Ian Kennedy

Ian Kennedy is a speaker, trainer, facilitator and consultant. His areas of specialty include business communication and presentation. Ian is an innovative implementer who - through programs, coaching, speaking and facilitating - stretches people and organizations to move past boundaries to create tangible and lasting results.

Clients have described Ian as clear and direct and his work as inspiring and powerful. One client stated: that ”Ian’s sessions always remind me of who I am and the possibilities of all I can be. I always left sessions feeling exhilarated and creative!"

A little Essential history:
Ian began his career in radio broadcasting working with CKFM, CBC Radio One, CJEZ and CFNY working as a Writer, Producer, Executive Producer, Music Director and Program Supervisor. Along side his career in radio, Ian facilitated The Mastery of Creativity and Self-Expression through a long term/ongoing association with The Actors Institute (TAI) in New York City.

Ian made the shift to full time training in the early nineties, signing on as a professor with Centennial College. He subsequently worked as a professor and program coordinator with Seneca College. Ian launched Essential Communications in 1993, and focused the business on creativity, presentation and communication. Parallel to this, Essential developed and delivered two outstanding career transition programs “Presenting Yourself For Employment” which focused on the interview/communication aspects of career search, and “Consulting as a Career Option” which helped hundreds of individuals in make the successful transition from employee to entrepreneur.

Essential Communications has grown – with offices in Toronto and Whitby – and a full offering of communication, business development, personal effectiveness and career based workshops. Ian is the past President of the Association of Career Professionals International (Toronto Chapter) and a member of the Ajax Pickering Board of Trade.

Peter Miller

Peter Miller is a remarkable business coach and a trainer specializing in business and communication fundamentals. He works with Essential in several capacities, most notably as coordinator of Essential’s Ontario Self-Employment Program.

Peter brings a wealth of business, managerial, community, educational and life experience to Essential. A business graduate of McMaster University he spent many years in a variety of positions with increasing responsibility at Royal Bank, branch, regional and head office locations. He was active in the implementation of significant changes including the introduction of Account Management and the design, promotion and implementation of both Product and Market Management, disciplines that are as vital to micro businesses as they are to corporations. His experience also incorporated branch administration, in-house trainer and substantial successful experience in Business-to-Business sales.

Peter is a currently a Director of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Durham Home & Small Business Association, and an active volunteer as of the Kawartha Lake Stewards Association and other entrepreneurial endeavors. He is a past director of Economic Developers Association of Canada, Tourism Industry Association of Canada, committee member of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and has been a subject expert speaker at many conferences.

Since joining Essential in 2003, when not coaching, training or coordinating he can be can be found volunteering, engaged in church act ivies, traveling, skiing, running, biking, or working at his cottage.

Heather MacGregor

Heather is a charismatic speaker, coach and corporate trainer with broad experience in public, private and academic adult education settings. Her energetic and engaging classroom style reflects her passion for the work she does and the people with whom she does it. With a background in public affairs in the Premier's Office and Cabinet Office, she is both a versatile communicator and a skillfull training consultant. Her experience as an independent training design specialist and as a principal instructor in George Brown's Diploma in Adult Education Program provide her with valuable insight into the creation of practical and memorable training programs that meet the needs of individuals and organizations alike.

Heather has a Bachelor's degree from Queen's University, a Certificate for Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) from the Canadian Co-operative for Language and Cultural Studies, as well as a Certificate in Instructing Adults from George Brown College in Toronto.

A part-time editor and freelance writer, Heather's work has appeared in popular magazines such as Style at Home and Elm Street. When not teaching, writing, or consulting, she enjoys a wide variety of creative pursuits including singing, gardening and renovating.

Jamie Crookston

Jamie Crookston is a trainer/facilitator, “success” coach and professional speaker with broad based business experience. He specializes in helping individuals gain clarity and become more focused, committed and actionable in creating lives with purpose, meaning and direction. Recognized as, “the voice that moves,” he presents topics in the area of his passion; discovering, aligning and maximizing on your potential.

His engaging training style is informative, influential and inspiring, focusing on a wide range of personal effectiveness topics. As he puts it, his mission is to “help groups and individuals get out of their own way to achieve the success they deserve!” He has over 4,000 hours of “front of the room” experience as a workshop facilitator, conference presenter and keynote speaker.

Jamie’s coaching style is engaging, challenging and motivating. He employs active listening and communication skills blended with a good sense of humour to create a congenial, collaborative and focused coaching experience. His primary focus has been consistently on inspiring others to stretch their capabilities beyond self-imposed limits.

