Testimonials

Our success has been driven by our passion for delivering the best solutions and experiences possible to our clients.

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“Thank you Sofia and Upskill Consulting – your coaching has truly been invaluable to my growth in business this year. I would invite anyone who is looking to for guidance and growth on their journey to connect with you and your team. Looking forward to continuing working with you in 2024!”

Torrie Thomsen
Owner
Looby Doo

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“We’ve had the pleasure of working with Sofia from Upskill Consulting and couldn’t be more pleased! Our firm was quite out-dated in terms of HR practices and Sofia was supportive throughout the process without making us feel like dinosaurs… Which we are. She did a great job of modernizing our firm to comply with current legislation, but without stripping us our core values that make us a small business. I highly recommend her.”

April Larocque,
Principal
Powell & Associates 

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“Sofia has been providing leadership training for our management teams (Managers and Principals) for a few years now with tremendous success. She effectively tailors the training to the needs of the group, and while I think her advice is universal, her firsthand experience in our industry (Public Practice Accounting) adds credibility to the practical suggestions she provides. She often discusses the power of ‘micro-changes’ to make cumulative effects, and I have seen firsthand the positive ripple effect of these changes throughout our firm. I can’t count the number of times I have heard people refer to something they learned in her training, and I think we all occasionally hear Sofia’s voice in our head gently nudging us towards behaviors that make us more empathetic and effective leaders. I highly recommend Sofia and Upskill Consulting.”

Stephen Leaver,
Principal
Baker Tilly Victoria

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Sofia has been extremely helpful in focusing our learning on very practical topics that can be applied immediately at our firm. Her sessions are practical and focused to our industry and our needs specifically. The performance feedback workshop helped highlight our strengths but more importantly the areas we need to improve on to be more effective at communicating. Sofia brings years of invaluable experience to the workshops. She makes the workshops interesting and fun. We are encouraged to participate and she challenges us to think introspectively in order to become better leaders.

Participants and Managers
Galloway Botteselle & Company (GBCo)

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“Working with Deanna has helped me transform the way I work within my business. She helped me reframe ideas of the impossible into possible, take theoretical opportunities to reality and what I knew in my head to beliefs that align with my values. I can’t recommend her enough.”

Debra Neufeld,
Owner
Debra Neufeld CPA

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I cannot recommend Sofia enough! She has been with my business since day 1 and has supported me with all of my needs across two provinces.

Sofia is very knowledgeable, and supportive, and always delivers on timelines.

Lauren Gaudet, Clinic Director
Held Humanity Counselling and Social Services Inc.

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“Sofia is an amazing communicator and so strong in everything HR related. As our company grows, having a fractional HR professional help us navigate team dynamics, communication, and develop internal resources to improve corporate culture is imperative. Upskill Consulting understands the challenges that small businesses face and provides tangible and practical solutions that resonate with both management and team.”

Stephanie Sang,
CEO and Founder
Granted Consulting 

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“Working with Sofia Arisheh and Upskill Consulting has upped our game in our manager soft skills training. Her attention to the individual while keeping the group engaged is a master class in facilitating. The customizable sessions have been a hit with our leadership team, so much so that they are asking why the sessions aren’t longer! If your team is struggling to find the time to engage in meaningful discussions about best practices surrounding team building, management and what success looks like, contact Sofia she has the answers to your struggles.”

Managers and Directors
Reid Hurst Nagy Inc.

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Having worked with Sofia (Principal at Upskill Consulting) before, I recommended her to our management team to lead us in a series of leadership training sessions over the past several months. Sofia’s training had a great impact on our team, and I believe perspectives on how we approach staff training and performance management changed after completing the sessions. We continue to apply the SDI knowledge we received. We were able to update our onboarding material, and I feel like the onboarding of new team members this past week went the smoothest it’s ever been. Personally, as I continue to develop as an HR Manager, I look up to Sofia as a leading expert in the HR field. I look forward to working with her again.

Rachel Wicks,
Human Resources and Administrative Manager
Horizon CPA

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I love working with Sofia so much! She is such a breath of fresh air and helps ease every situation we have faced as a business. She has played a pivotal role for our business consulting company, especially when we have had to make some big employment changes and adjust HR practices. Sofia is extremely knowledgeable and anything she isn’t 100% on she will always fact check before confirming. I’ve enjoyed the training I’ve received from Sofia on key practices, it has helped me grow in my managerial journey. I would highly recommend Upskill Consulting & Sofia to anyone who asked.

