We are

Recognition Experts

We invigorate companies to see their people as exceptional and, together, create a scrumptious, thriving culture where everyone belongs.

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SARAH McVANEL

International Recognition Expert

Keynote Speaker, CSP, Coach, Author

 

The Juiciest Secret About Great Workplaces

Organizations span the spectrum from indigestible to delicious.

You can smell truly indigestible organizations from 100 paces. You know the ones. People walk around with blank stares, hunched shoulders, and don’t speak up. It’s where employees are bullied, worry they’re the next one out the door, and don’t believe their work is good enough. They feel used-up, burnt out, and fed up.

Where’s the love?

Your people don’t give you 8 hours/day, five days/week, commute, pull screaming children off their legs to get to work on time to question “Where’s the love?” You may be thinking, “That’s why we give them paychecks.” Well, guess what? Everyone gives one of those.

Do you know what everyone doesn’t give? It’s the one universal need every single person has but isn’t getting enough… Recognition.

Delicious organizations thrive on recognition. They don’t just feel different. They are different! Their people do meaningful work, feel valued, seek to make a difference, and not only feel safe to share their voice, they are encouraged to shout it from the rooftop. And they do!

They become an army of recruiters. They tell everyone they know. Yes, people really do that! It’s not a fairy tale.

So, which organization do you want to be?

Actually, which do you need to be?

The good news is that recognition is the ingredient that shifts your culture from indigestible to delicious quickly, easily, and harmoniously. That’s how scrumptious recognition is.

Insert here: The FROG approach. F.R.O.G. Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness™. 

It turns bad into good. Turns good into great.

And turns great into greatness.

If a delicious culture is on your menu, we’re happy to serve you.

Ready to leverage the power of recognition?

Let’s inventory the missing ingredients and get cooking!

Sarah McVanel Speaker Demo Videos

How to Not Lose Your Top Talent

If there was one infinitesimal yet powerful change you could make to shift your team from just surviving to thriving, would you make it? I thought you might say “Yes.” And wait, it gets better. It costs nothing, takes virtually no time, requires no pre-approval, and it spreads infectiously (in a good way). Give me 5 minutes and I’ll prove to you the exponential power of recognition.

Solution Focused Leadership

Solution Focused Greatness: How to amplify collaboration, resilience, and positivity in others. This session will empower you to leverage the 5 most resourceful questions (that you’re not currently asking) to access the solution to any problem.

Recognition in a Hybrid World

“Hybrid” is often followed by words like distracted, fatigued and disengaged. What if there was a way you and your team could fuel connection, hope, and resiliency across the digital divide? We have the solution – Recognition! It’s never meant to be practiced exclusively in-person; it’s now accessible to everyone as we embrace hybrid work. Learn how to take the best strategies into the hybrid world.

Flip Side of Failing Keynote

How unconditional recognition ignites resilience, relationships, and retention. In this session, you will truly experience and absorb the F.L.I.P. framework: Fail, Learn, Ignite, Praise, so you can harness the power that comes from failure and let go of ego or judgment.

Our Unique Process

Your most extraordinary organizational costs occur when your turnover is highest.

Middle manager and staff burnout

Talent shortages and turnover

Sick time and absenteeism

Low engagement and satisfaction

High work stress and incivility

Lack of innovation and quality

The most accessible, lowest cost, and most effective way to transform these is through recognition.

Even your CFO will be excited about this. Why?

Because you’re going to start saving time, money, energy, and resources.

It gets even better.

When you create and sustain a scrumptious culture where everyone feels they belong and are valued, you never have to hire again.

They. Choose. You.

How?

Well, we’re glad you asked.

Here is a proven process to help your team or organization go…

From static to scrumptious.

From tolerable to unforgettable.

From indigestible to delicious.

G.R.E.A.T.TM Model

Step 1

Gather

We learn from you first.

We elicit your assessment scores, reports, systems, stories, and trends to illuminate your strengths and challenges.

Step 2

Reveal

We acknowledge your assets.

We study what’s working, what’s not working, past successes, and prepare a juicy plan that will address your goals.

STEP 3

Empower

We elevate your understanding.

We build your toolkit, add in leading practices, co-create an action plan, and guide the implementation.

STEP 4

Accelerate

We expedite your momentum.

We amplify the magic of your new rituals, habits, strategies, and intentions that inevitably create exponential impact.

Step 5

Thrive

We celebrate your reinvention.

We advance your employee experience, customer loyalty, bottom line, culture, well-being, and, ultimately, humanity.

How G.R.E.A.T. are your recognition practices?

Speaking

“I’ve never left a session crying with happiness.”

– Our favorite endorsement by an event attendee

As Canada’s recognition expert, Sarah McVanel invigorates you with stories of transformation, leading practices, innovative trends, and juicy data. Learn how to double down on recognition to shift your most challenging critics into cultural crusaders.

See Our Speaking Topics

Services

“The person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.”

