Read Our Testimonials

Julie and her staff guided our 501C3 nonprofit through a comprehensive, three-year Strategic plan virtually. Julie and Katie worked collaboratively with my team of twelve staff members over a three-month period while also doing outreach and engagement with our key stakeholders. They were beyond thorough, met all my organization’s pre-defined expectations, and took us through many different useful activities including PEST-L and SWAT analysis, before presenting the final product to my Board of Directors. One of my Board members, a doctor, and leading advocate in Indiana for the aging, stated that this was the most thorough and comprehensive plan she has ever been presented, and was beyond impressed. I would highly recommend Lancaster Consulting for your strategic plan needs for your organization. They were exemplary on all fronts.

I appreciate Julie’s networking skills in accommodating my request for team building event for my staff. I needed an indigenous mind and voice in addition to Julie’s awesome facilitation skills. I was very grateful to hear that Julie worked closely with Ms. Rose Toehe (Navajo/Ute) on these types of requests. Julie and Rose facilitated a wonderful event for my Native American staff. The staff keep talking about how Julie and Rose managed to bring two worlds together to make one. We are ready to take on our Native American Summer Bridge program! Ahe’hee!

We recommend Lancaster Leadership to all mid-size law firms. In the past, our team had an overwhelming list of non-billable priorities and no time to focus on them. We knew that strategy was needed for exceptional results, but we didn’t know how to get there on our own. Lancaster Leadership came to our rescue. We enlisted their support with stakeholder focus groups, coaching, values creation, and training, which culminated with strategic planning.

As a result of this process:
• We have identified our priorities and have clear direction
• We can see what’s working and what’s not, and we create strategy for the gap
• We attract and retain attorneys and staff who align with our mission

From creating a 3-year strategic plan, we are proud to say that we now have these wins:
• Growth in the size of the firm, including new roles and more diversity
• New opportunities to maximize our staff expertise for our clients (that increases our profitability)
• A mentorship program for associates
• Succession planning and a flexible professional growth roadmap for staff and attorneys
• Innovative products that help us reach more of our community
• Clear expectations and SOPs that support our efficiency

We know that law firms can be resistant to doing this kind of work as it may seem “fluffy” or challenges the “we are making money, so we are fine” mindset. Strategic planning with Lancaster Leadership is a must for any firm that cares about being successful today and for many years to come.

I have had the opportunity to work with Julie and Katie at Lancaster Leadership over the past year.

The one-on-one professional coaching with Julie has been an asset in my development and growth as a leader in my organization. I look forward to working with her again after every session. This tool in our community is a real asset to leaders and I would encourage anyone thinking about coaching to reach out.

Additionally, Katie provided support and guidance during our organizations strategic planning this year. Katie was organized, prepared, and really listened to the needs of the organization in her work. As the leader of a growing nonprofit organization, I was thankful to have her thoughtful leadership and outside perspective while we developed such an important road map for our agency.

I could not recommend Lancaster Leadership more highly. Northern Arizona is lucky to have this excellent resource.

I first met Julie several years ago when she was hired to facilitate strategic planning with our AZ Chiefs Probation Officer Association meeting. Julie assisted us with Chiefs from around the state to clarify our goals and what we wanted to be about moving forward. Because of her demonstrated skills in communication and ability to deliver great results for our Chiefs, I hired her to come to Yavapai County Adult Probation to work with our management team to assist us in strategic planning and team building. I was inspired by her example to also hire Julie for my personal development and followed by offering her services to several of my staff. Julie is an excellent facilitator and exemplifies the meaning of leadership integrity by walking her talk resulting in bringing out the best in individuals and teams. Call Julie and her team if you want the best for yourself and your staff!

Truly an expert in her field, Julie offers an energizing course that reinforces and introduces leadership concepts that can help you both professionally and personally. This phenomenal program is filled with compelling concepts, and enjoyable experiences. You allowed me to explore my inner strengths and recognize my leadership values.

