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Like a Ted Talk, But Way Cooler!
“My colleagues and I agree that we all took some great points away from this "Jonas Talk”—like Ted Talk but way cooler! The best take away was learning how to look inward and recognizing we all are evolving, adjusting, and working on ourselves independently. Hopefully now, with these tools, we can work on them together. You are an amazing human! Please keep doing what your doing and continue to make your mark on the world. It's life changing.”
Shekinah Foy, Assistant Director of Community Education | College of the Florida Keys
★★★★★
“My colleagues and I agree that we all took some great points away from this "Jonas Talk”—like Ted Talk but way cooler! The best take away was learning how to look inward and recognizing we all are evolving, adjusting, and working on ourselves independently. Hopefully now, with these tools, we can work on them together. You are an amazing human! Please keep doing what your doing and continue to make your mark on the world. It's life changing.”
Shekinah Foy, Assistant Director of Community Education | College of the Florida Keys
★★★★★
The College of the Florida Keys is an open-access educational institution dedicated to serving the intellectual, diverse, cultural, and occupational needs of the Florida Keys as well as the global community by preparing students for personal success and responsible citizenship.
CHALLENGE
The Director of Talent Acquisition and Development & Accountability connected with Hashtag Positivity to deliver a keynote presentation and workshop for their Annual Professional Day. The overall goal for the day was to help their faculty and staff "get back to basics" as they returned to in-person work during the pandemic.
Specific challenges included low morale, poor communication, tension between a liberal staff and conservative leadership, an "us against them" mentality, and a tendency for quick fixes rather than long-term solutions. A key requirement for this initiative was the need for the presentations to be super engaging. The training day was scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving break, and most of the participants will have already mentally "checked-out."
Specific challenges included low morale, poor communication, tension between a liberal staff and conservative leadership, an "us against them" mentality, and a tendency for quick fixes rather than long-term solutions. A key requirement for this initiative was the need for the presentations to be super engaging. The training day was scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving break, and most of the participants will have already mentally "checked-out."
SOLUTION
To address these challenges, Hashtag Positivity customized a keynote presentation to kick-off the training day focusing on the Three Pillars of Positivity: Mindset, Purpose, and Relationships. These pillars work together to help individuals and teams focus on fascinating possibilities rather than frustrating problems, maintain a focus on the overall desired results, and invest in meaningful relationships with peers, leaders, and followers.
In addition, a workshop was designed, developed, and facilitated specifically focused on goal-setting to help coach the faculty and staff to lean into their authentic why and how they want to contribute to the mission of the College of the Florida Keys.
In addition, a workshop was designed, developed, and facilitated specifically focused on goal-setting to help coach the faculty and staff to lean into their authentic why and how they want to contribute to the mission of the College of the Florida Keys.
RESULTS
As a result of the College of the Florida Keys' collaboration with Hashtag Positivity, faculty and staff engaged in open and honest discussion, fostering stronger and more meaningful connections with one another, and honed their goal-setting skills, helping them to stay focused on their inner and outer purpose for individual, team, and community growth.
“In my three-decade career in education, I’ve had my share of professional development. This was shockingly different. The method of instruction was the most valuable. Jonas did an excellent job of introducing the material before the presentation and giving us time to digest. We were ready for the topic.”
Naomi Walsh, Assistant to the Vice President | College of the Florida Keys
Naomi Walsh, Assistant to the Vice President | College of the Florida Keys
A Speaker Who Listens
"Jonas Cain makes everyone feel important. He makes everyone there feel like they're really there. He is a speaker who listens and reacts. All the greats do. You know those guys who get up there and it's good, but you can tell they rehearsed really hard and they're just getting through it hoping to not be interrupted and cut off their flow? Jonas isn't like that. He likes to be surprised."
Lisa Carver, Author | 25 Lives
★★★★★
"Jonas Cain makes everyone feel important. He makes everyone there feel like they're really there. He is a speaker who listens and reacts. All the greats do. You know those guys who get up there and it's good, but you can tell they rehearsed really hard and they're just getting through it hoping to not be interrupted and cut off their flow? Jonas isn't like that. He likes to be surprised."
Lisa Carver, Author | 25 Lives
★★★★★
Located on the plains of Nebraska, Cedar Bluffs Public Schools serves K-12 students, all under one roof.
CHALLENGE
The school counselor for Cedar Bluffs connected with Hashtag Positivity to help their students "connect the dots" between effort and results. Specifically, they wanted to help their students over come self-doubt and a lack of motivation to enhance their full capability.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity designed, developed, and facilitated two customized assembly programs—one for their K-5 students, and one for their 6-12 students. This program utilized dynamic engagement strategies—including interactive magic, music, and comedy—to inspire, motivate, and practice resilient behaviors for life-long growth.
RESULTS
As a result of Cedar Bluff Public Schools' collaboration with Hashtag Positivity, students engaged in resilient behavior in real-time during the assembly, encouraging them to continue using these practices moving forward. In addition, Hashtag Positivity provided follow-up resources for teachers to use in the classroom to practice and reinforce the learning material for life-long growth, long after graduation.
A Consumate Pro!
“He was not only very entertaining but also really dynamic adjusting to the audience. A consummate pro!"
Rebecca Williams, Director of Mission Advancement | Best Buddies
★★★★★
“He was not only very entertaining but also really dynamic adjusting to the audience. A consummate pro!"
