How one woman turned her greatest fear into a thriving business helping others find their voice—and their future
Most people who see Liz Wool command a stage today would never guess that she once struggled to get words out at all. The confident, engaging speaker who now trains entrepreneurs and business leaders across the country was once a second-grader with a severe stuttering problem and speech impediment.
“I felt stupid. I felt like I didn’t belong,” Liz recalls. “And I held it all in—I didn’t even tell my mama.”
Today, as the Founder and CEO of Public Speaking and Presentation Pros (PSP), a nationally certified woman-owned business based in Nashville, Tennessee, Liz has transformed that childhood struggle into a mission: helping others speak like a pro and unlock new levels of success and visibility in their businesses and careers.
The Power of Finding Your Voice
Liz’s journey from shy child to sought-after speaking coach wasn’t linear. After overcoming her speech impediments through therapy, she spent three decades in corporate America, working in international training and global speaking engagements. But it was the realization that speaking skills were essential for career advancement that truly changed everything.
“I was in corporate America, and I realized that for me to get ahead, I had to find my voice because I wanted to find my future,” Liz explains. She developed what she now calls her personalized action plan, a framework she uses with clients today.
The breakthrough came when she understood a fundamental truth: “My purpose was greater than my fear. My goals were greater than my fear.”
That philosophy now sits at the heart of PSP’s approach to helping entrepreneurs and business leaders overcome their speaking anxiety and develop the skills to captivate audiences.
Why Public Speaking Matters for Business Growth
For Liz, public speaking isn’t just about delivering presentations; it’s a strategic business development tool that entrepreneurs often overlook.
“Being the best kept secret doesn’t work anymore,” she emphasizes. “You want people to know about you. You want people to recognize you.”
The visibility gained from public speaking creates opportunities that traditional networking simply can’t match. Warren Buffett himself credited a public speaking course with growing his influence and business by 50 percent.
“If prospects don’t know about you, you can’t help them. You can’t serve them,” Liz points out. “Speaking engagements expand your reach far beyond a small networking session.”
Her own success proves the point. She’s grown two businesses through public speaking, and her clients consistently report booking more discovery calls and clients after implementing her frameworks.
The PSP Approach: Tailored Training for Real Results
Public Speaking and Presentation Pros offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to meet entrepreneurs and organizations where they are:
For Individual Entrepreneurs:
- One-on-one coaching sessions that assess strengths and personality
- Customized pathways to become an engaging, compelling, and confident speaker
- Video analysis and feedback on speaking engagements
- Help crafting compelling messages and presentations
- Access to an upcoming online learning hub for 24/7 skill development
For Corporations and Organizations:
- Tailored workshops and training programs aligned with specific goals
- Assessment-based pathways for presentation skills and emotional messaging
- Access to the Speaker Suite platform for ongoing learning
- No additional fees for customization; every program is designed specifically for the client’s needs
“With my 30 years in corporate training, I know I got to nail it to meet their needs,” Liz says. “That’s really the passion. When you craft it, when you design it in partnership with corporations and associations, that’s when you see the people shine.”
The Framework That Transforms Speakers
One of PSP’s most powerful tools is Liz’s approach to overcoming the fear of public speaking. Unlike superficial fixes like “have a glass of water” or “roll your shoulders,” Liz developed the Five Whys Framework, borrowed from quality management root cause analysis.
“Ask yourself five times why you’re afraid,” she explains. “By the fifth time, you’re going to land on that specific problem.”
For Liz, that root fear was simple but profound: “I’m afraid my stuttering is going to come back.”
Once clients identify their core fear, whether it’s imposter syndrome, physical reactions, or past negative experiences, PSP creates a personalized action plan with specific techniques for that individual. The approach acknowledges that fear doesn’t disappear completely, but it becomes manageable.
“I still get nervous,” Liz admits. “But you learn to live with it and walk into it. Once you know what it is, why you have it, what category it is, you can address it.”
The Biggest Mistake Entrepreneurs Make
When asked about the most common pitfall she sees, Liz doesn’t hesitate: “Talking about themselves. Every single time—I, I, I, I, I.”
