We recently connected with Leslie Muhlbach and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Leslie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I have always been a risk-taker. Some healthy, some not-so-healthy. But it seems that when I was younger the curiosity of the consequence was so alluring. Not really ever certain if the risk would work out in my favor. Many did. Many did not. I gave birth to my son at the age of 25. Knowing that I would be a single parent, I finished school after initially leaving college completely uncertain of what I wanted to do with any sort of degree. I completed my communications degree because I absolutely loved the content, but was not sure of what I would do with it. I was volunteering as a public speaking coach at the time, so it seemed natural to get a Master’s in Teaching so that I could continue to teach performing arts in the schools. And for the next 20 years, I was a high school teacher, a debate coach, and over time became an advocate for mandated public speaking education in schools serving on numerous non-profit committees and boards to help support schools. Leading professional development and teaching teachers and administrators was just as rewarding as being in my own classroom. Eventually, I started feeling the pull to expand, to create, to be my own boss for the opportunity to expand my reach and advocacy. I wanted the freedom to choose my audiences, and the freedom to support adults who are looking for help building confidence when communicating. This is how Leslie Muhlbach LLC was formed.

A HUGE risk, considering I was leaving a steady job with steady pay AND a guaranteed pension. More people seemed concerned that I was walking away from the guarantee than seemed excited about this new adventure that had pulling at my heart strings for years. It is one of the most challenging commitments I have made to work for myself, but worth everything. I am now a micro business owner with 1 employee, but the growth and learning and expanding I’ve done invigorates me to create so many opportunities for myself as a creative speaker, writer, and learning designer.

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?

My story from the previous question describes my journey to now. I am a keynote speaker, retreat and workshop leader, and a private public speaking coach. Additionally, I am a yoga teacher. Important to note because so much of what I know about the body through facilitating yoga practices inspires what I do for clients when helping them to build confidence for improved relationships and connection. I provide customized programs to help clients reduce communication anxiety and speak with more ease in front of large and small audiences. I offer professional development workshops on how to better teach and support public speaking in schools. I also lead trainings for professionals looking to utilize storytelling to effectively highlight and illustrate main ideas and concepts for products and services of their own.
I am most proud of the work I do as a health and wellness advocate. I design yoga-based wellness retreat experiences using meditation and movement practices that help participants recognize and move beyond fear that accumulates in the body and keeps us from accessing the confidence we need to take healthy risks and improve our overall ability to connect to ourselves and others. I have seen the transformative power of natural healing (primarily in women) when we learn to use the most basic principles of communication to build a language with our bodies. Just as learning to communicate well with others is based on our ability to listen, we also have to become comfortable with listening to ourselves, especially with what the body id designed to “tell” us.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Freedom is what drives my mission. For me, just the idea of owning my own business starting singing to me as I continued to plug away within the confines of the public school system. But even at the time, I didn’t realize the theme of freedom would become the central message of all the services I offer. Freedom from the fear we have about taking the risk and presenting ourselves to others. The freedom that deep and compassionate listening offers relationships that can be restrictive between people of opposing viewpoints or beliefs. The freedom we experience when we actually give space for other’s voices to be heard. All of these celebrations of freedom come through in my services whether coaching public speaking, presenting at a conference, leading a yoga retreat, or even teaching in my local studio.

The freedom I have experienced in my own life is what I want to gift and offer for others to share in as well.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The countless and varied social groups and support networks for creatives. Only recently have more people reached out to me and told about so many opportunities to join in various groups designed for support in every area of creative entrepreneurship. I feel like so much of my early journey was spent alone working away in my office just waiting for the magic to happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lesliemuhlbach.com
• Instagram: @leslie_marie_muhlbach
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-muhlbach-4a607ab9/

Image Credits
Christina Soltis Photography