Testimonials

This program was the start and push that I needed when I was in high school and I still utilize many of the lessons that they taught me. Through hard work and perseverance and some GA help, I am now a wastewater engineer. I will be forever grateful for the chance to be a part of this great program and for being able to talk with them even after I graduated high school and college.

—Olivia Hicklin

This is an opportunity you should not pass up. It will change your life almost immediately if you give them your attention. Both in the long and short term, you will learn lessons that it can take other people years to figure out and some may never realize!

—Matthew Garbecki

I had an incredibly positive experience working with Ross and the rest of his team while I was in high school, so I pushed for my younger sister Julia to go as well, knowing now the positive impact it can have on your future.

—Liz Mastrio

My experience shows through in my everyday life. I came to realize my patience level was beneficial in school during group projects, and that I needed to strengthen my dominance to assert my needs. Overall, this program has given me skills and valuable lessons that brought me to the success I have today.

—Grace Beaupre

Giombetti Associates helped me understand the different characteristics that made me who I was. This gave me an idea of what I needed to work on going forward to become more of a leader. Going through the program was life-changing for me and my confidence.

—Daniel Nygren

The team at Giombetti Associates has been one of the best support firms I’ve had the pleasure in developing a strategic partnership within 30+ years of global leadership experience. The high-performance persona of Giombetti Associates is noticeably apparent at the very start with Ross’ high energy and no bull$#@% approach to providing accurate, honest, and meaningful feedback regardless of the situation; creating an authentic and trusting relationship Day 1…

Ross and the team have been instrumental in effectively assessing our personnel for continued internal development along with becoming a key aspect to our Company’s talent acquisition. Everyone at Giombetti Associates is a solid individual as well an expert in their field and very much unlike most other agencies and/or consultants; they all effortlessly become an extension to your organization from their candid style and positive attitude during every engagement.  They clearly model and instill the culture they strive for every organization who embarks upon a relationship with Giombetti Associates.

Additionally, I experienced one of the best developmental sessions when attending their Leadership Training in 2018. As with all MagSeal Management Team members who have also participated within this three day Leadership Training, upon our return to the office we strongly noted this workshop as being one of the most impactful developmental sessions and very worthy of the time spent off site/away for their own enrichment. The designed curriculum and structure alone provide insight for individual growth while the presentation of the content clearly drives home valuable substance for personal acceptance and positive change.

I always look forward to having a conversation with anyone within Giombetti Associates since it always feels like you’re talking with family. I can only hope Ross and his team will continue to expand their services for other aspects of team acquisition, personal coaching, and organizational training & development!

—Bob Garde, President: Magnetic Seal Corporation

Hey guys,

I wanted to take a few days to reflect and absorb the training and see how some of the suggestions and realizations from last week played out once I was back in “the real world”, before sending this email to you. I won’t lie and tell you that I did not come into this training with a certain amount of skepticism. I have done a few of these types of things over my career before and quite frankly, I thought they were a great way for the people presenting to make a living. I mean, you get to stand up in front of a room full of people and tell them how to be a better (fill in the blank here), and how to contribute to their companies in a more effective manner. And get payed for it!

A few things that I observed to help make this a different dynamic are as follows.

1. You all sat at the same level as us.
   • There wasn’t any feeling of this being a PRESENTATION. It truly felt like a discussion. Which I’m sure was by design. It made it so comfortable to actually share thoughts and ideas. It’s much easier to check out when you are being “talked to”.
     1. I have tried to be mindful of my body language and positioning when I have had discussions with team members, co-workers, or family.
2. You allowed us to have different goals.
   • What I mean by this is, you allowed us to have different end games for this training. I know some of the team wanted to try to reach problem employees or be a better manager, while some others wanted to focus on how to be a better husband, father or friend. As well as the evolution of that goal. Some of the statements about the takeaways at the end were not in line with what they thought they would get out of it.
     1. No names, but several folks that said they wanted to be a better manager or better leader at the end talked about not being real or open with personal relationships versus the professional aspect. I think the correlation between who you are outside of work, as a person, and who your team thinks you are was eye opening. At least it was to me!!
     2. I have made a concerted effort to try to make sure that I am sensitive to the fact that different people want/need different things. And that’s OK!
3. You were real!
   • This is huge for me. I like to think that I have a pretty good B.S. meter and the minute the needle starts to move; I tend to shut down and just get through the interaction as quickly and painlessly as possible.
     1. From the second we came in, you all had big smiles and warm invite
     2. You shared personal stories that left you out there, vulnerable. This helped me be real and open.

I can’t tell you how much warmth and genuine compassion I felt from all of you during the training. I know my goodwill score is 96, which I’m sure contributes to me being a bit sappy at times, but I was a bit surprised that I got emotional in a room full of strangers when I talked about how I want to make things better with my family. I know that is a direct result of the environment that you ALL built over the course of the 3 days.

