Testimonials
Curious what it’s like to work with Shiyen?
Getting to know Shiyen Shu has been a professional and personal delight!
Her many skills and competencies are evident in her numerous academic diplomas and career successes. What makes Shiyen so unique is her incredible passion and compassion for people, and her innovative approaches to helping to make healthcare better. Shiyen brings brightness and hope!
Through Shiyen’s interview series of Canadian Leaders, I first came to know Shiyen; she made the interview meaningful and fun! Then she was a guest speaker at our 2022 Canadian Huron Conference. Her session, titled: Inner Peace: A Powerful Leadership Virtue for Leading Amid Chaos and Beyond, provided attendees with compelling messages for self-care in these challenging times of pandemic.
Shiyen is a talented and innovative leader and its an absolute joy to work with Shiyen!
Through working with Shiyen, she has really shaped my own thinking and broadening my knowledge/views to the next level. She is part strategist, part thought provoker, and part cheerleader. Her values-centered guidance challenged me to think beyond just “the job search” and focus more on finding a career that would capitalize on my passions and strengths. She effectively identified my strengths and helped me to establish a personal brand and value proposition. Working with her helped me value what I do and gave me the courage to do things in a bigger, more visible way.
She was relentlessly positive, supportive and motivating from the beginning to the end. I find myself often thinking about her words, remembering them and acting upon them. Thank you Shiyen for pushing me into my “big leap”. I really appreciated Shiyen’s support and guidance and would highly recommend working with her!
Shiyen is a brilliant and gifted executive coach who really understands how to get the best out of me. I felt very lucky to be working with her. What really impressed me most about Shiyen is just the way how she connects with people. She is welcoming, friendly, and very supportive. Shiyen is more than just an amazing executive coach; she cares about people and very accessible when you need her.
Prior to working with Shiyen, I had numerous interviews to advance into a senior leadership role, however I was not able to stand out from the competing candidates. Within 3 months of working together, I had multiple interviews lined up with 2 offers for senior leadership roles in top organizations. I still feel like I’m in a dream and I’m totally surprised by the changes I’ve seen in myself, and how fast it all happened. I highly recommend Shiyen as a top executive coach. I’m confident that Shiyen will be able to help many more people to achieve their career goals and dreams.
Thank you, Shiyen, for all you’ve done to support us. Our work has surfaced key issues that were previously under the surface. The Senior Leadership Team now has a shared language to better understand how we interact, and we’ve built a stronger foundation of trust and open communication. We are having more deliberate and spirited conversations—even challenging one another in ways that strengthen our team. There is an awareness now of what it means to operate as ‘Team 1’ and how we can support one another. Thank you again for your guidance and expertise.
Working with Shiyen has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional career. Her approach to coaching and mentorship provides a safe environment to get personal and dig deep into who you are as a person. Working with Shiyen has allowed me to refocus my efforts at bettering myself and my life, as that is truly what enables me to be a great leader. She pushes you to explore your own potential and truly make your leadership journey your own. I can’t thank Shiyen enough for her wisdom and grace in enabling me to see that as a leader, my growth has been 100% up to me.
Shiyen’s deep listening, incisive questions and timely sharing of spot-on learning resources have enabled me to smoothly navigate a major inflection point in my career. Our rewarding partnership has reignited my authentic, caring, energetic and confident leadership approach. This renewal was a vital catalyst and continues to fuel me as I drive healthcare system transformation in my region.
Navigating a major career transition – especially into a new work culture – can be overwhelming, but working with Shiyen made the process seamless and empowering.
Knowing I was stepping into a new and complex public-private organizational culture, I engaged Shiyen to help me navigate this unfamiliar landscape with confidence and clarity. Shiyen’s expertise, insight, and tailored approach provided me with the clarity and confidence I needed to navigate this transition effectively. Her ability to understand complex challenges and offer actionable, results-driven solutions was truly exceptional. The impact of our partnership has been invaluable, not only in achieving key milestones but also in shaping a long-term vision for success.
I highly recommend Shiyen to anyone looking for a trusted partner and advisor in strategic growth and transformation.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Mentor, Shiyen
We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to someone who has made a huge impact on our journey: Shiyen
Shiyen is the epitome of what it means to be a mentor—relentless in her dedication to helping those she works with succeed. She doesn’t just guide us during our scheduled mentoring sessions; she goes above and beyond. Even when we’re not in a formal meeting, she continues to share invaluable resources, thought-provoking ideas, and books that challenge our thinking and push us to grow. Her commitment to our success—and to the success of eL8—is unwavering.
Her support is not just professional, but also deeply personal. She truly cares about the people she mentors, and it’s clear that her drive to help others thrive doesn’t stop when the clock runs out on a session. We’ve never felt more encouraged to push beyond our limits, knowing that we have such a dedicated and knowledgeable mentor in our corner.
