“I’m a 64-year-old African-American grandmother, fulfilling a 10-year-old dream, once lost but now awakens as a direct result of the Mr. Armiento’s school. During his classroom lectures he spoke to me about self –discovery through using gentle humor , allowing me not to take life so serious- in the search for “Waldo”. He would smile while looking deep into my eyes, seeing my soul and replying: “ you’ll be introduced to the real Waldo soon”. Mr. Armiento has awakened my spirit, once deferred. Words cannot express endless joy that I have discovered in learning about me (a.k.a. “Waldo” ) “
The Gift of Mr. Armiento
I can express the extreme gratitude of such presence of Mr. Armiento but it doesn’t express totally the unwavering gift of having him in your life and experiencing the changes that not only he is a supportive host of but the genuine backbone when it comes to understanding, and hearing your voice. He helps you move through your fears and pushes your strengths like a beautiful symphony. He teaches you to shine your light as a star on a dark night. He won’t give up on you and surely under his watch won’t allow you to give up on yourself. His wealth of information in not only empowering but also inspiring. If you grant him your ears he will guide you in seeing how life should appear. He is like a shower washing away all your insecurities making u even better for a new presentation of you and a more positive outlook on ur future. You never have to guess if he is there because the reflection of his work is represented seeing yourself arrive in the driver seat of your life. He is your coach, your support system, a friend and one of your cheering fans. He takes his work seriously and will not leave u and will be a encore with you in your life’s performance toward the greatest show ever. Having him in your life will be a memory you will never forget.
The success of OTI and its students continues to fully represent your vision of developing counselors professionally, personally and socially. There continues to be such a spirit, “the magic” at OTI, and the great thing is that it is replicated cycle after cycle. The graduation really brings it forward as we see the pride and accomplishment of our students and the pride experienced by their families (and with us as their teachers and advisers). I just wanted to congratulate you on the success of OTI and its impact.
You are the closest I’ve known to a magnetic counterpart. To me your field is foreign, and frequently, depending on my direction, one that might forcefully repel me. Yet when I’m turned in a complementary direction, it’s as though the polar fields join. It’s an impossible revelation, a revolution. You guide me to reinvention. I read that the British army band played at their surrender at Yorktown a song titled “The World Turned Upside-Down.” Shortly thereafter, the British conquered, for better or worse, the known world.
Our CEO brought Mark in to work with our management team. Few expected any real improvement to our performance; none expected the positive transformation that our team underwent. Accountability and ownership increased, and department heads who wouldn’t talk to one another began working together synergistically. Personally, working with Mark has had a remarkably positive impact. The tools he has given me have allowed me to achieve previously impossible results, including rising to COO of my organization.
Mark was a great administrator at the Outreach Training for counselors for substance abuse. He inspired so many people in this program because of the special way that he connected with people. This program was one of the best run training programs that I have experienced and I am sure that the knowledge and personal attributes that made this program top notch also make Mark a great counselor. Many people told about how the program had changed their lives and I am sure he is continuing to help people change their lives as a counselor.
I am a student at Outreach Training Institute and Mark has been an instructor/lecturer a few times during my tenure there. I have found Mark to be extraordinarily qualified to lecture on spirituality, as well as the topic of family structure and counselling. Mark has a very comfortable way about him, which transcends the ordinary teacher-student relationship. Mark is always “in the moment” where you know his concentration is solely on the subject at hand, and his students. I look forward to his lectures and highly recommend Mark as an accomplished teacher and provider of growth and information.” Top Qualities: Great Results, Personable, Expert
Mark is a well rounded and caring person. As a professional supervisor he is extremely knowledgeable and engaging. Mark is good at connecting and developing rapport with families in need. He is extremely good at analyzing the presenting problem and finding ways to the client work towards solutions. I highly recommend Mark Armiento as an important part of any clinical team.
Mark is an visionary manager, who has inspired me to become a better clinician. He has provided proceless mentorship and guidance to me in all aspects of my professional career. Mark is an excellent clinical supervisor, trainer, and manager. Mark exemplifies the best of role-modeling as he is professional, ethical and shares his infinite knowledge. Mark has led many clinical professionals to do better work and inspired many counseling students to learn the correct methodology in servicing clientele. Mark exemplifies the best in clnical aptitude and humanisitc interaction on all levels within a professional and personal perspective. I recommend Mark enthusiastically and would work with him in any capacity wholeheartedly!
