Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Gallagher.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My core background is in education; I was an instructor at an art and design university in Albuquerque, NM for almost six years where I taught public speaking and writing. My husband and I moved to Atlanta in 2015 and I was at a turning point in my career; I was looking for a new challenge but I did not know what that looked like at that time, I just knew I needed to be of service doing something I loved.
I joined Toastmasters as a way to make friends and connections, and people started reaching out to me asking if I did one-on-one speaker coaching. I was also picking up work with the CDC and Department of Public Health leading public speaking and communications training. In 2016 a friend asked if I would join the TEDxPeachtree (now TEDxAtlanta) speaker coaching team, and from there I realized I was building a speaker coaching and training business helping subject-matter experts communicate their ideas with purpose and clarity.
This year I added another layer to my business: teaching other corporate trainers how to teach and run a successful training business. Most trainers have solid expertise in their fields, but they don’t know how to teach effectively because that is a completely different set of skills. So I’ve found I can be of service by helping other trainers as well as my speaking clients.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t think any business owner has had a smooth road! It took a while to identify exactly what I wanted to do, what was missing in the market, and how to reach my ideal client. The biggest challenge facing speakers and coaches is in marketing – we’re told you have to have a blog, book, podcast, huge social media presence, etc. which is incredibly time-consuming! In the last two years, I’ve learned how to build both a profitable sales funnel, as well as relationships that have allowed my business to grow without doing an insane amount of content marketing. It’s a lot of trial and error, and being willing to try new things, failing, and getting back up again.
Please tell us about NatalieCoaches.
I believe that the most valuable skill any professional can learn is how to teach. I’m willing to bet that everyone has had a teacher who made a profound impact in their life by helping them learn something new which forever changed their lives. That’s the power of learning, and learning starts with effective teaching.
Professional speakers are essentially teaching from the stage; corporate trainers are teaching while working with their clients; coaches are teaching their clients how to work through a variety of challenges; successful sales professionals teach their clients about how their product will solve their problem; and so on. Therefore my business is in teaching my clients how to teach.
I teach trainers how to design lessons around solving their client’s real problems, instead of rote lecturing about skills or processes. I teach speakers how to write and deliver speeches that connect with the audience on an authentic level by teaching them something new and valuable. And I teach subject-matter experts (scientists, doctors, business leaders) how to get their ideas heard, valued, and adopted through proven teaching strategies.
As of now, I’m most proud of the work I did with the Opioid Research grantees of the CDC who are doing the life-saving work of finding ways to end an epidemic that’s devastating communities around the country. I taught them how to deliver their presentations in a way that humanizes the cold data so they can get the support they need to make powerful changes – which will impact millions.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I’ve thought about this a lot, and on some days it’s nothing at all because I’ve learned so much from those mistakes. But on some days, I would tell myself, “Don’t lease that car you didn’t need!” It was a $20,000 mistake. When you first go into business for yourself there will be many people who give you “advice” about what kind of material things you need to look “successful” that’s all bs. Let your results show your success, not something like a car.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nataliecoaches.com
- Email: natalie@nataliecoaches.com
- Instagram: @nataliecoaches
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