We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Ansley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My resilience has come from bombing on stage – literally! I first stepped onto the stage by taking a stand-up comedy class. It was a six-week course, and our “graduation” was performing a brand-new set in front of friends and family. It was incredible – easily one of the best nights of my life.
Then, the very next time I got on stage, I bombed. Hard. I was so embarrassed that I didn’t get back on stage for three years.
Eventually, I dusted off my self-doubt and decided to give it another shot at another open mic, and it went well. From that moment, I kept going.
Resilience and perseverance weren’t skills I’d really needed to develop before that bombing experience. I didn’t yet know what I was capable of, so I let failure stop me. Now, I share that story with others to encourage them to push forward – ideally without taking a three-year break in between when the going gets tough.
Resilience comes from setting side your ego and continuing on despite failures and challenges along the way. I had to learn the hard way that it wouldn’t always be easy, but that first bomb (aka “failure”) prepared me for all the others that have come since. And now, they don’t stop me.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
At my core, I believe every event and presentation should be engaging, and every audience should feel connected—to the ideas presented and to each other. That’s why I do what I do.
As a professional speaker, corporate entertainer, and public speaking trainer with a background in stand-up comedy, I help organizations “de-borify” their meetings, conferences, and presentations, taking them from “…ok” to “OKAY!”
I grew up as a shy introvert who never imagined speaking in front of an audience—let alone making people laugh. But through stand-up comedy, I learned that presenting is a performance. It’s not just about speaking; it’s about capturing attention, telling a story, and making an idea resonate.
Beyond speaking and event energizing, I offer presentation skills training to help professionals become more confident, engaging, and effective communicators. My training focuses on crafting compelling presentations, managing nerves, and delivering messages with clarity and impact. Public speaking isn’t just a skill. It’s an opportunity to influence, inspire, and connect.
I also love customizing experiences that bring people together. Whether it’s a Speed Networking with a Twist program, emceeing a conference, or sharing public speaking tips and techniques, I strive to always create engaging, meaningful moments.
One of my newest projects, Toast Ready, is an online course designed to help people prepare, practice, and perfect their toast for weddings, anniversaries, and life’s big moments. While public speaking is the #1 fear for most people, it’s also one of the most valuable communication skills.
At the end of the day, my mission is simple: helping people connect—to ideas, to their audience, and to each other.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Perseverance and resilience – Resilience comes from putting yourself out there, trying, failing, getting back up and pressing forward. If things were easy all of the time, we wouldn’t develop the ability to cope when they get hard. The good news is: You already have a 100% success rate at overcoming challenges – because you’re here now. You’ve made it through every…single…challenge (or are navigating through it now). Doubt is inevitable. But courage isn’t the absence of fear and or doubt. Courage is moving forward DESPITE them.
2. The Path Reveals Itself as You Walk It. Honestly, if I knew everything about this entrepreneurial journey before I started, I probably wouldn’t have started. It’s been way harder than I ever expected. And honestly? I’m thankful I didn’t have the information up front, because I might have (ok probably definitely would have) talked myself out of it.
You’re not going to know everything before you start. Overthinking keeps you stuck. You have to move forward and trust that you’ll figure it out as you go.
3. Know Your WHY. Use it as your anchor. It keeps you focused and intentional when things get message (and they WILL get messy). But here’s the important part: Your “why” can evolve. Allow space for growth and change as part of your journey. Just because something made sense when you started doesn’t mean it will always be the right fit., and that’s ok.
At the end of the day, success isn’t about having all of the answers. It’s about having the grit to keep going, the courage to take the next step, and the self-trust to adapt along the way.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
This is a great question because I think it really depends on the person and their goals. Some people naturally gravitate toward what comes easily, while others thrive on challenges. The key is knowing your WHY.
If you’re uncomfortable enough and truly want to improve at something, be prepared to be uncomfortable along the way. Just ask my mom about the years that her ears endured the discomfort of hearing my sister and me learning to play the viola!
When I first started performing stand-up comedy, they constantly had to turn up the volume on my microphone because I was uncomfortable hearing my own voice projected out to the audience. To improve, I had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. I had to learn to project, own my material, and believe that I deserved to be heard.
That’s exactly why I’m so passionate about public speaking and presentation skills training. I don’t want anyone to avoid this essential skill just because they’re nervous. The truth is EVERYONE IS NERVOUS. And that’s a good thing, because it means you CARE. So don’t let nerves hold you back – instead use them to push you to get better.
Yes, taking risks outside your comfort zone is hard, but that’s how we grow. So, should you focus on your strengths or improve your weaknesses? My take: Lean into your strengths, but don’t let your weaknesses stop you from something important. If your weakness disrupts your WHY, then you owe it to yourself to power through.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ansleyentertainment.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenansleypresents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenansleypresents
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurensansley/
Image Credits
Headshots and branding photos: Bobby Kerns Productions.
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