Why Work With Us?

“DLM offers strong direction and a unique ability to listen and lift what is needed to build strategy outputs. They have the finesse and empathy to guide through powerful conversations.” - NSCC Foundation & Alumni Relations

  • We are seasoned in team dynamics and can identify and remedy signs of potential dysfunction. Our diverse experience managing and working within teams across the charitable sector, sports industry, corporate, and start-up community makes us a trusted and knowledgeable partner.

  • We apply a socially conscious and equitable lens to the work so marginalized voices are centered, respected, and actioned.

  • We equip you with the skills and knowledge to own the process and feel confident in your organizational plan.

  • We tailor our offerings to meet your unique needs.

  • We facilitate powerful and difficult conversations where people are seen, heard, and valued, clarity and understanding are prioritized and findings are thoughtfully fused into plans.

 

Laurissa Manning

Principal

Laurissa is a trusted creator who lifts and steers what is needed to build thriving communities. Motivated by her purpose to illuminate and empower authentic voice, she inspires people to deepen their relationships with self, peers, and community. 

An influential entrepreneur, Laurissa holds over 25 years of combined experience in business logistics, strategic planning, and coaching. She has founded numerous businesses across health and wellness, and event management, and founded DLM in 2018, a dynamic firm to help organizations build purposeful plans and great teams to meet the evolving needs of business and community. Laurissa is a methodical facilitator of change who is trusted by businesses at any stage, to get hands-on with their growth needs. As an established and diplomatic people leader, Laurissa is known for her ability to facilitate a balanced and nurturing space that sparks traction and relationships that ignite valuable and lasting connections.This is evident in how she infuses holistic well-being into everything she touches, from business to fitness. Laurissa is a mentor in the satellite teacher training department with Essentrics® and is Chair of the Atlantic Dance Institute. Living by her values of community, collaboration and create, you can find Laurissa collaboratively building legacies as Board Chair of the PREP Academy, Chair of Governance with the NSCC Board of Governors, and board member with Bend Beauty. 

 

Lauren Sears

Principal

Lauren is a powerful conduit for big ideas, bringing the most ambitious and abstract of visions to life. Driven by her purpose to cultivate the conditions for manifestation, she energizes entrepreneurs, teams, and their organizations to shift perspective and reach common goals. 

A curious ecosystem builder, Lauren has a history of weaving business, strategy, and social purpose to unite people and inspire candid collaboration. She has helped launch numerous startups, including 45 Atlantic Canadian social enterprises, and in 2017, co-founded Placemaking 4G, an award-winning equitable recruitment and DEI agency. Lauren holds an educational background in psychology, business, and organizational behaviour, and most recently a Level 1 mediation training. Still, her magnetic leadership and in-depth understanding of organizational culture stem from years of experience across business, social, and government sectors. Lauren weaves coaching and team stewardship skills across all corners of her life. After a successful athletic career, she coached high-performance sports for more than 15 years.  

Most recently Lauren joined forces with DLM in 2021, a dynamic firm to help organizations build purposeful plans and great teams to meet the evolving needs of business and community. You can also find Lauren sitting on the Social Innovation Advisory Council for the Federal Government (ESDC), and as a mentor with She Can Coach Pilot with Volleyball Nova Scotia. Lauren’s approach to relationships infuses her core values of nurture, fun, and imagination, which transpire in how she holds safe and productive space for challenging conversations. Her knack for asking bold and brilliant questions and stoking tactical plans tend to spark the evolution teams dream of having. 

 

Our Why

  • My personal purpose is to empower and illuminate an authentic voice, this is supported by my 3 core values which are: Community. Collaboration. Create.

    So what does all this mean to me?

    The consistent thread through everything that I have done in my life from event management to personal training, coaching teams, mentoring, coaching founders, businesses, and even teaching fitness classes is all about helping people to discover their authentic voice- it may not be about the physical voice, it might be in how they move, what they learn about themselves but ultimately being there to help them to be the best possible them… ultimately discovering themselves.

    For me, this has always happened through creating and collaborating and ultimately building community. When I had my boutique fitness center it was about creating a community where everyone who walked through the door was recognized and acknowledged and they knew they were important to everyone within the space. It was about creating connections and relationships amongst members that continue to this day.

    Today it’s still about creating community, thriving communities where all members are able to be their authentic selves- this can happen in an organization, a team, or even with a single person. It’s the people's work and all that goes into supporting and building a culture that enables you to have a strong community

  • My personal purpose is to cultivate the conditions for manifestation, and this is supported by my three core values which are: Nurture. Fun. Collective.

    What drives me in my work and my personal life is connecting the dots; bringing people and resources together to bring a big idea to life or to reach a common goal. Getting the right pieces in place seems to create the results we desire almost magically. If an individual person or team believes they can, then it’s possible.

    Throughout the years I’ve worked closely with numerous teams, social enterprises, businesses, and leaders to get clear on their vision, understand what conditions are needed, and support creating the plan to see it all come together. This can look like changing culture and mindsets, recruiting a key person, holding a safe space for discussion and expression, or finding ways to communicate with the right community.

    For me, it’s all about nurturing relationships with self, others, and the wider ecosystem in service of the collective good. And without question, we need to have some fun along the way!