Not to keep going on, but I wanted to share a couple things that I have already done differently that I know was appreciated, even though nobody said a word. The first was as my family sat down for our weekly board game night, I made sure that I was the one to make sure that everyone had drinks, snacks whatever we needed before we started. That has always just been handled by Michelle, my wife. There is NO reason that she needs to be the last one to sit down, even if she doesn’t complain. Another thing is we were going to the grocery store and I turned the radio station to the one that my family likes. The world stopped for a minute…LOL . I despise 95% of the music on “their” station! I mean how can you go wrong with listening to Boston or Van Morrison??? But in that moment of pain and despair of listening to the latest and greatest from, whatever the flavor of the week was, I noticed all 3 of them kind of bounce their heads a bit to the rhythm. That was cool. I mean really, why should I get to decide what music we listen to ALL THE TIME? Just because I happen to be the one driving, which oh by the way, I don’t want anyone else to drive but me??? To quote a very wise man…that’s BAD, BAD, BAD. STOP IT! Haha, I must have heard Rick say that 40 times last week!!

Seriously guys, thank you all for the love and compassion that I felt from all of you. It means more than I can tell you! I look forward to speaking with you soon. Take care.

—Ernie Edgell, Manager C&I Field Sales: IGS Energy

I have great admiration for what you and Rick do because you DO change lives. I hope at some point I have shown the proper gratitude, but if not let me thank you for all that you have done for me in the past because you have helped me tremendously. I am thankful that Baich brought you into IGS when he did because a cloud has been lifted off me that I didn’t even know was there! Self-deception is a tricky thing in that it is easily hidden behind a high paced environment and even “success.” Although I have a long way to go, I wouldn’t have started without Giombetti, and a company that cares enough to take this path. I look forward to continuing our relationship. You need to take my wife and I to one of your Italian restaurants in Boston.

—Stu Arthur, Vice President of Sales: IGS Energy

I hope you are well. I just wanted to take a minute and let you know how much I truly appreciate the opportunity you gave me. Not only were you a fantastic, energetic and knowledgeable teacher but you became a person that I have much respect and admiration for. You have many things I am working towards, including what seems to be the perfect balance between career, life and fun. I won’t lie, at times hearing and then accepting some of the characteristics I possess was VERY hard, but how can I change those things without being aware of them? I can honestly say that within the last month I feel as if I am an entirely new person. I will never change the energy or good spirit I feel I have but I have taken serious notice when I begin to just give in or hold back what I REALLY want. There are days that I feel as if a gigantic weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I am much more aware of who I am as an individual now. It is beyond refreshing. I will always remember the things I learned in class as well as in the leadership program. This program has given me the chance to become a leader now. I am able to give my opinion and not worry about if everyone in the world is happy with it. It has made me aware of changes I need to make to be more successful. The lessons are unforgettable, and I hope that I can pass even a small bit of what I took in on to others. So – again, thank you millions for providing me such an amazing opportunity and a chance to start living truly happy. Cheers to you and your father!

—Heather Caisse, participant in Leadership Development Training and a graduate student in Ross’s Organizational Leadership class

People often say after their time at this training that “they learned a lot about themselves.” I see it differently. I knew a lot of what their assessment said. I just didn’t know how it all tied together. This assessment and training have changed my life. It has given me a perspective that I never had before. I went into this expecting to learn how to be a better manager. It taught me how to be a better man. To be the leader I wanted to be, I first had to become the person I wanted to be. I have always attacked everything in my life with passion and a drive, with the purpose of being successful. The problem I had was how I measured success. To me, success was how much money did I make? What job title did I hold? Did I win or lose? After my time with Rick and Ross I have learned the true measure of success will be my legacy. How many lives have I impacted? What will people say about me when I am gone? I have tried to instill this in my associates to build a culture of striving to be the best people we can be and to always do the right thing. What it has shown us is that if we can motivate people with more than just money and give them a larger purpose, the rewards are longer lasting and more fulfilling.

—Rob Phillipo

I highly recommend the services and programs of Giombetti Associates. Our experience with them has been a very successful and prosperous partnership over the last 8 years. We’ve had over 300 individuals utilize their assessment, training and development services with great results. During our engagement with them, we believe they’ve had a direct impact on our company’s bottom line. Since 2001, our revenue has grown from $350 million to over $1.1 billion this past year. They’ve helped us to understand and cultivate the best we have in our people, and it has proven to be well worth the investment.

The culture of our company, Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS), is something we take very seriously. It is critical for those partners we engage to understand and realize it’s not just what our people do that makes us successful, but that they do so by growing, developing and reaching their potential which matters most to us. Giombetti Associates has developed an innate understanding of ADS as a company. They’ve helped our people realize what they need to work on along with providing the tools and training that mesh with our company’s core values and culture, which is why it has been such a positive experience for us.

