Our Team
Our team is comprised of skilled keynote speakers, trainers and coaches whose diverse backgrounds resonate with organizations of all sizes in most industries. Wherever people and teams want to improve, we go. Our team is anchored by Dr. Julie Bell. You can click a team member's name below to jump to their profile, scroll down to browse all our team members or search by topic.
Julie Bell, Ph.D.
Julie Ness Bell, Ph.D., is the founder and president of The Mind of a Champion, a coaching firm based in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Julie and her team have helped a wide variety of organizations improve their Performance Intelligence™, a concept she developed to help individuals and teams deliver their best performance when it matters most.
Dr. Julie has worked with individuals and organizations across the country to maximize performance, business and sports, and positively impact the organizations. Through a customized array of presentations and interactive workshops, Dr. Julie focuses on taking core principles from sports psychology and transferring them to the corporate world. The result is a coaching-based model that empowers teams and unlocks their potential. Her revolutionary method of transferring Performance Intelligence™ knowledge reaches audiences at every organizational level. Her unique approach and concepts regarding Performance Intelligence™ appear in her book from McGraw-Hill Publishing, Performance Intelligence at Work: The 5 Essentials to Achieving the Mind of a Champion.
Dr. Julie earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Oklahoma State University and a Master and Doctorate of Sports Psychology from the University of Virginia, where she studied under Dr. Bob Rotella. She lives in Dallas with her husband, Nelson, and their three children.
Dr. Julie is available for keynote speaking, executive coaching and mental game coaching with athletes. For more information, please e-mail info@themindofachampion.com.
Learn more about Dr. Julie Bell.
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Phylecia Bare
Phylecia Bare brings high energy and enthusiasm to each client engagement and is skilled in delivering highly interactive workshops. She has “boardroom presence” and is extremely effective at all levels within an organization.
Phylecia has 20 years of experience in corporate training, coaching and consulting. She develops and delivers management, sales, customer service, leadership, presentation skills and interpersonal skills workshops. In addition to being a certified Performance Intelligence™ Coach, she has received certifications to deliver several nationally recognized sales training programs.
Her professional experience includes major account sales with Eastman Kodak Company, call center team development and customer service coaching with Mercedes Benz Credit and Time Warner Cable, and global training implementation management with Achieve Global.
Phylecia is proud to have worked both domestically and internationally with outstanding organizations, such as Canon USA, American Eagle Airlines, Maersk Sealand, Goldman Sachs, Archon, Wells Fargo, Beck Construction, Wal-Mart, Verizon, Lockheed Martin, Ericsson, Mutual of Omaha, NASA, The Arts & Entertainment Network, Time Warner Cable, and New York & Company.
Phylecia earned her bachelor’s degree in communications at Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla., and she currently resides in Dallas with her husband and two sons.
Phylecia is available for executive coaching, team coaching, corporate advances and the Performance Intelligence™ Winning Game Plan Workshop. For more information, please e-mail info@themindofachampion.com.
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Angela Lichty-Bruckner
Angela Lichty-Bruckner spent five years as a sales manager in residential real estate and then transferred her knowledge to the health care arena where she served as a leader for 16 years. She has used her exceptional skills in many areas, including sales representative training, product development, marketing and sales management.
Angela’s energetic and comical presentation style resonates with all audiences. She employs real-world and customized examples of thinking patterns that distract us from performing our best and exceeding our goals. These specific examples allow Angela to connect from the stage, in one-on-one coaching, or during team coaching.
Angela earned a Bachelor of Arts in marketing/management at North Texas State University and lives in Dallas with her husband, Robert, and their two sons.
Angela
is available for
executive coaching,
team coaching,
corporate advances and the
Performance Intelligence™ Winning Game Plan Workshop. For more information, please e-mail
info@themindofachampion.com.
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Steve Buchanan, PMP
Steve Buchanan has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry working as a manager, project manager, continuous improvement specialist and business consultant. He is the founder of Buchanan Consulting, an organization focusing on improving results through greater understanding of how we think and the systems in which we operate.
He is a Six Sigma Black Belt and certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP), as well as being actively involved with the American Society for Quality, the International Society for Performance Improvement, Project Management Institute and the In2Inthinking Network. Steve also has worked extensively with not-for-profits developing and executing organizational strategies.
Steve is married with twin daughters, both making the transition from college to life. He enjoys college sports and music. He lives in California but he will always be an Alabama fan. Roll Tide.