Rebecca Williams, Director of Mission Advancement | Best Buddies
★★★★★
Blue Buffalo is a pet food company on a mission to support pet health through nutritious food.
CHALLENGE
Blue Buffalo's Texas Regional Demo Director oversees a seven-member team who coach Pet Detectives—employees who work in retail stores to drive sales. The team of coaches meet virtually once a month to discuss knowledge and skills related to leadership development.
The director connected with Hashtag Positivity to facilitate a leadership development workshop focused on maintaining engagement with peers and customers while socially distant. Specific areas of concern included:
The director connected with Hashtag Positivity to facilitate a leadership development workshop focused on maintaining engagement with peers and customers while socially distant. Specific areas of concern included:
- maintaining engagement while socially distant,
- gaining meta skills to focus on their underlying purpose,
- engaging in honest conversations to embrace differences.
- only talking about results without reminding each other about why they’re seeking these results,
- helping pet detectives get comfortable engaging with customers, sharing their personal stories, and recommending Blue Buffalo products.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity designed, developed, and facilitated a customized interactive virtual workshop to help the coaches:
- Explain why they choose to be on the Blue Buffalo team. This objective connects to the concern that the team has historically been too focused on results rather than on their “why.”
- Identify common ground with their peers. This objective connects to the concern for wanting open dialogue.
- Create an authentic plan to help Pet Detectives engage in-store customers. This objective connects to the concern for wanting to help Pet Detectives be more comfortable (confident and effective) in their role.
- Defend a strategy for helping Pet Detectives recommend Blue Buffalo products. This objective connects to the concern for wanting to help Pet Detectives be more confident and effective in their role.
RESULTS
As a result of Blue Buffalo's collaboration with Hashtag Positivity, team members walked away from the experience empowered with a reinvigorated sense of purpose and encouraged with deeper and more meaningful connections with one another.
“I enjoyed finding out about each of my team member's purposes—even if they have just begun to contemplate this. I love the three questions (Do you care about me? Can you help me? Can I trust you?). I really enjoyed your facilitation Jonas…You have a gift!”
Braden Daniels, Regional Director | Blue Buffalo
Braden Daniels, Regional Director | Blue Buffalo
Educational & Fun!
“The most variable piece of information I walked away with is an understanding that the next step may come when you finally hurt enough. I will apply this by stepping in as a leader to help drive change so we are all sharing a common mindset and purpose, which will in turn help our relationships. This session was both educational and fun!”
Scott Jones, Director of Training | Operational Services Division
★★★★★
“The most variable piece of information I walked away with is an understanding that the next step may come when you finally hurt enough. I will apply this by stepping in as a leader to help drive change so we are all sharing a common mindset and purpose, which will in turn help our relationships. This session was both educational and fun!”
Scott Jones, Director of Training | Operational Services Division
★★★★★
Many Farms Community School is a Native American tribal grant community and day school serving grades K-8, distinguished by an emphasis on academic excellence and the development of character, creativity, and Navajo culture.
CHALLENGE
The Director of Special Education connected with Hashtag Positivity to collaborate for the success of their annual school-wide special education training conference. Their primary objective for this collaboration was to provide their staff with an engaging, empowering, and encouraging keynote presentation to help kickoff the event on a positive note, placing them in an open state of mind to give them the best chance to learn and grow throughout the conference.
SOLUTION
To address Many Farms Community School's goals, Hashtag Positivity customized a keynote presentation focusing on the Three Pillars of Positivity: Mindset, Purpose, and Relationships. These pillars work together to engage in a growth mindset, empower meaningful goals, and encourage valuable social support.
To maximize the effectiveness of this presentation, we also created an online dashboard for participants to engage in prior to the conference. This included a brief introductory video so they could gain a preliminary review of the learning content as well as a survey so they could provide feedback on what they most hoped to get out of the conference. The engagement prior to the conference allowed us to customize a presentation to be specifically relevant to their direct immediate needs.
To maximize the effectiveness of this presentation, we also created an online dashboard for participants to engage in prior to the conference. This included a brief introductory video so they could gain a preliminary review of the learning content as well as a survey so they could provide feedback on what they most hoped to get out of the conference. The engagement prior to the conference allowed us to customize a presentation to be specifically relevant to their direct immediate needs.
RESULTS
As a result of Many Farms Community School's collaboration with Hashtag Positivity, the staff became actively engaged and empowered with an open mind, encouraging them to take in new knowledge and skills to better serve their students.
Laugh, Think & Be in the Moment!
“Jonas was amazing! Our team loved him and his message. His delivery is such a creative and fun way to get such strong and important messages through. The world needs more Jonas Cain's in it! He's the type of person you want to be around all the time. Positivity runs in his blood! We are managers of assisted living and memory care communities. We need positivity and laughter to be able to provide the highest quality of care to our residents. Jonas made us laugh, think and be in the moment.”
Angela Pelletier, Director of Operations | Woodbine Senior Living
★★★★★
“Jonas was amazing! Our team loved him and his message. His delivery is such a creative and fun way to get such strong and important messages through. The world needs more Jonas Cain's in it! He's the type of person you want to be around all the time. Positivity runs in his blood! We are managers of assisted living and memory care communities. We need positivity and laughter to be able to provide the highest quality of care to our residents. Jonas made us laugh, think and be in the moment.”
Angela Pelletier, Director of Operations | Woodbine Senior Living
★★★★★
American Training, Inc. is an award-winning workforce development organization helping the unemployed, under-employed, at risk, disabled, under-skilled, and those with language barriers gain the professional edge they need to succeed.
CHALLENGE
To recognize, celebrate, and honor the hard work and accomplishment of their clients, American Training, Inc. connected with Hashtag Positivity to create an engaging, empowering, and highly encouraging presentation to open the graduation ceremony for their special needs students. They were especially concerned about the typically low attention spans of this demographic, so they specifically wanted a program that would engage their attention throughout the ceremony.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity designed, developed, and facilitated a customized keynote presentation utilizing three principles of motivational instructional design to A.I.D. engagement: Attention, Interest, and Desire:
- To gain attention, our facilitator, Jonas Cain, performed magic demonstrations, played the ukulele, and told jokes to capitalize on perceptual curiosity through visual and auditory stimuli, creating novelties in the environment.
- To generate interest, he told stories to inspire an emotional response through the affective domain of learning.
- And finally, to motivate desire, he modeled positive behavior, encouraging students to get involved with the experience.
RESULTS
As a result of American Training, Inc.'s collaboration with Hashtag Positivity, students were actively engaged throughout the ceremony—complete with smiles, laughter, and joy. The client stated they were excited to work with Hashtag Positivity again on future projects.
Teachable Moments!
“Your enthusiasm, insight and feedback, makes me want to rethink how to use teachable moments in a better way.”
Geraldine Darius, Special Education | College of the Florida Keys
★★★★★
“Your enthusiasm, insight and feedback, makes me want to rethink how to use teachable moments in a better way.”
Geraldine Darius, Special Education | College of the Florida Keys
★★★★★
Atascocita High School is located in Humble, TX serving over 3,000 students in grades 9-12.
CHALLENGE
The Vice Principal connected with Hashtag Positivity to collaborate for the success of their Freshman orientation, to help their students kick off their high school career on a positive note. They specifically requested that the initiative was to reinforce their school's core values of Rigor, Relevance and Relationships.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity customized three unique programs to implement on the day of the orientation:
Keynote Presentation
To kick off the day on a positive note we began with a half-hour keynote presentation entitled Engage Your Magic which used magic and storytelling as an engagement and communication tool illustrate key points.
Breakout Session
Next the students were broken up into three separate groups to participate in concurrent activities, including a signature Hashtag Positivity activity called Don't Lose Your Marbles! Students had to use creativity and teamwork to transport marbles from one side of the gymnasium to the other using only two PVC pipes!
Workshop
To end the day, student leaders from the various school clubs and organizations, including—student council, National Honors Society, and the like—met to participate in a 3-hour leadership workshop called The Magic of Positive Influence. Once again, magic was used to drive home the key points, and along the way students partook in group activities and discussions to make the material meaningful to their direct immediate needs.
Keynote Presentation
To kick off the day on a positive note we began with a half-hour keynote presentation entitled Engage Your Magic which used magic and storytelling as an engagement and communication tool illustrate key points.
Breakout Session
Next the students were broken up into three separate groups to participate in concurrent activities, including a signature Hashtag Positivity activity called Don't Lose Your Marbles! Students had to use creativity and teamwork to transport marbles from one side of the gymnasium to the other using only two PVC pipes!
Workshop
To end the day, student leaders from the various school clubs and organizations, including—student council, National Honors Society, and the like—met to participate in a 3-hour leadership workshop called The Magic of Positive Influence. Once again, magic was used to drive home the key points, and along the way students partook in group activities and discussions to make the material meaningful to their direct immediate needs.
RESULTS
During the keynote students:
During the breakout session students:
During the workshop students:
- Learned that what got them to this room won't keep them there.
- Understood value of growing beyond your comfort level.
- Explored was to identify opportunities for growth.
- Practiced the "How Can I" strategy and learned how to implement it in everyday life.
During the breakout session students:
- Experienced first-hand the challenge of working with people that they've just met—people from different background, experiences, and skill sets.
- Experienced the value of speaking up to share ideas.
- Experienced the value of knowing when to take a step back to let others lead.
- Understood that everyone supports that which they help to create.
During the workshop students:
- Discussed the Influence Compass and how to use it as an assessment tool to provide direction.
- Explored 4 influencing styles—and when and how and how to use them.
- Learned 3 strategies for increasing influence with those they lead.
I Cannot Overstate How Impressive This Is!
“Through some mix of his demeanor, gentle but targeted prodding and compelling course material, Jonas opens up a class of young people to speak with confidence and without fear of judgment, despite having just met one another. I cannot overstate how impressive this is. I’ve continually found Jonas Cain’s work to be consistently compelling.”
KC Fussell, Mini Course Director | Massachusetts Girls & Boys State
★★★★★
“Through some mix of his demeanor, gentle but targeted prodding and compelling course material, Jonas opens up a class of young people to speak with confidence and without fear of judgment, despite having just met one another. I cannot overstate how impressive this is. I’ve continually found Jonas Cain’s work to be consistently compelling.”
KC Fussell, Mini Course Director | Massachusetts Girls & Boys State
★★★★★
The mission of the New Hampshire Tax Collectors’ Association is to disseminate information necessary to enable tax collectors to successfully understand their responsibilities and to competently perform their duties in conformity with all pertinent laws, while striving to work with diligence and cooperation and, encouraging an atmosphere of mutual respect and assistance among tax collectors and the people they serve.
CHALLENGE
The president of the New Hampshire Tax Collectors' Association connected with Hashtag Positivity looking for an engaging, empowering, and encouraging presentation to be facilitated after lunch on the second day of their annual conference. They specifically wanted an interactive presentation that would include humor to help reinvigorate their members after experiencing "a very stressful year."
