testimonials Businesses and Teams “I have worked with Jason several times over the last five years, first when I was at Gisborne District Council and more recently in my role here at Nelson City Council. Jason has a magnetic way of engaging with participants in his development sessions. He is very easy to warm to, trust and very importantly to like. He is in fact an extraordinarily likeable person. You never feel judged, brainwashed or that Jason has any hidden agenda. What you see is what you get, but even so, Jason will challenge your understanding of who you are and what you are capable of. I have met a lot of people through my career, quite a few people who I rate, and some who just astound me with their style, character, humanity and downright decency. Jason is right at the top of my list along with no more than half a dozen others.” — Andrew White, Group Manager Community Services - Nelson City Council “I know you are looking for constructive feedback on where you could make improvements with your workshop but sorry I have nothing for you …. I 100% enjoyed all aspects of this workshop, I am amazed how much I got out of 2 days and how much this will help me as a leader going forward. The fact we were up from our desks and moved around made it easy to be 100% focussed all day, I think this was key. I would highly recommend to everyone I know to attend if they have the opportunity. Thank you for enriching my leadership journey … i’m still working up to the cold shower…” — Leadership Participant - October 2020 “Jason ran a workshop with our team in Christchurch recently. The energy he gave and inspired was nothing but outstanding. Although the workshop was only 1 day(and we all could have easily done another day(or two)) the flow and buy in from all participants was 100%. He has a great way of drawing the group together and also information from all participants. Jason’s teaching style is perfect for adult groups and as I understand it he works with young adults and I can see how his energy and style would benefit that age group. He is very relatable and personable. The entire day felt as if it was only a few hours long. I can highly recommend Jason to any organisation or group that is looking to build stronger teams and encourage different approaches to thinking and work.” — Alan Giles - Rural Business Development Manager at FMG “On behalf of the entire Bay of Plenty Hearing Life Team I would like to convey my absolute thanks for your input at our recent Regional Staff Meeting at the Rotorua Lakes Resort. The sessions that you ran were really informative, engaging, and most important of all, everyone had heaps of fun! I particularly liked the way you presented the idea of building perspective in the workplace and challenging everyone’s thoughts on increasing human performance, whether it be at work, in the home environment, or when spending time with family. The Icebreaker and team building challenges were nicely positioned throughout the day which helped break up the lectures and keep everyone energised and alert. Job well done and we will definitely be using your services again.” — Michael Severn - Regional Operations Manager BOP/Audiologist “Jason Whitelaw went above and beyond in facilitating our team’s Christmas function. Rather than the usual BBQ and drinks, we surprised the team with a guided abseiling session. They all loved the experience - it was challenging and heaps of fun with just the right amount of team-building woven into it. He even surprised us with an impromptu board break on the lakefront, what an amazing way to top off the day!” — Hamish Woulfe - The Big Picture, Tauranga “Jason’s confidence and style of speaking is engaging and measured, Jason has the ability to hold everyone’s attention and to read a room of people to deliver content in a way that is relevant to the audience.” — Ben Calder - CEO, Wherewolf Students and Teachers “It has been an absolute privilege to have Jason Whitelaw working with a focus group of 7 young men in year 10 for 1 afternoon over 5 weeks. The intention of this course was to help these students re engage in their learning and develop their courage and confidence to be the best version of themselves at school which is not their preferred place to be. The work that Jason has shared with our students has been highly engaging and it really grabbed their interest. Jason has an incredible relatable and energetic presentation style that is refreshing for these young people to be part of and the feedback from these young men and their families has been exceptional. We can highly recommend Jason as an outstanding facilitator and one who delivers in all areas, notably setting the scene for the teachers and the parents of these students and then keeping them updated along the way with particular learnings or light bulb moments. The final session with the young men presenting their personal leadership ideals to some staff, Jason and all the parents and caregivers was the best form of assessing the impact of the course. The young men were amazing and we are still buzzing from hearing their aspirations and takeaways from the programme. Thank you Jason for your special gift to our young men. We look forward to having you back at Aquinas College very soon to work with the staff and the wider community.” — Kristen Gilbert - Aquinas College Guidance Counsellor “I want to extend a massive thank you again, for supporting us last Thursday at the YRE Winners Workshop. I really appreciate the time and effort that you put in to making the day run so well and am in total awe of your boundless energy! You are a life saver!! Your session was spot on also and I’ve had some lovely feedback so far which includes how much the students enjoyed your presence at the event.” — Christine White - Keep New Zealand Beautiful Education Manager “Jase has been working with my son as a mentor over the past few months. He has worked alongside him improving his resilience and helping him build a positive mindset when facing challenges. I have seen a huge change in him. His confidence has improved remarkably with regards to his self-belief, he tackles challenges such as speeches with ease and has a much sunnier outlook on a daily basis. Thanks Jase - You’ve been amazing!” — Andrea Tallon - Parent “Jason, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm with the Tauranga Intermediate 1 XI Hockey team. Your ability to capture the girls’ attention and keep them focused and on task for the limited time you had proved you’re a natural with this age group. The content was on point, age appropriate and your energy is infectious! Perfect for inspiring these young athletes to be the best they can before tournament week”” — Rachel Henstock - Parent Individual Coaching “Jason recently helped me out with two presentations. I had so much information tumbling around in my mind in a slightly chaotic manner. (Actually it was total chaos)Jason has a way of dissecting the chaos, singling out the points, and building around whats important until it all fits together. Jason is methodical, strategic, and honest. While I’’m talking I can see the wheels turning.He doesn’t do everything for you, Jason asks questions, helps you see your vision, build your plan, and achieve your goal. Its always a pleasure to work with Jason. I left our meeting feeling sorted and confident to deliver the presentations.” — Coaching Client “Working with Jase has been AWESOME! Communicating to an online audience and at live events is becoming a big part of what we do at Ace The Gram and it’s safe to say we’ve come a long way since we started working with Jase.We used to speak with no clear structure and struggled to connect with larger audiences. At a recent event with an audience of 100+, the response was more than we could have hoped for. We’ve since been invited back to two further events under the same organiser, and seem to be swamped with people wanting to know more about what we do afterwards. Not only that, but the feedback from our one on one consulting clients about the way that we structure our sessions has been great. Jase has really helped us iron out finer details and the way that we pre-frame & communicate our ideas. Jase’s coaching has been, and continues to be a game-changer for our business. Thanks Jase!!” — Vivien Conway - Co-founder of Ace the Gram