Growing Together
It’s been such a rewarding spring here at Dardis Communications—making new connections and deepening old ones. I even ran into a childhood friend who was in the audience of a keynote I gave for John Deere in Chicago!
We are fortunate to work with amazing professionals. You’ll meet one, Julia Sadowski, in our featured story. The best leaders, like Julia, are humble enough to recognize the need to sharpen their skills. They put them into practice immediately, and they keep improving.
Greg
President & CEO
greg@dardiscommunications.com
312.285.1073
‘Always In My Corner’
Julia Sadowski was first introduced to Dardis Communications some 15 years ago through a group workshop. The whip-smart Texas native is heavily relied on in her role at Collins Aerospace in Cedar Rapids, having risen through the ranks to serve as regional sales manager in the avionics department and oversee major accounts. Julia recognized how useful the Dardis training was and began implementing the communications skills every day.
“I still have the three-ring binder Greg gave me years ago, and I refer back to it,” Julia said. “I have these little black cards from the workshop hanging on my bulletin board.”
Fast forward a handful of years, and Julia felt the weight of her growing responsibilities at Collins, including several high-stakes presentations. She wanted to rise to the challenge. The arrival of a Dardis newsletter in her inbox gave her pause. This was the key she’d been seeking, the boost she needed.
“I knew I’d be better if I had help,” Julia said.
She called Greg, who learned about her situation and recommended one of the company’s most powerful tools: one-on-one coaching. Soon Julia was being coached by Angie Bennett, Dardis’ newly promoted Senior Vice President.
The training blew Julia away. Angie walked through every element of an effective virtual presentation—where to position herself, what background to set up, where to look, how to share slides. Everything was personalized. “She helped me come up with key phrases, and she had a fantastic idea of how to transition the slides,” Julia said.
Practice made perfect. “She let me practice sharing the slides 10 times till I got it right. I didn’t want to be fumbling around while 60 people were waiting on me.”
Angie’s commitment fueled Julia’s confidence.
“I knew she was always in my corner,” Julia said. “Angie cares—I can feel it! Her efforts have gone beyond fulfilling our basic agreement, as she made herself available to me during my times of highest need—early in the morning, while on the road, in vastly different time zones, after hours and under tremendous pressure facing the clock and camera.”
Julia nailed the presentation.
Her success made her want to improve even more and seek additional Dardis training. In total, she enlisted Angie’s coaching for four projects to leadership in 2022. And she’s eager for the next round.
“I need another spoonful,” Julia said. “Each time I feel so energized. It makes a big difference.”
Recommended Reading
Here at Dardis Communications, our goal has always been to amplify those around us, to bring out their best. That’s the spirit of this bestselling book, which identifies five key disciplines that turn smart leaders into “genius makers.” (A genius, the author explains, tries to be the smartest person in the room, whereas a genius maker uses his or her intelligence to multiply the genius in others.)
Bonus: A foreword by Stephen R. Covey! Too many people are “overworked and underutilized” at work, he writes. Multipliers remedy this. “Some corporations have made hiring the most intelligent individuals a core strategy on the basis that smarter people can solve problems more quickly than the competition,” Covey writes. “But that only works if the organization can access that intelligence.” This book shows you how.
Client Testimonial
“Loved this program! ‘Be brief, be brilliant, be gone’—I tend to talk too much, and concise is the word of the day.”
–Dardis graduate
2023 Public Schedule
IN-PERSON
Leadership Presentation & Image Skills
June 7 & 8 – Des Moines
August 16 & 17 – Des Moines
October 10 & 11 – Des Moines
November 28 & 29 – Des Moines
VIRTUAL
Virtual Communication Solutions
July 24–27
October 23–26