Recommendations and Testimonials

Suzanne McKinnon, Investment Specialist – Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development
I am an investment specialist in the Investment team at Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development. We help international investors find businesses and investable opportunities in Auckland. We were looking to upskill our team in the use of LinkedIn as a communication channel with our existing international clients and as a lead generation tool to find new ones. Some of our team were skeptical of the capability of LinkedIn as a communication channel and saw it simply as a self-promotion tool for job seekers and prospective employers.

We were all surprised at the level of detail that can be displayed on your LinkedIn profile and the functionality the platform offers. Doing the workshop via Zoom actually worked incredibly well – it was great for team collaboration and displaying content ideas in LinkedIn itself as we worked through the worksheets.

Since working with Kate each of our team members have improved the quality and quantity of content on their LinkedIn profiles, aligned that content much more to their current roles in the investment team and started to think about how to actively grow their LInkedIN network in the direction of future potential investors and their advisers.

It was fun to work with Kate because of the energy and drive she brings to these workshops, the enthusiasm she has for the work that we do for Auckland and international investors and the knowledge and skills that she brings to our work as she guides us to use LinkedIn as a key tool for our international work especially now in the era of COVID19.

I would highly recommend Kate and her workshops – she brings energy, knowledge, skills and interest in your business and uses those attributes to advise you how you can best use LinkedIn as a channel and tool to increase your business success.


Michelle Sokolich, Video Producer at Show and Tell
I produce brand videos for businesses with a focus on authentic and emotive storytelling. I also have an online course, teaching business owners how to make their own content with their smartphones. I knew LinkedIn was a great place for B2B connections, but I wasn’t leveraging it very well at all. It was all a bit of a mystery to me and I didn’t know where to start.

It’s been amazing doing Kate’s LinkedIn profile optimisation workshop as it’s given me a really solid framework of what I need to be doing to be found on LinkedIn. I can join the workshop from the comfort of my own office on Zoom, and it’s completed over 3 weeks so I can easily fit it into my schedule. I highly recommending working with Kate, she makes LinkedIn easy and fun – I’m very inspired now!


Noeline Murphy, The Bookie – Bookkeeping & Administration
I am a Qualified Bookkeeper who has recently started my own Bookkeeping & Admin Business. New to the business world, I lacked confidence on social media and decided to do a LinkedIn Profile Optimisation Online Workshop with Kate Nankivell.

What a great course it is! Kate has shown me so much in a short space of time. I have the confidence now to feel quite proud of my profile. I feel 100 times better! The course its lots of fun and very interactive and can be done in the privacy of your own home if you wish.

I highly recommend you go try out Kate’s course. You will be amazed how much more there is to know about LinkedIn.


Deb Bailey, Executive & Leadership Coach – Bailey Coaching
I’m a leadership coach, trainer, facilitator and speaker and I work with organisations, leaders and their teams to shift the dial on leadership effectiveness. Establishing my own Practice after spending my career as an executive leader at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, required that I revise the way I presented myself on LinkedIn.

I was a little concerned initially at how this would work and wondered if I would see the value in going through a profile optimisation project. After chatting with Kate for a short while, I quickly ascertained that I was talking to someone who not only new their stuff but was going to be able to explain it all to me in a way that made sense.

Kate provided me with a clear roadmap of what I needed to do, and we have worked collaboratively to ensure I remained congruent in representing myself in line with the values I hold and the overall purpose of my Practice. Kate’s sessions are always fun, entertaining and results focused.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Kate for anyone who is looking to optimise their profile or develop an effective communication strategy for LinkedIn. Kate has been recognized for the last couple of years as one of New Zealand’s top thought leaders in this space and you can be confident that she will provide you with all the information and support you need. There are lots of people who operate in this space, however Kate is one of only a few who has been consistently recognized for her expertise. You won’t be disappointed!


Vicky Jamieson, Beauty Therapist at Better Body
Kate has such a knack of brainstorming with solution-orientated ideas that help you grow your business from whatever your focus is and can see opportunities that have helped me with not only building relationships but adding value to my team and my customers.


Graham Mitchell, Business Consultant at Business Brief
Kate has done a tremendous job up skilling me in both the basics and the finer points of LinkedIn. The range of practical advice that Kate has shared has helped me move from confusion to clarity, and I am truly grateful for that.


Troy Sugrue Creative Director at Madant Productions
Kate is a great presenter. I have enjoyed her work both live on stage and in videos. She puts her audience at ease, makes it fun and takes you on a great journey. I have booked Kate to present at my events and always been thrilled with the outcome. If you want to inform, extend and entertain your audience I fully recommend Ms Nankivell.

Recently I attended Kate’s LinkedIn seminar where I enjoyed a brilliant night of great stories, hard content and a fun, relaxed communal feeling between the audience and presenter. I have a low tolerance and understanding of most things web related, so I came into the seminar with some trepidation, but I knew LinkedIn had the potential to support my business objectives. By the end of the night I had a whole new vision for LinkedIn and my ability to leverage it. Kate opened my eyes to the power of LinkedIn and gave me some great and easy to apply knowledge to start making it work for me.


Jaco Grobbelaar, Relationship Manager Commercial & Agri at ANZ
I met Kate as a Migrant form South Africa on my journey to secure employment in New Zealand in the Agricultural Financial Service space. At our first meeting at one of her LinkedIn seminar’s I immediately noticed what value she offers to any migrant with a clear objective seeking employment in New Zealand, using LinkedIn as the a tool to network and presenting your skills and expertise on the world’s number one professional social media platform.

