Relevance, Resilience and Real Connection
I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and recently hosting, Felicity Ashley on my podcast. She’s been a senior marketing executive. She’s rowed across the Atlantic. She’s survived cancer. And now, she’s a speaker and author of Stronger Than the Storm – out on 8th July. If you want a masterclass in how to build a relevant, heartfelt, and commercially viable speaking business, Felicity’s story is one to pay attention to.
Here are some of the key lessons from our conversation:
- Don’t let your story do all the work, tailor it.
Felicity could tell stories about rowing oceans, or battling cancer, or being a parent with a hip replacement and three small children. But she doesn’t just pick the most dramatic story, she chooses what’s right for the audience in front of her. That starts with research. What are their challenges? What matters to them? She draws from a bank of experiences, always tying it back to what her audience needs, not what sounds the most impressive.
- Emotion connects - but you need a structure.
Yes, people cry when she speaks but they leave feeling hopeful, not heavy. Felicity doesn’t dwell on trauma, she shares it to highlight what comes after. That emotional journey is part of what makes her memorable. And importantly she’s open without oversharing. It’s a fine line many speakers wrestle with.
- Use your background. It makes you relatable.
With over 20 years in marketing and a solid corporate background, Felicity gets business. That means she can speak the language and understand the pain points, from restructures to sales targets. It helps her audiences see her not just as a speaker, but as someone who’s been where they are. That relatability makes her very bookable.
- The hardest bit? Promoting yourself.
Like many speakers coming out of corporate, Felicity has found self-promotion uncomfortable, even though marketing is her area. But she did it anyway. She started showing up on LinkedIn. She worked through the awkwardness, and as she says, the more you do it, the easier it gets.
- Keep your content fresh by doing bold things.
Felicity didn’t stop at rowing oceans. She recently ran the Everest Marathon, yes, really, a 10-day trek to Base Camp and then a marathon back down. She does it partly to stay relevant, and partly to prove (to herself and others) that there’s life after illness. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things – she walks her talk (and runs and rows it).
It’s also a reminder that if you want longevity, you’ve got to keep showing up, keep challenging yourself, and keep finding new ways to add value.
- And finally, speakers are not in competition.
When she moved into speaking, Felicity found the community incredibly generous. People helped her. She reached out, asked questions, and got guidance. Her advice for new speakers is to do the same. Be humble enough to learn. The people who’ve done it before you are often happy to help.
Whether you’ve rowed an ocean or not, there’s a lot to take from Felicity’s journey. Relevance, resilience, honesty, and empath, these are the things that make her bookable. And they’ll make you bookable too.
If you’d like to listen to the full interview go to the Speaking Business Podcast https://speakingbusiness.libsyn.com/
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