Accolades.

AND THE FANS RAVE ON...

"In Saskatoon on September 20th, Zandra Bell's alter-ego, Shirley Best, blew into the CropLife Canada banquet like a prairie storm. The entrepreneurial farm wife and self-confessed certified credit card utilization consultant lit up the night in colourful garb. Her energetic performance clearly demonstrating familiarity with the plant science industry, its unique characteristics and challenges. Incorporating witty, unexpected references to specialized terminology, Shirley can even put a humorous spin on the most technical of issues. Circulating among the banquet tables, sharing comical observations in quirky style, she may be the ultimate multi-tasker, since she has also received accolades for her chameleon-like ability to adapt to any business environment. Dynamic, delightful, Zandra Bell delivers!"

...CropLife Canada


"Shirley Best" is THE BEST when it comes to entertaining groups with INTENSE HUMOR. She is truly one of a kind and ideal for an unforgettable brand of fun and laughs for any company function. Shirley's unique customized comedy makes her heads above other entertainers. Great to work with!

...San Francisco Stores, Edmonton, Alberta


"All of our clients and staff were amazed at Zandra's knowledge of our business. Her ability to memorize an hour long show was incredible. We were thoroughly impressed by her presentation and the amount of research and preparation she did. It was a job well done!!"

Thanks again for doing such an amazing job. We were still hearing comments 2 days later!

...Metegrity


"Zandra performed at our company Christmas party and it was obvious she spent a lot of time researching our company. She was not only hilarious but also relevant. After conducting several interviews with management and office and field staff, Zandra met with us just prior to the function to review and fine tune the input she had received. She put a lot of effort into her act and it was time well spent. All of our people thoroughly enjoyed her routine. I would describe Zandra as thorough, professional and hilarious."

...Caltech Surveys


"Zandra Bell is definitely a professional comedian; she dedicates her time to each client to customize her performance and maximize impact. Her efforts paid off very well for us; employee feedback was positive."

...Chevron Canada Resources

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"I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! I also wanted you to know that it was very well received by all of my staff. A bunch of people came up to me after you left and asked if you were an ex-wireline engineer!! Other comments that I got were how amazed people were that you could remember all of the information that our team members passed onto you! I don't think many people will be able to look at the High Resolution Borehole Compensated Sonic the same way again!

I will recommend you to all the people that I come across and look forward to possibly working with you again in the future.

...Weatherford Wireline, Edmonton Open Hole Division


"An exceptional show to end a great conference. You displayed great versatility by masterfully piecing together a powerful comedy rendition built around Supply Chain Management realities with a clear focus on thought provoking challenges and opportunities facing our team. Many people wondered how you got all your facts - except of course those you contacted as part of your research for the event. The show certainly left a positive impression on the audience and post event feedback was great. Kudos for creating such a hilarious framework that clearly complemented and reinforced the core thrust and key messages of the conference - a true Business Comedy!"

...Shell Canada Limited, Supply Chain Management Team


"Zandra, you were incredible! You delivered a performance that exceeded our expectations...you were superb! We were simply amazed that you could gather the knowledge of our industry so quickly, assemble it with such skill, and deliver it with perfect timing and loaded with humour. We have heard nothing but compliments on your role as Shirley Best, which was evident when you received a spontaneous standing ovation following your performance. It was a pleasure dealing with you. Thank you!"

...Canada Safeway Limited


"Shirley Best really has her finger on the pulse of an organization with her witty repertoire. She does her homework and targets the quirky culture until the audience thinks she is really one of them. Thanks Shirley, for a great show!"

...NASA – Nothern Alberta Institute of Technology


"What makes Zandra Bell - aka "Shirley Best" - unique as a speaker is not only her powerful and sincere delivery, but her proven ability to custom build the content of every presentation. The result is a presentation with unparalleled individual and organizational impact. "Shirley" held the audience captivated and laughing hysterically throughout the entire presentation. You will not find a more sincere presenter, nor one more committed to delivering a tailor-made presentation that speaks directly to the current challenges facing each group."

...2007 Employee Development Conference


"Thank you, thank you, Zandra! What a hit! The response to your performance was fantastic as shown by the standing ovation! We're still laughing! You really hit us where we live. It's only after your show is over that we realize the organizing and memorizing that must go into your work. While you're "on", you're just "one of the girls"! You made our Garden Party a memorable event!"