I have worked with Mark personally and professionally and have always achieved the goals I have set for myself through his guidance and coaching. He is a professional who works hard to help you outline specific goals and outcomes and design a flexible path to meet them. I continue to recommend him to colleagues and friends alike for their business and personal goals. Top Qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity
Mark served as Vice President of the Education and Training Department at Outreach Training Institute for many years. Mark hired me in the position of educator, trainer and adviser back in 2000.Mark is an approachable, dependable,and spiritual human being with a strong work ethic and belief that we all can reach our fullest potential in anything we set out to do.Mark has a positive disposition, with a lot of life experience in which he shares himself easily. He exhibits enormous professional and personal maturity which allows him to connect with people. He is a great observer of past, present and future human behavior. Mark exhibits and lives a life filled with sensitivity and passion for its daily offerings. His greatest take on life is to take a different route to wherever we are going – daily. For that matter he encourages all of his students to sit in a different chair while in the training room. His message is to never become too complacent or comfortable and enjoy life’s unique treasures along the way. Probably one of Mark’s famous last words to whomever he speaks with is “Where’s Waldo.” Mark has been my boss and colleague, who teaches me every day to look for “Waldo.”
I worked with Mark in an earlier career some 20+ years ago. He was a brilliant internal coach for success for the staff and a highly energetic educator. His optimism and vision as well as his compassion and ethics helped to shape one of the best organizational cultures I have ever witnessed. His strength of character alone is enough to highly recommend him as he is truly a rare human being.
I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working with Mark for more than five years. Mark interviewed me for my position at Outreach, and from that very first day I met Mark, I knew he was exceptional in terms of his warmth, intellect, intuitiveness and dedication to helping people. My interview was truly enlightening! I’d also heard from colleagues prior to coming to Outreach that Mark was well-known and respected in our field. Mark is also a gifted educational and motivational speaker who conducted trainings at the open house events I hosted at Outreach House II over the years, and his audiences were appreciative for his unique way of sharing information while simultaneously having one look inward for additional insight. I highly recommend Mark in his future endeavors, for he is truly a special person.
Mark Armiento is well qualified to assist a wide range of health and human service agencies with a diverse portfolio and expertise in training, consulting, management, and workforce development. Mark can also be an asset to corporations in the private sector that want support with strategic planning, organizational development, workplace transitions, and other areas. He is highly competent, reliable, and committed to excellence in all that he does.
When I was hired as Fort Lauderdale’s City Manager five years ago, I reached out for Mark’s help in rebuilding the City’s management team so we could better address a government in organizational meltdown. I needed a management team that could quickly and effectively address a financial crisis that had left the City with no reserves, a major insurance deficit, reductions in services, downgraded bond ratings, an employee exodus, and general public dissatisfaction. I had worked with Mark before and I knew how effective he was at getting a group of people to excel individually and collectively.Mark’s team building and peak performance strategies produced amazing results and our team started winning games in a big way. In a very short period of time, we were able to restore the City’s financial health and improve City services. Today, the City’s financial position is stronger than it has been in the City’s history, with a record high fund balance, a $10 million insurance surplus, an upgraded bond rating that ranks among the best of Florida’s largest cities, and property taxes and fees that rank among the lowest of Florida’s largest cities.Our ‘peak performance’ team has also produced significant results on quality of life issues. Since 2006, Fort Lauderdale has enjoyed its lowest crime rate in over 30 years. Property crimes reached their lowest levels in over 30 years. The streets and sidewalks are cleaner, the medians are better maintained, and code violations are resolved more quickly.
As a manager of an organization of 2,600 employees with two decades of government experience, I can honestly say that Mark Armiento is the best I have ever seen at inspiring greatness in government employees.
Our coaching staff considers Mark an invaluable resource for not only our players but for our support and guidance in many major decisions that we make as a staff. Mark has helped our team in a multitude of areas. We have seen tremendous personal and performance growth in all of our players who have sought his counseling. As a coaching staff, we seek out his expertise on group management throughout the year. The sessions he leads that force our team to work as a high functioning group teach our players skills in communicating and listening effectively. he is an instrumental piece in achieving our aim of empowering the young women in our program to great success on and off the field.
Meeting Mark Armiento at one of his “Life Balance Workshops” at St. John’s University was by far one of the best things that happened to me throughout my college experience. During my one-on-one meetings with him, I was able to make huge transformations in my life that once seemed unchangeable. From working out family differences and dealing with closure, to finding my voice, I’ve learned to better my interpersonal relationships in every aspect. Mr. Armiento has helped me grow mentally and spiritually by giving me the tools of meditation and visualization which made a tremendous impact on my life. In the sport of track and field, which to me is 90% mental, focus is vital and not always the easiest thing to do. But with the knowledge of meditation and visualization it comes easy. Meditation has enhanced my spirituality and the process of visualization has given me the collegiate career that I literally dreamt of.
