Meet Lisa Braithwaite | Public Speaking Coach, Trainer and Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Braithwaite and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Being an entrepreneur is inherently risky, and before I started my own business, I had started a nonprofit. But here’s the thing about risk for me: It takes a LOT to embarrass me. I’m not afraid of looking foolish, like many people are. And my superpower is recovering from mistakes and mishaps. So I think I’m genetically primed to take risks without a lot of fear (at least in business – you will NEVER see me jumping out of a plane).

Taking risks also means having trust and faith in your own experience and abilities, which I have.

Just last week, I was in a conference session where the speaker hadn’t shown up. A number of attendees in the room had been in my previous session the day before, so maybe it wasn’t a huge risk, because they already knew me and were encouraging, but I stood up and offered to deliver a session in place of the person who didn’t show, on my own topic: public speaking.

I asked a few questions to get rolling, to see what the top concerns were of people in the room, and then we went from there and had a great conversation/session on challenges around giving remote presentations.

Most people wouldn’t stand up and offer to give an off-the-cuff presentation, but I regularly force myself to get out of my comfort zone and try new things. I wouldn’t be a very good coach if I didn’t! This was an example of just not overthinking it, standing up and being of service. That’s how I approach risk-taking!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started my public speaking coaching and training business with the goal of helping my clients build speaking skills and confidence. A little dry, but simple enough. But as we all evolve, grow, and learn from our clients, I started noticing a lack of audience engagement and human connection in business presentations, which then led me to focus on personal self-expression as a presenter.

This is where I’m sitting these days, and find that this is what my individual coaching clients are really seeking: support in bringing their full selves to their speaking in order to connect on a human level with their audiences.

Even my corporate training clients are hiring me because their people are lacking engagement and human connection. This is what sets me apart from other trainers and coaches – my accessible and lighthearted approach to presenting, with a focus on being humans presenting to other humans!

It was not easy to get where I am today, nor does it feel easy to BE where I am today. Entrepreneurship is hard, unpredictable, and often feels like a roller coaster. But I’m a born optimist, and I believe that what I offer is needed, and my positivity and belief in service continue to carry me through the rough patches.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m going to invite you to pop over to Ojai for an afternoon and hang out with me as we cruise around downtown.

We’ll first stop at Treasures of Ojai, a “cathedral dedicated to all things vintage!” Their collection of jewelry, furniture, housewares, records and knickknacks is incredibly curated.

For lunch, we’ll stop at Marche Gourmet, a European-style deli, where you’ll have a hard time choosing between the Parisienne panino with triple creme brie, basil, pesto and tomato, and the Napoli, with roasted peppers, tomato, feta, mozzarella and olives!

Next, we’ll visit Danski, to dig into the tightly-packed racks of colorful and sometimes outrageous women’s clothing. There are always surprises waiting.

Before dinner, we’ll take a relaxing break at the Ojai Vineyard for some wine tasting (I’m a wine club member, and you’re my guest!). If it’s late spring or summer, you’ll have to take home a bottle of their classic rosé – it sells out fast, so get it while you can!

Then we’ll dine at the Dutchess, for a new Ojai tradition of Burmese food! If you’ve had too much wine earlier, you’ll be happy to know that the Dutchess serves housemade nonalcoholic amaro and vermouth in their nonalcoholic cocktails as well as NA wine and beer!

And if we’ve timed it right, we can still get to Meditation Mount for a meditative walk through the International Garden of Peace overlooking the Ojai Valley, and then take a seat on a stone bench for a spectacular sunset.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I will always shout out Women’s Economic Ventures, an organization in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, that is dedicated to women’s empowerment through entrepreneurship. I learned the basics of business from them and have been involved ever since as a volunteer and supporter of their work. They’re a great example of an organization that continues to shift and adjust to what’s happening in the world, providing exactly the services and resources entrepreneurs need when they’re needed. https://www.wevonline.org/ (P.S. They actually serve all genders, but their main focus is women.)

Website: https://coachlisab.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachlisab/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachlisab/