Gina Gardiner & Friends - Gina Gardiner Story Part 9

My all time comic hero is Stan Laurel. He was the 1st comedian, comic actor and 'vaudevillian' that really made me laugh. I was 7 years old and living in Uganda at the time and I've been grateful to Stan Laurel for his positive influence ever since.

As my inspiration, compass and as a general 'style guide' to everything I do, Stan Laurel reminds me to keep it funny and engaging - to keep it clear and accessible - and above all else - to keep it kind, underpinned by generosity, humility and warmth.

BACKGROUND

I trained initially as a Drama Teacher at the Central School of Speech & Drama in London, before going on to do the 2 Year Postgraduate Acting course at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, from where I was awarded the Peter Akerman Prize for Comedy.

Since 1988 I have pursued a portfolio career combining all of the transferable skills of being an actor, teacher, trainer, comedy improvisation performer & coach and applied them to my proposition, as to who I am and what I do.

I draw on all of my performance disciplines to inform what has been described as my "unique and powerful approach" to communication skills training and coaching.

ACTOR & VOICEOVER

Since 1988 I have worked extensively in theatre, radio, television, short films & voiceovers.

I have a particular passion for Comedy Improvisation. I am Artistic Director of the highly acclaimed Comedy Improvisation & Corporate Entertainment company, Instant Wit.

Website: https://www.chrisgrimes.uk

JOHN KENNY - Wake Up And Listen

When Kathy walked out of her career in a Fortune 500 company in 2001, she didn’t even know what a Virtual Assistant was – and neither did the rest of the world. Now, she’s a global leader in the industry. She’s the queen of Expert VAs® and Virtual Experts® and built her empire from the ground to nearly $1M. She reigns with sass, grace, heart, and a whole lot of damn good business acumen that she wants to bestow upon her mentees, so they can fast track their success and don’t have to hurdle through mistakes and failures like she did.

Her big why: by empowering women to have more wealth and growth, we spread more love around the world.

HOW THE STORY BEGAN: “She laughed and smiled too much.”

The corporate world didn’t know what to do with Kathy’s energy. She “laughed and smiled, too much,” they said and they certainly didn’t value her range of capabilities. She had a lot more to offer than generating mass amounts of Excel reports.

So, when she walked out of her J.O.B., turning her back on the boss who criticized her and who told her she would never make her salary amount anywhere else, Kathy promised herself she would double it. And she did. Within her first three years, she earned six-figures, crushing the salary she had made. (She still likes to imagine that boss picking his jaw up off the floor.)

By 2008, Kathy had not only experienced repeated success with her VA business, but she discovered she loved training other women to also attain their goals. A series of events led her down the path to creating the Expert VA® (now Virtual Expert®) Success System. Her first group of trainees totaled 8 and two of them are still active within the community (Coach, Joyce Wright and, Head Coach and Director of Sales, Mary Hanley).

WHERE SHE IS NOW: On the cusp of $1M

Nineteen years later and she’s on the cusp of earning a million dollars, has over one thousand members in her closed Expert VA group, 150 Alumni in her private group, thirteen coaches leading the troops, and new students enrolling in the program every day (with fourteen at Diamond’s level and six at the top-tier mastermind).

In 2019 she was featured in Forbes. Kathy participates in several women’s masterminds. She rubs elbows with some of the best and most brilliant leaders, thinkers, and visionaries across the U.S. and within a variety of industries, working to matchmake them to their perfect Expert VA® and Virtual Experts®.

Website: https://www.expertvatraining.com

David Abel — Founder of The Digital Lightbulb.​

I’m part strategist, part storyteller, and part soul-reader for ambitious brands.

I don’t do guesswork — I use psychology, pattern recognition, and data to unlock growth you can feel and measure.

Whether you need a pricing tweak, a brand pivot, or a full-scale business shift, I help you move with clarity from day one — not month six.

This isn’t a “here’s a plan, good luck” service. It’s a partnership built on truth, momentum, and a quiet confidence that we’ll figure it out together. I help brands grow by giving them the feeling they’ve been searching for — clarity, momentum, and a partner who truly gives a damn.

Clients say I bring calm energy, cut through the noise, and turn chaos into clarity.

Website: https://thedigitallightbulb.com

DARCY ATAMAN, M.S.C., O.M., FOUNDER

As founder of Make Music Matter, Darcy Ataman has dedicated his work to bringing an alternate form of music therapy to survivors of conflict and trauma. He developed the innovative Healing in Harmony program in partnership with Nobel laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege and continues to scale the innovation that has served over 14,000 individuals in 9 countries around the world.

Ataman graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He has worked internationally as a music producer, collaborating with countless artists and engineers, including Shelly Yakus, Levon Helm, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, resulting in several Juno nominations. In 2019, Ataman co-founded A4A Records and Publishing with legendary producer David Bottrill, creating a groundbreaking publishing model for artists living in extreme poverty and conflict zones.

As a music and video producer by trade, Ataman continues to collaborate with creatives around the world, including a continued partnership with celebrated producer and photographer Platon and The People’s Portfolio, for whom he completed the score for the documentary film ‘My Body is Not a Weapon’.

In February 2023, Ataman unveiled the short film ’Ukrainian Artists United’ at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The project he co-created showcases 11 artists in Lviv and their experience living through war. The launch event on the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion would become the most successful exhibit launch in the museum’s history.

Ataman was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross in July 2020 by the Governor General of Canada for his outstanding humanitarian work. In July 2022, he received the Order of Manitoba for his dedication to enriching the lives of vulnerable populations in conflict and post-conflict zones. Ataman was awarded the Platinum Jubilee Medal for Manitoba in April 2023 in recognition of his contribution to the province.

A contributor to the Huffington Post and various other publications, Ataman has also been a guest lecturer at Oxford, the University of Winnipeg, and a range of international events, speaking to the long-lasting impact of music and its ability to re-stitch the soul.

Website: https://makemusicmatter.org

Dr. Susie Carder, a self-made millionaire and profit coach, is an expert at shattering conventional business boundaries. With her entrepreneurial acumen, she transformed a modest salon and spa into a renowned business and founded and sold three top-performing companies, including one acquired by Cengage for eight figures.

Surviving a life-changing car accident, she experienced firsthand the power of a business that can thrive independently, sparking her mission to help entrepreneurs unlock the same level of freedom and potential.

As a fractional COO with a Ph.D. in Business and Finance, Dr. Carder combines strategic brilliance with operational expertise to revolutionize businesses. With a twenty-year track record, she built ten multimillion-dollar enterprises and guided industry leaders like John Assaraf, Lisa Nichols, Les Brown, Paul Mitchell, Redken, L’Oréal, Disney, Verizon, and American Express to phenomenal growth.

Beyond her business achievements, Dr. Carder is a best-selling author and international speaker, captivating audiences with her insights. The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Huffington Post recognized her impact. Hiring Dr. Carder means gaining access to unparalleled business guidance, operational excellence, and strategic foresight that drives success.

Website: https://susiecarder.com

Gina Gardiner & Friends - Gina Gardiner Story Part 8