Testimonials

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Juan Cortes on several occasions. Juan and his team have been an invaluable asset in enhancing the trust and unity within our larger teams as well as with our leadership groups. His expertise in team building is evident through the remarkable transformations we’ve seen in our team dynamics. Juan’s approach is both strategic and empathetic, allowing him to effectively bridge gaps and build strong, cohesive teams. His ability to foster an environment of trust and open communication has significantly improved our collaboration and productivity. Juan has an engaging and caring style that teams enjoy and request for him to come back again and again. I highly recommend him for his exceptional ability to bring teams together and build a strong foundation of trust.

I am a life-long-learner, and like many growing executives, my foundational leadership skills were based predominantly on observation and experience. I wanted to get myself to the next level, but leadership courses alone were not helping me understand how to apply their situational leadership philosophies to my unique environment. Every step of the way, Juan has challenged me to think at a higher frequency, encouraging me to have patience and to take chances where a change in my approach was needed. Juan has helped me to learn that in my executive journey, results are more than meeting the high expectations of the organization I serve, they are about capitalizing on my passion so that I may have the energy to sustain results for the long-term. My progress as a leader has grown from Juan’s bespoke appointments, which have given me the luxury of time to explore, reflect, goal-set, and prioritize my values as a champion in my field.

I hired Juan for a two-day session with my team, and he exceeded all expectations. Juan identified and addressed interpersonal challenges head-on, doing so in a respectful and safe manner. He equipped the team with new tools and language to effectively navigate various topics. His extensive experience added credibility to the engaging stories he shared. My team found the session incredibly valuable and has already requested to bring him back in the future.

Juan Cortes is much more than just an adjunct partner. He is the first person I think of to assist in expanding the reach and enhancing the effect of company culture and uniting teams in their journey towards high performance. His work in facilitating team building, bringing training to our leaders and their extended teams, and providing safety and objectivity in conflict resolutions has made such a difference that he is widely known and requested by leadership. I always look forward to his partnership and how he makes the work fun.

Juan is an authentic and caring coach. His insights and guidance have been key in developing my understanding of how to best motivate teams, advance company objectives, and further my career goals. He is a great listener and has an extraordinary method of getting to the root concern of an issue quickly, breaking down complex situations to their most important parts, and then working toward a resolution. One of Juan’s most valuable attributes is his intuitive handle on which areas need primary attention in his clients’ skill set and his ability to provide personalized support. He helped me grow not only in my current role but moving forward, to be a more dynamic individual contributor, manager, and leader. I’ve been especially appreciative with his guidance on how to communicate expectations and standards of accountability in order to cultivate a highly functional and collaborative team. I very much enjoy working with Juan and am so appreciative of all he’s taught me. He has my highest recommendation.

I worked directly with Juan for over a year with the objective of improving executive leadership skills. This experience included both group sessions as well as 1:1 coaching from Juan. I loved Juan's personal approach to each individual. He took the time to understand me as a person and then create an intentional approach to helping you achieve your growth goals. Juan consistently challenged me to think differently and change behaviors that were preventing me from making the impact that I desired. One of the things I liked most of about working with Juan is that he practices what he preaches which made the lessons and coaching that much easier to embrace. After working with Juan, I feel confident that I am showing up better as a leader for my teams, clients, friends, and family. I feel calmer in stressful situations and go to the tools I now have to navigate those scenarios effectively. Feedback from my team confirms this improvement including that they feel empowered, supported, motivated and that they have a partner in me that is invested in their future. I highly recommend reaching out to Juan if you are looking to break through to the next level and are looking for a little help to get there.

I had the pleasure of working with Juan for three years, mainly on a manager development program intended to support people managers along their personal learning journeys. Juan facilitated both in-person and virtual courses with remarkable skill and dedication. His approach is personalized, working closely with clients to determine their goals, identify growth opportunities, and chart the most impactful path forward. Juan listens and seeks to understand organizational needs, ensuring that his efforts align with the company’s vision of success. Consistently receiving positive feedback, Juan demonstrates a clear passion for DEI and driving individual professional growth. His commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment truly sets him apart as an outstanding facilitator and consultant.

