Liz Brunner Helps Clients Learn Skills and Techniques to Become Effective Communicators

Hi, Liz! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:

Leveraging more than 35 years of media and communications experience, expertise, and leadership, Liz Brunner is an expert storyteller, keynote speaker, certified professional communications consultant, best-selling author, award-winning Podcast host and Emmy award-winning journalist. Her television career spanned nearly three decades and featured many memorable highlights. Along with co-anchoring the #1 rated 6pm newscast at ABC-TV in Boston, Liz conducted exclusive one-on-one interviews with prominent figures ranging from professional athletes to global political leaders including President Barack Obama as well as cultural icons such as Oprah Winfrey. Since launching Brunner Communications in 2013, Liz’s innovative teaching strategies and keynotes offer tools to help you find your confident, authentic voice, and learn how to communicate, connect and engage with any audience. Clients describe the communication skills she teaches as “transformational.” And, Brian Tracy, who is revered as an international speaker and best-selling author himself, describes Liz as “one of the best professional speakers in the world!”

Who are your customers?

Typically, top level executives, CEO, Principles and Partners, and major corporations looking for a keynote speaker.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

Emmy award-winning journalist.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

To help people get from where they are, to where they want to go, to who they want to be, by sharing all of my expertise and experience honed over more than 35-years in media and communications. My vision for my life personally and professionally is to teach, motive and inspire people to live their best life, whatever that means for them.

Take us back to when you first launched your business; what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

I blew my business plan out of the water in the first 6-months! I was very fortunate to have it all build through referrals.

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way so far and what have you learned from it?

My biggest challenge remains getting back to where my business revenue was prior to the pandemic.

What accomplishment are the most proud of to date in your business?

That I've survived 10+years as an entrepreneur, small business owner when I never ever had this goal in mind.

Do you have any recent wins from the last year that you'd like to celebrate with our community?

Yes! I've always done a lot of "public speaking," but as I continue to move into the business of Keynote Speaking, I'm proud that I am currently on 8 different speakers bureaus and beginning to get engagements through them.

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

More engagements as a keynote speaker while continuing to attain new clients.

What is your top productivity tip? 

I'm a big believer in preparation, planning time, whether that means the lesson plans I create for my 1:1 clients, or workshops or keynotes. 80% of your success comes from preparation.

On the flip side, how do you avoid burnout?

I'm not sure I did in the first 5 years of my business. The pandemic forced all of us to slow down, including me and it did give me a chance to get off the "treadmill." A small blessing to come out of it.

What is your approach to work-life balance / integration?

Accepting first that there is probably no such thing as "balance," but rather integration. Some days you will have more of a focus in one particular area of your life/business, and the next, it may be something different, and that's OK!

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

How important it is to pay yourself a salary, even if it's a small amount.

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

"Tell me something about yourself that most people do not know, that's not on your resume?"

What is your favorite business tool or solution and why?

Otter! Because now I can record and get a transcript of my zoom meetings allowing me to focus entirely on the person I am having the meeting with.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

To quote one of my friends in my Impact Eleven Community for Keynote Speakers: "Legends do the work." So, do the work.

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!