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity created and facilitated a customized after-lunch presentation for the NHTCA Annual Conference focused on The Three Pillars of Positivity: Mindset, Purpose, and Relationships. The presentation was specifically designed using motivational strategies to A.I.D. active engagement from participants to gain their attention, generate interest, and inspire desire.
RESULTS
By creating perceptual novelties and leaning into intrinsically motivating interests, the presentation cultivated a desire for participants to remain actively engaged not only throughout the presentation, but to also maintain motivation throughout the rest of the conference.
“Our group truly enjoyed Jonas Cain's presentation! I loved how he was not only attentive to the live audience but also to those who chose to be virtual. Such a wonderful experience!”
Theresa Briand, President / New Hampshire Tax Collector’s Association
Theresa Briand, President / New Hampshire Tax Collector’s Association
Entertaining & Thought-Provoking!
“The workshop was wonderful and entertaining—but most importantly thought provoking. I hope to take advantage of the reinforcement resources. Thank you for a great program!”
Susan, Member | New Hampshire Tax Collector's Association
★★★★★
“The workshop was wonderful and entertaining—but most importantly thought provoking. I hope to take advantage of the reinforcement resources. Thank you for a great program!”
Susan, Member | New Hampshire Tax Collector's Association
★★★★★
UMD S.E.R.V.E. (Students Engaged in Rewarding Volunteer Experiences) is a service club at the University of Minnesota Duluth, run by over 200 university students. Their mission focuses on helping students get out into their community to volunteer for various initiatives throughout the year.
CHALLENGE
UMD SERVE connected with Hashtag Positivity to collaborate for an end-of-year event to cap-off the academic year to honor and celebrate the hard work of their students.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity customized a 90-minute engaging magic experience called Celebrating Success: Strategies for Overcoming Adversity & Complacency! This program wove interactive comedy magic together with an empowering and encouraging message to provide inspiration and motivation to the student body.
RESULTS
StudentAs a result of this program, students learned:
- 3 key principles: Vision, Confidence & Resilience
- The distinction between dreamers and visionaries
- Ways to stimulate their passions
- 4 reasons why people give up
- 8 gaps that hold people back
- How to apply the How Can I? strategy
- How to play The Glad Game
“I was not expecting it! My roommate and I have exams coming up this week and we were both really anxious going into it and after watching the show we kind of took a deep breath and we got more positivity out of it. The magic tricks got me, they for sure got me! But I really liked the reality aspect of it and that we got positivity out of it, and just it was great!"
Kailyn Helgeson, Student | UMD
Kailyn Helgeson, Student | UMD
He Left Everyone A Believer!
“Jonas Cain came to the Summer Summit for Driver Educators in Vermont and gave a customized motivational presentation that was just what I asked for giving time for driver educators to rethink what we do, get a fresh outlook on teaching, and start the school year running. Jonas accomplished this through the use of magic, engaging the driver educators early in his presentation. Having Jonas inspire a fresh outlook and an open perspective was a segue for the rest of our conference. The evaluations told me it was one of the best conferences we have had. The driver educators were charged up and received a lot of information, and activities, to take back to use in their programs in order to kick off the new school year. He left everyone a believer in how we can all improve as educators and people.”
Nancy Andrus, Driver Training Coordinator | Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
★★★★★
“Jonas Cain came to the Summer Summit for Driver Educators in Vermont and gave a customized motivational presentation that was just what I asked for giving time for driver educators to rethink what we do, get a fresh outlook on teaching, and start the school year running. Jonas accomplished this through the use of magic, engaging the driver educators early in his presentation. Having Jonas inspire a fresh outlook and an open perspective was a segue for the rest of our conference. The evaluations told me it was one of the best conferences we have had. The driver educators were charged up and received a lot of information, and activities, to take back to use in their programs in order to kick off the new school year. He left everyone a believer in how we can all improve as educators and people.”
Nancy Andrus, Driver Training Coordinator | Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
★★★★★
Desert Rose High School is an adult high school serving the youth of Las Vegas, NV on a mission to help give students one final shot at a high school diploma.
CHALLENGE
The administration connected with Hashtag Positivity requesting an assembly program to be delivered to their students, with the goal of providing them with encouragement for growth after graduation . They expressed how important it is to engage the student body, but admitted that their students can be a challenging group to please.
SOLUTION
We designed an engaging 30-minute magic experience called Stack The Deck to empower and encourage students to overcome challenges and achieve their dreams. The program was designed using the motivational learning strategies of attention, interest, and desire. This program was implemented in two sessions for two separate groups during the last hour of the school day.
RESULTS
As a result of this program, students learned:
Because of the engagement strategies employed, the presentation held their attention throughout the assembly, ensuring that the message was sincerely delivered and heard.
- The importance of perspective
- How to identify life path opportunities for after high school
- The value of taking action
- Encouragement for maintaining a growth mindset
Because of the engagement strategies employed, the presentation held their attention throughout the assembly, ensuring that the message was sincerely delivered and heard.
Lessons That Will Last A Lifetime!
“Jonas was the kick start to out Kindness Day at our elementary school. His charisma and welcoming demeanor grabbed the students' attention right away and kept it for the entire performance! Jonas' message of kindness and positivity was sprinkled throughout, effortlessly. The connections he made with magic and having good character are lessons that will last a lifetime. Both adults and students were amazed by Jonas' talent. Most importantly, Jonas loves what he does and that shines through from beginning to end!”
