Happy Holidays from Dardis Communications!

Greg

Dardis Coaching Spurs Iowa Student to National FFA Win

Josie Boyle kept winning.

The high-school senior from rural Peosta, Iowa, had decided to enter the popular job interview competition hosted by the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) – and it was going well.

In February she won subdistricts.

In March she won districts.

In April she won state. Now onto nationals.

“I need to bring out the big guns!” Josie thought at that point. “That’s when I called Angie [Bennett].”

A contact had recommended Dardis Communications. To do her due diligence, Josie looked into multiple agencies. But after a complimentary consultation with the Dardis Senior Vice President, Josie immediately knew she had found the right person to coach her for nationals, which were held in Indianapolis in November.

“Angie had the constructive feedback, the ‘here’s how to make it better,’” said Josie, who is now a freshman at the University of Iowa. “I made the decision quickly.”

Josie hired Angie for multiple one-on-one training sessions and was blown away by both Angie’s expertise and her dedication.

“She went above and beyond!” Josie said.

Angie quickly grasped the nature of the competition and coached Josie on every dimension – from virtual presentations to interview skills, from business writing to dining etiquette.

“She helped me prepare for all those components and even more,” Josie said. “She worked with me on my mindset and how to handle pressure. We were able to cover a lot.”

Angie made Josie feel comfortable being herself. “I could be honest with her, and I couldn’t be honest with others. She was able to see the vulnerable side, the behind-the-scenes of the success.”

When it came time to compete in nationals – a high-pressure multi-day event at the Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts – Angie checked in with Josie every night, getting updates and offering valuable real-time tips.

For example, Angie reminded Josie to focus on connecting with the judge who would be evaluating her at the high-pressure networking dinner. Every finalist will have great content, Angie said, but those who connect with a judge will stand out.

Josie implemented the advice, drawing on their common ground and sharing from the heart about growing up on a farm.

“The judge gave me a high score,” Josie said. “I credit Angie for that.”

“Knowing I had her behind me throughout the competition made me feel a lot better,” Josie said.

Angie had even prepared Josie for the possibility of a technical difficulty. Sure enough, Josie’s computer crashed during a timed business writing event. “I knew to stay calm and that I was going to have a clean email in the end,” Josie said. “I signaled to my proctor that something was wrong.”

When it was resolved, Josie produced a professional email that once again wowed the judges. She earned high marks in every event.

For the conclusion of the competition, the top 4 finalists were called on stage. Josie was among them. The announcement was televised in front of 70,000.

“It was a huge production,” Josie said.

The number dwindled down to three and then just two remaining.

When the other finalist was announced as runner-up, the reality sunk in: Josie had won.

“I started crying immediately,” she said. “They handed me this big medal and a pin for my FFA jacket. It was surreal. It was pure joy – and also the realization that this is the culmination of the past four years I’ve put into this organization.”

Josie has put her Dardis skills into practice on campus, where she is excelling. As a double major in English and Communications Studies, she already earned two jobs in her department – both of which required interviews.

“These are skills I’ll have forever,” Josie said. “They have been transferring. It doesn’t end here. This is just the beginning! I’m busy in college, but it’s really rewarding and I feel like I’m contributing here.”

There’s no doubt she would like to enlist Dardis Communications again.

“I’ll definitely go back to Angie as a resource,” she said. “Knowing I had this powerful woman who poured so much into me felt amazing.”

Recommended Reading

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Client Testimonial

“My class recently had a Dardis communications training with Paul Johnson and I enjoyed every moment of it. As a minority and first-generation student whose first language isn’t English, this training gave me the confidence I needed. I had the opportunity to self-evaluate and find better ways to work on my communication skills.”

–Cecilia Bwanakweri, Graduate Student at Mount Mercy University

2024 Public Schedule

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January 31 & 1 – Des Moines

April 2 & 3 – Davenport

June 4 & 5 – Des Moines

August 14 & 15 – Des Moines

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January 16–19

April 15–18

July 15–18