Looking back it my journey till obtaining employment recently, it was the best investment I made. In the process I obtained the confidence and developing the skill to network in New Zealand, a pre-requisite in my opinion to secure employment in New Zealand, especially for a migrant.

Kate is an expert at what she does as she knows how to use all the functionality of LinkedIn and can teach you how to use it. She can also optimise your LinkedIn Profile which I learned is essential to control my professional reputation online and all important for my business to business sales and marketing efforts.

Kate is a customer focused professional and goes the extra mile for her clients. She takes time to get to know you and your goals and helps you to use LinkedIn to grow your networks and your business. I recommend her highly and my sincere gratitude for sticking with me all the way.


Yolanda Alba, English Language & Vocational Education Agent at Study2Work
Kate is a very approachable and friendly consultant. She takes the time to understand your business issues and helps you with the solutions whether it is explaining to you or implementing it herself. She has a thorough understanding of LinkedIn and teaches in a very understandable and simple manner. Kate has also helped me connect with people in New Zealand and overseas. Kate is a natural people connector.


Dianne Muir, Accountant, Business Consultant, Xero and MYOB Trainer
I met Kate at my BNI Chapter and then hired her to provide her professional services as a specialist LinkedIn Consultant and Trainer to learn how to use and make the most of LinkedIn for my business. Kate is an expert at what she does as she knows how to use all the functionality of LinkedIn and can teach you how to use it. She can also optimise your LinkedIn Profile which I learned is essential to control my professional reputation online and all important for my business to business sales and marketing efforts.

Kate provides customised training to suit your learning needs and business goals. She creates a comfortable learning environment and makes it easy and fun. Kate explains every aspect of the site, the importance of keywords and the potential of search. She also brings the knowledge and expertise of her many years in corporate sales and business development to the learning environment as well. This is a boon for any business person seeking to grow their business.

I have also attended one of Kate’s LinkedIn Seminars which showcased her ability and professionalism as a presenter and her in depth knowledge of LinkedIn. Kate created a welcoming atmosphere that encouraged networking for all who attended, the session was highly interactive and everyone there got a lot out of it. I would recommended her seminars as particularly useful for people who are wanting to learn what LinkedIn is all about.

Kate is a customer focused professional and goes the extra mile for her clients. She takes time to get to know your business and your business goals and then helps you learn how to use LinkedIn to grow your networks and your business. I recommend her highly.


Jo Holley, World-Class Freelance TV Presenter / MC / Business Woman
I attended Kate’s LinkedIn seminar last night and walked away energised, enthusiastic about social media and with a clear idea of the ins and outs of Linkedin. I have a very busy, active lifestyle so for me it was perfect to attend a seminar (visual learner) where the information I wanted was relayed in a fun, creative way and I was able to ask questions and gain a wonderful answer on the spot.

Kate connects on a personal level with her audience and involves everyone in her presentation which really makes you feel comfortable and no matter what your skill on social media – all eager to learn more. I found the seminar very informative and most importantly for those just starting into the social media world not overwhelming. I would recommend Kate and make sure you head to her next seminar.


Thelma French, HR Consultant at Thelma French & Associates
For a long time I had been aware that I should have been maximising LinkedIn for my HR Consulting business but I always seemed to be too busy. When I spoke with Kate about this it didn’t take me long to realise that a training session with her would be a great investment and it was. Kate explained the options, and then provided me with effective training in how to use LinkedIn. This enabled me to use the features of the site, to understand its purpose and use for growth of my business, and to start connecting and making recommendations straight away. Kate got me over my initial hesitation and it wasn’t long before I felt excited about the potential for Thelma French & Associates. I became a social media convert and three new business opportunities came my way within the first week.

I really enjoyed learning with Kate because she is a great listener, she was totally focused on my learning requirements and style and what was important and relevant for me. Kate doesn’t provide a cookie cutter approach; it’s about you and your business. Plus her philosophy around connecting and developing genuine networks is one I am in total agreement with. I have known Kate in business for over 15 years and from personal experience I know she delivers on what she promises.

If you want to step into the social media world and learn how to use and optimise LinkedIn then I highly recommend working with Kate Nankivell of Force of Nature.


Alan Levis, Recukit

“I can’t recommend Kate highly enough. Just go and see her and you will get results from LinkedIn.

LinkedIn has become a really warm prospecting tool for me. It’s established credibility. It’s made people aware that I am a professional, not just a voice at the other end of the phone. For all they knew before when I used to cold call I was just a telemarketer. And it’s a huge database of potential leads for me that I was not really privy to before.

It has changed my life. It’s opened a lot of doors and potential opportunities that otherwise would never have existed before.  I’m excited about this year because I am thinking about the opportunities that are going to happen from the work we are going to get through LinkedIn.

I’m a huge advocate of social selling on LinkedIn now. It comes down to …you get what you put in on LinkedIn. That is the thing I would say to most people. Don’t think you are just going to hop on LinkedIn and start setting up meetings left right and centre. You actually have to put some work into it. That time investment is significant, but the return is even greater. Be prepared to put the work in and you will get the results.”

What would you say to anyone who says wow 5 sessions seems like a lot? Can I afford that time?

“I think 5 sessions is just the right amount. I think LinkedIn is a lot more complicated than most people realise. There is actually a lot going on inside that platform. It’s not one of the social media products that you can learn in one night. It does take a bit of time to navigate and then absorb what you are learning. So I think 5 sessions was really, really good.  Any less and I think you would have been left wanting.”