Molly Cole, School Psychologist | Hatfield Elementary School / Hatfield, MA
★★★★★
“Jonas was the kick start to out Kindness Day at our elementary school. His charisma and welcoming demeanor grabbed the students' attention right away and kept it for the entire performance! Jonas' message of kindness and positivity was sprinkled throughout, effortlessly. The connections he made with magic and having good character are lessons that will last a lifetime. Both adults and students were amazed by Jonas' talent. Most importantly, Jonas loves what he does and that shines through from beginning to end!”
Molly Cole, School Psychologist | Hatfield Elementary School / Hatfield, MA
★★★★★
Phi Mu Alpha is a service oriented fraternity on a mission to bring the joy of music to the community. The fraternity is comprised of members from all walks of life using music as a means of establishing common ground.
CHALLENGE
The leadership team was concerned about getting members actively engaged and decided they wanted to being everyone together for a bonding experience to get to know each other better so as to better identify the direction of the group from a wider inclusive perspective.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity customized a 60-minute presentation called Engage Your Magic to address the immediate goals, challenges, and obstacles of the fraternity during a regularly scheduled monthly meeting.
RESULTS
As a result of this program participants learned:
- How to foster the skill of widening your perspective.
- A strategy for identifying your purpose.
- How to express gratitude even when adversity threatens your resolve.
“Jonas gave an hour-long keynote to our fraternity. To say that the chapter was pleased is a tremendous understatement. His presentation had the whole group laughing and learning about ourselves and one another. When we adjourned that evening, the group was better connected and more cooperative than it was when we opened. I recommend Jonas Cain without hesitation or reservation for any workshops, keynotes, and coaching sessions you may require. He is a tremendous asset to any team building exercise and you will be better having worked with him."
Robert McDermott, Fraternity Educational Office | Phi Mu Alpha
Robert McDermott, Fraternity Educational Office | Phi Mu Alpha
Lively & Engaging!
“The presentations were lively and engaging! So many of our students do not have access to communication at home and as a result, it is on us as a school to provide character education. This was an absolutely perfect way to do it! The students now understand that there are more people out there who care about molding them into good citizens. It is often difficult to find people who understand how to work with deaf people and use interpreters, are willing to work directly with the students and understand their challenges. I truly appreciate Jonas' willingness to work with a variety of people as well as taking the time beforehand (and afterwards!) to really understand his audience.”
Erika Kaftan, Director of Education | Willie Ross School for the Deaf
★★★★★
“The presentations were lively and engaging! So many of our students do not have access to communication at home and as a result, it is on us as a school to provide character education. This was an absolutely perfect way to do it! The students now understand that there are more people out there who care about molding them into good citizens. It is often difficult to find people who understand how to work with deaf people and use interpreters, are willing to work directly with the students and understand their challenges. I truly appreciate Jonas' willingness to work with a variety of people as well as taking the time beforehand (and afterwards!) to really understand his audience.”
Erika Kaftan, Director of Education | Willie Ross School for the Deaf
★★★★★
Wichita West High School, known locally as West, is located close to downtown Wichita near U.S. Route 54. It’s a fully accredited high school located in Wichita, KS, operated by Wichita USD 259 public school district, and serves over 1,200 students in grades 9-12.
CHALLENGE
The students at Wichita High School West spent months planning an event called PSST: “Pioneer Senior Success Training.” This transformational event would include workshops on social emotional and life skills important for student success after graduation. However, due to the pandemic, the event had to be cancelled and the students were heart broken. To overcome this, the student leaders decided to move the event online and invited professionals from around the United States to share insight.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity created an engaging video lesson customized for the graduating class of Wichita High School West.
RESULTS
As a result of this program participants learned:
- The importance of being kind to others.
- The importance of being kind to yourself.
- A strategy for being a positive influence in the lives of others.
“Jonas went above and beyond to help with our 2020 West High senior online event by creating a video personalized for our students. He was in constant contact and so helpful, inspirational, and accommodating. We will definitely be communicating with him in the future!”
Jill Terhune, Counselor | Wichita West High School
Jill Terhune, Counselor | Wichita West High School
Funny & Entertaining!
“The students truly enjoyed Jonas Cain's presentation. He was funny and entertaining. Most importantly, he communicated an amazing and positive message using his Magic tricks in which all the students could relate to and make their own!”
Sister Kathleen Marie, Principal | St. Denis-St. Columba School
★★★★★
“The students truly enjoyed Jonas Cain's presentation. He was funny and entertaining. Most importantly, he communicated an amazing and positive message using his Magic tricks in which all the students could relate to and make their own!”
Sister Kathleen Marie, Principal | St. Denis-St. Columba School
★★★★★
The America Legion Auxiliary Girls State Program is a week-long youth leadership camp designed to help emerging adults who exhibit potential for leadership, character, and scholarship become informed and active citizens.
CHALLENGE
While the mission of this camp is focused on government and patriotism, the counselors understood that developing the whole person as a leader also requires attention to their social emotional needs. Because of this they invited our Chief Facilitator of Fascination to deliver a talk that focused on strategies for overcoming adversity in their relationships and in their goals at school, at home, and beyond.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity customized an interactive magical experience called Engage Your Magic to be delivered mid-week during an evening assembly at their camp held at Stonehill College in Easton, MA.
RESULTS
As a result of this program students learned:
- How to foster the skill of widening their perspective.