Steve is available for
executive coaching,
team coaching,
corporate advances and the
Performance Intelligence™ Winning Game Plan Workshop. For more information, please e-mail
info@themindofachampion.com.
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Kimberly Farbisz
Kim Farbisz brings 12 years of domestic and international coaching, business, consulting and program management experience to her clients. As a consultant with Ernst & Young and Cap Gemini, she gained experience in the retail, banking, chemical and agricultural industries while working with such companies as Comerica Bank, Monsanto, Farmland Industries and Lee Jeans.
She has worked throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Australia. She presents the Performance Intelligence™ material through an interactive coaching experience and is an expert at facilitating workshops, training, one-on-one coaching and delivering keynotes. Through her coaching, she trains individuals to achieve life balance by focusing on what’s important now so they will be more productive and fulfilled both personally and professionally.
Kim graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and lives in the Dallas-Forth Worth area with her husband and two children. They enjoy traveling, biking, hiking, camping and rollerblading.
Kimberly is available for
executive coaching,
team coaching and the
Performance Intelligence™ Winning Game Plan Workshop. For more information, please e-mail
info@themindofachampion.com.
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Helena Gadison
Helena Gadison is founder and CEO of EMW Enterprises, Inc., which wholly owns three separate and unique divisions spanning luxury destination spas/salons; private-label health, wellness, beauty and apparel products; and consulting, entertainment, production and talent management.
She is an entrepreneur, a passionate leader and a motivational speaker with more than 22 years of experience in corporate retail management, merchandising, operations, product and people development, and global sourcing. An early retirement from corporate America afforded Helena the opportunity to be the concept innovator of a start-up luxury spa/salon business. She introduced the world-class brand, Elemis, to the state of Arkansas and has much recognition, most recently as Arkansas’ First Class Spa by Celebrate Magazine and Best Day Spa Experience in Northwest Arkansas by Citiscapes Magazine. She also has been inducted into Great Spa Escapes.
Her business savvy is attributed to her diverse work experience and exposure with the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and tenure at a leading fashion specialty retailer, The Limited Stores, Inc. The completion of 16 years with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., allowed her to serve in high-capacity roles as vice president and interface with the Wal-Mart Board of Directors and other senior-level executives to present and implement innovative company strategic initiatives. She earned national recognition in the 2005 Black Professional Magazine and Top 100 Black Executives in America. She led a team of senior-level direct-reports charged to train, support and develop merchants in 15 countries driving an annual multi-billion dollar P&L in aggregated sales. Her team’s engagement influenced in-country presidents, GMMs, DMMs and buyers for the implementation of brand and merchandising initiatives, manufacturer development, lower product cost, and people asset review with succession planning and monitoring key financial performance metrics.
Helena is a native of Oklahoma, has lived on the East and West coasts of the United States, and currently resides with her family in Northwest Arkansas. She has traveled abroad extensively to more than 25 countries.
Helena is available for
keynote speaking and the
Performance Intelligence™ Winning Game Plan Workshop. For more information, please e-mail
info@themindofachampion.com.
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Buzz Kolbe, CPBA
Buzz Kolbe, CPBA (Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst), is president and chief leadership development coach of LeadingWIN, a firm dedicated to relevant and accelerated leadership development. He is an expert one-on-one coach and also supports organizations as a facilitator to develop efficient strategic plans, and define and implement powerful vision and mission statements.
Buzz’s business experience began over 25 years ago “working in the corporate mailroom” and leading the path to executive positions with growth-oriented global companies. In 1999, Buzz launched Kolbe & Associates, a firm dedicated to excellence in business and personal coaching.
In 2009, Buzz responded to the growing needs of clients and developed his new company, LeadingWIN, to include more tools and solutions in addition to coaching. A partial client list includes Target, Dr. Pepper/Seven Up, Texas Instruments, Inc., Neiman Marcus, Wishbone Graphics/Plano Profile, Dallas Human Resources Management Association, the University of Texas at Dallas Executive MBA Program and the Mary Kay Corporation.
In addition, Buzz is the executive director of Leadership Plano, a program that develops and educates leaders to serve the community in civic and charitable organizations. He is an expert in assessment tools, experiential team development and strategic planning facilitation.
Buzz is an active members of Christ Church Plano and has traveled to Haiti and Peru on mission outreach trips. He enjoys many outdoor activities, including cycling, mountain climbing and road trips in his Jeep, as well as spending quality time with friends.
