Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Bonney.
Hi Anne, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My career/life portfolio has been a wild and winding road, but I can point to skills I’ve learned in every position that perfectly prepared me for what I’m doing now! We moved every 1-3 years when I was a kid (dad worked for Marriott). We lived in the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Greece, which made me very comfortable with change, differences, and discomfort! I studied psychology and special education in college and taught right out of school, which taught me how to work with a very diverse group of colleagues, lead in an area where I had expertise, and engage an audience who often wasn’t excited to be there!
Then I saw the killer whale and sea lion shows at Sea World and realized that was my dream job, so quit my teaching gig and started volunteering at the New England Aquarium and working at a pet supply store training dogs and selling cat food! Eventually, I got hired as a Sea Lion Trainer and spent 2 years doing that! Then we moved to Tucson, AZ, and I got a job training hawks, owls, and falcons at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Amazing lessons on sacrifice for a dream, performing with an animal that was WAY more fascinating than me (and dealing with the challenge of my co-star deciding they had other plans that day!), and leading people you don’t pay! (we were a non-profit, so relied on volunteers for a lot of the work!)
With my divorce came the sudden desire for a big kid job, so when I moved to Baltimore, I applied for a receptionist position at Under Armour and over the next 8 years, we grew from 80 employees to 1500 global, and I grew with it, learning about change in the corporate setting, working with people in tons of different capacities, and public speaking as I was selected to do the brand presentation for our new hire orientation, and university classes in marketing.
I eventually moved on to a group exercise company named Les Mills, led a team of 7 through tons of change, and led 1700 instructors (who were essentially our customers) through training, certification, and teaching our classes! After a few years there, I got traded to one of their huge gym clients in New York City and moved to the Big Apple to run the group exercise division for their 160 clubs, managing 9 directors who led over 1900 instructors! Amazing leadership, presentation, and collaboration lessons.
And in that job, the big fat corporate, New York City executive role that I had worked hard to achieve, I was miserable! I didn’t feel like I could be of significance in the company. I didn’t feel like my work, my department, or my team were valued. The day I caught myself saying, “Well, I’m 42, maybe this is it!” I realized that something had to change, and 6 months later, I shoved all my stuff (and my ego) in a U-Haul, quit my job, moved into my parent’s basement in Northern Michigan, and started my speaking career!
It took about 4 years for it to truly get off the ground, but it’s been an amazing and terrifying ride, utilizing all the skills I learned along the way to build what is now a thriving speaking business, helping people embrace change and discomfort so they can achieve goals and enjoy their life! All that experience allows me to speak authentically about change, leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence, all skills I honed and studied throughout the years!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
LOL! Is it ever a smooth road? I think I added a few bumps myself…but in the end, I strongly believe that the bumps are what build our courage to take on scary stuff and be better at dealing with the scary stuff that we can’t control! Some of those job changes were terrifying! I didn’t know whether my next step would work (who quits a teaching job to be an animal trainer??? But IT WORKED…and it might not have!)
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a keynote speaker and meeting/conference emcee, and I put “artist/creative” rather than professional because it does require a lot of creativity to authentically share your message. Storytelling, engagement strategies, and wordsmithing to truly make your message stick! I specialize in change and helping people dance in the discomfort of it all, overcoming resistance and moving forward through it to the new comfort zone! I have an unusual level of energy, which works well from a distance (on stage), and I’m super proud that I’ve worked through the past 9 years on getting really good at all aspects of connecting with an audience so they’re truly glad that they were in that room! I live my messages, which comes through in my speaking, and is a lot more inspiring for people. Plus, I have the ability to react to what’s going on in the room and involve my audience so they feel like they’re a part of the presentation rather than an observer.
What matters most to you?
Making people smile. I strive to be easy to work with for my clients so they remember me fondly. I strive to be funny on stage so people laugh and gain some perspective on uncomfortable stuff. I work hard to be super friendly with people so they feel good around me, whether it’s at a conference I’m speaking at or just with the person checking me in for my flight! I want people to remember me and smile.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://YourChangeSpeaker.com
- Instagram: @SpeakerAnneBonney
- Facebook: @SpeakerAnneBonney
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/annebonney
- Twitter: This is not my playground
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF6svpLe3qVb6eCKyeY4_Nw
- Other: http://DancingintheDiscomfortZone.com/
