COMMENT... Just a quick note to let you know how much I enjoyed and learned from the weekend "Casting for Change". What a great experience! Not only did I come away with the confidence to fly fish (a personal goal) but I also have new thoughts and techniques on achieving a better balance between personal and work life.

I am a big believer in the necessity to get away, out of the day-to-day, to really be introspective and your program provides just that. The trip was a real treat and the accommodations and company great. I look forward to another opportunity. Thanks again.

- Doug Walker, Senior VP Finance Beringer Blass NA

COMMENT... This fly-fishing weekend with Tim Berry proved to be an excellent setting to recharge my batteries. Tim¹s experience and easy communication style, combined with the beauty of the rivers and wildlife, helped bring to focus the most important elements of balancing my work demands, home responsibilities, and personal needs. I recommend a weekend with Tim Berry to anyone wrestling with how to "make it all balance." And I can even fly-fish now!

- Paul Hoffman, CPA

COMMENT... On Thursday I received a letter from my editor concerning the sequel to my book, Blues in the Wind. It was not what I wanted to hear. It threw me for a loop. I had expected that my new manuscript was ready for publication but I had much more work to do. I was not prepared to hear his. I was in a funk. On Friday I went fishing with Dr. Tim Berry , a trip that had been in the planning for many months prior. It was a gift from my wife. The trip was not anticipated to solve or resolve anything. It just happened that the timing of the trip came with arrival of the letter. I went with a heavy heart. I guessed that Dr. Tim suspected that something was troubling my mind.

Since I had never been fly-fishing before, I did not know what to expect. From the moment we left, our conversation was an endless stream of subjects. The mess in the world, Iraq, the Middle East, the political circus in California, religion, rituals, spirituality, sex, gays, same sex marriages, and yes, the conversation segued into my early life in Louisiana, my work, my children, my mother, disappointments, loves, wives, joys, pains and anxieties. And through all of the casting lessons, donning the waders, slipping on the rocks of Hat Creek, and walking the waters of Burney Falls, a change was taking place. And it continued. While trolling the Pit River, seeing the mayflies and caddis flit over the ripples, and looking for the shadows of trout darting and disappearing, and watching the stares of the Angus and Herefords in the fields on the bank, and admiring the wakes of ducks and muskrats gently waving the reeds, I realized that above the silence and peace, which was accented by a flight of a heron or the soaring of a hawk, something marvelous was happening.

The metaphors of fly-fishing were re-aligning my center. The spine of my work, the thru-line was becoming clear. Dr. Tim knew what he was doing. Without any apparent effort he had brought me to a new awareness of what I had to be about. The funk had dissolved. The path was clear. When the weekend was over, I was ready to dig in and return to work on my manuscript.

Although this was not the purpose of the gift-trip, thanks to Dr. Tim for a marvelous weekend of renewal, self-discovery, reordering of values and balance of focus.

- Whitney J. LeBlanc, author, Blues in the Wind

COMMENT... Note: the following comments are in response to a Team Building Retreat held at a costal site for the Gallo Fine Wine Sonoma Hospitality group.

We had a very successful Sonoma Hospitality Team Building Experience July 23 and 24. Tim Berry did and outstanding job leading the group through a discussion on stress and reinforcing the DISC leadership style analysis. Tim was most valuable during our deep discussions on trust and the team dynamic. He helped keep the conversation on tract and his insights combined with the pre-session reading helped the group communicate openly at a professional level.

- Roger Riccardi, Marketing Director

COMMENT... Thank you for such positive feedback. The last couple days have been very positive. Tim couldn't be easier to approach and you couldn't have picked a better spot to make all the topics approachable. Thank your taking the time to improve our communication. I know we all have busy schedules but it is nice that you "make it happen!" Cheers!

- MM

COMMENT... First of all a big thank you for the fabulous off- site. In comparison to our past meetings, the focus at this retreat has clearly evolved back to our selves (rather than just complaining about management) and how WE, as individuals can and NEED to contribute to this team. I think it became clear to us that DISC needs to a part of our every day interaction with each other. I am happy to see the team embrace this. I think the session made it clear that we have much work to do in our own houses, and I also think we left motivated to make some changes. As Tim pointed out, the challenges will come in actually making it happen now that we are back in the real world. I loved the site you chose. I found that being in neutral territory made it easier for the discussions as well. No distractions, no cell phones going off and a very inspiring scenery to reflect. The entire event was so wonderfully constructed. We had fun, but we kept learning. Spending "personal" time with Tim was a good exercise that I enjoyed as well. Seeing my team mates out of our "work" mode was both a pleasure and was interesting. It allowed me to see them in another light, which was useful. Everything, from cooking dinner together, kayaking with an opposite DISC leadership styles, hiking, the beach walks and having the coaching sessions peppered in was a great way to build trust, confidence and feel like we can open up and get some very difficult issues on the table. Tim Berry is an excellent communicator and motivator. I admire his style, his personality, his professionalism and his company. Thank you again for a great retreat!

- S

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