Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Krystal Lambert. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Krystal, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
When I was a child, I used to dream of being an actress – particularly an occupational one that could be anything she wanted to be. I also wanted to write, make art and run businesses, and I enjoyed delivering speeches at school. So, naturally, as I grew older, I gravitated toward jobs that incorporated business, art, writing – and the stage.
I was determined to make my dreams come true, setting my sights first, at age 12, on an internship at Disney. The moment I turned 18, I applied and was accepted to my first internship, which led to nearly a decade with The Walt Disney Company in so many grand roles. From stints with Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Research on interactive elements of Pandora – The World of Avatar – Disney World’s $500-million theme park land – and other projects, to working with Disney Animation Studios on Disney’s Wild About Safety program, based on Disney’s “The Lion King,” and more, I experienced so many defining moments of my career at Disney. The greatest, perhaps, was working in Executive Communications.
On that team, I had the honor of supporting the presidents of Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Parks and Resorts – U.S. and France, along with many other executives throughout the organization. We were responsible for ensuring that our speakers were prepared for and delivered excellent speeches and presentations, as well as promoting the engagements afterward. Collectively, we supported over 100 executive engagements per year – on stage, on camera and more – including the annual Executive Business Update, which included over 400 Florida-site executives. We also coached our executives on public speaking and media training, particularly for leaders who were newly promoted to the executive level.
It was in that role that my childhood passions culminated, elevating my skills for, what became, two back-to-back promotions in my chosen field of communications, but this time, in healthcare. It was just during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, when the healthcare industry greatly needed support, and I was honored to contribute during such a critical time. Some other major initiatives that took place were new facility grand openings, strategic combinations, a statewide brand launch and more. In both roles, I was similarly trusted to support president- and CEO-level executives with their communication needs, mainly for speeches, presentations and media interviews. My latest role in the 9-5 setting as assistant vice president of Strategic Communications also included managing 16 director-level communications professionals, which gave me the chance to not only support and coach our division-level executives, but also to coach my direct reports on how to level up communications for the hospital leaders they supported. I was honored with a “best practice” award from our state vice president for my work in Strategic Communications, and was asked to present to the marketing and communications leadership team from across the company on my approach to thought leadership and coaching executive speakers.
In thinking about my next career step, and accounting for family and personal needs, I decided to take a bold step toward my dreams – now in a more profound way. As fate would have it, I met a Hollywood producer, filmmaker, writer and actor a few years ago, and it became clear to me that my dreams of entrepreneurship, acting and speaking were within my grasp – if I was willing to take a leap of faith. So, I did.
While transitioning from my last job, I formed an LLC to start providing freelance marketing services and to begin taking my passion for acting and public speaking into an entrepreneurial capacity. With the help of two experienced business coaches, I have built the coaching business of my dreams that incorporates certain fundamentals of acting with advanced techniques of public speaking and media training. Independently, my program will help anyone who wants to boost their confidence, influence and income with public speaking. It will launch in March 2025, and I will begin advertising sign-ups at that time.
Additionally, the Hollywood producer I mentioned, Abrraham Rockferry, and I are also developing a unique program, designed specifically to help actors prepare more effectively to nail auditions, speaking engagements and media interviews. Be on the lookout for information on that soon as well!
In addition to these two wonderful programs, I am also serving as vice president of Marketing and Communications for a film, created by Abrraham, called “The Lost Identity.” The film will be a multicultural crime-thriller, and we will be casting for roles soon.
Looking back on my life, especially the past few months, never would I have imagined that the dreams I held in my heart as a child would actually come true someday. I am amazed, and grateful beyond words, for the opportunities and people who made it all possible for me. Had I not taken risks in life, I would not be where I am today.
Krystal, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
For nearly 15 years, I have worked in marketing and communications for some of the largest organizations within their respective industries, including The Walt Disney Company. Today, I serve as vice president of Marketing and Communications for Divinity Pictures, a Hollywood film production company. I am also an entrepreneur and coach of public speaking and communication. I am incredibly passionate about the field and was recently recognized by Women We Admire for being nominated as one of the ‘Top 50 Women in Communications.’
My career started in 2010, when I was accepted to my first internship with The Walt Disney Company. That experience led to nearly a decade with Disney, serving in various roles across the organization, including with Disney College Recruiting, Safety Communications, Executive Communications and more. Just as I was about to graduate from college, I was hired as a manager in Executive Communications, entrusted with supporting some of the top executives in the organization – including the presidents of Disney World and Disney Parks – U.S. and France – with communication and public speaking. That role prepared me for two additional promotions, similarly supporting president- and CEO-level executives in two of the largest healthcare organizations in the nation, with everything from speech development, to media interview preparation and training and more. I also managed a team of 16 communications professionals in that role and guided them on how to help their executive speakers be most effective.
