Naples Daily News
On the Move By Eagle staff May 4, 2005

Business “coach” Renée Kennedy-Edwards has broadened her Southwest Florida service area to include Marco Island.A former psychotherapist with a master’s degree in educational psychology, she also taught college-level business classes and developed business training materials for several top firms.

She believes her background in these two fields gives her a competitive advantage in working with businesses and individual clients.

The owner of Coaching 4 Success, Kennedy-Edwards said Southwest Florida is becoming prime territory for her services because of the influx of businesses to the area.

“It’s a matter of educating businesspeople here about what a coach is, and can do,” she said.

“In coaching, we focus primarily on the present and future and maintain a goal-oriented approach – much like a coach does in sports – helping already successful people become even more successful.”

When coaching companies, Kennedy-Edwards said she focuses heavily on their ability to maintain customer service – an area she became familiar with during 12 years of evaluating customer-service personnel in retail establishments for a national consulting firm.

She also concentrates on effective communication, assertiveness training, attitude adjustment, retaining quality employees and handling difficult customers.

Venues are optional, she said, and can be at the client’s place of business, the Coaching 4 Success offices (at the Riverview Corporate Center in Bonita Springs), the firm’s east-coast office in Fort Lauderdale, or any neutral venue such as a hotel.

Kennedy-Edwards said further services range from customized workshops tailored to specific company needs and interests, to group coaching, couple coaching and individual coaching.

She also can be a facilitator for business meetings or conferences.

Confidentiality is one of her key conditions, she said.

Call 948-8080.