Walking the Walk, Talking the Talk...

Mike Hillman, founder of Simply Advanced

Over his 20 years as a leader in the automotive sector, Mike Hillman has developed a skill set and a true expertise for developing leaders at all levels within any business! Everything starts with the leader! The leader has a direct impact on the people and the culture in any organization. Mike sat through plenty of meetings where finger-pointing consultants breezed in, told skeptical leaders and employees what to do, and then went away, never to be heard from again. That’s not his style!

Building relationships is at the heart of Mike’s mission as a coach and business mentor. During his workshops, Mike takes the time to listen and work with the leaders' and employees’ ideas and suggestions, empowering them to identify the gaps in their organizations and find solutions tailored to their unique needs. As a coach and facilitator, Mike doesn’t just take the money and run. He develops a rapport with his clients, and follows up with free audits in between scheduled sessions to see how the solutions are working.

Mike has a Human Resources background and has spent years facilitating corporate teams. His business acumen is combined with a gift for understanding what makes people tick. By asking the right questions and actively listening, he finds ways to connect with each leader and employee, and makes sure every voice is heard. As he puts it, “The critical piece of coaching is effective listening. I don’t know how you can coach someone if you’re not shutting down the voice and opening up the ears to understand where this person’s coming from.” It is said that experience is the best teacher, and Mike is not afraid to use the lessons from his past mistakes to help organizations successfully develop their leaders and get lean. “You’ve got to fail faster,” he explains. “You can’t fix what you’re not willing to expose. You’ve got to get it on the table and deal with it quickly.”

Time after time, Mike has implemented various leadership development strategies along with lean practices to help teams eliminate waste, increase productivity and profit, and maximize the talents and potential of their employees. As a coach and mentor, he customizes his approach for each client, and will stay the course until they reach their goals.

No matter the scope of your organization, Mike can help it run more efficiently by working side by side with your leadership and employees to find solutions. If you are willing to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses, challenge your existing structure, and commit to working leaner in order to reach the next level of success, Mike will walk alongside you every step of the way.

Making Connections

Nancy Kopriva, Business Development & Client Engagement

Nancy is a goal-oriented business development professional with more than 20 years’ experience providing a full range of support services to growing ventures.

At Simply Advanced, Nancy leads business development initiatives such as client acquisition and management, building and maintaining relationships, creating programs, tools, and resources to assist clients’ in assessing their company’s culture and overcoming leadership challenges.

With a background in developing training programs and curriculum for diverse audiences, Nancy guides Simply Advanced clients through training seminars, classroom workshops and one-on-one consultations designed to revitalize their performance, productivity, and ultimately profitability.

Drawing on her expertise in marketing and communications, Nancy has enhanced the Simply Advanced brand by expanding our online presence and increasing client engagement. Connecting with clients, understanding their needs and challenges, building long-term relationships is at the heart of our success.