Business Manners and Etiquette

I wanted to mention again how much I enjoyed your talk at Women in Food Industry last week and your newsletter which I am receiving now for the first time. I think it is important to understand each other?s behaviour, especially in our very multicultural country. I really appreciate knowing about not exposing the soles of my feet for example. I am currently working on a project with people from all around the world, and it is helpful to remember that there is always a reason when someone behaves with different manners.

My husband is Irish, and when we go to visit his family in Ireland, I notice his brother and sister have extraordinary table manners, both without any airs. I?m always surprised at banquets how many people don?t know which plate or glass is theirs, so there is great need of your service.

Thank you for taking the time with my daughters for the Teen etiquette workshop. I was impressed with all the topics that were covered and the notes that they took in their handouts. As a busy mother in this hectic day in age I feel a more confident that they now have a better understanding of social graces and why it is so important. I wish students would have a compulsory course in school that teaches them what you teach.

Thank you for the nice tulip and teaching my son. I am sure the knowledge that you gave him will be useful for the upcoming years.

Thank you very much for providing such a wonderful session for our girls. They enjoyed it thoroughly and learnt so much from you. I would like to send them for a refresher course soon.

Thank you for coming to M-Bridge again for a wonderful presentation. The training impacts immigrants for their life and career in this country. So my appreciation to you is more than I can express in this language.

It was pleasurable for my children and they have gone ahead to put what they have learnt into practice. We are looking forward to next year’s session.

Ibinabo

Thank you for sharing your evening with us on Tuesday. The advice you gave me was both informative and fun.

Thank you very much for your time today. I have learned a lot about strategies of communications and proper manners during a dinner, and those are really useful when applying to the actual situation. I highly appreciate today’s course. [Teen Etiquette]

I loved your talk on manners, customs and protocol for dining internationally. Your delivery was charming and funny, and you handled the audience with great skill. I particularly loved how you dealt with the whisperers in the crowd, a pet peeve of mine. How ironic and apropos of a talk on manners.

We should do this again. What an afternoon. We all had so much fun and learned so much. Many thanks.

You had the entire audience in the palm of your hand.

Your keynote presentation at the Internationally Educated Professionals Conference was highly informative, impactful, entertaining and very useful. Throughout your keynote presentation, the entire audience was very attentive and engaged, and I am certain that your many suggestions, observations and tips will be put into practice from then on and will prove to be very beneficial in their future career endeavours.

Thanks you for the wonderful job you did with the boys last night. You have a special talent to be able to manage boys this age.

Dear Adeodata – Thank you for your time for presenting such a wonderful and informative session on “Business of Manners” at Micro Skills, today. I must acknowledge that it was very informative and will bring lots of improvement in the manner we present ourselves.

Hope to stay in touch with you. I seek your permission to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

Wonderful. A lesson and experience I’ll never forget!  Thanks so much.

We at Sereca Larden Muniak Toronto office thank you very much for the informative and entertaining presentations at our “cooking school” event at Cirillo’s last Saturday. I have received much positive feedback from those in attendance and comments of regret from those who did not attend. Obviously news travels fast in a small office. It was a fun evening and your input contributed to the positive outcome.

It is our pleasure to serve your teen etiquette luncheons here at Goodfellas. The service you that you provide is exemplary. Definitely a lost art. It should be mandatory at all schools. Lord knows today’s young people could use some manners. [Teen Etiquette]
– Garry Sinyard, General Manager
Goodfellas

Adeodata, thank you so very much for sharing your time and talent with us once again. Your teachings are invaluable and greatly appreciated.
Erika Giesl
President, Toronto Charter Branch
Association of Administrative Assistants

Thank you again for the mannerly experience.  I have since been to two galas and, although I have been attending business lunches and galas for about 10 years, I just felt much more comfortable and confident at the table.  I am trying to convince my children of the benefits of a session. It’s a confidence builder.

Thanks very much Adeodata. Last night was brilliant! I learned a lot. It’s hard to believe the little things you take for granted. I am certainly glad I attended.

The FEM’s are still talking about how informative and how engaging your talk was.

Thank you for such a wonderful session on Saturday [Adult Etiquette]. It was extremely informative and I learned so much. Especially fascinating was learning about the seating arrangements.
– Kelvin Yang [Adult Etiquette]

It was a pleasure to meet you the other day. I enjoyed your presentation and would love to receive your etiquette tips.