...The Red Hat Society

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"I have been looking for over 20 years for a speaker who lived up to the promise to tailor their presentation... Shirley Best is the first to meet, let alone exceed my expectations in that regard... you displayed a familiarity with road building jargon, issues and technical detail that had my members believing that you must have spent considerable time in the industry. All customization aside, I would be remiss in not adding that your presentation was just plain hilarious. You had the audience in the palm of your hand"

...Ontario Road Builders Association


"Zandra was absolutely incredible! Her diligent research and memorization skills left everyone amazed at her 'intimate' knowledge of our partners and our firm. She is a fabulous entertainer and her talents truly aided in making our conference a huge success."

... Annual Energy Conference - Peters & Co. Ltd. - Calgary, Alberta


"You spent many hours researching our industry... which became very evident the evening of your performance when you received a standing ovation. Members even came up to me afterwards asking how long you were in the industry. You were certainly one of the major highlights of our conference..."

...Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada


"The depth of your research and preparation was clearly evident... To be able to get such a diverse group of usually very serious and logical professionals to laugh at themselves is a true gift."

...Canadian Geotechnical Engineering Conference


"Your delivery of these dynamics was well organized, intelligent, and therefore, hilarious. Your memory capacity and smart style of comedy had an extremely strong impact on our audience... and brought a whole new level of quality to the dinner."

...Investment Symposium - Petroleum Services Association of Canada


"In a tour de force of preparation, incredible memory, and superbly timed delivery, Shirley Best provided outstanding entertainment. Attendees were amazed by the knowledge displayed of both their personalities and their environment, amused by the humorous presentation, and astonished by the feat of memory displayed - even to the point of not skipping a beat to respond spontaneously during the performance."

...Alberta Medical Association


"I expected an evening with laughs, and you delivered a performance that exceeded my expectations... we were simply amazed that you could gather the knowledge of our unique industry so quickly, assemble it with such skill, deliver it with perfect timing and loaded with humour. My face hurt, and others looked like they were having problems breathing, we were laughing so hard. It was a good thing we had skilled medical folks in the room!"

...CAD Conference - Edmonton Emergency Response Department


"You have a remarkable ability to perceive and share the humour in our work relationships while respecting the depth of those relationships, and to learn and correctly use the jargon so prevalent in our industry. Your remarks consistently amazed the audience by reflecting the correct context in every situation, a challenging feat for mere mortals even after 20 years in the oil patch. Your delivery was also very effective at supporting some of the environment and safety achievements we are proud of, and respecting agreed to in researching our situation. Seldom have i seen so many people laugh so hard at themselves, their spouses, their workmates, and their supervisors. We all left those evenings with our personal balance restored, refreshed, a little closer together than at the beginning of the evening, and a little more ready to tackle the next challenges together."

...Chevron Canada Resources

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"The countless hours you spent learning, probing, becoming an expert in our industry with all its acronyms, was most amazing, yet respecting of personalities. And leaving the audience with the gift of laughter was a powerful wellness tool. A job truly well done. You have an incredible ability and memory to deliver humour."

...Alberta Newsprint Company


"I have heard nothing but compliments on your role as Shirley Best... The amount of information you were able to learn about our strategies and processes was amazing. I think you probably speak better bankese than some of our staff do. Your ability to transform this information into humour is truly remarkable. I believe you were able to give everyone a more positive outlook on our present challenges."

...CIBC


"What we say? You left us all breathless! Your ability to tailor the material to our group was outstanding. Everyone was convinced you had been a snowmobiler for years and years and knew all about the sport and the industry. Your genius at being able to select the events in our sport to which anyone can relate is uncanny."

...Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs


"Zandra's presentation was right on the mark with well placed humour, a personalized touch, and a powerful motivational message. She demonstrated a unique ability to take a series of mundane statistics and facts, and integrate them into a series of humorous approaches which were appropriate, wholesome, and enjoyed by the entire group."

...Scotiabank


"Your show in particular, Zandra, was one of the highlights... our retailers were absolutely raving over your abilities to mix a sound understanding of their business, with humour that contained a positive message... In fact, I had several retailers say that you were speaking directly to their trials and tribulations. It was a superb job of research, writing and delivery that we will not soon forget."

...Husky Oil Marketing Company - Mohawk Canada Ltd.


"It was absolutely perfect! At first it was your characters appearance that had everyone laughing but soon it was your material. Everyone was glued to your every word!! The employees were amazed at your knowledge! They all appreciated the fact you had done substantial research for the show. People are still talking and laughing about the evening. It was definitely memorable, which was exactly what we wanted."

...Inland Group

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"Many of the delegates remarked on how well researched and relevant your presentation was. Dr. Best, your stress presentation for SUMA really hit the mark. Many of our delegates rated your presentation as a 4 or a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5."

...Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association


"We have collated the evaluations received from your session. 100% rated your presentation as excellent, with no one rating it less than 5 out of 5!! Some of the comments included, Super, get her back. Very amusing, light hearted, witty, great attitude. She hit the funny nerve of every teacher in the audience. Easy to relate to. Refreshing. Great insight. Humour very well researched and applicable. Fab outfit! Several told us you should have been our opening key note speaker."

...Central East Alberta Teachers Association


"Zandras presentation was well researched and tailored to the audience. The fact that she memorized all those government acronyms is a testament to her preparation for the event! The presentation left the audience feeling positive about their work and we continue to receive feedback on the impact of her performance. I believe this is a true indicator of the lasting effect she had! I wholeheartedly recommend Zandra for any group... Zandra is truly committed to providing the best product for her clients."

...National Public Service Week - Calgary Leadership and Learning Centre


"From the moment she was introduced, Zandra had the audience in stitches. Probably the most powerful part of her act was her ability to bring specific site knowledge and history into her monologue. Some of the comments from those who attended were: The presentation was humorous and carried a message. The people enjoyed it. I think it did something for the folks who were in attendance. She did an excellent job... at work functions, to make areas funny not only for the employees, but for the spouses too, she must have done a good job. Almost all the survey responses gave the entertainment a score of EXCELLENT!"

...Agrium - Vanscoy Potash Operations


"Your presentation was timely and showed thorough research into the issues and concerns of our agents. Even though it¹s only been a couple of years since you were last here, your material was fresh and new. The awards presentations which tend to be lengthy, moved along quickly and smoothly under your direction."

...United Farmers of Alberta


"Ms. Bell's performance was incredible and thoroughly enjoyed by our entire group. Her remarkable memory and attention to detail will impress even the most sophisticated conventioneer."

...Canadian Oil Heat Association


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"Your research into the automotive parts industry was evidently very thorough, you accurately captured all our issues with that special twist that only Shirley Best could find. Your knowledge, high energy, great personality and humour combined resulted in a superb evening of entertainment."

...Uni-Select


"I want to thank you for the excellent job you did as our master of ceremonies... The feedback we've received clearly shows your performance truly helped make the night a highly entertaining and enjoyable one."

...Saskatchewan Awards for Communication Excellence

'The depth of your research and preparation was clearly evident and I couldn't help but laugh when I heard people commenting about how much you knew. Some of the comments included, "How did she know all that information about our difference facilities and keep it all straight?" "She must have worked in our industry before!"
I guess laughter is really the best medicine, employees were smiling at work for days following your performance. I heard nothing but great comments and had many people approach me about how to contact you for various other events in our community. Your performance was a great hit!'

...Canadian Natural Resources Ltd, Bonnyville Operations

"Zandra's performance was absolutely hilarious and professional. During the course of the evening she included information in her performance regarding our Rig Managers, Drillers, their families and our drilling rigs. The entertainment was very tastefully done. I was quite impressed by all the ground work and memorization that had to be completed to make the evening successful. Zandra's research was accurate and thorough."

...Phelps Drilling Co. Alberta

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"Zandra's presentation was very well received and it was evident from the laughter that they enjoyed themselves. Below are some comments from the participants.
COMMENTS:

  • I needed a Kleenex to wipe the tears of laughter.
  • Wonderful!
  • Hilarious! She was awesome!
  • Great way to end the conference. Very entertaining.
  • Hire her again. Money well spent.
  • Very funny!
  • Bloody Brilliant!
  • Had a lot of fun. A great way to end the conference."

...Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness, Capital Health Alberta

"Attendance at this function was the highest it has been and compliments have been received from many of our invitees as to the depth of your knowledge of oil and gas field operations. The adaptation and presentation of your researched material was hilarious, totally appropriate for the event, and, a bonus for us was that you were able to incorporate serious safety issues into a side-splitting performance. Your thoroughly professional approach is greatly appreciated by myself as an organizer of this function. I thank you for all the pre-event preparation you expended in order to guarantee a truly successful and enjoyable evening. The quality of entertainment certainly exceeded all expectations with its variety and insight. Based on your range of talents, your thorough research, and intellectual abilities, I have no hesitation in recommending you to any company for any event and venue."

...Canadian Natural Resources Ltd Grande Prairie District

"When the Board made the decision to hire you for our entertainment at the meeting, we wondered how you could possibly make the turkey industry seem humorous. Through the conversations you had with some of our members you did an incredible job in showing the lighter side of the turkey industry... the entire hour was filled with laughter from those in attendance."

