Testimonials

“The session at the WIM breakfast was great and I loved your energy. I started using the appreciation exercise with my fiance the next day and it has worked so well for us. We found ourselves in this cycle of petty complaining and arguing and the past week has been so great. The exercise has helped us to focus on the good instead of the bad. He actually acknowledged how much he likes doing it this morning and reminded me that we forgot to do the exercise last night. I just wanted to share so that you know that the work you are doing is having an impact.”

“I had the pleasure of having Vanessa speak at two events that I organized – one for the large internet company I work for, the other for our Stanford Graduate School of Business 5th year reunion.  Vanessa’s talks were incredibly well thought out, with valuable content. As a speaker in a business setting she is effective at addressing the sometimes ‘fuzzy’ area of personal growth while maintaining credibility through her professionalism and by referencing her past experiences.  Vanessa is an engaging speaker with a keen ability to tailor her approach to her audience, wherever they may be on their personal and professional journey.”

I'm navigating a major transition in my life, and even though I teach mindfulness, meditation, and yoga, I learned so much in the MBA program and had so much fun along the way!  Having Lisa and Vanessa's guidance, plus the support of the other women in this program, made all the difference for me.  I tend to take on too much by myself, and struggle to ask for help when I need it.  This program was just what I needed to help me move forward.

The Ideal Life 5 Year Vision has been SO helpful to me, I love it!  I was surprised by some of the things I saw and it really helped me gain clarity on what I want to be doing with my life.

Ainslie and Vanessa...there really are no words. I thank you both from the bottom of my heart for not only putting this together but, for being the beautiful souls that you are. Thank you.
This weekend was one of those forks in the road that has changed my life forever. Wow. How do you put into words this kind of transformation and shift?!

Wow....I'm stilling floating around from the love, safety and inspiration I received from each of you this past weekend.  I'm so happy this group of kindred souls found each other.

Bearing witness to each heart opening and each soul awakening takes my breath away and brings tears to my eyes.

Vanessa inspires me to be the best version of myself—to reach deeper inside and find truth.  She makes this process fun—she reminds me that reaching deeply inside myself doesn’t have to be a struggle.  Her passion and energy are totally infectious—she was made to do this work.  She is a true healer and a warrior, in the best sense of the word.

I have been using the Deeper Sleep audio as well as some of your other guided meditations regularly. They work like a DREAM, literally! Love, love, love them! They make me feel better about life! Thank you so much for sharing these powerful audios!

The PWC retreat changed me. I feel like I was walking around with a blind-fold on and on each day of the retreat it was slowly being removed. After leaving the retreat, I have a greater sense of purpose and of who I am. I wake up everyday filled with an immense feeling of joy and gratitude. I am eternally grateful to Akoya and all the PWC teachers who, through their unique practices , all participated in sending me back out into the world with a renewed love of life!

I came to this retreat to find passion in my work and what I found was so much more than that. I found who I was, why I am the person I am and how that manifests in my personality. It was an amazing experience that everyone should try. I really found I was able to let go of issues I had been holding on to, some that I was aware of and some I was not aware of, I could not have done it on my own.

Before I started working with Vanessa, I was in the middle of a career crisis that was consuming me with anger, bitterness and resentment. In our first phone call, Vanessa was so warm and kind, she responded to my story with deep empathy and compassion. The truth was that what I was calling a “career crisis” was really my way of trying to limit and define this whole-life emptiness I felt. Vanessa saw that right away and it became clear that she would be providing so much more than tips on how to get my resume in shape and suggestions to attend networking events. It is not an exaggeration to say working with Vanessa has been life changing. I don’t feel like there is something wrong with me anymore. I don’t feel like I am irreparably damaged. I don’t feel like I need to beat my emotions, my life and my soul into submission anymore. It is an incredible feeling and I will be forever grateful to have had her help me on my path to becoming myself. Big news - I am leaving the bakery for a new freelance gig! I am just overwhelmed with gratitude for my life. It feels amazing. Thank you for having a profound impact on my life.