Your warmth and enthusiasm put me right at ease, while your thorough knowledge of the subject kept me interested in all you presented. I think I have really mastered the art of having the last mouthful last long enough for my guests to finish their meal. Many thanks.

The event, Career Conference, on February 18th, went successful and we thank you for your presentation of “Etiquette of Mingling and Interview.” Many students gave us feedback that your lesson was very helpful. We are glad that students gained something from our event.

Thank you for imparting some key social graces to my boys on Saturday. Learning how to guide a blind person across the street has peeked my younger son’s interest. He demonstrated this for me. The other one taught his younger sister how to fold napkins. Thanks again.

Thank you so much for such a wonderful session that you presented this morning. The team spoke so highly of you afterwards and I could see that your talk had a big impact on people because they talked about the specific points that you made. They were saying that they were going to change some of their “ways”, right away. It is so interesting to hear how much people want to do the “right thing”, and how grateful they are that you were able to help them do the “right thing”.

We all enjoyed your sense of humour that you bring into your presentation. It was unexpected and suited the topic perfectly.
Thank you for sharing your expertise with my network group.
Yours in style

With much gratitude for allowing me to step outside of my world for a day and enter your world with fineness and sophistication at its very best!

It was a pleasure to have you as our expert for our Meals & Manners event. Everyone had a terrific evening. The feedback I’ve been hearing has been overwhelmingly positive. Hope we can do it again in the future.

I had lunch with my niece today and she shared many elements of your workshop [Teen Etiquette]. It was a family event and we were asking her questions about what would be done in various scenarios. She has retained a lot of information and happily shared her new knowledge. We were all impressed. Thank you for a successful workshop. — Deanna [Teen Etiquette]

The students were buzzing the next morning and the event was the talk of the campus. Thank you so much. You were fantastic. I’m really looking forward to the next time.

With much gratitude for allowing me to step outside of my world for a day and enter your world with fineness and sophistication at its very best!!!!

You are performing a socially necessary thing when you teach people good manners whether they are on the phone or just living in our society that is becoming more bizarre every day. Keep up this noble work. Someone has to do it and I can’t think of a more capable person with a more calm and endearing voice.

I wanted to thank you for spending time with us on Wednesday evening’s Meals & Manners seminar at Hockley Valley! I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and I really learned a lot. I look forward to receiving your email updates!

Thank you so much for your valuable time and amazing webinars [Adult Etiquette]. It was indeed a great success.
– Gokce Kaya
MBridge Culture Integration Society for Professionals

Thank you Adeodata. We all really enjoyed the session and loved having you! I personally learned so much and I know i’ll be using all the things I learned today in my future endeavours. Thanks again.

I have to tell you the girls enjoyed your Kidiquette class and were eager to show off what they had learned. They’re looking forward to taking the teen workshop in future.
– Julie Griesdorf

I enjoyed your wonderful presentation at last Friday’s conference. I will get back to you soon to invite you as a guest speaker at one of our workshops.

YOU were a hit!!  The ladies loved your session!  A number of them commented in our “roundup” at the end how much they enjoyed it and that they learned something new.  That was the goal. Thank you for coming.

I must say that your presentation was quite a hoot today! The Spirit of Math team found you quite engaging and your key points were well received and memorable. This my friend, is the sign of a truly great speaker and teacher! I have had the pleasure of attending other etiquette / manners training sessions in the corporate environment through the years and yours was by far the best!

You are a consummate professional and I just LOVED your presentation! It’s obvious you have honed your presentation skills over years to make your presentation OUTSTANDING.

On behalf of both the Undergraduate Commerce Society and the Department of Management here at the University of Toronto Mississauga, I would like to thank you for your wonderful presentation to the Commerce student body earlier today.
Student feedback was very positive; many of them learned a lot from your highly engaging and interactive session on social graces, dining etiquette, and personal presentation. I hope to see you on campus again in the near future.

This is the third time in six years that I stress the same:

Give a bit of your heart, your time, your energy, your touch,
your love.

Merry Christmas

Upcoming Workshops?

