In Daring Greatly, Brené Brown draws inspiration from Theodore Roosevelt’s famous “Man in the Arena” quote to explore the essence of courage: showing up, being seen, and daring to take meaningful risks. The testimonials below are a sampling from the diverse range of professionals I’ve had the privilege to partner with — individuals who live the spirit of daring greatly in their personal and professional pursuits.

“I was introduced to Alvin through a trusted colleague, and from our very first interaction, I knew I was in capable hands. His blend of training and coaching has been a true game-changer for me and my team. Alvin has a rare ability to challenge thinking while offering inspiring support, fostering both confidence and accountability.

As a masterful facilitator, Alvin creates an environment where participants feel safe and open to exploring meaningful personal growth. His sharp insights, thoughtful feedback, and strategic approach make growth feel not only possible but inevitable.

Through our work with Alvin, we’ve become more adaptable, focused, and effective. The combination of one-on-one coaching and group sessions has driven measurable performance improvements, and Alvin has earned the status of a trusted collaborator.

I’m grateful for the lasting impact our ongoing relationship is having on me and my team.”

- Willow Mack, Senior Vice President - Ziff Davis / Moz

“Alvin has been a significant influence on me and my leadership team over the past year, driving sharper thinking, greater adaptability, and stronger personal effectiveness. His ability to offer candid, unfiltered feedback - while championing our goals - has surfaced crucial insights, helping us see blind spots and pursue meaningful growth.

The coaching relationships Alvin has led have enhanced our leadership proficiency and personal development. His approach is thoughtful and personalized, diagnosing individual challenges and working side-by-side with each leader to co-create practical, effective strategies.

More than a coach, Alvin has proven to also be an effective thinking partner at the C-Suite level. His unique perspectives have helped with our ability to address complex challenges, and he’s become a trusted partner in our ongoing development. I’m excited to continue our work together.”

- Launi Skinner, Chief Executive Officer - First West Credit Union

“From our very first session, Alvin made a huge difference with his empathetic yet direct approach. He created a safe space for me to explore and helped me see the opportunities within my challenges. Alvin gently challenged the beliefs that were holding me back, which gave me both confidence and excitement about taking action.

One of the most powerful parts of working with Alvin is how he helps me turn my goals into thoughtful, actionable steps and keeps me on track with supportive collaboration. We celebrate wins — big or small — and he reminds me of who I am when I feel stuck.

I am no longer held back. I’m taking action with clarity and courage, and I’m already seeing the results in my career. I can’t recommend Alvin enough. His support has been invaluable, and I’m excited to keep working together to build on this success.”

- Chrystina Mitchell, Senior Manager, Process Development - STEMCELL Technologies

“Working with Alvin has changed my life. He has helped me take on a greater workload and balance that with a healthy personal life at the same time. His coaching guided me to embrace energy management principles that led to increased personal capacity. This resulted in the ability to take on more challenges with the mental clarity to perform them well.

One of Alvin’s gifts is his ability to go beyond pure coaching on a wide variety of topics. He also worked with me on tackling a lifelong struggle. He challenged the way I was thinking about it and offered me the skills and support to make incredible advances. I am grateful to have met Alvin and would highly recommend him to anyone interested in taking their personal mastery, leadership and professional skills to the next level.”

- Liam Maclure, Community Engagement Manager - Canadian Mental Health Association

“After working with Alvin, there has been a profound shift in my mindset. He helped me navigate my own self-doubt, reframe my thinking and challenge my self-perception. The actionable tools and strategies we focused on in our one-on-one sessions have produced tremendous results in my life, both professionally and personally.

Alvin holds a seriously special talent for getting the best version out of people.”

- Partap Tiwana, Store Manager - TELUS Communications

“Working with Alvin has not only been incredibly productive for identifying and pursuing my goals, but it has also been a very enjoyable experience overall. He has been able to help uncover challenges and different ways to approach them, as well as open my eyes up to potential opportunities that might have gone unnoticed. I always look forward to our coaching sessions together.”

- Nalini Raman-Wilms, Certified Organizational Coach, and Account Executive - Cisco Systems Inc.

“Alvin was very supportive in helping me identify and work on my weaknesses. He is a great listener and knows what questions to ask. Besides the coaching, Alvin provided practical activities that addressed the identified weaknesses and actually turned them into strengths! Alvin’s coaching was very motivational and I really enjoyed the experience. I look forward to working with him more in the future.”

- Mark Zhou, Director of Operations - Immunize.io

“My work with Alvin has had a profoundly beneficial effect across my personal and professional life. He has been keenly interested in fostering my personal growth, helping me manage my mental saboteurs, and embrace a life long journey towards personal mastery. I often share his pragmatic insights with others. I’m grateful for his support and look forward to our continued work together.“ 

- Michael McCarthy, Founder - McCarthy Pacific Growth Advisory, and Board Director - CubicFarm Systems Corp.

“Alvin has been an incredible partner on my journey to peak performance. His coaching and guidance have helped me build my confidence and reach new heights. While working with Alvin I was able to overcome my deep fear of public speaking which led me to expanding my impact as an instructor and educator in both my personal and professional life. 

Our coaching relationship also led me to discover new possibilities. The highlight of my journey so far has been taking on a new pursuit (competitive bodybuilding) and in a relatively short period of time, earning the opportunity to compete at the national level. I proudly placed fifth in Canada, competing against others with much more experience. This achievement is a testament to the personal mastery skills that Alvin helped me develop. 

Now, I continue to seek greater challenges and embrace the process of building a richer life story. Alvin has shown me that confidence and peak performance come from being present and not letting negative emotions dictate my actions.

I am deeply thankful for the impact he’s had on my life.”

- Sarah Sakurai, Athlete, Instructor, Educator

“I am delighted to share my heartfelt testimonial for Alvin’s exceptional work, which has made a significant impact on me and my leadership team.

Alvin's contributions have been instrumental in transforming our approach to leadership and personal effectiveness. Through his consulting and coaching, we have gained deeper self-awareness and acquired practical new skills that have resulted in substantial improvements in both team engagement and business outcomes. The increased clarity and self-mastery we've achieved led to better decision making, which in turn, has led to remarkable results.  

We have become a more cohesive unit through improvements in confidence, problem solving, and collaborative communications. With Alvin's continued coaching and expertise, I am confident that our team will continue to reach new heights.”

- Mimi Vanderwalt, Director - TELUS Corporation