The growth that I’ve endured within the two years of knowing Mr. Armiento is unbelievable. I am a living testament of Mr. Armiento’s work and the experience that I’ve had with him is one that I would recommend to anyone who wants a better life.” “I just wanted to say thank you for all your love and support, all your help and just being so wonderful to me! ?
I don’t know what the end result would have been without you but I know I’m a whole better person because I know you. I end my season with no regrets and I am so grateful to God for the honor of being an Olympian. Thank you and love you.
It has been 20 years since Mark Armiento first invited me to “awaken to the dance of life” I was an RN with 25 years of nursing experience now working in an adolescent drug treatment program and he was my supervisor. In that capacity he empowered me to attain the life skills tools by which to evolve from a somewhat co dependent human doing into the spiritual being having a human experience that I am today.Mark found a way to subtly become my life coach before this term was ever defined. Every project I undertook with his guidance simply could not fail. Consequently, through efficient time management, interpersonal and communication skills, stress management, leadership skills trainings and personal self challenge he provided, I have achieved success in my Nursing Career beyond my imaginings.Actualizing these skills has lead to my being awarded the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services. NYS Addiction Nurse of the year title and appointment as co chair of the first ever Nursing Advisory Panel to OASAS.The best award I give to myself in that, with Marks guidance I have finally achieved the ability to be internally referred, no longer at the mercy of other people’s opinions to define me.Thank you, Mark. You are a skilled clinician and a visionary who sees clearly the self limiting issues others impose on themselves and you have the unique ability to provide the guidance needed to transcend and achieve.
Mark’s emphasis on balance is an important lesson for optimal athletic performance. Student-athletes have many competing stresses in their lives-academically, athletically, socially and emotionally. Through Mark’s work, he teaches students the importance of identifying these situations while providing them the tools to develop appropriate strategies to effectively manage all aspects of their lives.
Mark, I wanted to let you know how grateful I am to you and for everything you’ve taught me. There have been times recently, when I have been in a new situation and have felt completely at peace and prepared to handle new challenges-I have never before felt this confidence! What you have taught me has shaped who I am -I owe you so much and I hope you know how grateful I am to have been able to learn from you over the past few years.
Mark’s workshops are very useful to our organization as he understands our department and adapts his expertise to ensure every participant receives quality, relevant content. He is passionate about his life’s vocation, and that comes across throughout the presentation and in his ability to connect with everyone in the room! His workshops remind me to stay attentive to the goals that really matter in my life while assisting me to develop personal tools to ensure that I actually achieve the goals I set out to accomplish. It has been a pleasure to work with Mark throughout my career at St. John’s as the head women’s volleyball coach. He is a critical component of our three-time Big East Champion team!
Mark has been an outstanding resource to our baseball program. He has been there for several of our players. On a personal note, I have attended several of Mark’s workshops. I have found them to be very informative and helpful. I have incorporated many of Mark’s life balance suggestions. His presentation encourages interaction and is extremely thought provoking.
Mark, You are the best and I appreciate all your help with Phobay (2012 Olympian) and all the others you have helped. Phobay has come full circle and it is has been an incredible journey and a great St. John’s story. Mark, Thanks again for all your great work with Phobay. Seeing her march in the opening ceremonies watching her compete in front of 80,000 people in the Olympic stadium against the top sprinters on the planet really was remarkable and I know you had a great part in getting her there. From the Liberia to Maryland to the hallway in Carnesecca in Queens to the Olympic Stadium in London is some journey and one you had a helping hand in. I truly appreciate it, thank you for all your great effort, and ask that you keep up the good work.
I have witnessed Mark’s work and am most impressed at his ability to make people feel comfortable and valid in their beliefs. He challenges individuals to create a healthy balance in life in order to achieve an optimum lifestyle. Professionally, he has successfully worked with many of my student-athletes. He is always available and accommodating. Most recently he spoke to an athlete via telephone on a Saturday night prior to a game on Sunday and she had one of her stronger performances in weeks. He is very thorough in his work.
Mark Armiento was the Sports Psychologist for the student-athletes at St. John’s University. I was someone who never saw a psychologist for any therapy on or off the field, and was hesitant about doing so, but I finally walked into his office in my senior year of college. I felt like I was under heavy emotional and physical stress when I came in for my first session and Mr. Armiento far surpassed any expectations I had of a counselor. As a third party to both my personal and sports related situations, he truly helped me cope and understand myself better in order to deal with these stressful and emotional situations that I usually could never speak to anyone about. I can honestly say he helped me through a very tough time in my life and saw me through it until I felt better. I would recommend Mr. Armiento to anybody over and over again.” Top Qualities: Great Results, Good Value, High Integrity