...Ontario Turkey Producers' Marketing Board

"The show was a success and we have had very positive feedback from our members. You combined industry knowledge with the perfect amount of humour that the audience could relate to and laugh at. I truly appreciate the research and thought that went into your performance. I thought your positive messages about the development industry were intricately placed and well received. You have an amazing ability to tease but not offend which is so difficult to do in this era when being politically correct is vital."

...Urban Development Institute of Calgary

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'I would like to thank you for your outstanding presentation at our recent Annual Conference. The hilarious antics of "Shirley Best" were a huge hit with the attendees at this event. Her humourous look at the realities of condominium living were refreshing, yet fully appreciated by all who attended. On a personal note, Zandra it was a pleasure dealing with you Ð as you are a true professional. From our initial contact with you, through contract finalizations, travel arrangements, on site details and presentation follow up Ð you dealt with us quickly and in a professional manner. I have no hesitation recommending you to others as an outstanding comedy presenter.'

...Canadian Condominium Institute and the Association of Condominium Managers of Ontario

'Thank you for the excellent job you did energizing our managers... I'm sure you could tell from the laughter during your performance and the applause at the end that everyone thought you were hilarious and enjoyed the session with you immensely. The comments from our managers were all very positive and included, "Terrific lady with talent" and "Very funny. Great stress relief.'

...Spartan Controls Ltd.

"... Thank you for your witty and energetic performance..., you helped establish an upbeat tone that carried through... It was evident you had done a great deal of research on our firm. Our partners were astounded you were able to parody Dillon's policies and procedures for close to an hour. Your performance has become a bit of a legend in our offices from coast to coast."

...Dillon Consulting

'Thank you very much for your performance at our "Municipal Night". Those who attended the function, both contractors and politicians, were impressed by your knowledge of our industry and you left many people wondering if "Shirley Best" really was married to a contractor. We were very impressed by the time and effort you put in to researching our industry in order to prepare your highly successful show. Your presentation about bidding procedures, material delivery and the general problems encountered by our industry everyday garnered many laughs and nods of agreement from the audience.'

...Heavy Construction Association of Windsor

"Zandra's attention to detail and grasp of the seismic lingo was truly a work of art. Her hours of preparation shone through that night and clearly defined her as a professional of professionals in the comedic venue. We received numerous compliments that evening and in the days and weeks that followed. Her performance and individual insights remain a topic of conversation over lunch and other social interactive settings in our industry. Her analogies captured the essence of our numerous industrial categories - a challenge many of our insiders haven't accomplished yet."

...Canadian Association of Geophysical Contractors

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"... employees were surprised at how much she knew about the College and our students and staff and the clever way in which she used the information during her address. She worked the audience very well and had almost everyone laughing from the beginning to the end of her talk... She was very astute in recognizing information that might be of a sensitive or political nature and before using any of the information confirmed whether she should use it or not. The feedback for her presentation indicated that almost without exception she was rated very high and many employees indicated she was the best keynote speaker we have ever had."

...Portage College - Lac La Biche, Alberta

"I must compliment you on your professionalism. It was very interesting to watch you develop your knowledge base and understanding of the auction business. The tremendous amount of time and effort you spend in preparation and your ability to put this all together in one performance is amazing. One would have thought you had spent your entire life in the auction industry. I know everyone thoroughly enjoyed your show. The intellect of your humour and your ability to roll so many things into one performance is truly a gift. Also the personal touch you gave to the Saturday seminar left our members with a strong message about how humour can benefit us all."

...Auctioneers' Association of Alberta

"Zandra's presentation was very well received and it was evident from the laughter that they enjoyed themselves. Below are some comments from the participants.
COMMENTS:

  • I needed a Kleenex to wipe the tears of laughter.
  • Wonderful!
  • Hilarious! She was awesome!
  • Great way to end the conference. Very entertaining.
  • Hire her again. Money well spent.
  • Very funny!.
  • Bloody Brilliant!
  • Had a lot of fun. A great way to end the conference."

...Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness, Capital Health

"Zandra delivered a hilarious and thoughtful performance that far exceeded our expectations! Her depth of research and knowledge of our area was absolutely amazing. She had the audience laughing from start to finish!"

...Northern Alberta Renal Program

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"At first, we were slightly apprehensive about introducing comedy into our annual meeting, but were elated to see how Zandra touched our people. The zany personality of Zandra's character combined with her ability to relate the content of the presentation to our business kept the audience captivated and in stitches.
With only a few weeks to prepare, Zandra was able to convince the audience that she was a seasoned veteran in our industry. I would definitely recommend At Wit's End to companies thinking of introducing laughter to their meetings."

