Issue 2 2021

Acquisition International - Issue 2 2021 41 Women in Power Empowering women everywhere to speak confidently is entrepreneur, Wendy Gates Corbett via her company Refresher Training LLC. Wendy tells us more about what motivates and inspires her. omprehensive presentation consulting firm, Refresher Training LLC, works with executives and their teams, speakers, and leaders who want to become more clear, impactful presenters in-person and/or virtually. By equipping clients with the confidence-building presentation skills, slides, and strategies they need to make a lasting impression every time they speak, Refresher Training offers consulting to refine the key message, organize the presentation’s flow, and deliver with impact. The firm also provides training and slide design services. Since 2013, it has helped more than 250 clients become more empowered, confident presenters – from professional athletes to TEDx speakers, to corporate executives and their teams. Wendy Gates Corbett is the President and Chief Presentation Officer and founded the company in 2013. Prior to creating Refresher Training, Wendy was a global training executive with technology companies running client-focused training businesses. In the past, Wendy struggled with her identity and lived with a crippling fear of not belonging. In fact, there were times in her corporate career, she explains, that she was afraid to speak up because she lacked self-confidence. As a result, her opinions and expertise remained unspoken and she didn’t have the impact she so desired. “I want every person to know that they do belong and that their voice is valued. I want them to have the self-confidence to use it. Helping others discover that self- confidence is the most rewarding part of my work.” Wendy is particularly delighted to see more women in leadership positions and a significant spike in women business owners in the presentation consulting industry. “In the past, the field was male-dominated,” she tells us. “In the last few years, I’ve seen more women at all levels in the field. From my perspective the field has become easier for us to enter, in part because of the number of powerful TEDx talks presented by women.” As a firm believer in supporting other women and for contributing to others’ success, Wendy is a leader in her local NAWBO chapter (National Association of Women Business Owners, in the US) and runs the peer group program connecting members with peer groups to help them grow their businesses. Company: Refresher Training, LLC Contact: Wendy Gates Corbett Website: www.refresher-training.com C Jan21032 She also regularly speaks at women-focused events for entrepreneurs and students and is an advisor for Black Women in Business where she mentored two women: one a new entrepreneur, one a mid-level manager. “It is time for women to speak boldly, loudly, and with confidence: advocating for ourselves AND for each other. This is our time. The two attributes I see as most vital for career growth are the ability to collaborate and the ability to listen.” Wendy goes on to speak of her greatest achievement in her entire career, which helped inspire and transform her life, and this is when she was privileged enough to meet former President of the USA, Barack Obama, in 2018. “It was especially significant for me because, like him, I am bi-racial and was raised by a white family. He is a role model for me as a bi-racial person who fully embraces his identity. President Obama modelled for me how to focus on being real instead of trying to be anything or anyone else. I was privileged to be able to thank him for that.” Looking to the future, Wendy’s professional goals include partaking in more speaking roles concerning belonging within individuals and in organizations and she has developed two programs to specifically target this topic. One focuses on helping individuals shift their source of belonging from outside to inside; and the other focuses on guiding organizations in creating workspaces where employees feel connected, respected, and protected. Wendy has also just completed a rebranding project which includes a company name change, and Refresher Training, LLC is becoming Signature Presentations, LLC. “This rebrand represents the maturation of my company and the evolution of my mission to help those who speak to do so with absolute confidence.”