Buzz is available for
executive coaching,
team coaching,
corporate advances and the
Performance Intelligence™ Winning Game Plan Workshop. For more information, please e-mail
info@themindofachampion.com.
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Tom Niesen
Tom Niesen, CEO and founder of Acuity Systems, Inc., works with business owners to create a strategy to improve their sales force, increase revenue generation and create a company culture of accountability. Before starting Acuity Systems, Inc., in 1990, Tom spent 14 years in upper sales management and marketing positions with Polaroid and Fuji Film. There, he built sales teams and began to understand how and why sales teams fail, the difference between effective sales processes and what just sounds good, and what it really takes to create a superstar sales force.
Today, he blends his own experiences with nationally proven training and evaluation tools from The Sandler Sales Institute, Objective Management Group and Extended DISC, to teach a unique brand of sales training and personal development. Because of his unique approach to sales and stellar track record, he is regularly asked to assist in the training and development of sales trainers nationwide. Top executives from Tyco, Heidelberg, Quaker Oats, Lucent and Coldwell Banker are just a few who have benefited from Tom's expertise and experience, especially in the areas of new account acquisition and recruiting an effective sales winner.
Tom has been featured in radio and print. In addition to being Dallas Man of the Year in 1999, Tom recently was honored as The National Association of Women Business Owners D/FW Corporate Partner of the Year. He is also currently a contributing writer for the Dallas Business Journal.
Tom is available for
keynote speaking,
executive coaching,
team coaching,
corporate advances and the
Performance Intelligence™ Winning Game Plan Workshop. For more information, please e-mail
info@themindofachampion.com.
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Robin Pou
Robin Pou is a writer, speaker and professional coach. His background as a businessman in the marketplace allows him to effectively connect with both individuals and teams.
Through his <keynote> speaking, workshops and coaching, Robin encourages and motivates people in a manner designed to transform them from watching from the bench to getting in the game. He encourages and motivates his clients to Play to Win!
Raised in Dallas, Robin practiced corporate law in Texas and Silicon Valley before leveraging his entrepreneurial spirit. The most recent phase of his career has been as an owner and operational executive for emerging and growth companies in technology, media, music, non-profit and the Internet.
His experience leading people and growing businesses has provided him with an up-close view of how a lack of Performance Intelligence™ undermines individual performance and impacts organizational decision-making. In his <keynote>s and workshops, Robin shares his real-world stories from a guy-next-door perspective, giving depth, breadth and scope to his message while resonating with audiences of any size. He is committed to helping others maximize their skills, talents and strengths to fulfill their purpose.
Robin and his wife, Karen, live in Dallas with their three children.
Robin is available for
keynote speaking,
executive coaching,
team coaching and
corporate advances. For more information, please e-mail
info@themindofachampion.com.
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Tommy Richardson, CCC/CTC
Tom Richardson, has a 40+ year career that has included experience as a business and personal coach, trainer and speaker, a teacher and athletic coach, small business owner, sales manager and insurance executive in sales and leadership with a major insurance company. Tom is now president/founder of Richardson Communication and a partner in Synergy Trainings, which are companies that help individuals and organizations reach more of their potential thorough speaking, training and coaching.
Tom holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee and a master's degree from Vanderbilt University. He holds the Insurance Designations of CLU, CLFC and LUTCF. He is a Certified Comprehensive Coach (CCC) and a Certified Sales Coach. He also holds a Certified Training Consultant (CTC) designation. Tom also is a certified Mental Performance Coach; he works with athletes, coaches and parents, as well as men and women in the business world.
Tom is an active member of Toastmaster International. He has held all offices in that organization, including past international president, and holds the Distinguished Toastmaster designation, the highest recognition bestowed by the organization. In 1974, Tom was one of eight top speakers in the world championship of public speaking.
Tom is involved in a variety of civic and church activities. He enjoys working with youth and remains active as a high-school football coach. He is involved in competitive power lifting and holds the Indiana record in his age bracket. Tom has been a martial arts practitioner for five years, and is presently working in Kempo karate.
Tom and his wife, Cathy, enjoy traveling, and spending time with their five children and seven grandchildren.
Tom is available for
keynote speaking,
executive coaching,
team coaching,
corporate advances,
mental game coaching with athletes and the
Performance Intelligence™ Winning Game Plan Workshop. For more information, please e-mail
info@themindofachampion.com.