I signed up for the MBA program during a professional and personal transition. I needed clarity on what I wanted, and then simple tools to help me reach these goals. Vanessa and Lisa’s program led me to accomplish both of my objectives, and so much more, in just 6 weeks! Their classes and at-home exercises helped me to define my values, goals, and dreams, some of which had been buried for years. Their insights and tips truly made me feel “un-stuck” and allowed me to move forward and accomplish things. One week after I completed the program, I accomplished my first goal! I practice what I learned from Vanessa and Lisa daily, and I am so excited to see how and when the rest of my dreams unfold. Take this class - you won’t regret it!

My good news is that, in our MBA class, I wrote on a goal card that I wanted to change jobs this year and start working in a place with people who are passionate about their work. I have carried the card in my iPhone case since I wrote the goal, and would take it out to re-read it when I felt particularly frustrated by my work. In February, I applied for my dream job. I knew the odds of getting the job were slim (less than 1%), but I said "why not me?". I applied in the midst of preparing for a trial and at a time when, just a year ago, I would have said I was too busy and would have given myself a pass for not putting together an application. Flash forward to June. I got the job! After 21 interviews, I am the 1%:). Thank you for inspiring me to write my goal cards. Now, on to visualizing and achieving what I wrote on the other cards!

I have been using the Deeper Sleep audio as well as some of your other guided meditations regularly. They work like a DREAM, literally! Love, love, love them! They make me feel better about life! Thank you so much for sharing these powerful audios! I'm so excited about what Vanessa and Lisa are doing with Mindfulness Based Achievement!

The Mindfulness Based Achievement course provides an invaluable roadmap for realizing your full potential and shedding preexisting and self-imposed obstacles to achieving your goals. In a nurturing and empowering environment, Lisa and Vanessa provide the tools to recognizing patterns of behavior that prevent us from being the fully-realized individuals that we long to be. This program was truly transformative. By working through the rituals and steps that the process entails, I am now more confident, assured and excited about what the future holds than I have ever felt before. I realized through my journey as a student of the MBA program that the tools I need to achieve my goals already exist within me, and that the best thing you can do to cultivate those goals is to take accountability and recognize changes that YOU can make in your thinking and behavior to confidently move in the direction of the life you dream of.

Before taking this course I never really thought about, or believed in meditation and affirmations. I didn't understand how to truly look within, or challenge the subconscious limitations I was placing on myself. This course has opened my eyes and mind to a whole new view of my life. It's given me tools to better understand my feelings and fears, while helping me address self-limiting behaviors and beliefs. To anyone who feels like there is something missing, this course is for you. Mindfulness Based Achievement has started me on the path to obtaining true happiness in all aspects of my life.

The MBA Program helped me hone in on the specific goals I want to achieve and made me realize that those goals are completely possible and within my control. I can have everything I want and get it in an easier way. I recommend this program to anyone who feels stuck or limited in any way.

The MBA Program gives you the tools and support to dream bigger and realize your limitless potential. Through thoughtful programming MBA helps unlock what has been holding you back and what you need to confidently move forward. While the program can be challenging at times as you dive into your beliefs and fears, there is also a lot of laughter and fun around realizing how powerful these tools are and how quickly you can manifest situations in your life. More than anything, Lisa and Vanessa have created an environment that fosters a loving and encouraging group dynamic that helps celebrate all that is wonderful and special in each individual. I’d highly recommend this program.

I was a skeptic entering this process. I knew I wanted change but thought I was already doing the right things… And deep down didn’t believe I had the power to call true change into my life – especially in just hours with an audiotape. The Akoya Power audio sessions were incredibly powerful… Powerful enough to evoke strong emotions, and concrete and clear enough to change my daily routine and make me identify and break down my own barriers to happiness. Three months later… And I have called into my life an amazing man. Whether or not he is ‘the one’, I feel for the first time in a long time that I WILL find someone incredible.

Your course has rocked my little world! Any blocks that I had about creating my own business or playing music again have dissolved! I am actually really excited about making money now and can clearly visualize it happening rather than avoiding it at all costs. Without the space you both created, none of these shifts would have occurred. With my past life fears I have often second guessed people. But somehow I now have a trust in me that I didn’t know was there and I thank you so much for that. Ainslie and Vanessa you are just amazing the way you always speak with so much love and sincerity. I have learned so much and you have given so much that I will keep receiving from this course for a long long time.