Kidiquette

Ages 9 to 12

Workshops run from 10 a.m. to 12 noon

Sunday, December 11

Saturday, January 7

100 Dowling Avenue, Toronto

$40; $70 for two students

Teen etiquette workshop

Ages 13 to 17

Workshops run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, November 27 – full

Saturday, December 10

Sunday, January 8

100 Dowling Avenue, Toronto

Includes three-course lunch,

a ten-page workbook and a quiz

$175; $295 for two students

Adult etiquette workshop

Workshops run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, December 18

Otherwise, mostly private sessions

100 Dowling Avenue, Toronto

Includes three-course lunch,

an 11-page workbook and a quiz

$175 for university students

$295, $450 for two persons

What people are saying:

I remember my parents getting so excited about the Coronation. Think I still have a Coronation tea set around. For all her attitudes may appear anachronistic now, the Queen served as a stable fulcrum and identity-definer for most Canadians, differentiated from the US, while Prime Ministers and Presidents came and went. The fact that Canadians respond somewhat differently to current world tensions than Americans do is entirely due to this lineage, and we should be grateful for it. As well, she normalized a role for women to participate on the world stage in a world where they weren’t many women with power.

–Prof. Geoffrey Newman

University of British Columbia

Thank you for this, Adeodata! Here below is an anthem intended for Elizabeth I (NB the word “prevent” at that time meant something like “protect”)

–Frank Nakashima

O Lord, make thy servant Elizabeth our Queen to rejoice in thy strength.

Give her her heart’s desire and deny not the request of her lips;

but prevent her with thine everlasting blessing and give her a long life,

even for ever and ever. Amen.

What a lovely poem!  Thank you for sharing.

–Marilyn Field

Good poem!

–Bart Mindszenthy

Thank you for the touching poem

–Erika Endes

Lovely tribute for the Queen. 

–Dawn Clarke

Thank you so much  

–Kelvin Chung 

Ez remek. Koszonom.

–Dobos Laci

Köszönöm a szokás szerint tartalmas, színvonalas összeállítást.

További jó munkát.

–Molnár Edit, Miskolc

I was fascinated with the approach to Business Manners that you have described at the Mbridge session, and I felt you are one of the most graceful people in the field that I could possibly think of. And I want to mention your aesthetic smile to complement your profession. Adeodata, I would love to receive your newsletter and possibly another session in the near future.

Thank you again for allowing my daughters, Naiyah and Asia to partake in this class Kidiquette. They have definitely learned skills that they can use now and build on in their future endeavours.
– Nicole

I thought the program was wonderful and I’m looking forward to the upcoming sessions.

Your wonderful presentation yesterday at Vesuvio’s was interesting, informative and fun! Thank you so much.

Adeodata’s knowledge and training are the best I have ever encountered… Thank you, it should be mandatory for everyone to take her courses… Always Grateful…

Thanks very much Adeodata. I thoroughly enjoyed your talk and learned a lot myself. The B-M-W plate layout was a key take-away for me. Kind regards and many thanks,
Dr. Peter R. Frise, FCAE, FEC, P.Eng.
Professor and Scientific Director & CEO
AUTO21 NCE
The University of Windsor

Thank you again for the mannerly experience.  I have since been to two galas and, although I have been attending business lunches and galas for about 10 years, I just felt much more comfortable and confident at the table.  I am trying to convince my children of the benefits of a session. It’s a confidence builder.

Thank you very much for having us yesterday and sharing your knowledge and experience with us. It was super helpful and we learned a lot (Adult Etiquette).

Just wanted to thank you for a really enjoyable evening at Women in Food Industry Management last Thursday. Your sense of humour made your talk just fly by … didn’t want it to end.

Thank you for joining us at the first annual Professional Intelligence Conference and Seminars at the University of Toronto on January 22, 2010. In chatting with attendees it is clear that you were a crowd favorite. I am sure you are aware how hard it can be to get a group of 20-somethings students excited about manners, so I applaud your talent in capturing their attention. As this year’s session was so popular, we would like to ask you to consider presenting again next year.

I was at yesterday’s UPA Development Day’s Conference and I totally loved your presentation. It was a pleasure meeting you.

It was pleasure learning about proper etiquette. I used some of those “forgetting names” techniques and they worked like a charm!
– Chris Kaveh

I would like to thank you once again for the opportunity to take part in your course; I believe it will benefit me for the remainder of my life.

Thank you so much Adeodata for coming and speaking to our group. Everyone raved about you and thoroughly enjoyed the session!

From the moment I walked through the door you opened that would forevermore enhance my confidence and polish future engagements, your smile warmed the brisk Saturday morning we first met. For what I would later leave with, I am at a loss for words. Your humble but constructive approach was in itself extraordinary while the material covered was practical and applicable.

