We were lucky to catch up with Liz Brunner recently and have shared our conversation below.

Liz, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I describe myself as an “intelligent risk taker” because I am in my fourth career chapter. Each and every time I left one career chapter for the next new one, take a risk. I started out as a classically-trained singer, sang semi-professionally, toured Europe and was simultaneously teaching high school chorale music. However, after two years of teaching, I believed, instinctively, there was something more I was supposed to do, although I had no clue. So, I took a step back, and worked in retail for a couple of years to give myself some time to figure it out.

During that time, I learned about “informational interviews.” It gave me an idea: I wondered if I could do something in TV? My only TV experience was having done one car commercial during my reign as Miss Illinois (Miss America Scholarship Pageant). I blindly and bravely called up two TV stations in Champaign-Urbana, IL where I was living at the time. Fast forward: a position was created for me that had never existed. I learned everything on the job! I worked my way up through three different TV stations/markets for a total of 28 years in the industry, 20 of them at ABC-TV Boston, a major market. But again, I had this feeling, there was more for me to do. For two years before leaving, I was quietly, and confidentially, asking leaders in the community what other career options could I consider? Many gave me interesting answers, but the best one came from a mentor who reminded me that as an Emmy Award-winning TV news anchor, I was well-known, well-respected, I had credibility and that was “value.” I shouldn’t give that “value” to somebody else. He advised me to launch my business and if I didn’t like it or didn’t have any clients, I could always go and do something else. A kaleidoscope went “click,” and in that moment, I made the decision to launch my business to coach people on presence, presentation skills, public speaking, leadership and media training. However, I had never ever wanted to own my own business! I didn’t think I was smart enough to do so. That was a limiting belief. I did it anyway and 11 years later, here I am.

Every career change I made was a huge risk! But I live by my grandmother’s quote, “No knowledge is ever wasted.” No experience is ever wasted. We know more than we think we know and we have to learn to trust that. I connected the dots of my themes and patterns. In every chapter, I was using my voice and using storytelling in some way. Singing stories, sharing other people’s stories while on TV, coaching my clients on how to tell their story and use their voice so they are confident and are seen and heard as they intend. And now, as a keynote speaker and author, I’m sharing my story, using my voice, to give people the courage to be intentional in their next chapters. Some people may call my four career chapters “reinvention” and there is nothing wrong with that. I prefer “re-creation” because I’m talking all of the knowledge and experiences I have and using them to create my next chapter.

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 started my company, Brunner Communications, in 2013 with the sole purpose of helping people get “unstuck!” By using my 35+ years of experience and expertise, I help my clients and audiences transform their lives from where they are, to where they want to go, to who they want to be, professionally and personally. I coach people on how to elevate their communication and leadership skills, guiding them to develop more confidence, presence, and command, how to find and use their authentic voice so they are able to connect and engage with any audience, to be seen and heard as they intend. In addition, by helping my clients understand, learn and work through what patterns, limiting beliefs and fears may be holding them back, they gain valuable tools and techniques to assist them in their growth, owning more of who they are, and living their best life.

My unique career path has taken me from being a classically trained singer, to high school music teacher and semi-professional singer touring Europe, to working in retail, to a 28 year career as an Emmy Award-winning TV news anchor to a keynote speaker, executive communications coach, best-selling author and award-winning podcast host. All of my experiences and knowledge learned in every career chapter allows me to guide my clients and audiences in connecting the themes and patterns of their lives.

What I love about keynote speaking is the energy that is exchanged with the audience. Being able to share stories and relatable experiences that helps someone get unstuck. And, when it comes to coaching, I often see the results in my clients before they do, but when they see it, when they feel it, that is the best feeling in the world and makes me very proud.

I invite everyone to go to my website, lizbrunner.com to learn more about the transformational work we do, and sign-up for our monthly newsletter that offers unique value, tools and inspiration derived from my years of service.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

While I may have had a well-known brand and reputation as an Emmy Award-winning TV news anchor when I launched my communications business in 2013, what has sustained both my brand and my reputation all these years is the relationships I’ve built with my clients, and the results they have achieved. I am not a “cookie cutter” coach. I consider myself a “concierge service,” meeting my clients where they are and curating unique programs to suit their goals. Through my years of experience, I know that no two clients are the same and their coaching experiences should reflect that. And it’s never about me, it’s always about them. I also believe that my experience and expertise offers proven tips and techniques that are tangible, and can be implemented immediately for more success.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

There’s an old proverb that suggests “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” In order to have success at anything you can’t go it alone, and I haven’t when it comes to building my social media presence. It took awhile, but I found the right partner to make it all happen.

Here are some tips to get started:
1) You have to know who is your audience and what social media platforms they are on.
2) Create high quality, consistent content and determine what the best pacing pattern is for your messaging.
3) Use the right hashtags and keywords to make it easier for your people to find you. I rely on my social media manager for this!
4) Leverage your analytics to see what’s resonating, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different platforms until you find the right fit.
5) And finally, perhaps most important, be authentic!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lizbrunner.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizbrunner/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialLizBrunner
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-brunner-6230b01b/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizBrunner
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lizbrunner6490
• Other: https://www.brunneracademy.com (my on-line learning platform)