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Katie Mikres
Facilitator|Coach|Instructional Designer

Invest in people. Improve the experience.

Most organizations want a better customer experience: faster responses, transparency, and confident communication. But experience doesn’t improve through expectation alone. Companies ask their teams to operate at a higher level without investing the time, training, and support required to get there. Real change starts with accountability from the top down, when leaders model the standards, reinforce the behaviors, and commit the resources needed for teams to actually deliver.

 

Customer Experience

Customers today expect more than transactions. They expect expertise, empathy, and proactive support. They want to feel valued, understood, and guided. That level of service does not come from policies, slogans, or surveys. It comes from people who are educated, equipped, and supported to deliver it.

 

When organizations invest in meaningful development, not just product knowledge but communication, problem-solving, culture, and leadership, employees do more than “do their jobs.” They elevate them. They empower them. And that is what turns everyday interactions into a modern, memorable customer experience.

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Remarkable Outcomes

 

When organizations invest in intentional development, they see meaningful, lasting results:

  • Increased confidence and self-awareness

  • Stronger communication and collaboration

  • Higher engagement, motivation, and morale

  • Improved performance and productivity

  • Enhanced problem-solving and adaptability

  • Better work-life balance and overall well-being

  • Clarity around personal and professional goals

  • Sustainable growth and long-term success

Workshops, Coaching & Services

Image by Alex Shu

New Sales
Consultant Training

New Sales Consultant training involves a comprehensive sales training program designed to equip your new sales consultants with the necessary skills, knowledge, and processes to be successful. 

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Accountability
Groups

Success doesn’t happen by accident. It happens through consistent action, focused strategy, and accountability. 

Accountability Groups are designed to keep you focused, supported, and moving forward.

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Unlock the Power of Customer Connections

Designed to educate individuals or teams within an organization on strategies, techniques, and best practices aimed at fostering strong, meaningful, and lasting relationships with customers.

Engine Check

Service Advisor Training

Effective communication, diagnostic skills, CRM utilization, and ethical upselling. Advisors learn conflict resolution, compliance, and practical scenarios, aiming to ensure exceptional service and departmental success.

Group Sitting Together

The New Rules of Enagement

This workshop helps leaders understand that younger generations are motivated by different things than what once drove them. Through practical strategies and behavioral profiles, leaders learn how to communicate, motivate, recognize, and effectively manage and engage employees while improving retention.

Mobile Web Design

Sales Manager Training

Manager training is a focused development program that strengthens leadership, communication, and decision-making skills. It equips managers with the tools they need to lead teams effectively, drive performance, and align their people with organizational goals.

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Behavioral Assessment Integration

This workshop supports organizations in launching and integrating behavioral assessment tools into everyday leadership. Leaders learn how to interpret profiles and apply them to hiring, coaching, communication, and accountability to support engagement and retention.

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Core Values - Immersion

Immersion training is a culture-focused experience that reconnects teams to the organization’s identity, values, and vision. It builds clarity, consistency, and pride, creating a shared culture that drives performance and exceptional customer experiences.

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Luxury Experience Training

Your team learns how to deliver a true luxury experience through anticipation, personalization, and attention to detail. Participants learn how to create emotional connection, build trust, and handle high expectations so every interaction feels thoughtful, effortless, and memorable.

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Instructional Design

I create practical, ready-to-use training programs including onboarding, facilitator guides, participant materials, and job aids tailored to real work environments. I also develop train-the-trainer programs so internal leaders can confidently deliver and sustain the training.

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About Me
 

Coaching That Elevates Customer Experience

I bring a wealth of experience as a facilitator, coach, and instructional designer.
At the heart of my work is a deep understanding of the power of customer experience and the people behind it. I believe personal and professional coaching is the most important part of my role. When someone isn’t fully invested in what they’re doing, and their mind isn’t clear and focused on their clients, it becomes impossible to deliver the kind of experience customers truly deserve.
Strong coaching creates clarity, confidence, and connection, which is the foundation of exceptional service.

Behavioral Tools That Build Stronger Teams

I also encourage leveraging behavioral analysis tools such as AVA, Culture Index, and Predictive Index to help organizations hire smarter and coach more effectively. These tools are not only valuable for recruiting and placing the right people in the right roles, they are equally powerful for developing communication, leadership, and performance long after hiring.

 

When individuals understand how they think, work, and collaborate with others, coaching becomes more precise, leadership becomes more empathetic, and teams become more aligned.
With the right insight, organizations don’t just hire talent, they grow it into a better customer experience.

 

Passionate About Growth and Development

I thrive on helping people tap into their potential. Known for my direct, high-energy style, I design and lead workshops that inspire vulnerability, build confidence, and create space for meaningful transformation. I believe growth happens when people feel challenged, supported, and seen, not when they’re simply trained on tasks.

One of the strengths I bring to instructional design is that I write what I train and train what I write. Every program is built with intention, shaped by real-world experience, and grounded in the challenges teams face every day. This ensures that the content is practical, relevant, and deeply connected to how people actually learn, communicate, and perform.

 

Train-the-Trainer

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Beyond delivering live training, I also create train-the-trainer programs and toolkits that empower organizations to confidently facilitate my curriculum on their own. These solutions give companies the structure, scripts, resources, and coaching guidance they need to deliver consistent training with lasting impact.