Julie has mastered the ability to absorb a phenomenal amount of information and distill it into useable, succinct and effective strategies for enhancing one’s leadership skills. She both assists and challenges participants in her leadership courses to stretch themselves and their leadership abilities in practical ways. She brings engagement, participation, homework and accountability; the perfect formula to elevate a leader out of the ordinary and towards the exceptional.

Julie’s energy is palpable and contagious; just being in her proximity makes you want to be a better person. There’s a reason why Lancaster Leadership has such a successful track record, She is approachable, trustworthy, and emotes an even temperament that calms and helps one center their thought processes. Julie also manages to intuitively sense when the right amount of levity is required to break the ice and galvanize a team or audience. I consider each moment I spend learning from her priceless.

Julie has truly shown me how to grow into a leader and build confidence within myself. I took an executive leadership class from her and from the very beginning to the very end I could see myself learning new things with every session. I would recommend her services 100% to anyone wanting to build up self-confidence, grow in their careers, learn strategies for team building, how to reduce conflict, or those who just want their fire within to have a spark again.

Julie is like a campfire; her glow and warmth bring people together in a productive and meaningful way. She uses her skills to expertly lead the group (training) toward knowledge and insight. We’re fortunate to have such an experienced and gifted trainer in our community.

Julie Lancaster has this rare and wonderful ability to cross cultural, political, and individual boundaries to help people get to the heart of a matter. What matters to her is people using their hearts and minds in balance to make their work and personal lives better. How does she do this? She is not intimidating. She is also curious, genuine, funny, smart, and always listening for ways to help all involved. She is the consummate professional who gets to clarity quickly. Julie Lancaster is a gem.

Julie is a dynamic individual who facilitated a Vice President’s retreat for the University. As the VP group was still in the early stages in terms of time working together, Julie’s efforts really helped the team identify some key goals and the communications that would be helpful to reach those goals. Seeing the group’s effectiveness increase after the retreat was a positive and tangible result. Having this come as a result of an enjoyable mixture of activities and discussion, was an added benefit.

Julie did a fantastic job helping the Economic Development Program to look to the future. She assisted with developing a planning process to receive stakeholder feedback, and then worked with us to turn that into a document we can own and really use. Her facilitation throughout the process led to great insights about our communication, about our strengths as a team, and about where we want to go to fulfill our role for the community.

Your presentation to the AZ County Clerks Association was terrific. Our members range in experience from over 30 years to just under five years. You managed to actively engage every single participant and every participant walked away with new knowledge and/or new found enthusiasm for the job we do.

Julie is a dynamic, inspiring facilitator who brings in her own personal experience as a way to foster participants’ ability to be vulnerable, honest and curious, yet draws out attainable plans, actions, and results.

The Women’s Leadership Retreat was invigorating, empowering & fantastic. The retreat encouraged me to push my personal limits and challenged me to become my best self.

Julie’s presentation style and passion to help others is beyond amazing. Not only is she passionate, funny, and professional but she also engages every individual in meaningful ways.

In a sea of ‘grey suit training’, Julie is the hot pink that will captivate you. With a genuine zeal, she breathes life into the journey of self-reflection. She is a master at connecting everyone in the room. If you open yourself to the experience deeply, you are bound to enjoy many ah-ha moments about yourself and your team. Animated, enthusiastic, inspiring, joyful, real. Julie is someone I always want to be around to feel alive and on a fast-track towards a life of meaning.

Julie Lancaster has an amazing way of connecting with her audience. She is vibrant, energetic and provides a wonderful perspective on leadership. She encourages her students to move out of the ordinary and into leading with passion and enthusiasm. Her leadership trainings make me want to be more, do more and step out of my comfort zone in order to be a better me!

The multi-day Leadership Academy facilitated by Julie provided time to connect with team members, share and learn from others experiences and to develop a personal leadership style from the tools and concepts presented throughout the Academy. Training that last only a day can be informative and peak interests, however the academy provides the depth and breadth needed to facilitate lasting leadership transformation.

Julie is an AMAZING facilitator! We had her facilitate our Gender and IT conference as well as present a much needed program about mentoring to our participants. She pulls everyone into the conversation, providing space and opportunity for connection, vulnerability, and support. I highly recommend engaging Lancaster Leadership to bring your team(s) together for a genuine “breakthrough” experience that sets the stage for next steps in the growth of your organization.