In these very challenging economic times, we can’t afford to make mistakes with our most important asset – our people. If we’re not investing in their growth and development, they’re going to go somewhere else and get it. Our employees take pride in what they learn from Giombetti, and their approach to what they do for us and how they do it has helped us to hire, retain and develop top performers.  We’ve leveraged several of Giombetti’s services including:

• Pre – Employment Assessments

The majority of our critical new hires are assessed by Giombetti before they’re offered a position. Giombetti’s assessment feedback provides us with an objective perspective which has helped us to improve our hiring rates over the years. It also helps us to identify potential areas of improvement in those we do hire so we’re already aware of what we can help them work on.

• Leadership Development

Every year, we have dozens of our high-potential employees participate in Giombetti’s Performance Dynamics training. This has helped them develop their leadership, management and interpersonal skills to the point where many of them have become top managers leading different organizations and initiatives within our company.

Since our initial engagement with Giombetti, they have become a true partner – one that knows what they’re talking about and is able to customize and implement truly beneficial and successful programs and training. We have employees who will tell you that it has changed their lives for the better, both personally and professionally. And, it has genuinely boosted employee morale because they see our investment in their future by providing opportunities for growth and development. We are a better company for having worked with Giombetti Associates.

—Erick Piscopo, Director: Human Resources: Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc.

The three-day seminar was perfect for me. I needed that deep dive into understanding how each trait is developed, displayed and used to understand me and the impact I have on others. The side benefit is that you get to understand both sides of the coin and that turns the lights on when thinking about how other people in your life create, deal with or flee from circumstances.  If we are to seek to understand rather than be understood, this is a great place to begin by understanding yourself.

—Vance Mauldin, Vice President: Team Fishel

This 3-day program has allowed me to see how my leadership traits have made me into the person that I am today and that I have the ability to change them. My area that I am really trying to focus on is being able to enter into a conversation without being predisposed as to how it is going to end. Valuing all viewpoints so that I can grow as a person and allow others to feel valued and grow as well.

—Dan Hromada, Regional Sales Manager: IGS Energy

It will absolutely have an impact on my leadership style, but also my personal style. A lot of the concepts and ideas cross all facets of my life. The personal development will have a positive impact to my personal and professional life. I am learning that when I am mindful of my opportunities, I am identifying when they kick in and am trying different approaches and seeing different results.

It has been awesome to see this influence my day to day. I find myself thinking about my go to action or the actions of my teammates. Not from the aspect of right or wrong, but from a place of understanding mine/their strengths and go-to responses. It has influenced my thought process in that moment, but also opened my “judgement” in those situations.

—Dustin Marshall, Operations Lead: IGS Energy

Excellent workshop and learning presentation from a family/team who not only is sincere about their mission but also deeply caring for others in striving for promoting personal development.

—Bob Garde, President: Magnetic Seal Corporation

Most definitely a life changing training session. My personal life relationships have already improved. The relationship between me and my wife and parents have improved already. The experience of being in a room with 30 high energy high productivity people was breath taking. It helped build my self-confidence and opened my mind to many perspectives. The trainers were strong enough to manage this group, keep everybody on topic and still managed to make it a personal improvement discussion.

—Rui Parracho, Sales Technical Service Manager: Bixby International Corporation

This is one of the best self-reflective programs I have attended. It included participants from various background with different styles that helped to balance the workshop. I would recommend this to all the team members – It digs deep – Great tool.

—Malik Surani, Human Resources Manager: Tigre-ADS USAm Inc.

Ross shared a story in class about a guy who was always walking ahead of his family, it was like he was describing me. My family and I went to a pumpkin patch over the weekend and I made a conscious effort to SLOW down and move at their pace. I intentionally did not mention anything about my pace and could feel a better energy from my wife and kids from not being rushed around.

 I mentioned it before but feel it warrants being brought up again. I truly felt like I had known the Giombetti staff for years. It seemed that they all were there to help me be a better person. I know that we all make money doing our jobs, but you would have thought you guys were getting paid millions of dollars for each smile you invoked from the group. To me it felt like a real connection from the beginning. THANK YOU!

—Ernie Edgell, Manager C&I Field Sales: IGS Energy

I was unsure what this training could do for me and afterwards it is life changing. A true self development assessment that applies to every aspect of life.

—Timothy Gilbert, Production Manager: ProTech Industries

I found the whole process to be amazing and eye opening. Providing such useful & personalized information in a non-threatening environment was great.  All the information was presented with just the right balance of humor and tact.  For anyone who is serious about being the best leader they can be, I recommend this program. The folks from Giombetti Associates provided support and guidance the whole way through resulting in a wonderful experience. I highly recommend this leadership program.

—David Betrune, Executive Director: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden County/Hartsprings Foundation

Ross, Rick and their team create an atmosphere of focused learning in their leadership workshop. The tool (Performance Dynamics assessment) that they have developed and refined creates a level of self-awareness that all leaders should be in tune with. They allow you to understand that you can manage that which you appreciate.

—Peter Brunault, Director of Human Resources: Williams Distributing