Testimonials
Stu is a strategic thinker, an exquisite writer, and one of the finest communicators I have ever worked with. His greatest strength is his unwavering focus on the needs and interests of our audiences. He is able to translate complex information into plain language for our stakeholders, and the stories Stu writes inspire people to support our organization. He is an effective mentor to others, a true pro, and a pleasure to work with.
—Jonathon Lyon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Health Sciences Centre Foundation
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Stu as he provided invaluable writing support during a time where our team was very short-staffed. Stu stepped into the role seamlessly, smoothly navigating the complexities of our organization and building relationships across our team. Stu is a strong writer, a true professional, and a lot of fun to work with. I appreciated his advice and insights and would welcome the opportunity to work with him again.
—Stephanie Levene, MBA, Associate Vice-President, Donor Relations, University of Manitoba
Stu has been instrumental in shaping, co-creating, and articulating our story and our vision in a way that has inspired investors and other stakeholders. He has written many insightful articles for our blog, developed effective promotional materials, produced vital correspondence, and contributed to our successful podcast. He has also had a hand in our product packaging, our branding, our trademark applications, our AGM content, and our events—always keeping audience top of mind. We have benefitted from his skills, his advice, his sophistication, and his hard work.
—Mick Lautt, Chief Executive Officer, SciMar Ltd.
I have had the pleasure of working with Stu for the past few years. In addition to his exceptional writing skills, he has an uncanny ability to listen to the leaders in our organization and fully capture the essence of our thoughts. I would tell any organization that you can entrust your vision, your culture, and your messaging to Stu. He will share what matters to you with your constituents – clearly, professionally, and thoughtfully.
—Charles (Chuck) LaFlèche, CPA, CMA, FCMA, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Financial Officer, Viotika Life Sciences, Inc.; Former President and CEO, St. Boniface Hospital Foundation
—Ben T. Sewell, Staff Sergeant, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Thompson, ManitobaOur agency engaged Mr. Slayen as a guest speaker for our annual Learning, Training and Management workshop. Mr. Slayen presented to Police managers on the topic of professional report writing for law enforcement, focusing on common problem areas such as tight timelines, pertinent content, and spelling. He nailed this presentation, and it was obvious that he had done his ‘homework’ on the policing environment and law enforcement jargon. His interactive presentation and sense of humour had everyone engaged, laughing, and taking home new skills in relation to effective communication.
I hired Stu to rewrite the website content for my women’s clothing brand. We had a great discovery meeting during which I was able to tell my story and answer Stu’s questions. The content he created was spot on. On top of that, he was able to convey the brand’s voice. It was an absolute pleasure working with Stu. He is very professional and gifted as a writer. Some of the quotes he created for my website still give me chills when I read them.
—Andréanne Dandeneau, Founder of Anne Mulaire Brand
Stu is my go-to consultant when I need additional communications support. Not only have I hired him often while working at several non-profits over the years, Stu was my first choice when I needed a website for my own business. When you hire Stu Slayen you are getting more than a gifted storyteller. His strong listening skills, wisdom, and heart are a potent combination, quickly making Stu a trusted advisor. And, to top it all off, his razor-sharp wit and delightful personality make working with Stu a whole lot of fun!
—Monique LaCoste, Consultant, Monique LaCoste Communications
Stu was a featured presenter at our law firm’s business development retreat. His half-day training session on content marketing was captivating and motivating. He came to us well-prepared and took the time in advance to study what is happening in our field so he could customize the session for us. With his ability to make a case and get people engaged (not to mention his good humour) he was even able to change the minds of a few digital skeptics. To end the session, Stu helped us brainstorm our first editorial calendar. Very, very helpful.
—Josh Weinstein, Partner, Myers Weinberg LLP
I have had the opportunity to work with Stu on a variety of projects. Stu is a sophisticated advisor, an exceptional writer, and has a keen sense for video production. I greatly respect his ability and willingness to listen carefully to the ideas and goals of his clients, and then to turn them into something appropriate and poignant, whether it be in a speech, on video, or in other formats. On top of all this, Stu is reliable and professional. I look forward to working with Stu on future projects.
—Steve Kroft, President & CEO, Conviron Group of Companies
I have worked with Stu Slayen for over 10 years, as a colleague and later as a client. Over that time period, Stu has consistently impressed me by his professionalism, attention to detail, originality, and excellent judgment. As a client, I know that a job entrusted to Stu will be of excellent quality, which allows me to focus on managing other aspects of projects. The consistently high quality of his work, combined with his positive attitude, equal enthusiasm for a wide variety of editing assignments, and great sense of humour, make Stu an outstanding editor, advisor, and business partner.