If you have the chance to bring Juan in as a coach or facilitator, do it! I was introduced to Juan through another highly respected vendor when I was in need of a facilitator for our Manager Onboarding and manager professional development workshops. Juan quickly jumped in. He kindly gave feedback on the materials and asked if he could adjust to his style. Juan became well known for his calm and engaging demeanor, as well as his engagement with workshop participants. Juan also facilitated his own material centered around managing with emotional intelligence. When team leaders would come to me with team building requests, Juan was typically my first choice to introduce to the leader. Leaders gave excellent feedback regarding Juan’s custom created workshops. Juan is a partner and is wonderful to consult with. I hope you have the opportunity to partner with Juan!

In 2023, my previous organization, Seagen (now Pfizer), collaborated with Juan to design a custom workshop aimed at equipping eight clinical scientists and medical directors with the skills to effectively facilitate our three newly developed virtual instructor-led trainings. Juan delivered exceptional training, offering practical advice on setting up a facilitation space and providing hands-on practice with constructive feedback. After the course, my team felt empowered and confident in their newfound facilitation abilities. They diligently practiced their material and were so motivated that they requested an additional session with Juan to refine their skills further. Over the next two months, they successfully delivered three outstanding trainings to large online audiences. The facilitation for these courses received an impressive overall score of 4.9 from the participants. Our trainings were not only well-attended but also highly interactive and positively received.

Juan changed my life professionally - and ultimately personally. Juan led workshops across the entirety of the global Wunderman Thompson network and I was lucky enough to be trained by him in public speaking. He taught me the fundamental skills to lead conversations with a group/clients - both big and small. The tools I learned from him I will carry for the rest of my life. Furthermore, he gave me the confidence to share my passion project with my company. He inspired me to give my very first presentation to 80 people at my office at the time. Needless to say, he gave me confidence in myself that I did not have before. Juan is a culture changer, ceiling breaker, and life changing leader.

Few people have the opportunity to report to an incredible leader, coach and mentor, but I did when I worked with Juan. From the moment we met, I was in awe of Juan’s ability to forge meaningful connections with everyone with whom he speaks, from his immediate team to training participants to executive stakeholders. Juan has a special way of ensuring that everyone feels included, bringing out the best in everyone he meets. He knows when to take the reins and when to let somebody else shine and lead the way. He balances professionalism with openness and vulnerability, candidly sharing personal anecdotes to illuminate key concepts from the many training programs he has developed on Emotional Intelligence (EQ), leadership development, conscious inclusion, delivering feedback, and many others. As my manager, Juan pushed me to bring my best self to work every day, gently guiding me when I stumbled, and giving pointed feedback to continue developing. As my mentor, he empowered me to speak my mind and share my insights and feedback regardless of someone’s seniority, championing the idea that feedback is a gift. And as my friend, he’s been there for me whenever I’ve needed him, no questions asked. Simply put, Juan is one of the most beautiful human beings I’ve ever known. Any company would be lucky to welcome him and his talents into their organization.

I had the pleasure of working closely with Juan during my time at Wunderman and more recently at WPP in building our culture ambition. Juan has a unique skill of engaging and bringing out the best in others. He is one of the most inspiring "trainers" I have ever worked with and has developed excellent programs around EQ, Giving Feedback, Managerial Skills and Leadership, to name a few. Juan is always honest, respectfully candid and passionate about delivering meaningful work. It’s been a joy to work with him and even more importantly, to know him.

I have had the pleasure (and fun) of working alongside/under Juan on several diversity & inclusion initiatives and have also attended and greatly benefitted from his company-wide learning and education programs. Juan is an action-oriented leader, with an infectious energy + drive that are tempered by his ability to walk into a room and immediately establish it as a safe space for authentic and honest communication through his thoughtful questions and astute observations. Juan knows when to take charge but also when to step aside and let people do what they do best. Juan's ongoing commitment to sharing knowledge and bringing people together in the name of doing good are like no other and I'm always striving to learn from his example.