 

I don’t believe in training that checks boxes. I create learning experiences that change the way people show up, lead, and serve, for their team, their customers, and themselves.

 

Facilitation Style

Encourages active participation and meaningful connection, empowering individuals to contribute, grow, and succeed. I bring a strong work ethic, adaptability, and a relentless commitment to excellence to everything I do.

Off the clock, you’ll find me in the garden, in the kitchen cooking or baking, or unwinding with a good documentary or book. Music is a big part of my life. At home, I’m happiest spending time with my fiancé and our two dogs, Charlie our Golden Retriever and Tuhlula our Great Dane. Every Sunday we have a big family dinner.

Experience 

Feldmann Imports

Director of Training & Development

September - 2024 - Dec 2025

As Director of Training & Development at Feldmann Imports, I recruited, hired, and train new sales consultants while providing ongoing coaching and one-on-one development for both consultants and managers to support growth and performance. Led service training and facilitated customer panels to deeply understand what customers want and expect. My role combined people development, cultural alignment, and continuous improvement to drive stronger results across the dealership.

Walser Automotive Group 

Director of Training

January 2024 - August 2024
 

Evaluated existing training programs and department practices, partnering with leadership to redesign curriculum and close performance gaps. Assessed and coached current training staff, providing feedback on facilitation and instructional design to strengthen training quality, consistency, and assessments. Supported the launch of a new Kansas City store through mystery shopping, readiness assessments, onboarding design, and launch preparation. Coached and evaluated new leaders before and after opening, including performance feedback and training on leading a multigenerational workforce. Improved operational consistency and customer experience by aligning training strategies, leadership capability, and business goals.

Kris Lindahl Real Estate

Director of Training & Development

2020-2023

Designed, developed, and launched a comprehensive six-week sales training program, including weekly one-on-one coaching sessions to strengthen agent performance and skill development. I also led the recruiting and interviewing of scholarship applicants as part of the organization’s talent acquisition efforts. In addition, I built and facilitated a full Kris Lindahl Real Estate Immersion program for both new and tenured agents to align the entire organization on culture, expectations, and shared values.

Ryan Adams Group 

Customer Training Manager

2019-2020

Redesigned existing training curriculum and sales materials, customizing content for each store in partnership with dealership leadership. Consulted with leadership teams considering a transition to a one price retail model and co developed store specific sales processes and operational standards. Led multi week one price conversion launches, facilitating training for senior leaders and frontline sales teams to support adoption and behavior change. Conducted post launch sustainment visits including mystery shopping, customer experience panels, and follow up coaching to evaluate effectiveness and retrain teams as needed.

Morrie's Automotive Group

Director of Training

2010-2019

Designed and delivered training programs for sales, service, and management teams across multiple dealership locations, focused on one price retail and customer experience excellence. Conducted needs assessments with leadership and created fully customized onboarding materials, orientation programs, and training content from the ground up. Coached and developed in store sales teams through hands on floor support, performance evaluations before, during, and after training, and ongoing sustainment visits. Utilized mystery shopping and employee observations to measure adoption, reinforce behaviors, and retrain teams to improve consistency and results. Partnered with OEM representatives to address CSI opportunities and developed training focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences. Facilitated workshops including Understanding People and customer experience training to strengthen communication, trust building, and relationship based selling. Conducted company wide exit interviews across 17 locations and partnered with leadership to translate feedback into targeted management coaching and training initiatives.

Experience 

Morrie's Automotive Group

CRM Implementer & Coach

2009 - 2010

Monitored CRM utilization across multiple locations, coaching teams on proper use and accountability to ensure accurate activity tracking and follow up execution. Designed and implemented training to improve prospect and sold customer follow up, strengthening customer retention and repeat business. Developed dealership wide processes to standardize communication with leads and customers throughout the ownership lifecycle. Created and executed targeted direct mail campaigns to support customer engagement and reactivation efforts.

Morrie's Automotive Group

New Car Manager

2005 - 2009

Supervised sales operations, managed new vehicle inventory, reported delivery records to manufacturer, maintained CSI scores, analyzed sales performance, provided training and support to the sales team. Collaborated with various departments, planned marketing initiatives, and ensured compliance with dealership policies and manufacturer regulations. 

Morrie's Mazda 

Sales Consultant 

1999 - 2005

Assisted customers in purchasing vehicles by understanding their needs, demonstrating vehicle features through test drives, and negotiating prices and financing options. Possessed extensive knowledge about available inventory, offered exceptional customer service, and handled paperwork efficiently. Met sales targets and provided follow-up support post-sale, ensuring a positive buying experience and contributing to the dealership's sales success.

Certifications

Association for Talent & Development 

Designing Learning - January, 2017

Certified Master Trainer - December, 2013

Certified Coach - December, 2012

Certified Trainer - September, 2011

AVA® 

Certified AVA Analyst 

Culture Index 

Executive Advisor 

Education 

University of Minnesota

Major: Creative Writing 

Minor: Theater Arts 

Address

Chanhassen, Mn 

Phone

612-865-8479

Email

Connect

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Training | Coaching | Speaking

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