Along the way, I met a Hollywood producer, filmmaker, writer and actor, who I now support at Divinity Pictures and am collaborating with to build a program designed specifically to help actors be better prepared for nailing auditions, speaking engagements and media interviews.
I also lead my own training program, Vocal Influence, for various types of speakers – entrepreneurs, content creators, online coaches, corporate leaders, public figures and others – who desire to boost their confidence, influence and income through public speaking and communication. Drawing from the last 13 years of supporting and coaching some of the top executive speakers within Corporate America, I teach both the fundamentals and advanced skills of mastering public speaking, on-camera delivery and media interviews in a membership-based program. My program is offered online in a community-based environment, where members can interact with each other, ask questions, share materials, collaborate – and even provide peer-to-peer feedback on speaker delivery from an audience perspective. It also includes a mix of live training and coaching sessions, along with simulated media interviews, speeches and presentations, and more.
Vocal Influence will be launching next month, March 2025, and sign-ups will be advertised at that time. I already have members who signed up before the launch, so I cannot wait to begin this program soon! Anyone who is interested in joining us can contact me by sending a direct message on Instagram @krystalelambert.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
As I reflect on my career thus far, resilience appears to be more of a recurring theme, than a specific instance – something I know to also be true for any entrepreneur. I believe that resilience is what sets us apart, in the end. Entrepreneurs have a unique mindset – one of curiosity, optimism, critical thinking and tenacity – that is seeded from childhood and grows, over time, into impeccable resiliency.
I did not see this trait in myself until others began telling me that they recognized it in me. I remember, when I was in high school, a friend told me, “You have that ‘I’m going to succeed at everything in life’ way about you.” I came to understand that, what he really meant was that I have the entrepreneurial mindset – the kind that says, when I set my mind on something, I will find a way to make it happen.
For me, this was telling my five-year-old self that I was going to be an actress, a writer, an artist, a business owner, and work at Disney – and then, doing it years later. It was also convincing myself that I could get my MBA, even though math never fully agreed with me. It was believing in the goodness of charity and pouring my heart into training myself as a rookie triathlete for a cause-based race, only to qualify, and later compete, for the USA Triathlon National Championships. It was taking promotions that I didn’t feel ready for at the time, determined to learn fast, work hard and do a great job regardless. And, best of all, believing in myself enough to make the bold move to start my own business and begin really working on my childhood dreams.
I truly believe we are all capable of achieving our dreams, if we have faith, courage and conviction enough to persist. Life can be such a blessing in that regard.
Have you ever had to pivot?
A few months ago, I found myself in an executive job that offered great rewards: I was well-respected, on track for another promotion within a large organization, labeled a ‘best practice’ and commended for my leadership skills.
But something inside was pointing me down another path …
For context, I was dealing with many misfortunes at the time. My immediate family and other loved ones had been in and out of the hospital for major health issues, more times than I could keep track of, and this had persisted for several years prior (and is still happening). Adding to the pressure, I wanted to perform well in my high-stress, demanding executive job but, in my heart, I knew that I needed flexibility to be there for my loved ones and take better care of myself, too. I was under chronic stress and knew that I needed a new way of life. I longed for more autonomy in managing my own schedule, while still working toward my passions.
That’s when I made the difficult decision to pivot and pursue another path. I stepped down from my well-paid job as assistant vice president of Strategic Communications and decided to take on one of my dreams of being an entrepreneur. Upon submitting my resignation, the division president stepped into my office.
“Is there anything we can do to keep you?” he asked. “You helped make me a better communicator.”
Touched by his kind words and still struggling with leaving so much to take a bold chance on a new way of life, I carefully considered his offer, and then, followed my heart. I left my 9-5 corporate executive job a few weeks later and started a limited liability company that now offers freelance marketing services and operates my public speaking and communication coaching business. I did, however, offer to continue helping the president and his team, now as an entrepreneur, to ensure they are successfully set up for their next great leader.
What I learned through this experience is that, sometimes, you have to pivot in life – to take a chance on a different future – in order to reap rewards unforeseen. It just may lead to something remarkable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.krystalelambert.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystalelambert/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystal-lambert-4b917244/
- Other: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@krystalelambert?xmt=AQGz8STqAKDSEzVjOd66q0Jl1vIccoCXFShTLNcR0YmFTxcDivinity Pictures: https://www.divinity-pictures.com/