Natalie Smith,
Business Operations Manager
Granted Consulting

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“As business owners quite often we are clear on what direction we want to go but the challenge lies in how to get there. We are a family owned & operated greenhouse in the Fraser Valley and had the opportunity to further develop our Human Resources department but needed guidance on how to build this foundation. Sofia from Upskill Consulting was able to provide the direction and structure we needed to get this program successfully off the ground. She was able to show us how to implement policies and keep our team engaged through coaching and leadership skills training specific to our work environment. Sofia has been a pleasure to work with, her professionalism and depth of knowledge are a true testament to her dedication. We would highly recommend anyone in any organization looking to bring their company to the next level to definitely connect with her – you will not regret it!”

Sonia Randhawa,
Human Resources Manager
Randhawa Farms

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We have had the pleasure of working with Sofia Arisheh at Upskill Consulting. As our company continued to grow and scale, we realized that we needed external support and expertise in the area of human resources. During this past year, she and her team have provided us with Human Resources consulting support and have been instrumental in assisting us with our discrimination, bullying and harassment policy and respective training.

Their services have been top notch and we were immediately impressed with their level of professionalism and quality of delivery and execution on services provided. Sofia brings a wealth of expertise that goes beyond that of a Human Resource specialist; she is strategic, forward thinking, and systematic. The turnaround time on deliverables was also fantastic.

I would recommend Upskill Consulting to any company that is growing, in transition or looking to strengthen and maximize their human resources functions.

Mikesen Breakfast,
Director Of Sales And Business Development
Kaliber Power

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Smythe has been working closely with Sofia Arisheh, Senior HR Consultant and Principal of Upskill Consulting, to implement a training program in-house. Other clients she worked with raved about her being a strong presenter, having great interactions with participants, always being well prepared and tailoring training design and delivery to their individual needs. She exceeds our expectations! Sofia is professional, organized and knowledgeable. Our staff genuinely enjoys her approach with soft skill training. We highly recommend her services – she will not disappoint.

Laura Kwan,
Human Resources Manager
Smythe LLP

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“Sofia provided our team with outstanding instructional design support for a critical eLearning offering this year. She is a consummate professional and has a deep understanding of adult learning, effective teaching techniques, and meticulous attention to detail. Her ability to design programs that are relevant, interactive, practical and powerful is impressive. Sofia is deeply committed to her work and clients, and as a business owner, I recommend her highly. She would be an asset to any team.”

Kathy Andrews,
Managing Director
Cinga Leadership

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I have been working with Sofia for almost a year now and have been able to overcome many hurdles with her valuable insight. If you are feeling overwhelmed and your business is spilling into your personal life then Sofia will be an asset full of positive solutions. She has been instrumental in helping me:

  • Gain confidence in my communication skills with my staff and customers, so I can develop and better rapport
  • Learn organizational skills so my staff are able to take on more of the workload instead of feeling like I have to do it all myself
  • Develop problem-solving techniques so I can face issues that arise head-on, rather than avoiding the issues and hiding my head in the sand

In doing so I have been able to get my staff doing more of the day-to-day transactions, my customers are now getting more hands-on care without me adding more time to my workload, and I can focus more of my time on running the business. This has been a HUGE WIN for me.

Bonnie Latimer, Partner
Bruce & Associates Ltd

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Tenisci Piva LLP has worked with Sofia since 2021 through a Leadership/Management Training program for our Management Team as well as ongoing Human Resource consulting support since 2022. Our experience from the moment we met Sofia was impactful.

Sofia has brought our performance review system to a new level with a stream-lined system focused on the core competencies of our profession. We developed a new set of job descriptions, competency grids, feedback process, a calendar for managing performance reviews, and enhanced office policies. During this time, Sofia was a pivotal point of contact for our Team in delivering feedback as well. She immediately built trust, garnered Team buy-in, and earned the respect from everyone involved. The result was a strong set of key focus areas indicated by our whole firm that our Leadership Team are addressing on an ongoing basis to keep communication, processes, policies, and morale strong.

We have truly valued our time working with Sofia because she demonstrates the utmost professionalism in her interactions with our whole Team while remaining very approachable, calm, and warm. She is very genuine and puts you at ease with any type of topic you are discussing, even the most difficult.

The contributions and suggestions Sofia has offered over the last few years have been invaluable. We put a lot into practice and have been witnessing excellent results. Sofia helped navigate us especially in a year (2022) where so many firms and businesses experienced challenges as we reignited our culture after the pandemic impacts.

