Name:
Location:
Market:
Lisa Jeffery, MA, MBA
Miami, Florida
South Florida, the United States and international
Your roots and background span the globe.
Who is Lisa Jeffery? I’m a Native American
who has lived or worked in the United States,
Italy, Greece, France, Monaco, South Africa,
Mozambique, Nigeria, Jamaica and the
Bahamas. I’ve been a U.S. Air Force public
affairs officer, rising to captain. I earned a master’s degree in communication from European University, and an MBA in international
marketing from the University of Monaco.
How does your background manifest
itself on the platform? The places
I’ve lived and the things I’ve studied
have seeped into my soul. I mix a
little psychology, a little physics
with Hawaiian lore, Greek
thought, mythology with history and science.
My knack is teaching
people accent reduction and confidence in
public speaking in English. I’ve found a niche
in private coaching
a host of well-known
Spanish-speaking television personalities to
help them break into the
English market. I even
teach native English
speakers to articulate so
that international audiences can understand.
Only three in 100 Americans articulate properly.
What was one of the most interesting
things you did as you started out? I worked
on organizing a speech for singer Roberta
Flack in Miami’s Liberty City.
What is the scariest moment you’ve ever
had when presenting to an audience? In
1995 I gave a speech in French to 5,000
people at a Rotary International Convention
in Nice. Instead of saying “I came to
Monaco to get my master’s degree,” I
said, “I came to Monaco to get my
uterus.”
What advice can you give to
new members of NSA? Don't
be intimidated. Know you
can make it based on
your own platform even
if you're different or
odd. Be yourself, tenacious and steadfast!
When did you realize
your message was
ready for primetime?
One of my coaching
clients made the cover
of Newsweek as one of
tomorrow's leading women. The New York Times
wrote an article about
her mentioning she had
hired a speech coach. The
Times said she showed
America we are ready for
an accent—as long as it
is not too strong.
What's next for Lisa? Publish my children's
book, The Isles of Langerhans, the Magical
Kingdom and Diabetes; acquire more international clients and hold a workshop on my
favorite Greek island. Within NSA: promote
international education, understanding and
goodwill, and bring a fresh approach and
courage to be international.
What keeps you going? How do you stay
motivated? I feed my enthusiasm and do
what I love. I’m planning a trip to Greece to
study Homer and to feed my soul. My African
grey parrot, Valentina, also inspires me. She
has a 500-word vocabulary and practices
with me. By teaching her to enunciate and
articulate, I can teach anyone!
Columnist Craig Harrison’s Expressions
of Excellence!™ (www.ExpressionsOf
Excellence.com) provides sales and service solutions through speaking. Contact
Craig directly at
(510) 547-0664.
