"Dave Aardappel comes with the "total package" needed in a mentor: successful leadership and mentoring experience, knowledge, leadership style, positive human relation skills, love of people and a great sense of humor. Having Dave as a mentor will change your life...it has changed mine!"

"Dave is both a proactive visionary and an insightful problem-solver. He is both a compassionate and caring people person and a goal-driven achiever. His strong communication skills are reinforced by his willingness to listen."

"Having worked with Dave Aardappel for ten years (six years as his administrative assistant), I know that he has been, and will continue to be a superior, effective mentor. He has the human relations skills and leadership experience inherent in the successful coach."

"Dave is a very hardworking, dedicated leader who has high expectations for himself and is a positive team builder. His commitment to excellence has not diminished his love of life. He has a great sense of humor and promotes humor as a stress reliever."

"You were a wonderful facilitator and calming force in a difficult decision-making process."

"First and foremost, David unconditionally accepts the person he is working with. Because of this I immediately felt free to express my experiences and opinions and feel valued for what I do. In such a positive atmosphere it is easy to be open to feedback and to be able to consider another’s point of view."

"As frosting on the cake, it is a pleasure and a relief from an all-too-serious world to partake of Dave’s humor, which he uses along with his story telling to teach, enliven and renew."

When I first began working with David Aardappel, I had been working in my career field for fourteen years. I definitely "knew what I was doing." However, after working with David, he helped me to explore how I could expand my "field of expertise" and incorporate other skills, passions and projects into my job. I focused on doing things that I liked and learning more. The job got more fun and I was able to make lots of people happy, including myself!

David believes in cultivating broad interests, not to focus on too narrow a goal. He asserts that everything you do enriches the "main" job, whatever that may be. He is committed to the idea that you should enjoy your work, his favorite phrase being "Are we still having fun?"

David is irreverent with a passion. He is silly with a purpose. He can be goofy, but is always good hearted. The method to his madness is to keep you relaxed and smiling so that you can see how easy it is to accomplish so much.

Did David focus on what I wanted to achieve? You betcha! He listened to my assessments and analysis, and then he helped me with my goals. He has the ability to understand what you want to accomplish and then to encourage you to explore the many possible ways to get there. He helps you figure out where to go, and then lets you decide how to get there.

David is easy to work with because his conversations are never burdened with jargon or dogma. Talking to David is like talking to your favorite, brilliant - and eccentric - uncle. When I think of the few people in my life who have given me new directions, David Aardappel has been a compass helping me find my way to who I am now.

When I first graduated from graduate school with my Masters degree in Social Work I knew it would be important for me to find someone to supervise the psychotherapy I provided to clients. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Social Workers, like myself, to find such supervisors. I feel very blessed that Dave became my supervisor and mentor at that time. He balanced the roles of administrator and educator with ease and was also able to provide me with support in my role as a therapist. Many mentors can evaluate you, critique you, and offer opinions. Not many take the time to invite you to find and take care of yourself in the process.