Thank you, Shiyen for all the guidance, inspiration, and tools you’ve shared. You are making a difference, not just in our lives, but in the lives of everyone you mentor.
A few years ago, I learned about Shiyen through a former co-worker and friend who described working with her as a game-changer. She truly is. At the time, I was an overwhelmed parent of young children, unsure of my next direction in healthcare and how I could be of service. Shiyen took the time to get to know my goals, values, skills and passion. Her background as a clinician also resonated with me. Shiyen’s expert guidance helped me move ahead and take some steps I wouldn’t have otherwise. It also helped reinforce the importance to me of a dynamic, supportive and committed environment and ways to foster it for others. Years later, the influence of her encouragement for continuous learning/improvement is still there. Clients, whether a large organization or individual leader, are fortunate to work with Shiyen.
The work that I have been able to do with Shiyen has completely transformed my work and personal life. Her coaching techniques are very action oriented coming from a place of my own personal values. She was able to assist me in working through some old thought patterns that were not serving me well, into a whole different perspective on my future growth and development. She helped me transform from a place of doubt, lower self-confidence and fear that had been holding me down for so many years. Shiyen has mastered the power of positive thinking and self-empowerment and has led me into the same realm of possibilities for myself.
The leadership coaching has shifted my leadership style to being more assertive, organized and focused. Before I started working with Shiyen, I was feeling buried alive in my job and was getting bitter about my workload and perceived work inequities. She helped me rise above and pull me out of the spiralling burnout in my healthcare profession. During a time when healthcare has taken such a beating and the work loads keep piling up, Shiyen helped me shift my focus and help me reorganize my career priorities and just over all perspective.
She has helped me realize and improve on my weaknesses and has helped me further develop my strengths as a leader.
In my personal life, her coaching impact has been life altering. Shiyen lead me through some hard work that I needed to conquer, that I was never able to do on my own. Believe me, I tried so many other types of therapy, read all of the books, took courses, listened to podcasts, you name it and I did it. But up to this point, nothing was pulling me out of the depth of my indecision and insecurities in my personal relationships. She helped me, help myself into the woman I was meant to be. I was this person inside that was holding onto so many untrue beliefs about life and myself. I knew I had more in me that felt trapped or tarnished. I wanted and needed to break free of unrelenting negative self talk, but until I worked with Shiyen, I never knew how to release the real me.
I continue to be better and to learn more, but the tools and techniques that Shiyen has helped me learn will stay with me forever. She has given me a gift that I hope to be able to use for the rest of my life.
I had various roles with informal leadership in my career before taking on a formal leadership role. My main concern in taking on formal leadership was whether I could make those change decisions and then shape the vision to encourage adaptability. I knew I was walking into a challenging situation and the deliverables being put in front of me would be hard. My decision to seek out coaching was personal and practical. I had done lots of formal leadership training. Your leadership philosophy connected with how I felt leadership should be but I did not always know how to execute. I knew bringing you in would mean learning and also challenging some of my assertions. Working with you set me on solid foundation for moving confidently forward. I have often reflected on what you have said and use the tools you gave me. You translated leadership philosophy into tangible tools. I believe I can now drive the changes required while still empowering my team. The best moment and biggest win for me came when one of my employees told me I was a trail blazer and was doing great things for the program and the team. They felt they now had a voice and they could use it. Thank you Shiyen for turning a philosophy into a reality.
Shiyen is an exceptional coach who believed in my strength and reinstated my trust in achieving my goals. I was blessed to connect with Shiyen through LinkedIn when I started doubting my efforts, my skills and the path I was following trying to achieve my goal. She always reminded me to believe in my abilities. I have no words to thank her and just a “Thank You” does not describe how grateful I am.
Shiyen is an empathetic and a kind professional who went above and beyond to help me in achieving my career goal. I started working with her in March and in less than 3 months; I was able to achieve my goal. This is just the beginning to a life long relationship and I am happy to find a great mentor in Shiyen. Her coaching also helped me overcome stress and self-doubt, and her tips and tricks are treasures that helped me in my personal and professional life.
I would highly recommend Shiyen for her professionalism, empathy and kindness while coaching her clients to find clarity in their professional life and to achieve a balance.
I highly recommend Shiyen as a presenter for her outstanding presentation on Imposter Syndrome to our audience of social workers. Shiyen’s energetic and enthusiastic delivery kept the audience engaged and interested throughout the presentation. Her warm and confident demeanor made it easy for the audience to connect with her and the material she was presenting.
Shiyen’s presentation was not only interesting and informative, but she also shared personal experiences that added an authentic touch to the content. Her vulnerability in sharing these experiences allowed the audience to relate to the topic on a deeper level.