- A strategy for identifying their purpose and life path.
- How to respond to life's disappointments by design rather than to react by default.
Nearly Moved Me To Tears!
“Nearly moved me to tears! It was an emotional rollercoaster that left me with a different perspective on life and how to live it. Before the show, I had nearly given up on many of the life goals. After that night however I was shown that you can achieve just about anything if you stick to it. Jonas is a man I will not soon forget. He and his story is one I shared with just about everyone I know.”
Corbin Armstrong, Student | UMASS Amherst
★★★★★
“Nearly moved me to tears! It was an emotional rollercoaster that left me with a different perspective on life and how to live it. Before the show, I had nearly given up on many of the life goals. After that night however I was shown that you can achieve just about anything if you stick to it. Jonas is a man I will not soon forget. He and his story is one I shared with just about everyone I know.”
Corbin Armstrong, Student | UMASS Amherst
★★★★★
Located in Readfield, ME, Maranacook Community High School is a caring school dedicated to the excellence of their grades 9-12 students.
CHALLENGE
The advisor for the Teen Issues club connected with Hashtag Positivity for help organize an all-day event for the entire school, where students would participate in workshops that speak directly to issues affecting teen lives—such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, suicide, and the like. They requested an assembly presentation to help kick off the even on a positive note.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity customized a 30-minute keynote presentation using magic as an engagement and teaching tool to address a sensitive yet incredibly valuable topic.
RESULTS
As a result of this program, students:
- Gained a deeper awareness of the warning signs for anxiety, depression, and self-harm.
- Understood the importance of positive relationships for fostering resiliency.
- Learned a simple phrase to use when helping friends in need.
“From the moment you arrived to the moment you left your positive energy was felt throughout the building! You arrived composed and ready to meet everyone and anyone—a true testament to your preparation and genuine care for others. Having seen many presentations in the gym I was amazed to see our student body as engaged as they were! They loved your magic and presentation, which allowed them to lean in and really hear your message of hope, light, strength, and the power of positivity! We hope we can have you back again in the future!"
Kelsea Trefethen, Alternative Education Teacher | Maranacook Community School
Kelsea Trefethen, Alternative Education Teacher | Maranacook Community School
Makes This Conference Amazing!
“I’ve sat through many keynotes. It’s very rare that a performer manages to capture my attention in a way that I can’t help but be a part of the performance and be a part of the audience, and this performance did that for me! I was caught along by some of the magic tricks, I was caught along by some of the jokes, and it really connects you to the message in a way that I don’t really get to see a lot, and getting to see that is really something that makes this conference amazing!”
Jacob Jones, Alumnus | Texas TSA
★★★★★
“I’ve sat through many keynotes. It’s very rare that a performer manages to capture my attention in a way that I can’t help but be a part of the performance and be a part of the audience, and this performance did that for me! I was caught along by some of the magic tricks, I was caught along by some of the jokes, and it really connects you to the message in a way that I don’t really get to see a lot, and getting to see that is really something that makes this conference amazing!”
Jacob Jones, Alumnus | Texas TSA
★★★★★
The Operational Service Division (OSD) of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts manages all of the procurement contract services for goods and services for the Commonwealth.
CHALLENGE
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of OSD connected with Hashtag Positivity with the goal of creating a virtual team building training session that would include interesting problem-solving and fun social activities, with the overall goal of increasing employee engagement.
SOLUTION
To address the Operational Services Division's goals, Hashtag Positivity customized a 90-minute virtual workshop focused on the Three Pillars of Positivity: Mindset, Purpose, and Relationships. These pillars work together to help teams and individuals engage in a growth mindset, empower meaningful goals, and encourage valuable social support.
To maximize the effectiveness of this workshop, we also created an online dashboard for participants to engage in prior to the training day. This included a brief introductory video so they could gain a preliminary review of the learning content as well as a survey so they could provide feedback on what they most hoped to get out of the workshop. Their responses provided valuable information that allowed us to customize a presentation that was specifically relevant to their direct immediate needs.
To maximize the effectiveness of this workshop, we also created an online dashboard for participants to engage in prior to the training day. This included a brief introductory video so they could gain a preliminary review of the learning content as well as a survey so they could provide feedback on what they most hoped to get out of the workshop. Their responses provided valuable information that allowed us to customize a presentation that was specifically relevant to their direct immediate needs.
RESULTS
As a result of the presentation, OSD team members were provided with the opportunity to engage in open and honest discussion, empowering them with a renewed perspective and understanding of one another. As a whole, the time shared together in the workshop foster deeper and more meaningful relationships, encouraging team members to work together more effectively.
“Jonas Cain really invested more time with us than I anticipated—and appreciate it more than you know!”
Lori Karas, Deputy Assistant Secretary / Operational Services Division, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Lori Karas, Deputy Assistant Secretary / Operational Services Division, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Enhanced The Meaning Of This Year's Conference!
“Thank you so much for coming and sharing your talent and experiences with us! We appreciated your speech and how you connected with Texas TSA as a whole. You were captivating, entertaining, and impactful. You added a special twist into our state conference, and enhanced the meaning of this year's National TSA Theme: Celebrating Success!”
Payton Schaap, Texas TSA State Vice President
★★★★★
“Thank you so much for coming and sharing your talent and experiences with us! We appreciated your speech and how you connected with Texas TSA as a whole. You were captivating, entertaining, and impactful. You added a special twist into our state conference, and enhanced the meaning of this year's National TSA Theme: Celebrating Success!”
