We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alissa Crabtree a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alissa, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?
I grew up in a farm town where the dirt roads were familiar and the limits were too. Everybody knew your business, and everybody thought they knew your future. When I left, I carried that small-town grit, but I also carried the weight of being underestimated. To many, I was just a country bumpkin trying to play in a big-city world. That sting, the look in their eyes, the quiet doubt, was my first taste of risk.
When I stepped into my professional career, those labels followed me in new forms. In one organization, people whispered that I was a ditz, too bubbly, too optimistic, too full of “rainbows and unicorns” to be taken seriously. They thought the way I carried myself was a weakness, but what they didn’t understand was that it was my edge. My positivity and energy were not fluff; they were strategy, and they gave me the courage to take risks that others avoided.
That’s the thing about risk: it’s never comfortable. It scrapes your pride, it keeps you up at night, and it dares you to leap with no guarantee of a net. But on the other side of the sting is the reward. If I wanted to prove the labels wrong, if I wanted to build something that mattered, I had to leap when others told me to stay put. I had to risk being laughed at, doubted, or overlooked in order to grow. Every time I bet on myself, whether leaving that small town, pushing past gossip, or building a business from scratch, I walked away stronger. Sometimes the reward was success, sometimes it was resilience, but either way, it was worth it.
Today, the business I built stands as proof. People may have doubted the girl with the farm roots and the unicorn sparkle, but risk taught me that the sting of being underestimated is nothing compared to the reward of proving yourself unstoppable.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
For nearly two decades, I lived and breathed education. I taught, I coached, I led, and eventually served as President of the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts. Those years shaped me deeply. I learned how to lead, how to inspire, and how to translate complicated ideas into clear, motivating lessons. What I didn’t realize at the time was that all of those skills were quietly preparing me for the next chapter of my life.
Even while I was still working on a campus, leaders from across the state were asking me for help. They saw results in the way I coached and trained, and eventually, I took the leap and launched my first consulting business. That was my first taste of entrepreneurship, and here’s the fun part: I built that business on speaking. Speaking at conferences, training sessions, and workshops put me in front of the exact people I needed to reach. It became clear that the stage was not just a platform, it was the most powerful marketing tool I had.
That realization is what fueled my second business. Today, I help business owners do what I did: turn their voice into their number one marketing tool. I teach them how to craft talks that engage and motivate, how to step onto a stage with unshakable confidence, and most importantly, how to transform an audience into paying clients. I always say, “If I can keep a classroom full of 8th graders engaged and excited about their learning, I can help others do the same for any audience.” My clients don’t just walk away with a talk; they walk away with a growth strategy that works anywhere, from a keynote stage to a boardroom to a podcast mic.
What excites me most about this work is watching someone go from dreading the spotlight to owning it. Speaking isn’t about perfection, it’s about connection, and when business owners master that, their growth explodes. Right now, I’m especially excited about my upcoming Speak 2 Profit Retreat, where I’ll be walking entrepreneurs step-by-step through turning a talk into a client-generating machine. Because here’s the truth: you don’t need more cold calls, you need a microphone and the right message. That’s where I come in.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
When I look back at my journey, three qualities stand out as game-changers: risk-taking, consistency, and learning to embrace rejection.
First, risk-taking. Every big step I’ve taken…leaving my small town, starting a business, stepping onto a stage, was a risk. And risk always comes with that sting of uncertainty. But here’s the truth: you can’t create something extraordinary by playing it safe. My advice? Start small. Take the risk of putting your ideas out there, raising your hand, or saying yes to an opportunity that scares you a little. Risk builds like muscle; the more you practice, the stronger you get.
Second, consistency. Risk is what gets you started, but consistency is what keeps you moving forward when the initial excitement wears off. I didn’t build my business overnight; I built it by showing up again and again, even when it felt like no one was watching, even when it wasn’t perfect. My advice to those just starting: make promises to yourself that you actually keep. Small, consistent actions will carry you further than one big splash of effort.
Finally, rejection. In the early days of my business, I literally drove across state lines with a box of donuts in my passenger seat, hoping school leaders would give me ten minutes of their time. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn’t. More often than not, I was ignored, brushed off, or flat-out told no. Those moments stung, but I didn’t quit. I kept driving, kept knocking on doors, and kept learning from every no until the yeses started coming. My advice? Don’t run from rejection. Expect it, study it, and use it. The continual rejection is precisely what led me to a career in speaking. I learned that getting on stage, hosting events, and connecting with my audience established me as an authority, and potential clients started knocking on my door. I was able to retire the donuts and build a business I was proud of. I would have never found that if I had given up after the first one hundred “no’s”. Rejection is just part of the tuition you pay for success.
If you can build the courage to risk, the discipline to stay consistent, and the resilience to embrace rejection, you can do just about anything.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client is a business owner who’s already built something they’re proud of, but they know deep down they’re ready for more. They’re ambitious, they’re driven, and they’ve reached the point where speaking can take them from hustling for leads to attracting clients with ease. What sets my best clients apart is their willingness to invest in themselves.
Because here’s the truth: if you want other people to invest in you, whether that’s buying your services, hiring you to speak, or joining your programs, you have to be the first one to put skin in the game. Growth doesn’t happen by accident. My clients understand that sharpening their voice, refining their message, and learning how to present with confidence isn’t an expense; it’s the smartest investment they can make.
The ones who thrive with me are open to coaching, hungry to improve, and bold enough to step into the spotlight even when it feels uncomfortable. They recognize that their voice is their number one marketing tool, and they’re ready to use it with power and purpose. When they make that investment in themselves, the return is exponential, not just in revenue, but in influence, impact, and the kind of confidence that spills over into every part of their life and business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alissacrabtree.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crabtree_coaching_collab/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crabtreecoaching/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alissa-crabtree/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@crabtreecoachingcollaborative/streams
Image Credits
Image credits: Valentina Li
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