Vanessa and Ainslie have joined forces to create a powerful program. Through their work, they hold space for their clients to expand, grow, shift and get a small glimpse of Source. But this small glimpse is enough to create life-changing, mind-bending, earth-shattering transformation in your life. My heart is open to the glorious possibilities of this life. I am not held by fear or doubt. I am free, perhaps for the first time in my life.

The MBA Program offered an exercise that fostered unimaginable personal growth; it was truly a life-changing experience. The group dynamic provided a safe haven to explore what was missing in your life but more importantly it provided a network of women to show you how wonderful you are! By sharing my fears and self-imposed limitations to a group of like-minded supporters, I learned how to accept them, combat them and ultimately benefit from them. During the Program, I accepted a dream job (and negotiated well :)), I found a meaningful romance and I realized my goal of traveling alone to learn how to surf. It's hard to believe that this is only the beginning but I now know that happiness, satisfaction and ease are boundless.

Anyone who struggles with: perfectionism, time management, anxiety and/or just feels a little lost should explore mindfulness based achievement. I was so “busy” before taking the Living MBA program, I “didn’t have time” to take care of myself, much less understand what it is that I truly want, explore new opportunities and start taking steps toward achieving those goals (with ease!). With each class, I found more clarity around my values and goals and: - As my fears began to surface, I learned how to acknowledge and release/replace beliefs that are no longer serving me. - As my relationship with time transformed, I found myself feeling more productive and less stressed. - As my awareness of my emotions grew, I began to acknowledge and breathe through the difficult and be fully present in the joyful parts of life. The program has been a wonderful reawakening for me. I feel reconnected to my power and creativity and I am committed to the daily practices that bring compassion, gratitude and joy into my life, career and marriage.

Mindfulness Based Achievement is a wonderful experience both for beginners to the concept of mindfulness as well as seasoned mindful practitioners.  Part of the magic of the MBA program is the sacred space created by both Lisa and Vanessa. There is something incredibly powerful about women coming together, sharing, experiencing, and manifesting in a circle. I personally felt extremely supported during my MBA classes and I also really enjoyed supporting my fellow participants. Vanessa and Lisa provide you with a toolbox of techniques, affirmations, and exercises to really illuminate their MBA teachings.

I participated in the MBA program during the first round of fundraising for my short film 'Never Too Late'. It was a potentially stressful time for me, but the tools I took from this course were so helpful in creating a space for me to make progress. I raised $15k, shared a piece on SF's local NPR station, and took great action steps toward completing the production of the film. It became very clear to me that things did not have to be complicated, difficult or filled with anxiety. I took lots of deep breaths, got much work done and even hosted my mother in town for 10 days with ease and joy. Vanessa and Lisa are masters in their fields and the group of women they brought together were brilliant, supportive and inspiring. The only regret I have in taking this course is that it did not last longer. Thank you Vanessa and Lisa for your immense kindness and dedication to bringing this important work to the world.

The MBA program helped me realized that no dream is unattainable as long as I take responsibility for my actions and make a commitment to myself. I might not be 100% sure of what my true dreams are but I have a better picture of where I want to get to and how I want to get there and this program was a big part (and still is) of the discovery process.

After learning about taking responsibility for setting boundaries and making a commitment to setting more realistic deadlines, things have gotten easier to balance at work and I've held my ground more. It's happening in baby steps, but I have started to set more realistic timing and push back when I need to -- and you're right, no one really notices or cares as much as I thought they would. Amazing how much I've let my own perceptions dictate what I think others are expecting of me as well.

Because of the MBA Class, I started a daily meditation practice that has been really helpful.  I've also put my goals on a chalkboard in my office so I see them every day which has helped a lot as well.  The biggest news is in MBA class you said we should write ourselves a check and put it in our wallets. I wrote myself a hefty check for a monthly amount, certainly a stretch goal.  Well with all the things I've been doing that you all taught me … I'm happy to report for my check dated August 1st will be worth slightly more, in one check, than what I wrote my goal check for. Your class works and the practice of mindfulness really work, it's just up to us to practice it everyday!