Letters of Recommendation

For International Women’s Day in 2021, the Her Campus chapter at Wilfrid Laurier University held a virtual event at which Marti MacGibbon spoke about her triumphs and how they have led her to be a more empowered individual. Marti was not only a pleasure to work with, but also to listen to via Zoom. Marti adapted her presentation for a virtual format seamlessly while engaging and interacting with the groups in attendance. Her story is unlike any other, and her perseverance is a keystone element in her hardships. Marti left a lasting impact on not only the audience, but the university community as a whole. Even though the pandemic has rendered her unable to attend as many in-person events, we are so thankful to have met and worked with Marti and we consider it a gift to have been brought together.

Thank you for everything Marti, you truly are an inspiration.

Dear Marti,

Thank you for speaking at our 2019 NJ Human Trafficking Awareness Event on January 25th. The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive! Your presentation was met with the full attention of the audience, and finished with everyone on their feet with a standing ovation.

Our goal for each of these annual events is to provide a platform for those, like yourself, who bring knowledge, experience, and insight that help us as we continue the fight against human trafficking. And you certainly helped us meet that goal. In addition, your kind, thoughtful, and humorous style of speaking with our audience was amazing.

Please know, that the success of our 9th Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Event was largely due to your participation for which we are so very grateful.

We are, in appreciation, for your time, your contribution, and especially your inspiration.

Sincerely,
Kathleen Friess
Program & Training Coordinator
NJ Human Trafficking Task Force
Office of the Attorney General
Division of Criminal Justice

Whom It May Concern:

My Sister’s House highly recommends Marti MacGibbon as a speaker for your event. Marti spoke at our 10th Annual Human Trafficking Conference, “A Trauma-Informed Response to Human Trafficking Victims” where there were more than 530 participants which included survivors, law enforcement, attorneys, service providers, advocates and community members.

We had a day of intensive panels and discussions surrounding human trafficking and we hoped to have Marti come in and end the day on a lighter note using her humorous approach. Within the first ten minutes of her presentation, the room was in laughs. Marti did a great job at using her humorous approach to share a piece of her story and provide the audience with different techniques for self-care.

Working with Marti was very seamless. She always responsive with email and phone call and made sure there were no gaps following up the conference. This willingness to be flexible definitely made it easier to work with her.

The best recommendation we can give a speaker is that we hope to use her services again. This is especially true regarding Marti.

Sincerely,
Nilda Valmores
Executive Director, My Sister’s House

Thank you for your presentation to the Association of Women Executives in Corrections in Daytona Beach in September of 2017.

Your humor mixed with your life experiences made your presentation both funny and informative. Our membership appreciated hearing your story and highly rated your workshop.

We appreciate your willingness to work with us to make your appearance possible.

Please accept this letter of recommendation for future use in your speaking engagements.

Thanks again.

Francine Perretta
Executive Director
Association of Women Executives

To whom it may concern:

I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Mrs. Martha (“Marti”) MacGibbon of Marti Mac Enterprises, LLC. On AprilS, 2017, Marti MacGibbon was our keynote speaker at our annual Geminus Community Partners’ conference which was on the topic of “Secondary Trauma -In Harm’s Way”. Marti’s keynote speech was enlightening, inspirational, educational and entertaining to over 600 guests that were in attendance. The attendees were a mixture of professionals such as school teachers and social workers, probation officers, judges, attorneys, health service professionals and case workers of the Indiana Department of Child Services, just to name a few. She really captured the audience by sharing her personal journey and life experiences with everyone. From the evaluations collected, she was given the highest scores of all of our presenters. Marti generously donated a good portion of her book sales to our not-for-profit organization to go towards helping our clientele.

It is without hesitation that I highly recommend Marti MacGibbon if you are planning on a dynamic keynote speaker for an event or meeting. I hope that in the future we will be able to bring her back to present again at one of our conferences. Please feel free to contact me, If you have any further questions or need additional information.

Respectfully submitted,

Nicholas M. Neal, M.P.A., MLEA
Director of Family Services
Geminus Corporation

To Whom It May Concern,

Using her own struggles and personal journey to recovery, Marti MacGibbon inspired and motivated our community as we celebrated Pride, Progress, and Perseverance during our chamber’s Annual Meeting.

Living in a community that is battling the war of addiction it was important to find a speaker that would resonate with business and community leaders who, every day, face this epidemic. Marti was the right speaker.