Other great characteristics Sofia possesses as echoed by the other reviews, which we wholeheartedly agree with, include timely responses, organized, great end-product (visual aesthetics), clear and concise agreements and invoices, flexibility, effective follow-up solutions and emails that addressed everything discussed and more.

Thank you for everything, Sofia! We highly recommend your services and look forward to the lasting impacts they have made and our continued work together.

Partners
Tenisci Piva LLP

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Myself and my fellow executive team members have been working with Sofia (Upskill Consulting’s Principal) in a leadership training series over the past several months. The experience has been transformative both at an individual and team level. Her experience is evident. She reaches each of us at our individual needs and connects our learning back to the team. What’s so unique is how she has tailored the workshops and coaching to our specific team and business. With Sofia’s education and guidance, we are growing and evolving into the leaders our business needs today and in the future. I highly recommend Sofia Arisheh and encourage others, both companies and individuals, to work with her.

Jill Eaden, President
CANNEPP Boiler Room Technologies

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“We have worked with Sofia for over 4 years and we continue to see positive results from her consultation. Sofia is extremely knowledgeable in the professional services industry and her training is always well prepared and tailored to our needs. We appreciate her consultation in developing our staff’s soft skills including leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. Sofia is an excellent presenter and she’s able to deliver the material in a relevant, clear, and upbeat manner which is ultimately why we continue to work with her!”

Sarah Smith,
Director of Human Resources
Baker Tilly WM LLP

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Sofia has provided our team with very professional documents and programs that have been instrumental in getting our HR department fully functional. She is such a pleasure to work with!

HR Manager
CANNEPP Boiler Room Technologies

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Sofia at Upskill Consulting is a wonderful professional. Even with an industry she has not worked much with before, she quickly adapts and provides HR solutions that meet our needs and provides compliance to standards. We’ve learned much from her and are very appreciative for her promptness and careful efforts. Thank you so much, Sofia!

A.J. Lau, Owner
Visscher-Pau Automotive

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“Highly recommend Sofia and her team at Upskill Consulting. The service was excellent, prompt, professional and detailed. They took our on boarding process to the next level and it was as seamless and simple as we could’ve hoped. The turnaround time was phenomenal and we felt listened to from start to finish. An investment in our business that will yield excellent returns!”

Laura Toews, Owner
Team Toews Cleaning Co.

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Sofia Arisheh’s expertise in Human Resource Management has been a valuable asset to our firm during a time of rapid change and growth. Sofia has provided our firm with a framework to enhance our Human Resources Management; streamlining our processes and providing training with clear execution plans. Through her approachable and collaborative nature, Sofia has crafted reliable and transparent processes that have increased our productivity and staff engagement.

Candace Nancke, Partner Loren Nancke

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“Avisar worked with Sofia in 2020 both as a professional development presenter and a staff development consultant. As a presenter, Sofia is engaging and thoughtful and she makes you feel as though she has put hours of effort into ensuring that her content is relevant to her attendees. She has a lighthearted presentation style and a friendly demeanour; both of which make it very easy for individuals to feel comfortable sharing real-world examples and asking for assistance or advice. The key takeaways that Sofia shared in her sessions with our team this year have given us the skills to provide effective feedback, nurture and grow our mentoring relationships and lead our team in a virtual environment. As a consultant, we worked with Sofia this year to develop core competencies for each of our staffing levels. Her insight into identifying the softer skills required for our team to develop and grow into their full potential was a key factor in building this foundational document for our staff. By all accounts, Sofia was a pleasure to work with. Her communication was timely and clear, she solicited feedback at every stage of the process and her invoices were exactly what she said they would be. Personally, I have enjoyed all of my interactions with Sofia and I am looking forward to our next opportunity to work together.”

Tanya Lind, Office Manager
Avisar CPA

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“We brought Sofia Arisheh from Upskill Consulting onboard to support our law firm during a time of tremendous growth and transformation. From the moment Sofia stepped in, she knew what to do and how to do it. She has been an exceptionally professional and responsive consultant, always flexible in her approach and fully dedicated to the needs of our firm and our people. We have without hesitation turned to Sofia to guide us in managing our human resources needs. Her expertise in HR has resulted in a strengthened foundation of HR processes and practices including recruiting, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, policies and leadership development and coaching. We are grateful for the difference Sofia has made to our firm and our team members and could not be more pleased with the work she has done and continues to do with us.”

