Success Stories

Just a note to say how valuable Brandon has been for us in our efforts to hire and support great teachers, particularly faculty of color. Brandon partnered with us in a recent hiring workshop for our division heads, department chairs, HR, and other school leaders. It was a resounding success! Brandon was flexible, insightful, easy to work with and genuine. He went above and beyond by interviewing six current faculty to provide us with meaningful, qualitative data to help guide strategy.

Thank you so much for the guidance and wisdom you gave Harding Academy these past few months. Carney Sandoe's reputation is excellent, and you exceeded the high expectations we had for you in this partnership. Your gentle nudges, your words of encouragement, and your thoughtful questions reflect your integrity, professionalism and experience. I am excited for the path Harding Academy will climb with its new leader, and we would not be here without you. Countless children in the years to come will benefit because of where you have moved us.

I am forever grateful to Ann Teaff for being such an integral and special part of my first year as head of school. She was there for me at every turn. Her keen ability to listen and observe during an early campus visit provided an important framework for our future conversations. Understanding the context in which I was leading allowed her to make sure I was celebrating my successes - something first-year heads need to be reminded of. She also came alongside me during the hardest of decisions. I was the beneficiary of so many helpful resources in our work together. Her willingness to connect me with experts in a number of areas allowed me to move more quickly through learning curves. Perhaps most of all I benefited greatly from Ann's ability to ask the very best questions of me - and in the right order! A masterful coach and mentor, she helped me develop confidence in my own decisions. I still cherish our conversations and the wisdom I gained from her in our year together.

A sincere thank you for all of your support helping us with our Head of School and Principal search. Your steady hand and sage guidance were so appreciated and I want you to know that we are in a great place with our new leadership.

Marsha was exactly the facilitator and thought partner we needed. She provided guiding structures tailored to our topic that were generative rather than restrictive. She listened deeply to understand our specific context, needs, and goals. Thus, we arrived at unique conclusions with efficiency and clarity we could not have achieved on our own.

Carney Sandoe has routinely helped my school find amazing leadership talent. A recent CFO search has resulted in finding a leader who has been transformative for our school. Greg Britton listened thoughtfully about our needs and recruited a strong array of finalists. A CFO transition is one of the most challenging to manage in schools, and Carney Sandoe helped us manage this in amazing ways.

It has been an absolute pleasure working with Cathy Shelburne and Sara Shulman, and I could not have wished for a better outcome, particularly during a time when it felt like all of our peer schools were also looking for a Director of Advancement.

I am deeply grateful to Sara Shulman and Elyse Waterhouse for helping us land our fabulous new CFOO. They took time and care to understand a great deal about our current context - successes, challenges, and future opportunities. Their inclusive approach in working not only with me but also with our business team and other school leaders enabled them to develop a nuanced understanding of skills and qualities of our ideal candidate. The portfolio of candidates they provided were stronger across the board than I could have imagined, and I particularly appreciated the diversity of the group (gender and race/ethnicity, as well as industry backgrounds). Their guidance was instrumental in shaping a process that has not only led to our successful new hire in the role but also to our people feeling valued. They were generous in sharing what they learned about us in the process, which has also helped greatly with the transition plan for our new CFOO and our operational teams. The partnership with Sara and Elyse continues to pay off. And it was fun to work with them, too!

Working with Marsha Little provided me one of the most inspiring professional development experiences of my career. Marsha’s approach to coaching allowed a space for me to actively reflect, connect with my true purpose, and learn specific strategies to grow my interviewing skills. Throughout my time with her, I learned how to fit all of the pieces of my leadership journey together to craft a narrative that was a strong reflection of my strengths and abilities. And while all of this was truly incredible and helpful, perhaps the best part of working with Marsha is to experience her unique ability to always respond with a beautifully specific question to all you have to say. Her masterful art of listening allows Marsha to get to the very heart of the matter and provides anyone who might be lucky enough to work with her the challenge of true reflection. The kind of reflection that moves you forward and wades through all of the extraneous information to unearth the beauty of who you are, what you truly want, and what you need to do to make your goals a reality. My time with her was precious and I often found myself shocked our hour would move as quickly as it did. What I have learned in our short time together will continue to support my growth in leadership far beyond my sessions with her. I am forever grateful I was able to experience this extremely special opportunity and hope many others get to do the same!

Beginning last spring, and through the winter, we had the privilege at Cathedral of working with Brandon Jacobs and Beth Dietz for our principal search. While I am certain this is the case in all schools, we believe Cathedral has a super important and unique mission, and it was critical for us to find the right leader. Thanks to Brandon and Beth, we secured a principal that we are beyond excited about. Working with both Brandon and Beth felt like working with a team, or members of our own staff. I cannot offer high enough compliments, and truly feel grateful for their guidance and leadership throughout the process.