Since her presentation, we’ve heard from community members who were rejuvenated in their commitment to help those seeking help. And, while in our community Marti invested time in speaking to women who are in recovery and those being incarcerated.

For communities or organizations seeking a speaker who tells it like it is, shares her life story, and gives 110%, I recommend Marti MacGibbon.

Cordially,
Randy Davies
President and CEO

Marti MacGibbon is strongly recommended as a speaker and presenter on the topic of substance abuse, mental health and human trafficking. Marti came to Ames, Iowa in September 2016 to help my organization and other local providers to celebrate National Recovery Month. Marti MacGibbon spoke to an audience of about 500 people at Iowa State University-Memorial Union about the topic of hope, resilience and empowerment when impacted with life obstacles. Marti was an excellent presenter, which included heart-felt messages, sharing herpersonal tragedies and how to overcome those life events. Marti used humor, but still sent an excellent message to the audience.

The response from the audience was overwhelming and the feedback was phenomenal regarding the messages she left with all attendees. I can’t emphasize enough how Marti was easy to work with in setting up our event. She was mindful of cost associated with our event, especially for our nonprofit organizations. We were very pleased at how she worked hard to reduce the cost and emphasized more importance of sharing her story and how all people can overcome and deal with our fears.

I would strongly recommend Marti MacGibbon as a speaker and my organization will certainly bring her back to Ames, Iowa for other events in the future. A huge thanks to Marti MacGibbon for her commitment to helping to send the message of “hope” to all people who have struggled with adversity and life challenges.

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill Hill, IADC
Associate Director of Addiction Services, YSS

To Whom It May Concern,

Marti MacGibbon was the keynote speaker for our annual Staff Appreciation Day. The title of her presentation was “Gratitude, Celebration and the Power of Second Chances”. Her presenting style was energetic and she incorporated a lot of humor as well. She was just what we were looking for in an inspirational speaker. Our goal was for staff to feel inspired, rejuvenated, to laugh a lot and enjoy the day. Marti was able to produce the results we were looking for with her energy and humor. The room was laughing out loud and even crying with laughter at times. Not only was she funny, but her story of how she overcame barriers in her life was inspirational. She reminded us that beauty is all around us, we have the power inside ourselves to make a difference and make change each day. In order to do this, we must take care of ourselves. Marti presented her “game changers” to give us real exercises we can practice to stay energized, refreshed and give us the strength to sustain ourselves in the difficult work we do each day.

Our survey results showed staff overwhelmingly enjoyed and appreciated Marti’s presentation. Below are just a few of the comments from staff when asked what the most useful aspects of the presentation were.

• “The presentation and speaker were wonderful.”
• “Great message from our guest speaker about empowerment”
• “The speaker – awesome”
• “Guest speaker was amazing”
• “Marti was great! Loved the tips to stay positive regardless of situation”
• “Mart was awesome! Wooooo!!
• “The presenter was super funny and entertaining”
• “Speaker was inspirational. Gave me time to think about what matters and to turn my negative and work toward a positive”
• “Marti’s real life story and how she has overcome was very inspirational”
• “Marti was great. Very good insights and perspectives.”
• “Really liked the speaker. She had lots of useful tools and had great enthusiasm”
• “It was real from someone who was real”
• “Bring Marti back [next year]”

In preparing for this event, Marti was easy to work with. She took our ideas and theme for the day and was able to prepare a presentation that incorporated everything we were looking for. She even took the initiative to learn more about a style of communication our agency has been learning and was able to blend some of the values of this approach into her training. Marti was responsive and listened to our needs. We highly recommend Marti as a speaker for audiences of social services staff.

Regards,

Shelly Todd
Staff Services Analyst
(707) 253-4078

To Whom It May Concern:

I am honored to take this opportunity to tell you about having Marti MacGibbon as the keynote speaker for the 2015 September National Recovery Month events in our community.

Marti MacGibbon spoke passionately to the local high school in the afternoon about her life’s journey. Then, she shared her incredible story of recovery at the local university auditorium in the evening. Marti shared, from her heart, her story healing and recovery from a turbulent past of abuse and addiction. Marti has been an inspiration and an encouragement, to the young and the young at heart, who find themselves lost and without hope for tomorrow.

We would highly recommend that Marti MacGibbon be a part of a Recovery Event in your community, as she was in ours. Her story is real, encouraging, funny, and full of hope.