Prior to becoming a certified Life Skills Coach, he extensively studied career management and was an outplacement counselor for executives in career transition. As an “experienced life practitioner,” he has worked with individuals from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, life experiences and a broad range of agendas.

Jamie has worked with Essential Communications Ltd. since 1998 and has assisted hundreds of participants through workshop facilitation and coaching.

Jamie has 4,800+ hours of results-oriented coaching experience, with prior training from Peer Resources, Victoria B.C and on-going training from Coachville Graduate School of Coaching, U.S.A. along with a Lifeskills Coaching Certificate. Jamie is a certified Personality Dimensions (Level 1) facilitator and has a Hons. B.A. Fine Arts, York University, along with an Adult Education Certificate from Seneca College.

Judy Yee

Judy Yee is Essential Communications' internal communications coordinator. Her skill in multitasking from administration through things financial to client relations is amazing. Following studies at Dawson College and Concordia University in Montreal, Judy moved to Toronto and has excelled in customer based service and administrative roles. As front line client contact - say hello to Judy in your interactions with Essential Communications.


Bev Mawhinney

Bev has been our administrative assistant in our Whitby office for five plus years. Clients and colleagues alike declare she is brilliant. With over 10 years of customer service experience and an Executive Assistant Diploma from Trillium College her efficiency is renowned. She is dedicated, detailed and caring. Be sure to say hello if you’re in the office or if you reach Bev when you call Essential.

Susan Legare

Susan Legare is a project specialist and assists Peter Miller, on a part-time basis, in the coordination of the Ontario Self-Employment Benefit program. When Susan isn't busy with Essential work she runs her own event business: Moments That Shine.

Tamara Elliott

Tamara is an experienced facilitator/trainer who has worked as part of the Essential Communications team since its inception. She is a communication skills specialist with a remarkable way of developing rapport with groups of people. Tamara creates a safe, energized and inclusive learning environment.

Her work for Essential has included facilitating the Presenting Yourself for Employment Program for the City of Toronto/Metropolitan Toronto and coaching and coordinating the Consulting as a Career Option Program for the Government of Canada. Along side Ian Kennedy, Tamara has co-facilitated the Mastery of Creativity and Self-Expression working with individuals to enhance their communication skills and how they express themselves.

Tamara has a B.A. from Queen’s University, a B.S.W. from Ryerson University and is currently working on her M.S.W. from the University of Toronto. She has an extensive background in coaching and facilitating groups ranging from youth to experienced professionals in the public and private sectors, as well as in non-profit organizations.

Collaborators:

David Cohen

David Cohen has been working in business-to-business sales in both the radio advertising and promotional products marketing business for over 14 years. During the past 5 years, David has shifted his career and embarked on launching a business in consulting, coaching and training. The result was the launch of The Technicolour Umbrella in 2002. David Cohen prides himself on working and teaching at a variety of local government economic development agencies, specializing in small business start-up programs. David has trained with the Adler School towards obtaining a certificate in Professional Coaching and soon afterwards began working as a business advisor, coach and consultant with JVS and Rexdale Microskills. Currently David works as a business advisor, facilitator and coach at The Toronto Business Development Centre, The School for Promotional Marketing, and Essential Communications. David has worked one - on - one with over 200 start-ups and has taught marketing, selling, and business start up, to over 1000 students. David is the originator, host and producer in charge of the Small Business Big Ideas Show radio program on CKDO 1580 in Durham.


Carla Kendall

Carla Kendall is a Coach, Trainer/Facilitator, and Motivational Seminar Leader. She obtained her degree from York University, and is a former Bank Manager with 18 years of combined experience in the areas of Finance, Banking, Credit and Collections with special emphasis on holistic approaches to understanding Money, and the adaptation of Life Skills.

As a graduate of the Self-Employment Assistance Program, Carla shares her perspectives, as a Participant, Trainer and Small Business Owner.

She has worked extensively with Entrepreneurs in the areas of Small Business Management Consulting, Micro-Enterprise Lending, Source Funding and Interpersonal Mediation. Through Essential Communications Carla provides a roster of customized workshops from Money Management, Credit and Collections, and Contract Negotiations to Humour in the Workplace.

Working internationally, Carla provides Seminars and Workshops for Large and Small organizations from the Consumer, Industrial, Financial, and Commercial sectors, including in-house training to homogeneous groups. Some of her training includes, delivering ‘Train the Trainer' Self-Employment workshops in Africa, with Senegal as host for six other African countries, consulting in India, where the original micro-enterprise Lending concepts were created, working “hands-on” and training an indigenous organization, Youth United for Voluntary Action (YUVA), and in Trinidad and Tobago.