Payton Schaap, Texas TSA State Vice President
★★★★★
Petra Cliffs is climbing gym and mountaineering school in the heart of the Burlington, Vermont. Founded in 2000, the organization has fostered a thriving climbing community with extensive services that cater to all levels of climbers, including programs for adults, teenagers, and children.
CHALLENGE
The co-owner of Petra Cliffs connected with Hashtag Positivity to collaborate in the creation of a team building workshop to address staff concerns at their annual meeting. Specific challenges they wanted to address included a lack of clarity and direction and frustration over slow growth. It was hoped that having an outsider work with the team would help provide perspective and encourage them with positivity moving forward. A key requirement for the presentation was for it to be a hybrid virtual/in-person meeting.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity designed, developed, and facilitated a workshop incorporating employee feedback from a pre-meeting survey. The survey responses were put into a video, anonymously presenting their honest perspective. During the workshop, employees watched the video and engaged in discussion centered on how to reconcile individual needs with the needs of the group as a whole. Along the way, positivity principles and practices were shared to help empower and encourage team members to work work together effectively.
RESULTS
As a result of the workshop Hashtag Positivity facilitated during the annual meeting, the staff of Petra Cliffs were provided space to openly express their concerns, desires, and expectations, giving every level of employee—from leadership to new hires—the opportunity to feel seen, heard, and valued, empowering them with perspective and encouraging them with understanding.
“We had some pretty Big Things come out during our meeting and have been working through those. It has given me a chance to look at myself as a leader. We are now setting new expectations to create a place where we feel more comfortable communicating directly, giving praise, criticism, caring deeply, and challenging directly. It's a lot of work, but so necessary. I'll always be thankful for your part in helping me and our leadership team wake up and respond to the needs of our staff.”
Andrea Charest, Co-Owner / Petra Cliffs
Andrea Charest, Co-Owner / Petra Cliffs
Beneficial For All of Our Staff!
“Thank you! This presentation was beneficial for all of our staff to have an outsider’s presence and perspective to help aid in continued growth of the business and employee work relationships.”
Tim Farr, General Manager | Petra Cliffs
★★★★★
“Thank you! This presentation was beneficial for all of our staff to have an outsider’s presence and perspective to help aid in continued growth of the business and employee work relationships.”
Tim Farr, General Manager | Petra Cliffs
★★★★★
The Belchertown Day School is a kindergarten and preschool in Belchertown, MA on a mission to provide a safe, motivating and nurturing learning environment for all children, committed to helping children learn teamwork, self-awareness, competence, self-worth, and resiliency.
CHALLENGE
The Director of the school connected with Hashtag Positivity asking for a professional development workshop for their staff. Working with preschool and elementary age students can be a challenge, especially managing behavior to achieve the desired class objectives. What's more, staff is spread out across two campuses, and the leadership team wanted to host an in-service training to bring everyone together to get to know one another while also gaining new skills to use in the classroom.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity customized a 3-hour workshop called The Magic of Positive Influence to address these challenges using magic both as an engagement and teaching tool along with group activities and discussions.
RESULTS
As a result of this program, participants:
- Discussed the Influence Compass and how to use it as an assessment tool to provide direction.
- Explored 4 influencing styles—and when and how and how to use them.
- Learned 3 strategies for increasing influence with those they lead.
“I found so much value in this presentation. Not only was it engaging, but all of us got something out of your training. As a director, I found information specifically helpful in working with my staff. However, even my youngest and newest staff got useful information and tips. Your training was so beneficial for every level of employee we have and already am finding your information useful.”
Heidi Gutekenst, Director, | Belchertown Day School
Heidi Gutekenst, Director, | Belchertown Day School
This Was Shockingly Different!
“In my three-decade career in education, I’ve had my share of professional development. This was shockingly different. The method of instruction was the most valuable. Jonas did an excellent job of introducing the material before the presentation and giving us time to digest. We were ready for the topic.”
Naomi Walsh, Assistant to the Vice President | College of the Florida Keys
★★★★★
“In my three-decade career in education, I’ve had my share of professional development. This was shockingly different. The method of instruction was the most valuable. Jonas did an excellent job of introducing the material before the presentation and giving us time to digest. We were ready for the topic.”
Naomi Walsh, Assistant to the Vice President | College of the Florida Keys
★★★★★
Empire Beauty Schools is a premier training ground teaching cosmetology, esthetics, and barbering, with locations across New Hampshire.
CHALLENGE
The General Manger of the school connect with Hashtag Positivity to collaborate for the success of their annual meeting. Their student body is largely made up of Millennials, between the ages of 18 and 25, and staff noticed that not enough students were completing their program of study, everyday was getting in the way of their education and were simply not completing their program. The school was specifically looking for a workshop to be presented to their staff to help inspire their students to do well and motivate them to stay the course.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity analyzed the needs of the school and designed and developed a 90-minute program called Millennial Magic: Engaging & Equipping Emerging Leaders to communicate practices for inspiring and motivating student success in the classroom and beyond. This was to be implemented during their annual meeting hosted under a tent on the beach of Lake Winnipesaukee in Laconia, NH.