Juan is magnificent. He's that person in the organization who you naturally find yourself gravitating to, but not in a casual or subconscious way...like, quite literally running toward. I've learned more from Juan than anyone in my career. And not just some of those things that get you by day to day, but those transformative experiences and measures that transcend time and space. Skills and perspectives that I will proudly carry with me, not just for the rest of my career, but the rest of my life. He's the lighthouse amidst the fog. He guides and leads with conviction, a master of facilitation and moderation, having experienced, studied and understood organizational needs that start with and always come back to the people. Juan has an uncanny ability to foster growth in others by simultaneously nurturing and challenging existing beliefs, perspectives and approaches, culminating in better versions of ourselves. I cannot thank Juan enough.

Hands down, the best L&D leader and facilitator I have worked with in my career—a true gem to have in an organization! Our office has had the privilege of benefiting from Juan’s dynamic and engaging soft skill training on several occasions. He worked one-on-one with our executive leadership team to provide guidance and support. He just understands how people work, what to do to help them grow and how to help them thrive in a business—and bonus, he is a really cool, interesting guy to be around. Looking forward to planning our next week with Juan!

Juan has been a trusted advisor and friend for a while, and I can't articulate my gratitude for this. He's helped me steer unchartered waters, listened when I just needed an ear, and has made me laugh more than once. Juan's deep sense of empathy, compassion and intelligence are a rare combination; and one I value tremendously.

I have worked with Juan for many years and have never ceased to be amazed at his energy, compassion, and his great ideas. Juan is a true talent and people professional, and his specialty in Learning and Development makes him an incredible asset to our organization. Juan has the rare skills of being able to conceive and create programs from scratch through to delivery AND passionately and effectively communicate the information to groups. He's an exceptional collaborator who helps everyone around him do their jobs better. Through Juan's Emotional Intelligence training, I saw my team dramatically improve how they work together and relate. Months later, people still refer to the lessons learned in the training.

I had the pleasure of working with Juan on training for my US leadership team. It went so well that we rolled out leadership and EQ training to the full organization. Juan is an excellent listener and facilitator and a master of his craft!

In the 3+ years that I have had the pleasure to know and work with Juan, I have never ceased to be amazed by his depth of knowledge, his ability to align with organizational needs at light speed, to connect with and gain the trust of stakeholders, and most importantly, his impeccable ability to seamlessly deliver in-time learning solutions to all levels of the organization. His skill set is in a word, unique; After having spent over 20 years in some aspect of Learning and Development, and having worked with leaders in the field from across the U.S., I can speak with absolute certainty that I have not come across a more skilled facilitator, teacher, or instigator of change than him. Juan is of tremendous value to our organization and his leadership has been essential in moving us forward at each critical stage of growth. He is passion-forward, and unapologetic in his convictions. Juan's passion comes through in his work, and I am better for having worked with him. He has left an indelible mark on me and everyone else who has had the pleasure of collaborating with him day to day!

Juan is a passionate and energetic motivator. He also connects dots across business to empower all types of teams with information, education and resources to make great work. He sees clearly and delivers on human centered approach to leadership and learning. Personally, he helped me take very complex analytics concepts and simplify into a compelling format from which audiences otherwise not familiar with the craft of marketing sciences could understand and take action. That took me to a new level as a leader. Thank YOU, Juan, for everything.

Juan is one of the most skilled, passionate and knowledgeable people development thought leaders I've ever had the chance to work with. His ability to balance both the strategic needs of an organization with individual professional development needs is second to none. I've partnered with him on multiple solutions for @possible including presentation skills, storytelling, executive coaching and much more. All of which have been successful due in no small part to his leadership and insights.