—Maja Andjelkovic, Digital Entrepreneurship Program Co-Lead, infoDev/Trade & Competitiveness, World Bank Group, Washington, DC
I had been writing about leadership and employee engagement issues for over five years prior to engaging Stu as my regular editor. Several weeks after I started working with Stu, I started getting feedback from multiple sources about the improvement in my writing. I now have to keep Stu as my editor forever! Stu made an immediate improvement in the writing I do and I continue to learn from his wise editing and counsel. Stu does work of very high quality and he is a pleasure to deal with.
—Darryl Stewart P.Eng., Head of the Herd, IBEX Payroll
Stu is able to get across a tone and a message that fit your vision, in a way that far surpasses your own abilities. He is skilled not only as a writer, but as a choreographer of content. There is a true art to his recommendations and the final results of our website exceeded all of our expectations.
—Emily Burt, Vice-President, Marketing and Communications, Cardinal Capital Management Inc.
I have worked on and off with Stu for some 15 years. Through this time, I have gained a great respect not only for his way with language and form, but just as importantly, for his ability to sense and capture the real spirit of what is being communicated. This is a very special skill, particularly when writing at the interface of the technical and the social – exactly where we have often worked together. That he crafts his pieces with a delightful sense of humour is a real bonus.
—Anthony Hodge, President, International Council on Mining and Metals, 2008–2015, London, U.K.
As a producer of documentaries, commercials, corporate videos, and internet content, I have had the pleasure to work with Stu Slayen on a few occasions and can only describe the experience as excellent. Stu comes prepared, his research done, and his working script and copy ready to go. He also brings a great attitude and common sense to all the projects we have worked on as a team. Stu’s writing, organizational, and interpersonal skills make the workflow an easy process. We have produced corporate videos for a variety of clients with differing goals. Our work has been for event presentation as well as marketing and fundraising. My working relationship with Stu has always been a fun experience, which makes for great work in a positive working environment.
—Barry Lank, CSC, Producer/Director, Lank/Beach Productions, Inc.
Stu has been doing a great job as an instructor of the Business Communication course for the Internationally Educated Agrologists Post-Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IEAP) at the University of Manitoba. When helping students to strengthen their thinking, writing, speaking, and listening skills, he also makes students feel comfortable by enhancing his presentations with humour and respect. The lessons Stu delivers are interactive, energetic, dynamic, fun, and effective. We are lucky to have him as part of the IEAP team!
—Alicia Franco-Espinosa, Former IEAP Coordinator, University of Manitoba
We entrusted Stu with writing a recent report and with editing one of our most important and prominent publications. We were extremely satisfied with the results. Stu was able to immediately get the idea of what we were looking for, and delivered excellent work. He has a remarkable writing style which he is able to adapt to the needs of any target audience, and his critical eye finds even the tiniest error in long and dry texts. Stu continuously shows outstanding problem-solving skills, acts very professionally, and never loses his sense of humour — even at six in the morning! He goes the extra mile to make sure the products he works on achieve the best possible quality. We have collaborated on different projects in the past and I am looking forward to continue working with Stu in the future.
—Dr. Anantha Duraiappah, Former Executive Director, International Human Dimensions Programme, Bonn, Germany
We contracted Stu to write and edit our 2011–2012 annual report, as well as coordinate commercial photography, graphic design, and printing. Stu’s expertise and guidance resulted in a completely re-energized format for the annual report. The report is engaging, professionally designed, and truly connects the reader with our Centre. Despite tight timelines, Stu ensured the annual report was ready for release when we needed it. Feedback on the report from our many stakeholders has been extremely positive.
—Kathleen Klaasen, RN, MN, GNC(c), Former Chief Executive Officer, The Saul & Claribel Simkin Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
We recently collaborated with Stu on a project where our client required strategic communications advice. Stu was able to bring to our team the creativity and communications insights we needed to augment and translate our content knowledge and expertise into resonant messages. We could always count on Stu to join forces with us as a team, ensuring his work aligned with ours. Stu is a real pleasure to work with and we are hoping to have our paths cross again soon!
—Barb Sweazey, Manager, Training and Facilitation Practice, Stratos Inc. – Strategies to Sustainability, Ottawa
We hired Stu to serve as our publication consultant and coordinator for our first-ever Clinical Practice Guidelines. About 100 volunteer writers, reviewers, and Task Force members were involved in the project. Stu developed editorial style guidelines; led planning meetings in Ottawa and Orlando; managed editorial, design, and print services; and helped our team troubleshoot any challenges along the way. He took the time to learn about our audience, and always kept the end-user experience top of mind. Stu helped us deliver a remarkable manual that is truly helping our members in working with their patients. Stu is professional and easy to work with.
—Jonathan Strauss, Chief Executive Officer, Pedorthic Association of Canada
Since our first projects with Stu, he has come through for us consistently, and each time with just the right amount of flair. The service ethic, the collaborative approach, the insightful thinking, and creatively delivered writing have helped us out on many occasions. What we like about Stu is that he becomes part of our team and he’s been able to assist on a wide variety of communication projects. Our own positioning line reads ‘Be Brilliant’, so we truly value partnerships with like-minded individuals.
