We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Courtney Stanley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Courtney, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

I launched my keynote speaking business at the beginning of 2020 and never anticipated the storm that would come soon after. Within three months of my first year of entrepreneurship, nearly 80% of my contracts fell through due to the pandemic’s impact on the live events and conference industry. The wrecking ball that appeared during this chapter initially left me feeling lost, desperate, remorseful and stressed beyond measure.

After the initial shock wore off, I redesigned my business strategy for the year, focusing solely on how I could best serve my community, made up of individuals also suffering from furloughs, layoffs, restructures, social loss and family concerns. Servant leadership sustained – and saved – my business during the pandemic. Revisiting and reconnecting with the heart, soul and mission of my work became the foundation for rebirth, and transformed my business into something even more meaningful and impactful than I could have imagined.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a global keynote speaker, leadership coach, and the creator and host of the podcast for leading women in business, “Dare to Interrupt.” I have spent more than a decade engaging professionals, entrepreneurs and organizations in game-changing, impactful conversations that empower individuals to elevate their self-awareness, improve team and culture dynamics, and drive meaningful change.
With a background in experience design, leadership studies and business strategy, my mission is to empower people from all walks of life to lean fiercely into the power of leading with empathy, advocating for themselves and others, and seizing silver lining opportunities to grow personally and professionally. I aim to inspire professionals through vulnerable, meaningful dialogue that alters approaches to leadership across the world.

What lights me up the most is working with audiences or one-on-one in coaching sessions on elevating self-awareness, increasing confidence, and leading with vulnerability. I believe that every person on this planet has value, but sometimes life experience and societal expectations get in the way of walking through the world knowing – and communicating – our worth. Nothing brings me more joy than witnessing an audience member or a client fully lean into their authentic self with unapologetic confidence. To me, that is work worth doing.

People often ask me how I got into the world of public speaking. The truth is that it was initially unintentional and organic. Right after graduating from Central Michigan University with a degree in event management, hospitality and leadership studies, I submitted a proposal to speak at an international conference for event professionals. I had earned success as a young professional and felt the strategy I’d designed for my student club would be valuable to share with other students looking to grow their own college groups. Little did I know that that was the first of many stages I would speak on. For several years, I raised my hand to speak on various topics that offered knowledge-sharing opportunities in the events industry, and before I knew it, I had built a reputable brand and a growing business. From there, I began mentoring others, which eventually turned into formal coaching, as well as podcasting and emceeing/moderating conversations at events.

This is my fourth year of business since taking the initial leap into entrepreneurship, and other than during the beginning of 2020’s chaos, I haven’t looked back. It has been the greatest challenge I’ve embarked on and therefore has offered an incredible, infinite level of personal and professional growth. I am incredibly grateful for this experience.

If you’re invested in expanding your brand, increasing your confidence and elevating your leadership legacy, get in touch. I’d love to work with you – or – present a life-changing, thought-provoking experience to your team/community.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Consistency, consistency, consistency.

You have to show up in order to be seen, and the more you show up, the more you stay top-of-mind for people. Finding – or creating – opportunities to be visible will take your business to new heights. I believe every professional should design their own public relations strategy to create intentional exposure and shine a light on your passion, your work, and your mission. From podcasting to writing to speaking on stages and more, there are endless opportunities to spotlight your work. Those who invest time into increasing visibility will go far.

Secondly, authenticity matters. Showing up as exactly who you are will attract people who are aligned with your values and style. Plus, people can sniff out inauthenticity from a mile away. You won’t do yourself any favors by trying to be someone else because you’ll always be challenged to show up as a stranger. Be yourself. Be your best, imperfect self. People relate to authenticity and vulnerability.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I recently released a brand new keynote presentation, “The Evolved Leader: Building Trust through Empathy, Vulnerability & Self-Awareness,” designed to address the most current and pressing needs teams are asking for.

In a world where companies lose hundreds of thousands of dollars each year because employees, customers and stakeholders walk out the door, it’s time to pay attention to what matters most – and more than ever: your people.

Making simple and powerful shifts that get to the heart of real leadership, humanize interactions to improve morale, and increase long-term profitability are the keys to changing and elevating workplace culture and productivity. Empathy, emotional intelligence and servant leadership have always been important skills for leaders to possess, but due to the overwhelming change our world has experienced these past few years, these skills have taken on a more critical meaning and level of priority. This moment calls for a more thoughtful leadership approach: one that focuses on deeply connecting with, valuing, and serving those around us.

Based on the latest trends and research, there are three key areas of personal leadership development that need to be explored: self-awareness, vulnerability, and empathy. Engaging in conversations like this empowers leaders to practice growth strategies to not only self-develop, but to inspire their team members to also leverage modern practices that result in a healthier, happier, more productive work environment.

Managing morale comes down to how leaders are showing up for and nurturing their teams and the culture of the environment. In order to lead effectively, we have to elevate self-awareness and lean into empathy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.courtney-stanley.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneyonstage/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/courtneyonstage/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneystanley/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/courtneyonstage
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F82Pf8iLmCM

Image Credits
Photo Synthesis Studio, Christie’s Photographic Solutions, Cvent, Inc., New York State Restaurant Association