We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Wendy Wilson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Wendy below.
Wendy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?
As a former Human Resources practitioner and current executive in higher education, I am constantly reminded of the importance of educating students on career design, particularly in the area of soft skills development. Understanding and the ability to apply core competencies are expected when entering the workforce post-high school or upon degree completion. However, equally important and expected is the understanding and desired mastery of executive presence—effective communication, the practice of healthy emotional intelligence, and professional aesthetics. Many industry experts and employers continue to voice concerns that many postgraduates lack the desired range of soft-skill practices and behaviors.
As an executive coach and career planning strategist, I regularly educate individuals and organizational systems about the impact of failing to practice and hold individuals accountable for soft and hard skills. Failing to do so can undermine one’s longevity within a role but can also diminish an individual’s and organizational reputation.
High schools and post-secondary education institutions are best suited to institute appropriate training and programming, preparing students to become professionals capable of demonstrating and adhering to behavioral and proficiency expectations regardless of their field of study or academic discipline.
With the release of my book, ‘101 Career Planning and Executive Presence Strategies,’ I look forward to partnering with various educational and non-educational systems to use the book as a guide and tool of instruction. The leading goal is to enhance the learning and development of students, prospective, and current workforce professionals on the strategies and techniques essential to strengthening career presence and opportunities to advance.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am proud to share that I am a transformational leader with a proven reputation for advancing organizational operations and profiles throughout post-secondary education and corporate systems. For the majority of my professional career, I have had the wonderful opportunity to influence the professional and academic development of students, employees, and executives within a range of disciplines and industries.
Nearly 20 years ago, I was inspired to apply those experiences, coupled with my extensive personal and formal training, by starting my own consulting business – W2 Communications LLC. W2 Communications is a boutique consulting firm, specializing in executive coaching, career planning, professional development, diversity, equity, and inclusion training for individuals, corporations, and nonprofit entities. The firm has proudly influenced and created opportunities for success, yielding intended objectives and outcomes for a broad range of clients, including USDA, American Council on Education, AARP New York, Academic Impressions, Strada Education Network, United Way, the City of Albany, GA, and AT&T. My coaching expertise has yielded impressive results, including two individuals who received and accepted White House positions and another with JP Morgan Chase.
Coaching services include scheduled reviews and discussions of individual S.W.O.T. analyses based on career and professional objectives, workplace challenges/solution design, and Executive Presence consultation, and review of a professional document portfolio (bio, resume, etc.). In addition to executive coaching, I provide training to corporate and non-profit entities.
Our training portfolio includes:
Executive Presence
Conflict Resolution
Emotional Intelligence
Diversity Awareness
Problem Solving
Team Building
Project Management
Critical Thinking
W2 Communications’ aim is to offer a suite of services to address the needs of clients ranging from entry level to C-suite. In addition to coaching and training, career design template products are available for purchase, including:
The Be So Good Cover Letter
They Can’t Ignore Resume or Curriculum Vitae
The Forget Me Not Thank You Note
The Professional’s Professional Bio
Seal the Deal One-pager Professional Profile
You’re Hired! 30, 60, 90 Day Plan
Career S.W.O.T. Analysis
These templates are designed to ease the creation of key career and professional documents that aid in professional presentation and engagement. With detailed step-by-step instructions, clients can tailor the templates to their educational and career experiences. For more information and to purchase products and services, visit w2comms.com.
As the CEO and executive coach to clients, my goal is not only to support their entry and advancement within their respective professions or fields but also to position them as standouts by teaching them the importance and practice of normalizing executive presence. For aspiring or current executives, my goal is to prepare them to master a C-suite demeanor. This level of commitment and intentional focus on the relevance of executive presence continues to distinguish my brand as an accomplished and leading industry expert.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
As a result of a former spouse’s career, I had to change jobs or professions for over 10 years due to geographical moves. Within that 10-year timeline, I lived in Detroit, Michigan; Okinawa, Japan; Richmond, Virginia; Aberdeen, Maryland; and Albany, Georgia. Upon reviewing my resume, prospective employers were often hesitant or resistant to offering me professional opportunities because my tenure in roles typically didn’t exceed two years. All employers desire a return on their investment (ROI) in terms of training, development, and the fulfillment of responsibilities assigned to staff.
Recognizing the challenge I faced during relocations, I committed to developing and advancing my communication, strategic thinking, and organizational assessment skill sets. Additionally, I increased my academic portfolio, earning multiple degrees, including a doctorate in Leadership and Curriculum. These intentional decisions not only eased the apprehension of prospective employers but also led to rewarding opportunities, including a 21-year higher education career. Throughout the last 21 years, I have successfully advanced and now serve in a C-suite position.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
As a business owner, my goal is not simply to sell a product or service; it is more broadly to sell the product and/or service packaged as an experience in a manner that results in repeat customers. To achieve this, one must establish a relationship with customers for the purpose of maintaining them as repeat customers and/or generating referral opportunities. I have personally learned this through observation and experience as a customer.
For years, I purchased products and services from another small business that met the general needs of my company, W2 Communications. Throughout this period, I was primarily pleased with the deliverables; however, I took note of a series of ‘hits and misses’ related to ineffective communication, failed fulfillment of services, or the repackaging and replication of previously purchased products. Despite these challenges, I moved beyond the hits and misses, understanding the difficulties that many small business owners encounter.
However, it wasn’t until I invited a fellow business owner to purchase from my business that I learned a valuable lesson. To my extreme disbelief and disappointment, they declined my offer. As I began to process their decision and the evolution of my decision to purchase products and services for a nearly three-year period, I realized the value of maintaining business relationships through the simple act of reciprocity.
The lesson I had to unlearn is that business owners shouldn’t approach business merely to sell a product or service, as this practice can be limiting and potentially harm the business owner/customer relationship, particularly when the customer is another business. As I unlearned this mindset, I also learned the importance of maximizing profits through continuous sales, which involves the practice of reciprocity with repeat customers, who may also be a fellow business owner.
Customers are always positioned to increase your customer base through referral or continued support. With support being the operative word, business owners should remember to extend support to other business owners, particularly those who have unquestionably and committedly supported their business. The decision to practice can result in a short-term business relationship or a long-term one, the latter resulting in exponential returns. Giving back when the opportunity permits is always an act of executive presence.
W2 Communications will host the inaugural Executive Presence Summit in Macon, GA, from March 22 to 24, 2024. For more information and to register for this transformative experience, visit EPSummit2024.com
Contact Info:
- Website: w2comms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.wendywilson_w2_comm/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.wilson.161009/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-wendy-wilson-executive-and-career-planning-strategist-1a78488/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/W2CommsEP
Image Credits
Belinda Vickerson of.https://belindavickerson.com/