Furthermore, Shiyen shared practical strategies for overcoming Imposter Syndrome that were relevant and applicable to the audience. Overall, her presentation was a valuable contribution to the professional development of social workers.
I highly recommend Shiyen as a speaker and presenter, and I look forward to attending her future presentations!
Working with Shiyen Shu for executive coaching was a fantastic experience that truly supported my growth and self-discovery. Through her thoughtful approach, I gained a deeper understanding of myself as a leader and developed strategies that continue to serve me well. The tools and resources we explored together have had a lasting impact—not only do I still use them, but I also share them with others. Shiyen’s insight, guidance, and ability to create a supportive and reflective space made this an incredibly valuable experience. I’m grateful for her coaching and highly recommend working with her.
Thank you Shiyen, for bringing people together through your warmth, the practices and the inspiring reflections you brought to the session. I left feeling energized, centered and empowered. Amazing work!
I really appreciated the warm atmosphere you created in the room. I felt safe to explore and share honest reflections with staff. After lunch we continued to discuss things that you brought up during the session. Which also created openness and space for connections among the teams. I had a great time!
I was so grateful that you were able to contribute to our event, adding so much value to it!
Thanks so very much!
Shiyen is one of the best coaches I’ve had the pleasure to work with! We engaged Shiyen to work with some of our SE leaders to help them grow into their full potential. I have to say that Shiyen’s values based framework and methodology, aligned perfectly with our culture and values. Shiyen is an amazing, trusted partner who delivers value well beyond what is expected! We are very pleased with the outcomes from her coaching work! Thank you Shiyen!
I had the opportunity to participate in an Executive Leadership course Shiyen was teaching for the Canadian College of Health Leaders. Shiyen is a skilled facilitator and true professional, enabling participants to feel comfortable speaking up and asking questions. She helped me understand what executive leadership presence meant and provided tangible, achievable ideas that will support my career growth. I left the session feeling inspired and like I could go out there and conquer the world!
Shiyen was the leadership coach I didn’t know I needed. She has this amazing ability to break things down into simple and relatable actions customized to you. Multiple times I wondered why I had agreed to do this but Shiyen’s patient guidance made me stay on course. For anyone looking for a fresh perspective or inspiration, I highly recommend her coaching services.
I had the opportunity to work with Shiyen for business mentorship. She took a different approach than I expected, and I was glad she did! Through her coaching, I had 2 key business breakthroughs that are going to help me elevate my business. I am so excited for what is to come and I am grateful for her guidance!
Working with Shiyen Shu was an incredibly rewarding experience. She guided me through a challenging process that enabled me to discover my strengths and address my weaknesses. Shiyen empowered me with confidence, knowledge, and tools that significantly enhanced my performance and productivity. Her insightful and encouraging coaching style creates an environment conducive to inevitable professional growth. I highly recommend Shiyen as a great coach and mentor for anyone seeking professional development.
I had an amazing experience working with Shiyen. She is very insightful. She provided me tips and tools to help maneuver through challenges and focus on what matters. She made me feel like I could achieve anything. Every conversation was incredibly energizing.
Shiyen has been an amazing coach for me. You can tell she has deeply invested in this practice and continues to grow. Many coaches will only play a mirror role, asking you questions and guiding your own self-realizations. This is a tenet of coaching. However, some coaches like Shiyen, will also if permitted push harder when they see you need it. You cannot always see what you don’t know. It is so helpful to have someone else point it out for you. In some ways, I would only realize in hindsight what she was trying to point out. If you are looking for a coach who will care about you and who has deep values in changing leadership in healthcare, I encourage you to engage with Shiyen.
I’m incredibly grateful that our paths crossed, and you came into my life – it made me believe in myself.
Prior to working together, I lacked confidence and was overwhelmed by my constantly growing workload. After working together, I was able to present myself with confidence, stay calm in stressful situations, influence senior executives, and manage my time more efficiently and productively, which has made a huge positive impact on me, my team, and my organization. Whenever I have doubts, I’ll instantly think of you (and your teachings/coaching) to gain my confidence.
I went in to Executive Coaching knowing very little about what to expect. I got more than I bargained for! It was a lovely mix between professional candor, gentle nudging, sharing of tools and resources, and a belief that someone “had your back” and was there for you. I definitely appreciated feeling like I was not alone on the journey and I would highly recommend. There were so many suggestions and ideas that I would never have thought about when creating my brand and online image, confidence, not to mention the interview support. I will look to Shiyen and Executive Coaching when able to work on the next phase of the leadership/executive journey.