Sincerely,
Curtis Hamre, LADC, Director
RiverView Recovery Center

Marti MacGibbon was the keynote speaker for our annual state conference in September 2015. Ms. MacGibbon delivered an inspirational presentation laced with humor, honesty, and hope. Through the sharing of her life experiences with addiction, trauma, and mental illness, Ms. MacGibbon showed her audience of psychiatric nurses that recovery is possible; and she gave us insight into what we as psychiatric nurses can do for others in even the most trying of times. Ms. MacGibbon provided exactly what she advertises, and does so with great authenticity and enthusiasm. I would highly recommend Marti MacGibbon as a keynote speaker for other audiences of mental health professionals.

Thanks,

Brittany Yates, MSN, APRN, FPMHNP-BC
Chapter President
American Psychiatric Nurses Association – Kentucky Chapter

Dear Marti,

Thank you so much for presenting to our entire staff last Friday, August 14, 2015. Your comeback from a life filled with trauma is nothing more than astounding; and your ability to put those struggles into words and have such a good sense of humor is amazing.

I could hear a pin drop in the room as you talked about your experiences and how, with hard work and lots of support, you were able to rebuild your life.

Besides all of the struggles, you are so funny!! The entire room roared with laughter at some of your antics. You are such an enjoyable speaker. I do not believe I have ever seen our crowd give a standing ovation to anyone, yet at the
end of your presentation, all were on their feet! I believe you could have had their attention another hour!

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and your humor with us. You are an inspiration to all of us who work in the field of behavioral health. It reminds us why we come to work every day. It means a great deal. I hope you will visit us again soon.

Sincerely and thankfully yours,

Donna Henry, RN, BSN
Senior Vice President of Residential and Clinical Services

To Whom It May Concern:

It is with great pleasure that I recommend the fascinating lecturer, Marti MacGibbon, to serve as a keynote speaker for your organization. Ms. MacGibbon recently spoke at our “Putting the Pieces Back Together” Mental Health Conference, and the attendees were positively captivated. Marti is a bestselling, nationally award winning author, inspirational speaker, certified addiction treatment professional, and comedian. Marti shares her story with honesty and humor, providing an inspiring look at conquering addiction and trauma, overcoming adversity, and regaining hope. She is a remarkable woman who has triumphed over adolescent sexual abuse/assault, addiction, human trafficking, domestic violence, severe PTSD, homelessness and addiction to lead a successful, happy life.

We were interested in a motivational speaker who could use relevant, real world examples and experiences to help motivate the attendees in making a positive difference in the lives of others as well as their own lives. One of the selling points was her desire to customize the presentation to meet the goals and objectives of the conference.

Marti MacGibbon is a dynamic, motivating and effective facilitator. She provided great insight and her personality definitely is an asset and her energy resounds in the presentation. Ms. MacGibbon has a unique ability to be entertaining, professional, humorous, motivational and informative all in the same presentation. Her ability to relate personal events into the presentations enhanced their impact and allowed the attendees to grasp the message. Marti will make a positive impact and be a valuable asset for any conference or seminar.

The pace of her lectures is brisk but the information is not too difficult to absorb. She possesses first-hand knowledge that is not readily available in books and not commonly heard from others. She can make the audience feel like they have known her personally by the end of every lecture and also gives the audience simple, effective strategies anyone can use to build resiliency and overcome challenges with grace and a sense of humor.

I recommend Ms. Marti MacGibbon and her lectures without reservation. I hope you will give her an opportunity to address your participants. Please contact me should you need additional information at 515-993-1710 or jfelt@dhs.state.ia.us.

To Whom It May Concern:

In June, I booked Marti MacGibbon to be the keynote speaker at the Junior League of Cincinnati’s inaugural Sustainer Forum. On October 6, she held the sold-out audience in the palm of her hand as she shared her story as a survivor of human trafficking.

The attendees ranged in age from mid-30s to late 70s and her message was relevant to all. The Q&A segment – in which she and a FBI Special Agent shared the podium – demonstrated that there was something for everyone in Marti’s story. Some were asking questions because they’re grandmothers, others because they have adolescent children, still others because they’re volunteers and they heard Marti’s call to action.

During the four months between booking Marti and welcoming her to Cincinnati, I found her to be amazingly responsive to my requests for information, promotional materials, etc. I could tell before she arrived that she would be an engaged presenter.