—Guy Regnier, Principal/Creative Director, Deschenes Regnier, Communication – Design – Marketing, Winnipeg/Calgary
I hired Stu to edit my book manuscript and get it ready for the publisher. He also wrote and edited much of my promotional material. He’s a dedicated professional who is committed to getting things right. Stu offers wise counsel, good humour, and fantastic solutions. He’s got a remarkable work ethic and he made my job easier. He’s priced fairly, attentive to details, and easy to work with. I definitely look forward to working with Stu again on my next book.
—Dr. Dan Rosin, Author, "Finding Balance: 101 concepts for taking better care of self"
I have worked with Stu for many years now. He has helped me as an editor, as a copy writer, as a design and production consultant, but most of all as someone who has a deep understanding of the communication process and ability to get the point across without losing the nuances of the point. I admire Stu’s ability to listen and understand the message I am trying to convey, but even more than that I value his talent in pushing back—ever so gently—when pushback is needed. Above all else, he is a true communication professional.
—Dr. Adil Najam, Dean, The Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University
We feel very fortunate to have worked with Stu. We are a unique organization and have always stumbled in trying to communicate what we do to a variety of audiences. Stu did his homework and came to us with an understanding of our organization that we seldom see. Through some engaging activities and provoking exercises, Stu demonstrated some great tools to start us on a path of communication success. Stu brought a lot of humour to the day which eased us all into the process. We value our experience with Stu and look forward to working with him again.
—Danah Duke, Executive Director, Miistakis Institute, Calgary, Alberta
We engaged Stu to manage the production of our annual report and to serve as an in-house consultant for a six-week term. He is an energetic, strategic communicator who learned about our organization quickly and delivered excellent products on time. He is media savvy, a strong project manager, organized, and very easy to work with. He gave us great performance and great ideas.
—Jeff Peitsch, Former Chief Operating Officer, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba
We hired Stu to come up with a tagline for a new product, rewrite our mission statement, and write brochure copy for seven of our product lines. His work was remarkable. He listened to us carefully and delivered copy that did exactly what we needed. Stu was fast, well-priced, easy to work with, and creative. Working with Stu was an excellent experience.
—Pablo Reich, Executive Vice President, Arconas, Toronto, Ontario
For more than a decade, I managed an international internship program for young professionals. Stu was one of our trainers. His workshops on publishing, communications, and plain language were always a highlight for the participants. Stu took the time to understand the needs of the participants and it paid off. Time after time, he was ranked as a favourite presenter. He kept his audiences entertained, engaged, and excited about communications. The passion he has for his craft is contagious.
—Carolee Buckler, Sustainable Development Coordinator, Manitoba Education, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Stu Slayen is the consummate communications professional who goes the extra mile to ensure your communication products are first rate and represent you well. His attention to detail and eye for design produce communication products with high impact.
—David Boyer, President, E3nvironmental Collaborative; Senior Director, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan Fund for the Environment, Aga Khan Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland
When I was preparing my business plan, I was so wrapped up in the process that I had a difficult time putting it on paper. By listening to me talk about the business model and asking some solid questions, Stu was able to understand the essence of my plan and put it into writing in a manner that was valuable to my stakeholders, and ultimately was instrumental in helping me get my business started.
—Sheldon Zipursky, President, Excel Leasing, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Stu has set a standard of excellence that I have tried to replicate since his departure so many years ago. To no avail. A rare talent in weaving emotion throughout his sentences and sprinkling humour along the way.
—Douglas Martin, The Weekly Sales Beast, Nassau, Bahamas (Previously with M2 Communications/What! A Magazine)
I can’t say enough good things about Stu. He is a great editor, but there are plenty of them out there. His distinguishing qualities are his ability to solve problems and find ways to get the job done right, no matter what it takes. The fact that he has a great sense of humour and is easy to work with makes him that much more effective.
—Aaron Cosbey, Associate and Senior Advisor, International Institute for Sustainable Development, Rossland, British Columbia
I worked with Stu on several projects requiring quick but detailed editing, and tight deadlines. In others, he supervised the work done by others. I knew I could always count on Stu: he was always cool, professional, and dedicated to getting the job done.
—Ronald Steenblik, Senior Counsellor, Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Paris, France; (Emeritus Director of Research, Global Subsidies Initiative, IISD)
Stu is a gifted writer, editor, and one of the most creative people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. From concept to delivery, Stu is always the consummate professional. Stu’s work on our newsletters and promotional pieces helped our organization stand out from the crowd in a very crowded industry. He was always able to grasp the concept we were going for right away, and take it to the next level. Stu has a fantastic sense of humour, and always delivered on deadline. I would highly recommend Stu for any freelance writing work and will hire him whenever I have the opportunity.
—Danny Braunstein, Vice-President of Sales & Business Development, Western Canada, Talbot (Previously with Danli Promotions Inc.)