WEC Speaker Spotlight - Courtney Stanley

Name and designations: Courtney Stanley 
Contact information:  
Email: stanl1cr@gmail.com 
Linked IN: Courtney Stanley 
IG/TW/FB: @courtneyonstage

Who is Courtney Stanley?

Courtney Stanley is recognized globally as an award-winning changemaker, compelling keynote speaker, energetic event emcee and acclaimed creator of the women-inspired podcast, Dare to Interrupt. She has spent 10 years helping women, young professionals, entrepreneurs and organizations engage in game-changing, impactful conversations. With a degree from Central Michigan University in Experience Design, Leadership Studies and Business Hospitality, Courtney helps people from all walks of life fiercely lean into the power of leading with empathy, build confidence and advocate for themselves and others, and seize “silver lining” opportunities to grow personally and professionally.

Rise above the noise at WEC 2022

Can you tell us about one thing meeting professionals often fail to consider when building a winning brand?

Oftentimes people neglect building a brand outside of the company that they work for. Unless you're the owner of the company, it's important that people know you as an individual brand, not just an extension of a company's brand. When many members of our community found themselves out of work during the pandemic after spending years connected to their company, there was often a sense of being overwhelmed in trying to clarify their professional identity and re-establish themselves in the industry. Asking yourself, "What do people know me for?" is a great place to start in determining whether your brand is out of alignment. 

What’s a common mistake many meeting professionals make when trying to rise above the noise?

When communicating their value, many times people focus too much on the product or service they're selling instead of understanding the challenges their audience is struggling with. Prioritizing the pain points of their audience should be at the heart of the conversation as well as listening with great intention to better support their needs. 

What is one tip you can give to meeting professionals who wish to start rising above the noise?

Visibility is one of the most critical variables in building success. In order to create visibility, you have to show up. Many of my coaching clients struggle with shining the spotlight on themselves, but the truth is that the world wants to see you. People are naturally curious and want to learn more about you, so give them the opportunity to see you as your authentic self by sharing the special quirks and qualities that make you the unique, incredible person you are.

What do you hope attendees will take away from this session?

By the end of this session, attendees will have an increased sense of confidence and a greater awareness of how their individual brand is perceived by those around them, learning how to showcase their best, most authentic self to their audience. They'll have also created a foundation to nail their perfect introductory pitch and will have learned how to spotlight their skills, strengths, and value in a way that creates more visibility and drives career success.

 Article edited by Darlene Kelly-Stewart, Stonehouse Sales & Marketing Services