Julie Lancaster was an incredible and engaging keynote speaker at our Arizona Tax Conference. Not only does she know how to get everyone in the room involved, and I do mean everyone, but she does it in such a warm and welcoming way; soon your attendees will be shouting out, laughing, and learning. Julie and her presentations are an incredible resource for personal and professional growth, whether it’s a small gathering of team members, or a conference of hundreds, Julie will leave your team members refreshed, focused, motivated, and ready for the task ahead!

Coconino County Community Development has utilized Julie’s services for our annual retreat four years in a row and each retreat has been invigorating with fresh and innovative material, specifically tailored to address the emerging trends within our Department. Julie is extraordinarily engaging which is evident by the Department’s participation and enthusiasm during our retreats. We look forward to working with Julie again this year!

Julie has a magical way of reconnecting teams by encouraging people to step out of their comfort zones and exchange honest feedback within a safe space. Her engaging and entertaining facilitation cultivates cohesion that sticks, long after a retreat is over. Our leadership team is now able to lock arms, support each other, and tackle difficult issues together.

Julie serves as a wise guide. Despite these challenging, chaotic times, she reminds us that opportunities still exist to change and to expand our knowledge and abilities; in short, to grow as leaders. In doing so, I can effectively lead my unit through the current turbulence to better days on the other side. Thank you, Julie, for your transformational leadership guidance.

I truly appreciate being able to continue my Executive Leadership Academy, taught by Julie Lancaster, using Zoom. Having the ability to still connect with members of my cohort to discuss what we were all going through and how we had each been impacted, along with discussing new strategies for leadership in an unprecedented time was one of the most impactful experiences of my career.

I’ve had the opportunity to participate in several of Julie’s workshops, both in-person, and remotely over the last few years. Julie’s ability to educate and inspire through her research and shared life and career experience is congruent in all formats. Whether a small or large group, a departmental team, or a mix of professionals from different industries – Julie delivers engaging and relevant content that mixes in activities, discussion, and real-time application of skills. Our most recent Zoom session for the Northern Arizona University Leadership Program was a great success in program continuity. Julie’s authentic style and growth mindset leaves a positive impact every time. Thanks Julie!

This year was hard. Because of the pandemic, my well-functioning team had to quickly adapt how we interacted with each other and our client base, while not losing our ability to deliver high quality support. As the year wore on, I wanted to invest in the team on a more personal level. Beyond the traditional (and obvious) courses and videos, what could I do to keep them engaged and poised to jump on the next opportunity? I opted for team coaching from Lancaster Leadership. Over the course of a few months, we started to see a change in our approach to work and to our individual professional development. With some reluctance, we shared our leadership philosophies at the conclusion of the sessions and recognized that we are all leaders in some way. Importantly, we came together to support one another on our individual leadership journeys. This experience has empowered our team, rededicating ourselves to our collective vision of success. From the few who embraced coaching the minute I mentioned it, to the most hesitant and suspicious team members, everyone eventually agreed that the experience was helpful to them. I would love to be able to do this again with my team (the coaching, not the pandemic).

I had the opportunity to join one of Lancaster Leadership’s group coaching programs, and I am very happy I signed up. This was simply the best coaching/leadership program I have participated in. Julie’s positive and supporting style matched with an engaging team dynamic created a unique learning experience. I absolutely recommend this program.

Julie’s infectious energy and spirit added to a dynamic, engaging environment for our retreat. We had about 50 attendees who did not know one another prior to the retreat. Through Julie’s leadership, we built connections, increased trust, and feel more comfortable working together. I was impressed by her communication, organization, and ability to lead a large group through a variety of activities that aided in meaningful learning.

Working with Julie is well worth your time and energy! She is so thoughtful about what you need to know and is not afraid to give you feedback on areas that need change. The most amazing thing is that she is able to point out the things you are already doing well, which can sometimes be hard to see. I appreciate her perspective and innovative ways to establish processes and priorities. At the same time, she shows her authentic self and it makes having those tough conversations easier.