Ever wondered if there could be more to your job? Kelly Charles-Collins, Esq., was sitting in a deposition listening to an expert witness testify and thought, “there’s got to be more than this. I was watching a “hired gun.” Meaning he was testifying in accordance with what helped the side who hired him. He wasn’t the only one. I’d been watching this for months and it got old,” said Kelly.
She realized that she wanted to make an impact larger than the courtroom, so she retired from law to become a professional speaker. Almost thirty years later, Kelly now is a keynote and award-winning TedX speaker, bankable brand strategist, author, podcast host, and magazine publisher. Her business, HR Legally Speaking/Speaking Moguls, helps companies empower their leaders and disrupt unconscious bias to cultivate conversational cultures.
Kelly is also a passionate mentor guiding aspiring speakers to sharpen their skills. “Experts in their field hire me as their mentor to help them find and hone their message so they can craft their authentic, customized signature talk that gets them known and paid. The most rewarding part is watching my audience and clients’ lives transform through my speaking and mentoring,” said Kelly.
Becoming an entrepreneur was not an easy task as she had to expand her knowledge. The most challenging aspect for her was learning sales and finance. “These are not things I had to focus on during my law practice. However, I’m committed to learning and excelling at both and have hired the right people to help me get there,” explained Kelly. For the future of her business, she hopes to expand internationally. “My vision is to make Speaker Moguls the destination for speakers who are serious about the business of speaking and becoming highly paid, sought-after speakers.”
Helping her achieve that vision is the International Association of Women. Kelly joined our community recently to find the resources, community, and support to launch her globally. “IAW means having a place to build meaningful relationships and being surrounded by other powerful women who are vested in seeing you win,” said Kelly. Her advice to other members is to leverage the community as much as possible, which she says is also a message for herself. “I would tell women to unapologetically embrace their power and never be complicit in their own erasure.”
Connect with Kelly:
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Want to find a community like Kelly? IAW is open and waiting for women from all around the globe to join our community of professional women who want to expand their horizons just like you. Register for one of our weekly events, or find a local chapter near you to get started.
