I want to thank you for leading us. Thank you for your counseling, directing, teaching, confidence-building. Thank you for making us look at ourselves, look at the way we do things, and consider what our actions may cause. Abby without your guidance, I do not know how this would have gone. Now our transition is complete and I really feel Marianne and Chadd can grow this company, handle all the different day to day and unusual things that will come up. We can move forward with a STRONG successor team. They and we have really made great strides from where we started years ago, to where we are now. From the first meeting to where we are now, there is a world of change in growth of knowledge and personal growth for all of us. ABBY we feel real lucky to have worked with you. Thank you to Barry for the introduction.

Mike Mulford, CEO

Working with Abby has been great! She keeps you grounded and focused on your most important priorities and goals. She quickly understands you, your business situation and your company culture and helps you define the right next steps.

If you need a ‘business therapist’, Abby is that person. She ‘gets it’!

Tii Tharpe
President, Spevco

Kindermusik had gone through significant senior leadership changes that included revamping our Board of Directors and transitioning me from CFO to President & CEO. I wanted to be very intentional about the changes in responsibilities and culture that comes with a shift of that magnitude. In addition, our leadership team sought a stronger focus on strategy, sales and professional development. Abby was elected Chair of our newly formed local board. Her extensive experience developing top talent and leading strategic planning were exactly what we needed. Abby’s executive coaching was instrumental in providing meaningful perspective and insight for me through the role changes. In addition, she imparted valuable guidance to members of my Executive team on everything from building a work plan that links to our strategy, managing the business on a tight budget, and making and executing difficult decisions. I strongly recommend Abby as a strategic partner and advisor!

Kindermusik is the world’s leader in early childhood music education.

Scott Kinsey, President & CEO , Kindermusik International, Inc.

I hired Abby because I really wanted something I was going towards, not just something I was going away from. I wasn’t ready to retire and just quit. I liked my work and I liked my people but it was time for me to move on. I knew there needed to be a next chapter and I was afraid of stepping off a retirement cliff.

Hiring a succession planning coach was the first step. I knew I wanted to do something different and Abby’s system established the framework. Abby helped me create a lens to look at opportunities through and evaluate if they lined up with the vision I was creating for my next phase. My retirement is now shaped by a series of strategic choices instead of rushed reactions.

When I started working with Abby I created a manila folder called “Next Phase”. It’s been two years and it’s still sitting on my desk because I have continued using the mission and vision we developed to ensure I am living the reality I want.

Retirement is not just about having a meaningful next chapter; it’s about having a graceful exit. I am shocked by the number of people who don’t plan. A successful retirement starts with a desire to be intentional.  

Abby is great at asking the right questions to shift my thinking, provide fresh perspective and new insights. What I appreciate most is the powerful and consistent way she cuts through the complexity, boiling it down and clearly stating what suddenly seems so obvious, and then works with me to lay out a logical and grounded approach to move forward. Collaborating with her is very rewarding. My business is growing and as importantly, I now can invest much more of my time and energy supporting my clients and my network in achieving their most important financial goals.

One of the most valuable skills Abby brought to PMG Research was her ability to ask powerful questions and then guide us through a process to discover our own answers. Whether working with us 1-1 or facilitating an offsite, she helped us stay focused on our strategy and take a pragmatic approach to implementation. She instilled confidence, giving us the tools and developing the skills we needed to expand our impact, positioning us for rapid growth and improved performance.

Abby is able to help sort through my options and determine the best path for me as I move forward in my career. She introduced me to the value of networking, which has drastically changed the way I live and work in a highly positive way. Abby is an outstanding listener and she is exceptionally perceptive. She can find direction and purpose among the confusion in any situation. Her energy is contagious and our time together is always pointed and meaningful. She is truly a remarkable person and I wholeheartedly recommend her services.

Jeff May
Vice President and CFO, Battleground Restaurant Group

Now with Practical CFO Solutions

Abby Donnelly is a life-saver. I needed someone to help me see the real opportunities and challenges to growing my business. She delivered. Relying on her strategic thinking, keen sense of effective business processes, and people utilization, Abby helped me move from cloudy to clear. We’re now applying the ideas she helped me generate and my business is poised for significant success. I only wish I would have turned to Abby sooner!

I don’t know how I will ever be able to thank Abby for enabling me to be the person I have always wanted to be with others. I never quite understood what I needed to do. Her guidance has allowed me the opportunity to see how I could improve my relationships without giving up my moral compass and be the kind of friend, co- worker and mentor I have always striven to be.

Abby brings her A-game every day, along with her seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm! Since working with Abby, my business has grown 30%, I took a 3-week vacation to Australia with my family, and I’ve been able to deeply invest in my role as a Rotary District Governor. I highly recommend her services and thank her for her incredible work and impact on my career.

Abby has the ability to quickly assess my situation and know what needs to be done to position me to be successful. She recognizes my abilities and helps me become more than I thought I was capable of. Her approach is very intentional and encouraging and sometimes I feel like Abby is my personal cheerleader. I believe there is a direct correlation between my success and my work with Abby. I wouldn’t be the leader I am without her. I am a huge fan of Abby. I am so lucky to have her as my coach. It’s an investment that I happily make every year. I highly recommend Abby and The Leadership and Legacy Group.

The services you provided were extremely valuable and well worth the price and time. We have ALL come a long way in making the changes we wanted to make and we continue to put into practice what we have learned about ourselves. I intend to continue to nurture that growth. You have been wonderful to work with and I know that everyone here is most appreciative of how you have contributed to each of our lives. Thank you!

William Altenpohl
President, Computerway Food Systems

Thank you for again sharing your time and insights. It is evident that you are doing what you are meant to do. I have rarely encountered someone who so quickly and accurately reads and understands me and then authentically and keenly provides great advice. I have learned so much from you in just a few short hours. Merci!

I want to thank you for helping me tighten my focus on the direction I want to take my business. The structure and professional insight you provided during our process allowed me to better understand the strengths of our business and to more clearly define where we want to go in the future.

When we started working together, it was important to me to carve out a new role for myself in the business where I could continue to add value, help to ensure the future success of Frank L. Blum, use my unique competitive advantages, and do the things that I enjoy doing. In less than one year, we accomplished that! Thank you! I am a raving fan!

Your work with our senior leadership team has been extraordinary. I have seen the group grow during our engagement and I am appreciative of all you have done. You are part of our team and will be forever. Thank you and may you continue to prosper in your role as THE BEST EXECUTIVE COACH in the TRIAD.

It’s unbelievable to me how much you taught me. Six years later, I still continue to get the benefit of what I learned from our work together and it’s amazing how all of the things you taught me still resonate with me.

Having worked with Abby closely for over six years, I have found her to be insightful, trustworthy, and passionate in her work. I am consistently amazed at how well Abby is able to dissect issues, to quickly get to the root of problems, and then to formulate an appropriate response. I enthusiastically recommend Abby and know that you will be pleased with the work she does.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a presentation/workshop on retirement planning led by Abby Donnelly, and we had a couple conversations as part of that. She did an outstanding job with her presentation. She is amazingly knowledgeable about so many aspects of this issue, and a remarkably eloquent speaker on the topic. Even more than that, I found her personable, relaxed, and engaging style to be the perfect fit for personal advisement of this subject. I wish I had known of her a couple of years ago when I first began to think about retiring.

You have been instrumental in my growth from a controller mentality to a full-fledged CFO. Your advice and encouragement has been so valuable to me. I will always cherish our sessions together and value your friendship!