I was fortunate to attend not one but two of Shiyen’s workshops! One on Executive Presence and other on Time Management. Shiyen is brilliant with her content and the style of delivery. She leaves you in a state where you want the conversations to continue for a longer time. The powerful tips she shared are forever to keep and take advantage of in the professional journey. Highly recommend!
Shiyen Shu is truly inspirational. I had the opportunity to take a part of the “Executive Presence” workshop that she conducted with the WINGS for Growth Cohort 2021-2022. The workshop was incredibly impactful. The presentation was relatable and breakouts truly pushed you to think beyond your comfort zones. This is the type of learning that makes you reflect on who you are and gives you tools to take those takeaways to the next level.
Thank you!!
Shiyen is an exceptionally inspirational coach and speaker. I invited her to speak at our signature annual conference, PDCI, and she impressed the audience with her insightful keynote and magnetic story telling. Over the course of the few months that I’ve known Shiyen, I’ve found her a consummate professional who sets the bar high for integrity and performance.
Shiyen has taken the initiative to create a compelling series in “Lessons in Leadership and Life.” She has a genuine gift for prompting people to tackle deep questions about their own journeys, in an inviting and conversational space. Shiyen’s curiosity and courage are contagious, and I really enjoyed working with her.
Shyien is authentic and highly skilled at what she does. She created a team building event tailored to the needs of our group. The work she did set the foundation for ongoing work our team will do. She is also skilled at providing individual coaching for leadership development. I would strongly recommend Shiyen for team building and leadership coaching.
Truly beautiful inside out, Shiyen combines pragmatism with spirituality and intuition with logical reasoning. And she does a wonderful job of it. Every session with her has given me valuable insights and fresh perspectives on myself and the world. It has been an absolute pleasure to have her as my mentor for IDEA Mississauga’s Startup Plus program.
What a talented individual and great executive coaching skills. I was honoured to be asked to work with her on her project.
“I found her style to be empathetic, holding a lot of space for me to work through my experience, my fears and my blocks while also being curious and not afraid to ask direct questions. I’m very thankful that through our coaching journey she didn’t rush me and allowed me to arrive at my own action items that were right for me! She was able to shift me on a project where I was feeling really demotivated and resisted a lot to finding what I was excited about, how I could bring value to others and that project ended up being a success! I really see the benefit of working with a coach and would recommend her to anyone, especially people in leadership positions or entrepreneurs. She has such a passion for what she does and working with her inspired me to find mine and ask myself the big questions in life around legacy! Thank you, Shiyen!”
“She helped me achieve my goals through the coaching process by holding me accountable, making sure that my weekly action items were SMART, and that if I can “dream about my goal, I have the power to make it become a reality”. If anyone is looking for support in accelerating and achieving their goal(s), Shiyen is your go-to person/coach.”
Shiyen helped me define goals individually so I have a better understanding on how to achieve them. Categorizing my goals, helped me better manage my stress. I felt so much lighter after only a session with her and I started having more time for myself which led me to discover my hidden talent which is drawing. Managing my stress following Shiyen’s coaching released my block and my creativity started flowing. I never ever drew in my entire life and suddenly I am able to draw beautiful portraits of my loved ones. Being able to draw my little daughter and having these drawings of her as keepsakes as she keeps growing is a gift that I will treasure for life. Shiyen is very kind and also very professional at what she does. I felt very at ease opening up to her and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with her, which helped me personally and professionally.
Like many other individuals in this situation, I faced a challenging time dealing with anxiety and stress. I already had an understanding of the importance of mental health and self-care, yet Shiyen helped me explore more meaningful ways to take care of myself with respect to various aspects of my current living situation.
In the span of 2 months, I gained better control over my living situation, which gave me a great feeling of accomplishment. I successfully graduated from my Master’s degree. I learned to enjoy my free time and build new goals for my future. One of my goals when I met Shiyen was to find a position by September and by the end of August I had a job offer. I am deeply grateful to Shiyen for supporting me through difficult times and providing me with coaching and resources to be more productive, grounded and centered. My experience with Shiyen was amazing and fruitful. That is why I highly recommend Shiyen to my friends and family.
I met her in the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown. Despite the circumstances, she was able to provide me with guidance and learning opportunities that serve me to this day. From the moment I met her, she was so easy to talk to. She listened to me attentively and made me feel welcomed and understood. Shiyen helped me change the way I saw myself and my circumstances to become more confident and goal-driven. She also helped me gain perspective of my self-image, and how it was limiting my own growth and success. I was able to cultivate a growth mindset to remain motivated and improve my skills. I struggled with public speaking and communicating my ideas clearly and concisely. Shiyen excelled at coaching me through the process. Her help was so useful and truly appreciated as it helped me become a better leader. I’m so grateful to have met Shiyen. She is an amazing coach and I highly recommend working with her.