The solution? Focus on the audience and tell stories about the people you’ve helped rather than listing your credentials or services.
Liz teaches a framework built around four key elements:
- The Pain/Opportunity/Challenge – What problem does your audience face?
- Your Compelling Solution – How do you address it uniquely?
- The Result – What transformation will they experience?
- Call to Action – What specific next step should they take?
One of her clients, a retired banker turned financial coach, transformed her presentations using this approach. “She said, ‘It works. I booked more clients. I booked more discovery calls,'” Liz recalls. “She focused on your core tenants, the pain or opportunity, the compelling solution with differentiators, and the result of working with you.”
Practical Tools for Audience Engagement
Beyond the framework, Liz emphasizes practical engagement strategies that extend beyond the talk itself:
- Lead magnets and handouts that collect email addresses and nurture relationships
- QR codes for easy downloads and contact collection at conferences
- Strategic raffles with high-value prizes (one of her social media managers offered a $400 prize and collected valuable contact information)
- Polling technology for real-time feedback that shows whether your message resonates
- Never ending on Q&A – Instead, close with motivation, affirmations, and a high point
“When you do all of these techniques, you’re taking it beyond the conversations we have in a networking event,” Liz explains. “You’re taking this into purposeful value.”
Starting Your Speaking Journey
For entrepreneurs intimidated by the prospect of public speaking, Liz recommends starting small:
Interview Format – Work with someone who will ask pre-planned questions, giving you control and support.
Panel Discussions – Join three or four other speakers answering questions together, reducing individual pressure.
“These are low-risk entry points where you’re set up for success,” Liz notes. “You know the questions, you can even bring note cards, and the person asking wants you to succeed.”
She strongly advises against starting with a large audience (a mistake she made herself, speaking to 400 people with a shaking leg hidden behind a podium). But she also emphasizes preparation: know your material so well that you can handle unexpected follow-up questions.
Building Strategic Collaborations
Success as a speaker-entrepreneur also requires strategic relationship-building. Liz emphasizes joining organizations before approaching them for speaking opportunities.
“I want to know them first,” she explains. “Nashville’s a small town, and everybody knows somebody. The more you get involved in the entrepreneurial sector and ecosystem where you live, incubators, entrepreneur centers, co-working spaces, build up those collaborations where it matters.”
She recommends creating a “referral circle” of complementary businesses that serve the same ideal clients, allowing for mutual support and cross-referrals.
The Speaker Suite: Making Training Accessible
Understanding that not everyone has time or resources for one-on-one coaching, Liz is launching the Speaker Suite in 2025, an online learning hub available 24/7.
“Not everybody has time to work with a coach. Not everybody has the finances to work with a coach. Not everybody can get away from their desk during the day,” she acknowledges.
The platform will feature everything taught in PSP workshops, plus additional handouts and reference guides. Most importantly, it will include videos, because as Liz emphasizes, “You learn public speaking by watching videos, by listening to fantastic orators to figure out how to use your voice.”
The Helping High
After three decades in corporate training and now in her “fourth act” with PSP, Liz remains driven by one simple motivation: helping people.
“My through line has always been helping people,” she says. “I want to help people find their voice and find their future, to actually equip them with the tools to get confident, to engage with their audiences.”
She calls it “the helping high,” that feeling when a client has a breakthrough or books their first paid speaking gig or discovers they can actually do what they thought was impossible.
“When you help people, it just brings you that helping high,” Liz says. “That’s what keeps me going.”
The Message: You Can Shine
Liz’s story, from a child who couldn’t speak without stuttering to a master trainer who commands stages nationwide, carries a powerful message for every entrepreneur standing in the shadows.
“If this stutterer young lady in second grade got over it, you can too,” she insists. “Because your goals and dreams are achievable as an entrepreneur. You don’t want to be the best kept secret anymore.”
Her advice to anyone considering public speaking as part of their business strategy is direct: “Put this in your strategy. Plan it. It needs to be a key pillar of your business strategy. Don’t be the best kept secret anymore because you can shine, shine, shine.”