I agree with Lynn the whole seminar was well executed and far from boring. An invaluable experience to be treasured, I can assure you and I look forward to staying in touch.

Warm and esteemed regards,

Angela G-F

It was a great pleasure having you coming to our school and teaching us business dinner etiquette. I must admit that I have learned quiet a lot of stuff that I have no clue about before. For instance, I learned that when clinking the wine glass, we should look at the other in the eyes. And the lady’s glass should be slightly higher than the gentlemen’s; or in the case of both people are the same gender, the older one’s glass should be higher. I really enjoyed dining with you and the rest of the people tonight. You were very funny but at the same time, taught us the dinner etiquettes that will definitely benefit us greatly in the future. Thank you very much for teaching us.

On behalf of DECA here at the University of Toronto Scarborough, I would like to thank you for your wonderful presentation yesterday. Student feedback was very positive; they learned a lot from your highly engaging and entertaining session and said it was one of the best etiquette sessions they have ever attended.

I want you to know how much my son enjoyed your workshop. He was so impressed and thrilled with the three course lunch. It is not usual to engage teenagers for a full day and give them a fun experience too.  He learned so much and he relayed his newfound knowledge on the drive home. Absolutely he will return for your adult workshop.

Thank you for the wonderful session, my daughters loved all the information they learn with you, especially they felt it was so much fun to set up the tables. They are looking forward to seeing you soon for next etiquette. [Kidiquette]

Thank you very much for the course today, it was informative and enjoyable! Truly was a pleasure.

Minden dolog amit tanitottal rendkivul fontos es oriasi erteku az eletben. Halas vagyok neked a tanitasodert.

General translation: Everything that is taught is extremely important and valuable in life. [Adult Etiquette]

I just wanted to thank you again for your wonderful presentation. It was enlightening, entertaining and of added value to the Careers curriculum. You are full of energy and knowledge that is difficult to come by. It is unfortunate that social formalities and graces are not taught in schools. I had the opportunity to speak to some students after the fact, and they reiterated to me how much they learned. I also learned new things as well and will now be more conscientious about my activities.

I found your session for the IEP very crisp and applicable.”

I cannot thank you enough for this experience. Bianca went through the entire course with us on Saturday, she taught me a few things as well. She also set the table and poured my wine that evening, very impressive. I shall recommend your course to all the parents I know. I hope to sign her up for the refresher course in a few months. — Jenni Bourne, Bourne Technical Services  [Teen Etiquette Workshop]

What a fun way to revisit the fine art of dining. I was especially impressed with the way you gently help people to be more polite. Your suggestions for ways to meet people and what to say, to learn more about what interests them were particularly useful for me.

Adeodata, I enjoyed your class tremendously and I like how you taught with a sense of firmness and at the same time being very graceful. I learnt many new things from you which was more than what they taught us at the seminary which I really appreciate.

We all enjoyed your presentation yesterday and look forward to the next one.

Thank you so much for the wonderful workshop [Kidiquette]. I am so happy we found you. Definitely I will enroll my daughter for the next one.

I just wanted to sincerely express to you how greatly I enjoyed your very informative and interactive info-session on Business Etiquette at the CMA – Carleton University Event. Thank you for your wonderful presentation.

It was a pleasure seeing you again; I found the session invaluable.
– Prathab

I found your presentation really helpful. I will go forward with my shoulders back, confident and let my wonderfulness shine. 🙂

Thank you Adeodata. We all really enjoyed the session and loved having you! I personally learned so much and I know I’ll be using all the things I learned today in my future endeavours. Thanks again

Words cannot express my gratitude you showed throughout the Adult Etiquette Workshop yesterday. I am forever grateful you were willing to share your knowledge to make me and others better citizens. Very much appreciated.
– Lorna Murray, Lorna’s Cuisine & Etiquette
[Adult Etiquette]

Words cannot express how wonderful it has been working with you today. The wisdom you have shared with the Rotman Commerce Students will be with them throughout their careers. We look forward to working with you in the years to come.

You are an absolute miracle worker. Last night, my daughters set the table
and ate like truly civilized people. They were able to explain what the
cutlery was for and even how to use it to indicate when they were finished
vs still eating. I just about fell out of my chair! Thanks for bringing out
the best in our girls; they will definitely be back for the teen program.