Carla has written and published articles that have appeared in "City Woman Magazine", "The Canadian Professional Sales Association Magazine" and "Canada Small Business Magazine".


Bob Wheatley

Bob Wheatley is a collaborative coach and trainer with Essential Communications. He helps clients transform life’s reality into business opportunity, through programs such as “Consulting as a Career Option”, the “Ontario Self Employment Benefit” program and custom workshops such as “The Essentials of Aiming for Impact—The Key to Reaching Strategic Goals Faster”.

Bob’s Technical, Management and Human Behavior skills have made him an international business life coach, compassionate enough to understand difficult challenges, and professional enough to push clients past them with humour and inspiration. Because Bob has walked the talk himself, his training and coaching provide big-picture perspective and many real-life options to help clients create their own paths to success.

Bob has 25+ years as manager, consultant and business owner. His experience includes Lead Improvement Trainer for the specialty steels division of Rio Algom, Corporate Industrial Engineer for a 10-plant manufacturing division of Stelco, Cdn. and Business Unit Manager of custom electrical products for U.S. multinational Eaton Corporation.

Bob has Engineering (BASc) and Management (MASc) degrees with post-graduate studies and research in human Behaviour and Performance, all from the University of Waterloo. Licensed professional engineer, certified continuous improvement instructor, certified ISO lead auditor, professional speaker and business writer.

Bob’s specialty is personalized coaching and workshops on strategic creativity for entrepreneurial start-ups,
business excellence and career management.


Cindy Pinkus, LL.B.

Cindy Pinkus, a lawyer since 1983, has developed courses on negotiation as well as various aspects of the practice of law. Her writing has appeared in the Ontario Bar Admission Course.

Cindy became faculty for The Law Society of Upper Canada in 1998, after a fifteen-year career as a litigation and real estate lawyer. In 2000, Cindy became faculty lead, working with a team of lawyers in the redesign the Bar Admission Course. Her mandate was to make the training more practical and interactive. In 2001 and 2002, Cindy served as Director of Bar Admission for The Law Society of Upper Canada.

Since returning to the practice of law in 2002, Cindy has focused on providing legal advice to private clients, providing professional development consulting services to one of the Canada’s leading law firms, and presenting courses on negotiation to managers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, consultants and chartered accountants.

Cindy’s clients have described her as a sharp, clear minded person who is a dynamic and engaging facilitator. She is well versed in adult education principles and uses a range of platforms to ensure her message is remembered; and she does this all with an incredible energy and an always evident sense of humour.

In total Cindy has delivered more than 50 courses on Negotiation Skills.


Carol Amirault

Carol Amirault is a Career Counsellor, Business Coach and Facilitator. A successful entrepreneur and business manager, Carol was co-owner of the Core Group Talent Agency Inc., in combination with her extensive work as a representative for performing arts clients. Carol helped to develop the Core Group Talent Agency Inc. into a highly respected agency in the performing arts industry and was involved in launching the careers of several Canadian performers. After over seventeen years as Company Manager and twenty years as an Agent (translating to: coach, mentor, guide, advisor, tutor, business consultant, job developer, promoter, and negotiator) for a diversified group of actors, Carol undertook her own a career transition. She completed the Career and Work Counsellor Program at George Brown College, complimenting her Queen’s University, Bachelor of Commerce Degree and related small business experience. She has worked as a business coach/facilitator for Essential Communications Ltd. since 2007.


Andrea Moffat

Andrea Moffat has extensive experience in human relations including team development, leadership, business coaching and training. Her expertise has been applied in corporations such as TELUS, Enbridge, and Scott Paper and various small businesses and non-profit organizations. A specialist in business development and marketing, Andrea understands the inner working of any organization and how to ensure teams work effectively to produce superior results and overcome any challenges.

Andrea has an Honours degree from the University of Toronto where she was considered a diversity expert including co-developing the University’s Business Diversity Training Courses for executives and being on the forefront of diversity management in campus life.

Her energetic leadership style garnered her much success in the past provincial election where she was able to engage various demographics in her bid for MPP. She was also named one of the top ten finalists (equalvoice.ca) to be “Ontario’s Greatest Female Premier”.

Andrea’s training solutions are practical, exciting and effective. She provides a ‘no-nonsense’ and creative approach that engages all people within the organization. They are easily implemented into the day to day activities of the participants and improve the success of the organization.


