An interview with Hannah Fani of The Writer Entrepreneur: Ignite Your Imagination (updated with a few changes since interview) www.thewriterentrepreneur.com/
I met Michele in Mexico in 2013 as she was one of the fabulous speakers to help all of us decide on the kind of business plan we wanted to work on. She is a successful speaker, an inspirational leadership expert, and recently published her first book.
TWE: How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Michele: September 11 came and went, along with a recession which wiped out my meeting and event planning business. Faced with business debt, my colleagues, friends, and family encouraged me to re-brand myself as a speaker. “Stop speaking for free” was what they told me. So in April 2002, I wrote a business plan to start a speaking business.
TWE: How challenging was it from launch phase to the point where you started turning a profit?
Michele: The challenging part was being “patient” for the marketing to take hold. Remember, I had to inform all my brand champions (supporters) that I was re-branding myself. It took time to inform and encourage them to remember my brand statement. The business began to roll in the second month.
TWE: How did you successfully build a client base?
Michele: My brand champions (colleagues, friends, family) helped me build my client base. Word of mouth via social media is the cornerstone for building a client base today.
TWE: How big is your organization currently? Do you have plans to grow even bigger?
Michele: I am a one-person operation, and love it. I had a large staff for the meeting and special event planning business and appreciate the value of employees. I may have to expand because recently, I published The Talking Stick According To Michele: A Guide For Reflecting On Your Personal Brand and have another book with new leadership training programs on the way. “Patience is a virtue and a virtue can’t hurt you!”
TWE: How do you come up with new ideas?
Michele: I receive an incredible amount of letters and messages from those that have been inspired by one of my keynotes or workshops. These personal notes of inspiration in turn inspire me which always ignites another new idea. Some speakers do not like fan mail or telephone calls, but I absolutely love it. The stories and the kind words fuel the deep passion I have for teaching and speaking. A bit of advice: in order to receive an idea, one must be open to the signs and symbols that cross your path! And they are right in front of you.
TWE: What would you say contributed the most to your success?
Michele: There are three things that contributed to my success. First, unconditional love. Love fuels my success. I have been blessed to receive unconditional love and support from my mother, grandmother, volleyball coaches, and my wife. Unconditional love is a powerful gift one gives to another person. Second, sports. Playing volleyball since grammar school and then on a NCAA scholarship for volleyball provided me with confidence and discipline which have been critical components to my success. Third, education. I have a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Leadership and a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education & Athletic Coaching that has contributed immensely to my business and speaking success. I learn ~ I teach.
TWE: What are some of the secrets to becoming a great public speaker?
Michele: You must have a genuine spirit. If you are authentic and try to do your best everyday, you will be a successful speaker. Also, you must have a passion for your topic. For example, I so believe in the areas of inspirational leadership and personal branding since they are the cornerstone to a successful career and happy employees. Finally, I have discovered audiences love when you inspire or teach them. They know when you are a “canned” speaker – in other words, if it is all about you and your ego, you will NOT be a great speaker!
TWE: Tell us about your new book. 
Michele: The Talking Stick According to Michele: A Guide for Reflecting on Your Personal Brand (Luv Big Publisher, 2014) is designed to help readers answer the question “what makes you unique?”—and put that answer to work. It’s a workbook that includes advice and exercises to help readers develop their personal brand. Personal branding is all about strategy, and I am on a mission to educate business people on how to develop a strategy that makes them stand out among their peers. Do not expect a type of self-help narrative. The journal format contains pages that the reader fills out including topics such as “Describe your skills” and “Who are your brand champions?” It also contains brief descriptions of what each entry should focus on and has inspirational bursts such as “being concise is a fundamental skill to getting your idea heard.” The book can be purchased in my website store at https://micheleandco.com
TWE: Who is your most favorite person from history and why?
Michele: My great grandmother, Mary Tyrka and my grandmother, Celia Rolla. There were rumors of a war starting, so my great grandmother saved enough money to travel on a steamship from Poland to the United States in the early 1900’s. Her husband was an alcoholic and had abandoned her. It took two months to travel the long distance. My great grandmother took ill on the long journey, so my grandmother, age 7, took care of her the entire time. After arriving at Ellis Island, my grandmother was taken care of by strangers for 30 days until my great grandmother was released from quarantine. They were released from Ellis Island and traveled alone by train to Chicago because this is where they had heard the Polish immigrants were going. Can you imagine no one welcoming you to a new country? Can you imagine having no home to go to? I thank God every day for my great grandmother and grandmother’s courage to travel such a long distance to provide opportunities for future generations. Their names are on the original Wall of Honor at Ellis Island.
TWE: What have the challenges you faced over the years taught you?
Michele: Never give up on dreams, hope, and love. When it comes to losing loved ones in a short period of time (Mom, Dad, and a brother), a friend told me that I will not be able to microwave my grief. Be patient and the pain will subside. Eventually it did. I have to tell you that unconditional love is awesome but when they leave us it hurts like heck. Also, I have learned that you are never to old to give up, reinvent yourself, to explore, to write a book, to ride a Harley, to teach others how to ride a motorcycle, to fall in love, or to get married! Keep on living my friends.
TWE: What are your favorite business books?
Michele: Women Don’t Ask by Linda Babcock & Sarah Laschever; Elizabeth 1, CEO by Alan Axelrod; Use What You’ve Got & Other Business Lessons I Learnt From My Mom by Barbara Corcoran; Managing Marketing In The 21st Century by Noel Capon; and The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott.
TWE: What does your typical day look like?
Michele: I take my cup of tea and my cell phone, sit down in my beautiful office within my home, say a prayer, and my day starts. Every day is different and filled with extraordinary blessings. When I was a miserable college administrator, I used to daydream about what the perfect workday would look like. That daydream has become a reality!
TWE: Tell us a little bit about your other passion – motorcycles.
Michele: For as long as I could remember, I had wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle. “Please wait until I die,” said my Mom, who worried that
something would happen to me. So out of respect for her, I held off. She passed away mere weeks before my 50th birthday and just after my speaking
business had come to a stall, thanks to the economy. My world turned upside down. My Mom had been my best friend. My work had been my passion. I was officially middle aged. Sadness and sorrow took over. After several days of barely
being able to get out of bed, a friend took me for a ride on her motorcycle. I loved the sound, the wind blowing through my hair, and seeing the smallest most beautiful details that you do not see in a car. That evening I signed up for a riding class through the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy. I passed the class and range exercises with ease and bought my first motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 Custom. To my amazement, I was asked during the first year of riding to consider being a Rider Coach for the Academy. Of course I said yes! In my spare time, I have been teaching others to ride for the past six years. Also, I have bought my third Harley (a 2016 Limited CVO touring bike), and have logged over 100,000 miles in my 7 year riding career. I recently rode to Vancouver (from Chicago) then to numerous National Parks while visiting friends all over the United States and Canada! It is a wonderful sport.
TWE: Where are your favorite vacation spots?
Michele: Beach destinations and riding my Harley through mountain passes!
TWE: Are you living your best life? Would you change anything?
Michele: I am living my best life!
Michele Wierzgac, MSEd, speaker and author, promises that you will leave her solution-driven keynotes and workshops with at least one passionate, life transforming, leadership tool – something that will change the way you seek out a solution and practically apply it without getting stuck.
Email Michele at michele@micheleandco.com or give her a call at (708) 710-7055!