Just wanted to pass along that my son really enjoyed the session today. He learned a lot and said he especially appreciated the conversation starters. He also wanted me to make sure you knew he found the whole course very good and is eager to return for the teen session.

Thank you for the wonderful training session last night on dinner and cocktail etiquette! I learned a lot not only about manners, but also about the confidence, elegance and wisdom equipping a modern woman in her social life. We were all so charmed and inspired and can’t wait to send our kids to your course for children.
– Laura Xi, CPA MBA, Educational Consultant, Toronto

Thank you very much for the workshops and follow-up guidance, which will be beneficial for our lifetime.

My son really enjoyed the session with you and was noticeably more confident when introducing himself when he attended a meeting with me on Sunday!

I have to say it again that it was a great time studying etiquette with you! I learned a lot about social etiquette, especially those details that I’d never paid attention to before. I’m sure the things we learned today will be very useful for me in future. Plus we laughed a lot today, which made it fun to be there.

Also, thanks a lot for offering us lunch and the lovely afternoon tea. It makes me feel like I’m having afternoon tea with friends while I’m being trained. Such a good way to learn! I’ve already told some of my friends about the course days ago, will definitely let you know if any of them wants to take it.

Lastly, thank you for everything today.

Lynn Yuan

Heartfelt thanks for the teen etiquette workshop.  Our children told us they really enjoyed the day with you and learned so much. They told us you were very nice and knowledgeable. My husband and I were corrected by them at dinner last night and they showed us what they learned. Our niece is coming for dinner tonight and we will be utilizing the new skills you taught them. Thank you.

Thank You for having such a fun and educative session last week. It was a very pleasant experience and I will definitely recommend it to people I know.

Thank you so much for presenting to our group. The presentation was wonderful! It was perfectly paced and I know the students learned a lot (as did I).

I would just like to take a moment this morning to Thank you for your presentation to Mission Services on Friday. It was a lovely highlight to the end of the work week. I came away from the seminar feeling great.

Thank you for your time for presenting such a wonderful and informative session on “Business of Manners” at Micro Skills, today. I must acknowledge that it was very informative and will bring lots of improvement in the manner we present ourselves. I seek your permission to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
Nizar Ali Khawaja

Thank you for spending time with our CART SM I class last week. It was a memorable and enlightening evening that renewed my consciousness of the importance of manners and social grace. I learned some very worthwhile principles and tips that will serve me well in the future.

Thank you so much! Both Matthew and Isabella learned so much. They described everything you taught them in detail. Now they are the “manners police” when we are having dinner!
– Lina

Your knowledge on etiquette and manners are always so insightful and entertaining.

Our sincere thanks to you for offering the excellent session on the Etiquette of Networking and The Business Lunch to us yesterday. Your professionalism and joyful personality has impressed everyone. Our group really enjoyed the session. The feedback is quite positive. Most of them gave you 5 out of 5, and only a few 4s. I think you should be proud of the result. Thank you again for presenting.

I am one of the members of ECCCP group who attended your presentation last week. Thank you very much for your time spent with our group. Your vivid presentation was very helpful for us to understand etiquette in business networking therefore it is helpful for our career and daily life in Canada. I would like to have your newsletters in future.”

We found your talk as illuminating as it was entertaining; and, as the evening’s emcee, it was a distinct honour introducing you.

Very good feedback from the Wednesday night group. They had lots of stories to tell and lots to laugh about. They said you were a hoot (to quote one person). Thank you Adeodata for helping all our Sysco managers.

Thank you for a marvelous presentation. Everyone really enjoyed it and I received a lot of positive feedback. FYI – I loved the way that you quieted down the table in the back, by getting them involved in the conversation.

Thank you again for hosting such an important and much needed seminar for teens as they develop, evolve and mature! Adele spoke highly of you and especially enjoyed the yummylicious lunch!

Adeodata, it is such a pleasure to read your newsletters. For some time I’ve wanted to let you know that my daughters, now 29 and 30 with babies of their own, still remember (and more importantly) use all they learned in your children’s etiquette course of almost 20 years ago. Both in their personal and professional lives. It’s truly amazing the impression you made on them. A teacher whose lessons are being passed on now to the next generation…how wonderful!
– Elisabeth Sachs

I had the pleasure of attending one of your International Business Etiquette seminars many years ago – still it has been one of the best workshops I have attended. Thus, I would like to send one of my employees to your next seminar.