RESULTS
As a result of this program participants learned:
- 8 steps for creating a SECURE pathway
- The 5 Rs of Learning to bridge the gap between expectations and outcome
- The value of connecting learning to a student's sense of purpose
- The desire for students to connect on a personal level with teachers viewed more as coaches and mentors
- The importance of focusing on student strength rather than weaknesses
- The value of a spectrum of learning strategies
- Ways to implement peer collaboration into the classroom
- How to facilitate a relaxed environment
- The importance of service learning
- The value of frequent feedback
“Thank you so much for your preparation, presentation, message and information that you gave us. The motivation and magic are a great pairing. I hope to do business with you again in the future!”
Matt Lambert, General Manager | Empire Beauty School
Matt Lambert, General Manager | Empire Beauty School
Changed My Life Forever!
“This man changed my life forever. He deserves all the attention in the world right now and so does #POSITIVITY. Even only knowing Jonas for a week, he changed the way I looked at life and changed the way I saw things and I am forever grateful and I hope I can work beside him one day in my life!”
Ethan Quinn, Student | American Legion Boys State
★★★★★
“This man changed my life forever. He deserves all the attention in the world right now and so does #POSITIVITY. Even only knowing Jonas for a week, he changed the way I looked at life and changed the way I saw things and I am forever grateful and I hope I can work beside him one day in my life!”
Ethan Quinn, Student | American Legion Boys State
★★★★★
Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights and well-being of children and families by providing free home-based family coaching to young first-time parents to develop stable, nurturing environments for their children.
CHALLENGE
The leadership team of the Holyoke, MA branch of MSPCC had two objectives for Hashtag Positivity: Provide their staff with influence training to enhance their connection with the parents they serve, as well as enhance their teamwork and communication with their fellow coworkers. They scheduled a special inservice training day which brought members from multiple offices together.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity customized a 3-hour training workshop called Connection DISCoveries to communicate principles and practices for improving relationships with co-workers and clients. Of course, we once again utilized our signature Positivity Magic Method by using magic as an engagement and teaching tool to ensure active participation and content retention.
RESULTS
As a result of this program participants:
- Learned the 4 basic personality styles, including their dominant fears and primary motivations.
- Gained insight into the strengths, blind spots, and areas for improvement for each behavior style.
- Discussed techniques for working with others with different behavior types.
Entertaining & Engaging!
"Thank you to Jonas Cain of Hashtag Positivity for providing an entertaining and engaging virtual “Hang In” event for the Maine chapter of Best Buddies International. I was particularly impressed with how Jonas was able to tailor his presentation to a mixed audience of students with and without developmental disabilities—and the feedback has been overwhelming positive from everyone! Jonas was able to make the virtual online experience very interactive, which is no easy feat, and masterfully adjusted on the fly to the engagement he was getting in the moment from his audience. As a member of the board of advisors for Best Buddies Maine, I could not be more happy with how it turned out."
Scott Wentzell, Board of Directors | Best Buddies International
★★★★★
"Thank you to Jonas Cain of Hashtag Positivity for providing an entertaining and engaging virtual “Hang In” event for the Maine chapter of Best Buddies International. I was particularly impressed with how Jonas was able to tailor his presentation to a mixed audience of students with and without developmental disabilities—and the feedback has been overwhelming positive from everyone! Jonas was able to make the virtual online experience very interactive, which is no easy feat, and masterfully adjusted on the fly to the engagement he was getting in the moment from his audience. As a member of the board of advisors for Best Buddies Maine, I could not be more happy with how it turned out."
Scott Wentzell, Board of Directors | Best Buddies International
★★★★★
Shadow Ridge High School is located in Surprise, AZ serving 2500 students.
CHALLENGE
A senior member of the Student Council at Shadow Ridge High School connected with Hashtag Positivity requesting an assembly program to be delivered to the entire campus community as part of their Kindness& Mental Health Week. The focus of the presentation was specifically to be focused on being kind to yourself and to others and overcoming obstacles.
SOLUTION
Hashtag Positivity customized a 50-minute presentation focused on the Three Pillars of Positivity utilizing motivational instructional design strategies: attention, interested, and desire. Special attention was placed on generating attention and interest quickly, as a large group of high school students can be challenging to hold, especially first thing in the morning.
To help with this task, we created an online dashboard where students could engage in an introductory video featuring an interesting magic demonstration illustrating the key points of the assembly presentation to give them an introduction to the material, as well as a survey to provide feedback on the specific challenges they are facing. The information provided was used to customize a presentation unique to the Shadow Ridge campus community.
To help with this task, we created an online dashboard where students could engage in an introductory video featuring an interesting magic demonstration illustrating the key points of the assembly presentation to give them an introduction to the material, as well as a survey to provide feedback on the specific challenges they are facing. The information provided was used to customize a presentation unique to the Shadow Ridge campus community.
RESULTS
As a result of Shadow Ridge High School's collaboration with Hashtag Positivity, the students were ready and excited for the assembly, and were actively engaged with the interactive experience. As one student noted after the assembly: "Most presenters just stand there talking to us. But you got us actively involved. We couldn't help but be drawn into the experience."
Valuable Use Of Our Time!
“Thank you so much! This was a really valuable use of our time. If the leadership team tried to deliver this message, it would have been received differently. It's great to have your outside perspective. I really would love to stay in contact. It's really good to be surrounded by as much positivity as possible right now!”
Andrea Charest, Co-Owner | Petra Cliffs
★★★★★
“Thank you so much! This was a really valuable use of our time. If the leadership team tried to deliver this message, it would have been received differently. It's great to have your outside perspective. I really would love to stay in contact. It's really good to be surrounded by as much positivity as possible right now!”
Andrea Charest, Co-Owner | Petra Cliffs
★★★★★
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