Chris Buffett

Chris Buffett is a trainer, facilitator and coach. His areas of specialty include business communication, negotiation, sales and entrepreneurship. He helps clients acquire the skills, insight and knowledge they need to grow personally and professionally.

Chris has delivered workshops to diverse groups of clients across Canada and throughout the United States. His groups have ranged in size from 10 to 150 participants, and he has worked with all levels of employees, from front-line staff to upper management in organizations both large and small. He is adept at managing group dynamics and keeping participants with varied backgrounds and levels of expertise in the subject matter engaged throughout the workshop. Clients describe Chris as personable, motivating, engaging and insightful.

As a business coach he works collaboratively with clients to create effective strategies that move their businesses forward more quickly. He knows that starting and running a business is a daunting task, and hard work is not enough to ensure success. But when hard work is combined with a clear focus and strong commitment, careful research and planning, and effective follow-through, success is the result. Clients describe Chris as affirming, motivating, personable, caring and insightful.

Chris has an MA in English from the University of Toronto, and a Certificate in Adult Education from George Brown College. He is qualified to teach and administer the Myers Briggs Type Indicator.

Wayne Lewis

Wayne Lewis is a professional speaker, facilitator and coach. He creates safe places where individuals and groups find clarity, initiate action, and achieve the results that they desire. He helps clients resolve the conflict and confusion that keeps them from reaching their business and/or personal goals.

A vital part of his work is coaching clients in career transition.
Wayne also facilitates workshops in Conflict/Anger Management, Personality Dimensions, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Negotiations Skills, Consulting Skills and Presentation Skills in the private and public sectors. Wayne incorporates his training as a mediator and NLP practitioner into his consulting and facilitation.

Wayne holds a Master of Business Administration degree from York University and is a trained Mediator, NLP Master Practioner, Personality Dimensions Level II Trainer, certified in Myers Briggs and a qualified Business Coach. He has 20 years management experience in the private sector.


Robin Stilwell

Robin Stilwell is a professional business manager with an extensive background in the Corporate, Commercial, Retail, Medical, Government, Non-Profit and Self-Employment environments. Her diversified work history allows her to bring a wide range of skills to assist the new entrepreneur in launching their business concept. She has co-ordinated and delivered a Self-Employment Program and is an experienced coach, trainer and workshop facilitator, consulting with clients through their business plan preparation and start up of business.

Robin is Essential’s retail operations specialist. During her years of self-employment in the Retail industry she has served on various professional boards, produced fund raising shows for large charitable organizations, appeared on local television, wrote a regular newspaper column and conducted presentations and guest speaking events to professional bodies. A self professed entrepreneur Robin recognizes the inner growth each individual faces at the launch of their new enterprise and has the ability to motivate them and instill the confidence to realize their potential.


Miranda Laurence

Miranda Laurence has been a coach, consultant and trainer since 1997. Miranda’s unique approach takes complex and dry subjects and makes them interesting and relevant. She has designed and facilitated workshops in Small Business Management, Customer Service, Presentation and Marketing. Miranda currently teaches computer technology at George Brown College, as well assisted other trainers in developing their technology programs.

Miranda has worked with Essential Communications Ltd. since October 2003 and has coached over 200 entrepreneurs with a wide variety of businesses from holistic health practitioners, computer technology, commercial and fine artists, retail, personal and business services, and home improvements.

Miranda has an Adult Education Certificate from George Brown College, a B.A. in Social Sciences (Psychology and English) from University of Western Ontario, and diploma in Shiatsu Therapy from Kikkawa College plus a myriad of on-going personal and professional development courses.


Kathy Bradford

Kathy Bradford is a corporate trainer, workshop facilitator, and professional speaker. She has extensive corporate experience, having been a trainer and educator with Bank of Montreal for twelve years.

Kathy’s specializes in the delivery of programs which enhance personal and professional effectiveness, including emotional intelligence, communication,
true colors and personality dimensions, wellness and work/life balance, confidence, motivation and change management. Like all Essential sessions Kathy’s sessions are highly interactive as she incorporates her energy,
enthusiasm and passion into her delivery.

Kathy has a Bachelor of Social Work, a Masters of Education specializing in Adult Education, and a post-degree diploma in Wellness and Lifestyle Management. Kathy also holds certifications in BarOnEQi Emotional Intelligence, True Colors, Personality Dimensions (levels 1 and 2), and Stress Map.