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Marcie W. Thompson
Marcie W. Thompson is the founder and president of Mentor Marketing. She is a long-time sales professional who delights in sharing her knowledge of business practices and sales strategies with others. Marcie graduated from Oklahoma State University and has an extensive background in sales spanning the course of 15 years in the pharmaceutical industry.
Marcie has been accountable for passing on her brand of knowledge to many medical representatives, serving as a field trainer and product expert. As a pharmaceutical representative, she was consistently ranked at the top of the nation, winning the national sales award. She also has a successful record of working well with others, increasing market share for her company and building lasting relationships.
Her experience working on leadership staff for Kanakuk Kamp, a Christian-based sports camp, directly following college gave her experience interviewing staff as well as directing the day-to-day activities of camp. Through her expertise, relationship-building techniques and positive coaching, Marcie turns individual contributors into champion team members.
Marcie is available for
executive coaching,
team coaching,
corporate advances and the
Performance Intelligence™ Winning Game Plan Workshop. For more information, please e-mail
info@themindofachampion.com.
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Russ Yaquinto, MCC
Russ Yaquinto coaches individuals and teams to arrive at their destinations quicker and more effectively. Just as athletes engage a coach to ensure they are at the top of their game, enlightened leaders and professionals partner with Russ to identify their vision, create winning strategies and execute the right actions for success!
As a Master Certified Coach (MCC), Russ supports both ends of the leadership spectrum. He collaborates with executives to convert their vision and strategic talents into action plans and best practices that drive results. He coaches these leaders to help them evolve from a tactical mode to be more creative and strategic so they can utilize their human capital to get more done. He also leads groups to enhance their teamwork and maximize their productivity to exceed their objectives.
Russ has coached, trained and consulted thousands of executives and professionals to unprecedented levels of excellence. He is an accomplished human development specialist with a unique combination of practical expertise from serving in senior corporate leadership positions and an inspirational style of interaction.
Russ is trained in the neuroscience of leadership, has a degree in behavioral sciences and continues to focus on ROI. He served as senior facilitator for The Executive Forum, a series of business presentations delivered to CEOs and leaders. His role was to facilitate follow-up discussions to determine how the speakers’ key points could be applied to the executives’ real world. He is on the elite team of coaches who support Executive MBA participants at the University of Texas at Dallas. He coaches these executives to assimilate their new knowledge, and develop practical strategies for their current and future roles in business.
Having gained recognition as a subject matter expert, Russ has appeared on television and radio to share his expertise in change, and professional and leadership effectiveness. His articles have appeared in regional and national publications, including The Wall Street Journal. He also co-authored the book, The Productivity Path: Your Roadmap to Improving Employee Performance.
Russ lives in Plano, Texas, with his wife, Jan, and near his son and his family, including two grandchildren.
Russ is available for
executive coaching,
team coaching,
corporate advances and the
Performance Intelligence™ Winning Game Plan Workshop. For more information, please e-mail
info@themindofachampion.com.
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Keynote Speakers
Julie Bell, Ph.D.
Helena Gadison
Tom Neisan
Robin Pou
Tommy Richardson
Executive Coaching
Julie Bell, Ph.D.
Phylecia Bare
Angela Bruckner
Steve Buchanan
Kim Farbisz
Buzz Kolbe
Tom Neisan
Robin Pou
Tommy Richardson
Marcie Thompson
Russ Yaquinto
Team Coaching
Phylecia Bare
Angela Bruckner
Steve Buchanan
Kim Farbisz
Buzz Kolbe
Tom Neisan
Robin Pou
Tommy Richardson
Marcie Thompson
Russ Yaquinto
Mental Game Coaching with Athletes
Julie Bell, Ph.D.
Tommy Richardson
Performance Intelligence™ Winning Game Plan Workshop
Phylecia Bare
Angela Bruckner
Steve Buchanan
Kim Farbisz
Helena Gadison
Buzz Kolbe
Tom Neisan
Tommy Richardson
Marcie Thompson
Russ Yaquinto
Corporate Advance
Phylecia Bare
Angela Bruckner
Steve Buchanan
Buzz Kolbe
Tom Neisan
Robin Pou
Tommy Richardson
Marcie Thompson
Russ Yaquinto
Facilitators
Kimberly Farbisz
Buzz Kolbe
Robin Pou
Russ Yaquinto
Women’s Initiatives
Julie Bell, Ph.D.
Angela Bruckner
Helena Gadison
Kimberly Farbisz