Kim Karras, Partner
BKS Law

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“We hired Sofia at Upskill Consulting to review and strengthen our training workshops, specifically with the goal of enhancing the learner experience. She conducted an extensive review of our training design and provided detailed and comprehensive solutions. After implementing her proposed solutions, we have elevated our training, resulting in a more robust and enriching learner experience. Sofia’s depth of knowledge and friendly, responsive approach was a key component of our success in this area. She comes with extensive experience in learning and development and showcased her expertise in her ability to analyze our gaps, identify customized and creative solutions and guide us in implementing respective changes. We would highly recommend Sofia and Upskill Consulting for anyone in need of taking their training programs to the next level.”

Wyle Baoween, CEO
HRx Technology Inc.

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“Our trusted partnership with Sofia Arisheh from Upskill Consulting has resulted in a strengthened focus on our commitment to our people. She has been instrumental in providing guidance, support and gold-standard services to drive our decisions, behaviours and actions around workplace engagement. Her commitment to understanding our business needs and translating that into tangible and detailed next steps has been pivotal in driving results in our workplace. Sofia’s understanding of both Human Resources and our business requirements has been of the highest standard. Her commitment and dedication to our firm is unwavering. Sofia continues to be a trusted partner and valuable resource to our firm and we would recommend Upskill Consulting without hesitation to businesses looking to maximize their HR processes and practices.”

COO
Roper Greyell LLP

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“We are a relatively small organization with a diverse group of employees. As our operations grew, our Policies and Procedures (P&P) manual became outdated and misaligned to current organizational practices. As a small organization, we did not have the time nor subject matter expertise required to undertake this project. Therefore, we partnered with Sofia Arisheh from Upskill Consulting to revamp and roll out our policies in multiple jurisdictions. Sofia Arisheh was able to do a thorough needs assessment and lay out an appropriate approach to update and supplement all of our P&P. In addition, Sofia recognized that several key policies were not present but required/recommended to align with business practices and comply with respective legislation. We were also provided with a comprehensive internal communication policy for executive buy-in and employee roll-out. Dealing with HR matters effectively can be difficult at the best of times and even more difficult in a small organization where there isn’t a dedicated HR professional. Sofia/Upskill was very professional in all of our dealings, kept us on track throughout the process and provided high quality deliverables on time. The experience with Upskill was excellent from start to finish. Sofia is very professional and really knows what she is doing. She put us at ease throughout the project. We would recommend Sofia Arisheh and Upskill Consulting without hesitation.”

HR Manager
Octaform Systems Inc.

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“Sofia of Upskill Consulting has been delivering training to our team for the past two years and we are currently in conversations of engaging her for the third consecutive year.

Sofia’s human resources background in public practice is extremely valuable to us as an accounting Firm since she is able to relate to the challenges of Public Practice. She can provide our team with real life examples of issues that she has seen over the years and is able to provide solutions.

Sofia has provided training to our newly designated Senior Accountants and to our leadership team in the following areas: Coaching, Mentoring, Conflict Resolution, Constructive Feedback and Communication Styles.

Sofia has an exceptional rapport with the team who enjoy her presentation style and the energy she brings to her facilitation.

We look forward to working with Upskill Consulting for many years to come.”

Sylvia Marks,
Manager of Human Resources
Manning Elliott

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Sofia from Upskill Consulting has brought our HR system up to speed with her knowledge and expertise in the HR world. We had some of the right pieces, we just didn’t know how to pull them all together. Sofia helped us update and coordinate all the pieces, while bringing it up to comply with current employment standards as well. I highly recommend Upskill if you are looking for a more personalized HR support service.

Genny Loewen,
People and Office Manager
Valley Carriers

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“Sofia at Upskill Consulting has undertaken a few projects for DMCL in the last year. Our firm was able to deliver two soft skills training sessions for our leadership team, roll out an employee engagement survey and we are in the process of developing a training and development strategy. Sofia’s ability to focus on the core objectives of each project, gather the supporting information, design and deliver the materials and leverage her experience to steer DMCL in the right direction has been invaluable to us. The feedback on Sofia’s delivery of training has been very positive. She is a very strong presenter, had great interaction with the participants and the overall training (materials, content, presentation) was well-received by the audience. DMCL couldn’t have had a more professional, thorough, knowledgeable, organized consultant to help us achieve our goals. Sofia was able to quickly grasp what our firm wanted to accomplish and was very adaptable in tailoring our projects to meet the firm’s specific needs and processes. I have no hesitation in recommending her services to others!”

Kendra Feenstra,
Human Resources Director
DMCL