...CCI Thermal Technologies Inc.

'"Thoroughly researched; professionally presented; impeccable industry knowledge; extremely entertaining; and a goddess for the imaginative mind" were just a few of the myriad positive comments made by Association members at our national conference. Shirley Best did an outstanding job of capturing audience attention, leading them to peaks of hilarity and through valleys of belly laughs while remaining true to our industry group. Our association has a diverse membership, varied employment base and wide variation in age and professional interests. Shirley had researched them all and reached them all with the language and knowledge of a lifetime insider. Don't let the picture fool you, Shirley is a national treasure. Invite her to participate at your conference and enjoy the endorphin high!'

...Canadian Association of Foodservice Professionals, National Conference in Edmonton

"We had a very successful fund raiser and members of the public that were present really enjoyed Zandra's presentation. She was able put a spin on local flavor, tie the material together and relate back to her audience. We had comments such as:

  • She is one funny lady
  • How does she remember all that material
  • She can sure make you look at the lighter side of yourself
  • I smiled for a week after her presentation.
We would recommend Zandra to other organizations and look forward to the time when we can have her back in our community."

...Wainwright and District Health Foundation

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"Thank you very much for your presentation to our regional Physical Therapists. You met our goals in spades! The therapists laughed, and cried, and left with a lighter step. You impressed them, and us with the accuracy with which you captured the essence of our professional views, dilemmas, and idiosyncrasies. As they left many asked where you trained as a physio. They would not believe me that you learned all that you obviously about our profession in such a short time! There is no doubt that Shirley Best is the best at encouraging people to live with and laugh at themselves and their realities. I look forward to seeing both you and Shirley again."

...Physical Therapy Services, David Thompson Health Region

'A Tribute to Shirley Best! Shirley Best performed a customized comedy hour for NAIT academic and support staff. She "hit the nail on the head" so many times, the audience wondered if she really was a NAIT staff. Her "charmingly outrageous" motivational humor was greatly appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed. She definitely set the tone for the staff to look beyond the daily frustrations, laugh at ourselves at times, and see the humor in the world of teaching and training adults.'

...Northern Alberta Institute of Technology

'On behalf of The Legal Aid Society of Alberta, I am pleased to recommend Zandra Bell to you for your private or corporate event. Her background research and determination in understanding our organization was evident during her performance. Her ability to memorize in great detail our process at Legal Aid, together with funny and unusual happenings and her comedic approach to her performance left us all in stitches! Some of the comments from our follow up survey were: "Laughter - good way to end the day, excellent stress relief, chance to laugh at our job - gave us a comical look at what other departments have to deal with, outstanding stroke of genius, on point and entertaining". Great performance!'

...Wetaskiwin Legal Aid Region

"On behalf of the Alberta Motor Association, I would like to Thank You for your hilarious and witty performance at our Annual Christmas Party. Who would have thought that someone like you could take ordinary, daily situations, learn how our different business units function and then turn it into a comedy routine? You truly stunned and amazed the staff with how much you memorized. I was asked if you wore a transmitter in your ear so that someone could feed you details as you went through your performance. People loved your Shirley Best character and her dramatic entrance with a twist. Many ladies had to re-do their makeup after your show. Thanks for the great laughs and we wish you continued success!"

...Alberta Motor Association, Edmonton

"We were delighted with your performance! Our staff was impressed by how much you knew about us and our work. We received many kudos for those who briefed you, but it was your writing that put it all together. They were also amazed by the length of your performance. One of the most memorable moments for me was when you innocently asked one of our ADM's if he was someone important - the spontaneity of that remark still gives me a giggle. One staff asked me if you had met him before and so knew who to ask. It was all in good fun and we truly enjoyed ourselves - that was obvious within the first 2 minutes!"

...Organizational Effectiveness, Alberta Economic Development

"One of the corporate objectives at Calgary Co-op is to encourage humour among employees in our workplace. Your comedic performance at our management meeting certainly helped support and encourage this objective. We were impressed with your research about Calgary Co-op and the nuances that make our company unique. By using teamwork to showcase how each department experiences similar situations and challenges, you reinforced for everyone that we are all part of the same team. And, Zandra - nothing is better than a good belly laugh, of which we heard many during your presentation. Thank you! It was great."

...VP Marketing and Operations, Calgary Cooperative Association


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