And, she was! From the moment she arrived, she was ‘working the crowd.’ In fact, she was every bit the hostess the twelve members wearing “Hostess” ribbons were! The attendees commented on her accessibility and vibrant personality. After her remarks, I noticed that she was huddled with one of the venue’s servers who obviously had sought her counsel. (Interestingly, all of the
venue’s staff – male and female – sat down for the program!)

In the three days since Marti’s presentation, I have received scores of emails from appreciative attendees. Some excerpts from a few of those messages: “The speaker was amazing.” “The speaker shed important light on a very difficult issue.” “The presentation was heart rending, but gratifying to see her leading a new life helping others out of her former hell.” “The guests were most interested in the topic which was certainly evidenced by the number of questions. In fact, we would have been there another hour with questions had you not called it a night when you did.” “What an incredible speaker and event!!!!”

Marti MacGibbon’s message is one everyone should hear. We were honored to feature her as our inaugural presenter – we could not have made a better selection.

Recently our organization had the privilege of presenting Marti MacGibbon as guest speaker at our event. Marti is both effective and inspiring. She is a courageous and animated speaker who uses her own personal story to empower others. Her candid and witty presentation helped insure the success of our event.

Marti has the ability to address a serious topic in a way that keeps her audience engaged. Her down to earth style thoroughly entranced our guests. In evaluations, ninety-two percent rated her presentation as good or excellent. One hundred percent of attendees indicated that the event raised awareness of human trafficking, while ninety-two percent indicated their awareness of domestic violence issues was enhanced as well. Marti’s presentation helped us achieve these two major goals admirably.

Thank you, once again, for arranging your schedule to come and speak at the Museum of Tolerance. Your personal testimony of Human Trafficking is a very important one. It reveals the vulnerability of youth, the challenge of choices, and ultimately, the empowerment possible when someone courageously confronts evil. Your audience was very attentive and engaged.

Your story is inspirational. You are a survivor of human trafficking and drug abuse who was able to turn your life around, escaping from Japan, conquering drug abuse, gaining an education, and now living a happy life, giving back to society and helping others.

The inclusion in your power-point of definitions, information and resources was very powerful and beneficial for the audience. Thank you for a fine presentation. I wish you continued good health and success and will look forward to having you speak again at the Museum of Tolerance in the future.

As the Director of Development for the Community Health Center in Akron, Ohio I was able to have the pleasure of working with Ms. Marti MacGibbon on our annual Break the Cycle of Addiction Luncheon and fundraising event in September. Marti provided the key note address “Recovery, Hope, and the Power of Gratitude” to an audience of 400 including public officials, addiction treatment specialists, community advocates and those in recovery. Her compelling, professional telling of her personal story about her journey through harrowing addiction to recovery resonated strongly with our attendees.

In addition to delivering her key note speech, Ms. MacGibbon also graciously agreed to participate in a radio interview prior to our event. Even more important to the people our organization serves was the fact that Marti also participated in a panel discussion on addiction and recovery with some of our patients immediately following our event.

We were fortunate to be able to have Ms. MacGibbon participate in our signature event this year. Her story and lifestyle of embracing a grateful attitude helped to set the tone for our event objective of breaking down the stigma of addiction and recovery.

My acquaintance with Marti MacGibbon began in December 2014. I called Marti to discussa speaking engagement to benefit a homeless shelter and services center. It was a formal ballroom dance event held in Evansville Indiana where the primary audience would be business professionals who were supporting our organizations goals to end homelessness. As I spoke with Marti and discussed how our organization served women and men in our community, I was impressed with her knowledge in trauma resolution. Everyone has stress and adversity in their lives and Marti explains how to find peace and show grace through these times and it is inspirational to hear her story. Her compassionate personality along with experience made conversations enlightening and interesting.

With Marti’s vast knowledge in trauma resolution, we decided to have Marti speak at a luncheon for healthcare professionals and area crises centers for individuals, the day prior to the formal ballroom dance event. She prepared her message which took a more in depth look at the impacts of drug addictions and homelessness and the audience was captivated by her ability to weave light humor in with her stories. I had several individuals tell me that they could listen to Marti all day.

I strongly recommend Marti for any speaking engagement. She has the ability to “feel the audience” and generate a message that people appreciate hearing. In addition to being an excellent speaker, she believes in the power of the human spirit and encourages us to take a look inside.