– Amy Rees Anderson

Are you transforming your entire culture? Yeah, it’s as easy as it sounds, isn’t it? Ha! Sarah brings over 20 years of organizational development experience and a team of experts to help you. Whether it’s training and coaching your leaders, rebuilding your recognition program, revving up your appreciation events, or delivering other customized solutions, the goal is to help you curate the most scrumptious culture that retains your best people.

Discover Our Services

Store

“There are two things people want more than sex and money: recognition and praise.”

– Mary Kay Ash

Let’s not keep someone’s greatness the best-kept secret! We have created tons of resources, games, books, cards, and various products to help you recognize someone’s greatness – whether it’s one person or many (such as an appreciation event). Discover how easy it is to give generously, create unforgettable and magical moments, and gain lifelong connections.

Shop Fun Stuff

Our Scrumptious Insights

Devour our decadent blogs, vlogs, and other yummy treats

image of a classroom with the Starbucks logo on the chalkboard

Reputation, Engagement & The Employee Experience: What Starbucks Has to Teach Us

By Sarah McVanel, Chief Recognition Officer, Greatness Magnified Even with lowering unemployment and rising inflation,…

Read More
image of Sarah and Mark McVanel hugging on Instagram with Extroverted Preference and an arrow pointing to Sarah and Introverted Preference and an arrow pointing to Mark

Do You Have an Introverted Preference? Your Guide to Recognition Superstardom!

By Sarah McVanel, Chief Recognition Officer, Greatness Magnified “How do you recognize others when you’re…

Read More
image of 2 women, one hugging the other from behind with recognition printed on one woman and feedback printed on the other woman

Want to Know The Surprising Truth About How Feedback and Recognition are Soul Sisters?

By Sarah McVanel, Chief Recognition Officer, Greatness Magnified “Feedback is the breakfast of champions” (Ken…

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Deb Rakonjac

Organizational Development, Purolator Inc.

"Sarah nailed it!  She worked with the planning group to learn about the organization, the audience, the desired key messages and integrated it seamlessly into her keynote. Her energy was contagious! We received rave reviews of this portion of our event and Sarah was able to speak to all members of our organization in a way that motivated them to recognize others everyday. Our executives were extraordinarily pleased and integrated FROGging into their recent board meeting. Purolator is grateful to Sarah for dropping the pebble and we continue to see the ripples from this session across the organization. Working with Tami was phenomenal and the supports were easy to integrate to ensure the session went well. Thanks to you both!!"
Douglas D Swift

President & CEO, Swiftco Inc.

"I have had the Sarah experience in numerous settings: As a keynote, around a table with several other business owners, one on one over coffee, chatting with others at a conference reception, dining with a small group of colleagues. No matter the setting you always get the same Sarah: engaging, attentive, interested, inspiring, motivational, genuine. And always with an infectious smile. Do yourself, your company, your association a favour. Get the Greatness Magnified (Sarah) experience. The payback is priceless."
Judy Kucharuk

Director, Marketing and Special Events, Encana Events Centre

"Funny, full of energy and incredibly motivating – all words to use when describing Sarah and her passionate stage presence. We were fortunate to have Sarah join us as a speaker for Spark Women’s Leadership Conferences and her presentations about leveraging greatness hit the core of our objective at SPARK: “A rising tide lifts all boats”. I would not hesitate to recommend Sarah to other organizations that are searching for a well-prepared, well-organized, thoughtful and passionate storyteller."
Shelley VanVeen

Learning & Development Manager, Libro Credit Union

"Sarah brought so much energy and enthusiasm to our International Women’s Day event at Libro! Her message was uplifting, thought-provoking and truly appreciated by our team. Dealing with Sarah was wonderful – she was open, professional and willing to work with us to customize her message to incorporate our culture and connect to our topic and participants. During the session, she was a pro with a powerful message and a fantastic delivery. We had wonderful feedback from all that attended and can’t wait to have Sarah back for another session in the future!"
Sylvia D’Intino

Executive Director, Community Living Hamilton

"THANK YOU so very much for leading the engagement activities today! You’re a constant professional, with an amazing attitude and always seeing the great in everyone. I am grateful for how you have helped us this year to transform our in-person staff recognition events into virtual and on-location events. Our staff feel more inspired, appreciated and motivated after they hear you speak, and I know our amazing in-house team here looks forward to designing engaging appreciation events with your support."
Melissa Chaulk

Manager of Professional Development

Canadian Dental Hygienists Association

"We work hard at CDHA to give our members a wonderful conference experience, so we were thrilled to have received resoundingly positive feedback on Sarah's opening plenary keynote. It was the highest attended of the entire conference for both dates!"
Jamie Campbell

Director, The Center for People in Organizational Development, Sheridan College

"Smart, challenging, innovative, committed, dependable, and reliable, I highly recommend her for all your recognition needs. I have brought Sarah into my last two organizations to help build a culture of recognition and celebration. The focus on appreciation is more important now than ever."

Some of the Great Organizations We Serve