Juan is a transformational agent. He is a first-rate people developer that I had the good fortune to cross paths with while serving on the Agency leadership team at POSSIBLE, Seattle. Juan developed a program to help enhance the management and people skills of my entire Strategy team. The sessions Juan designed were versatile enough to fit the needs of team members at all stages of their career and the information was instantly applicable. Juan is well-versed with the latest research in his field and draws on a collection of experiences, all of which we found valuable. ON a personal level, Juan is open-minded, kind, helpful and never loses his sense of humor. My highest recommendation.

It’s rare that you come across standout talent like Juan. I had the pleasure of working with Juan for a year while at POSSIBLE and he and I had the opportunity to collaborate over ideas, put thoughts into action, and find a common passion around training, emotional intelligence and good communication. I was always in awe of Juan’s ideas, ability to communicate, and just how much passion he has for his job. Juan makes the workplace more fun and I sincerely hope that our work paths cross in the future!

I had the extreme pleasure of working with Juan to design and implement development and training programs for my team. Juan's thoughtful approach to each situation and business need was thorough, deliberate and success-oriented. His ability to deliver piercing insight on human behavior in the context of organizational culture is both inspiring, and transforming. Juan is able to make the connection between what motivates an individual on an emotional level to inspire them on an intellectual level. He has the perfect blend of methodological rigor with high EQ to bring results that matter to both individuals and businesses. In short, Juan made our work better. I sincerely hope our paths cross again in the future.

I worked closely with Juan Cortes to develop two key training programs for the Anantara Hotel Group: a brand orientation program to introduce new associates to the key messages of the company, and a supervisor/leadership program that also reflected the core brand values of the Group. Juan did a great job in the concepting, creation and subsequent delivery of that program. In particular the associates responded very well to his engaging delivery style and the atmosphere of relaxed professionalism that he created in his classes. It is great to have his contact details on file, and I look forward to working again with Juan at some time in the future.

It was my privilege to work with Juan on a team of learning and brand culture facilitators for the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas. I was most impressed with the passion Juan brought to each project, his depth of knowledge concerning leadership and branding, and his engaging delivery. Juan also is an interesting, fun and delightful person to know, and I am very glad that I had this opportunity to work with him and hope to do so again in the future.

Juan has been a great business partner. He takes the time to understand our ultimate goal and then designs a training product specifically to achieve our desired outcome. He builds trust and confidence with the staff which gains their buy-in.

Juan is a superior talent development professional with a unique ability to draw out passion and commitment in his constituents, adeptly linking them to strategic objectives. I have had the benefit of witnessing Juan's strong skills at asking provocative questions in a variety of situations, helping executives and front-line managers alike to consider how they approach challenges and lead people. Indeed, all who have the opportunity to work with Juan are privileged to experience a truly gifted, passionate leader with a knack for calmly blending wit and wisdom for the sake of learning.

I've had the pleasure of working with Juan over the past 6 years for a number of different purposes - leadership, branding, service, and culture. He brings great breadth and depth of experience in learning and development to any project. He has a tremendous ability to connect with an audience in a meaningful way, enhancing learning and application of new skills. I look forward to the next opportunity to work with him ... and would recommend him to any organization intent on developing their people.

Someone that inspires. Someone that exceeds expectations. Someone that drives the message home. That’s what you get with Juan. I had the pleasure of working with Juan throughout our resort opening. He was a fantastic addition to our opening team – engaging, passionate, and full of contagious energy. The value Juan brings far exceeds the investment. Highly recommended!

I had the pleasure of working with Juan Cortes and Matter of Culture on Pierry’s first management retreat and also on our first team lead academy. In the design and planning phases of these workshops, Juan expanded my thinking on what we hoped to achieve in these sessions and helped me assess both learning objectives for the participants and the benefit these objectives will have for the leadership development and business. We took a deep dive into the tenets of emotional intelligence which led to both self-discovery and awareness as well as a richer understanding of those we lead. I found the sessions on managing ourselves and others through empathy and vulnerability particularly helpful. I look forward to expanding this work in our organization.