In episode 108 on CEO Forums, corporate speaking opportunities, and cultivating resilience, I’m joined by Tonya Twitchell – a Vistage Worldwide Chair, Executive Coach, and Speaker.
Tonya embodies what it means to be a champion of people and possibilities. Tonya believes each of us has the potential to be an important and impactful leader. In her current roles as speaker, coach, consultant, and Chair for Vistage Worldwide, Tonya works with high-performing CEOs, business owners, and senior executives who are committed to engaging with and leveraging their best, most inspired selves. As a former senior executive for two diverse and rapidly growing companies, Tonya consistently increased company revenues and profitability, transformed company cultures and teams, and positioned each company as an innovative and trendsetting industry leader.
For nearly two decades, Tonya has delivered high-impact coaching and consulting to both individual and corporate clients, with an emphasis on legacy, teams, and difficult conversations. Tonya has led, trained, and coached leaders across industries and sectors such as construction, banking, commercial real estate, insurance, public relations, nonprofits, technology, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, finance, government/public sector, education, and the United States Air Force.
Tonya and I cover a lot of territory – from living into your legacy and cultivating resilience amidst significant loss to connecting with and truly serving C-suite and senior leaders as a speaker and coach. We go into the deep, complicated stuff and talk about the possibilities that lie on the other side of our most painful moments.
More specifically, Tonya and I discuss:
- What Vistage Worldwide is – and why this CEO Forum provides a great opportunity for CEOs looking for a peer advisory group as well as coaches and consultants who want to connect with C-suite leaders (I also share my firsthand experience as a Vistage speaker)
- How Tonya survived losing many of her family members in close succession – and how her losses amplified not only her resilience but also her desire to serve leaders
- The key differences between a “legacy of design” and a “legacy of default”
- Key dos and don’ts for speakers pitching CEO Forums and other corporate speaking opportunities
- How booking speakers for her Vistage CEO Forums has strengthened Tonya’s own speaking content and speaker marketing
- What I learned from Tonya about how to hold space effectively for other people’s learning and growth
In This Episode:
- About Tonya Twitchell [ 6:10 ]
- What drew Tonya to Vistage [ 10:15 ]
- How Tonya finds the strength to work from a place of service [ 14:20 ]
- How we attract what we are and not what we want [ 20:45 ]
- Why we shouldn’t maintain the status quo [ 22:30 ]
- What Tonya looks for in a speaker [ 28:45 ]
- How Vistage CEO Forums have strengthened Tonya’s speaking content [ 33:00 ]
- About holding space for others to effectively learn and grow [ 36:40 ]
Moxielicous quotes
- “You can stay down, or you can get up; you have to choose.”
- “We have to play a bigger game; the ripples are too small if it’s just us.”
- “We attract what we are, not what we want.”
- “I believe in the power of practice and the value of taking small, consistent, and diligent steps.”
- “I look for people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do real-time work.”
Resources mentioned in this episode
- You’re invited to my Zoom 80s themed birthday dance party on Monday, June 1st at 10 am pacific! For 30 minutes, we’ll dance as I usher in a new decade of life.
- Join me here: https://bit.ly/LeaderShiftWithLex
- Learn more about today’s guest, Tonya Twitchell (and Vistage Worldwide) on LinkedIn or via Tonya’s website.
- The Step into Your Moxie® Messaging Studio offers a variety of messaging services to help entrepreneurial and business leaders speak up for themselves, their businesses, and their ideas. Prospective clients will be able to access short-term coaching packages rooted in developing a specific aspect of messaging (e.g., a new business offering and marketing plan for it, adapting a live presentation for a virtual format, creating relevant offers, and classy selling on sales calls). Through the Step into Your Moxie Messaging® Studio, you can also invest in done-for-you messaging like speaker-one-sheets and media kits, thought leadership bios, consulting proposals, email sequences, and website copy.
- And, as an executive coach, I will continue to support senior leaders to amplify their high-stakes speaking skills – particularly during this time where crisis communication is no longer an exception but rather the norm. From how to deliver difficult information to employees, to how to speak to investors and boards, to how to show up on video for employees and elicit trust and catalyze commitment when communicating, if you are an executive leader who wants to strike a balance between credibility and vulnerability, have a trusted partner to role play high-stakes conversations and presentations with, and receive deep support with your individual and organizational messaging, let’s talk.
If you are interested in learning more about the Step into Your Moxie® Messaging Studio or Executive Coaching, send an email to speaking@alexiavernon.com and let me know more about you/your organization and what you are seeking.
If inquiring about the Messaging Studio, it would be a great help if you would also fill out this Interest Form.
- Follow me on Instagram @alexiavernon.
- Let’s continue the conversation in my Facebook Group – the Spotlight Speakers Salon.
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