant. In every instance, they have been appreciative of and even energized by her work with them and their colleagues.”

“My staff of 150 at the University of Maryland was completing a $1 billion campaign in the face of a slow economy, reduced budgets, and leadership change. I engaged Beth Herman to support their morale, growth, and productivity. Her programs are different from any training investment we have ever made, and the value goes beyond her extensive advancement experience. Beth gets everyone involved in exercises that reflect the reality of our donors and campus. She listens to our people and involves them so the learning really sticks.”

“I had engaged Beth in the past to work with my development staff and advancement committee at McDonogh School, so I trusted her to help my much larger administrative team at Pembroke Hill come together after two really difficult years (thanks to COVID.)

Beth led a day of teambuilding, sharing our strengths and values, and understanding how best to work together. We built practical skills for coming to decisions as a leadership group. We left the building with a true sense of team that serves us well in building ambitious plans.

Beth puts a lot of thought into the design and pre-work but does not let the activities themselves become the day’s focus. As a facilitator and coach, Beth balances the schedule and desired outcomes with noticing and flexing to our needs in the moment. EBH workshops are well-prepared, professional, adaptive, flexible, and pointed to accomplishment. That’s what a strong team needs.”

“Beth is a skilled listener. She understands the mounting pressure on advancement leaders. She knows how philanthropy can create a sense of purpose and pride. Beth also sees that our profession can also have a dark side, namely stress, self-doubt and ultimately, burnout.

“I took on a role that pushed me so far out of my comfort zone that I was not sure if I could do it well. Beth taught me how to get calm, how to accept myself as the student that I am, and how to lead my team. Always, she asks that I question my own limiting stories, some of which can be funny. For example, I often believe that I need to know how to do everything—and that I will look stupid if I do not. But how is that possible? It looks crazy on the page, but this thought had a constricting hold on my imagination. Now, I can spot the story and put it in its place, all thanks to what I’ve learned in coaching with Beth.”

“I expected our coaching calls to center on donor strategies. We discussed that effectively in great detail, but our talks brought a deeper and more introspective discussion about what it takes to be a really great major gift officer. I often find myself in an “aha moment” that can be credited to Beth and our work together. I have learned that my potential is limited only by my willingness to embrace the characteristics that make me unique and learn what makes others unique.”

“Initially, I was hesitant and skeptical. I wasn’t sure what a horse could teach me. Learning that my energy (and my mind) effect the environment around me was eye-opening. I have already been applying and practicing what I learned, working inside and outside the office to control my energy. When I want to defuse a situation, I have dropped my own energy to help others do the same, and it has worked! It was the poignant questions from the coach that helped me understand what I was really trying to accomplish and the best ways to do them. I have already said to friends and colleagues that you have to experience [Equus Coaching] to believe it. You come away with a clearer understanding of yourself, which helps in your personal and professional life.”

In the round pen, the horse seemed to be reflecting my lack of commitment to my decisions. Beth’s crystal clear coaching helped me to regroup inside my head and heart so I was able to set a boundary and stick with it. She helped me see in the moment how I reach forward to make sure others are OK instead of just deciding and letting it be–and how I give way and back up after setting a boundary, which is giving up my truth. I learned to speak to myself in a direct and concise manner so I could convey my wishes to the horse. I will use this every day in my life.”

“Working in the round pen with powerful Thoroughbred horses is pretty eye-opening! You can learn a lot about yourself from how the horse responds to you. And, observing the ways you interpret the horse’s feedback is also interesting and revealing. Thanks to Equus Coaching, I now have a better sense of how I subtly hold back some of my power…and how to use it to better effect.”

“Equus coaching ignites the growth process. A year later, I’m still gleaning from it. I learned so much about how the energy I put out effects those around me. You should make it a process: start with a workshop, practice what you’ve learned, and come back to part 2 six months or a year later to see the difference in your approach.”

“Superior. I absolutely loved Equus Coaching. I had no idea how much horses could pick up on; I was amazed to experience the biofeedback provided by the horse. Very cool to learn about this type of therapy and how it can help patients.”