Adrienne Speaks

 

 

 

 

 

Adrienne Graham is the Ultimate Empowered Woman who has a firm grasp on diversity,  entrepreneurship, careers, recruiting and social media and their impact on individual and business growth.

All inquirers should complete the Pre-event Questionnaire and submit it to the Empower Me offices for review. Ms. Graham will be able to speak at a limited number of events due to her schedule. Requests must be made at least two months in advance of the event. Unfortunately, not all requests can be honored. Please print the questionnaire and submit it via email, mail or fax.

Speaking fees range from $1,500 to $9,000 depending on crowd, location, capacity, length of engagement, and topic. A signed contract is required for all speaking engagements. A non-refundable 30% deposit is due upon signing the contract and confirmation of appearance. 35% is due two weeks before the event. 35% (balance) is due on the day of the event. Travel expenses shall be paid (in advance) except where a travel inclusive fee has been indicated.  A 10% discount will be applied to clients who pay in full in advance. Other arrangements, such as book purchases, can be discussed. She video record all of my speaking engagements for my own use.

The tone of her talks are edutainment with a dose of reality. She include the audience and take them out of their comfort zone to give them permission to rethink business as usual. She’s honest, real and raw…but always professional. People come to her talks because they want to learn, are looking to solve a problem, or just need to hear her message. And they rarely walk away disappointed.

Download the Pre-event Questionnaire

This questionnaire enables us to fine-tune presentations to the exact needs of your group. Feel free to skip over any answers which would duplicate answers to previous questions or which might be irrelevant due to your event. Your help will increase the value of this program to your audience.

 

Signature Speaking Topics (Download)

Don’t Be a Broke Brand

Adrienne Graham knew all too well what it was like to be a hot, fast-rising, popular brand that was BROKE. Often a business owner can get caught up in branding and social media that they end up giving away a lot more than they should by training people to expect information and services for free. In an effort to make people “like” them and deem them knowledgeable subject matter experts, business owners forget that they should be asking for sales and charging what they are worth, and be unapologetic. It’s OK to help people and give some things away free. But a business survives on revenue. Adrienne discusses the 3 mistakes that kept her a broke brand, 3 ways to differentiate real clients from tire kickers, the 3 main misconceptions about branding that keep business owners broke, and 3 strategies for finding ideal clients who want to pay you. She also shares her Top 10 Things You Never Want to Hear Handout. Walk away knowing how to get paid more while giving away less and becoming more profitable. (Can also be a keynote).

No, You Can’t Pick My Brain, It Costs Too Much

What started as a vent to air her frustrations, turned into a hot topic on Forbes.com and across the web and the world. Then, that vent ultimately became a book that spent three weeks as a Hot New Release on Amazon.com. Small business owners, consultants and service professionals often find themselves the resident “go-to” person. A family member needs help programming his PC. A good friend wants some friendly legal advice. A passive admirer wants you to share your entire blueprint on how you became successful so they can get what you’ve got without doing the work. On the surface, they all look harmless. That is until they continue to keep coming back for more and more until they’ve gotten everything they needed from you for free, without the offer or even the thought of paying you or paying it forward. Adrienne Graham talks about ways to protect your intellectual capital and getting people to respect your expertise and boundaries so you don’t get taken advantage of (and earn a living). She also shares her 12 Mantras Handout with the audience. (Can be tailored to a keynote, workshop or panel discussion).

Growth Strategies in ANY Economy

No matter who’s in office, no matter what kind of economy we’re experiencing, you have to be responsible for your own economic success. It’s easy to blame outside factors or government officials for your distress, but the onus falls on you. Because no matter what happens, you still have to pay your bills, feed your family and survive. And it’s up to you to keep the flow of income or revenue coming in. Adrienne Graham talks about the 4 strategies that have worked for her that anyone can use, regardless of their current situation, to grow in any economy. Guaranteed, these 4 strategies can be implemented the next day. This can be tailored for career professionals or business owners. (Can be a panel discussion or workshop).

Employee to Entrepreneur

Every day, millions of people dream about the day they can tell their boss what to kiss and chuck their 9-5 for small business ownership. While that’s all great bold thinking, the reality is only a small few will be bold enough to take the leap, and fewer will actually be successful. By the same token, the weak job market has scared people into deferring their dreams, and has made it necessary for the unemployed and underemployed to create their own economy by starting their own small business. Not everyone jumps into entrepreneurship knowing all of the rules or even having the know-how to do it. Adrienne Graham shares her top (actionable) tips for transitioning from corporate employee to entrepreneur the Monday morning after leaving their job. Learn to launch the SMART way and never look back on a cubicle life of a paycheck and benefits again. (Can be a workshop or panel discussion).

 

Reinvent Without Losing Your Brand

No one person is meant to be in the same career or role throughout their lifetime. Sticking to one occupation, skill set or even business can limit your possibilities and be detrimental in times of economic downturn. While it’s good to specialize, he or she who can adapt and diversify stands a better chance of surviving in any economy. And the person who changes too frequently, has a harder time establishing a successful track record, thereby reducing their opportunities in the marketplace. Adrienne Graham, who has had to reinvent herself and her businesses, shares her six ways to reinvent while still staying true to your core without causing brand confusion or dilution. (Can be a course, workshop or panel discussion).

 

Smart Social Media Branding Strategies for Small Business

Social media has allowed small business owners to reach people worldwide with whom they would have never otherwise connected. In this ever-increasing landscape, we’ve reached a point where users can turn to their smartphones, computers or tablets and communicate their experiences with your business in real time with hundreds of thousands of people…and they will be brutally honest. Whether or not you are on social media, your customers have the power to make or break your brand based on how you treat them. Are you using social media to keep track of your brand? And if not, why are you leaving your brand reputation in other people’s hands by opting out of social media? Adrienne Graham focus on the practices, tools, strategies and processes small business owners can put in place to ensure they are managing (and growing) their brands effectively, communicating with customers, building their reputations by building influence, and growing an engaged community. (Can be a course, workshop or panel discussion).

 

Topics of Expertise:

• networking
• social media branding
• recruiting for small, mid-sized and funded start ups
• entrepreneurship (general, women, African Americans, Latinos)
• professional branding
• employment branding
• women in technology
• minorities in technology
• self-publishing
• overcoming adversity
• diversity

To book Adrienne for your keynote, panel discussion, workshop or other speaking engagement, please call (866) 810-2525 or email info@empowerme.org.

Download Adrienne’s One Sheet and her Bio.

 

Testimonials

I had the pleasure of having Adrienne participate in two events I’ve organized over the past couple of years. One as a panelist on a social media panel at The Atlanta Tribune’s annual Moving Your Business Forward conference, and as moderator for a high-powered discussion on the role of online communities for my inaugural Social Biz Atlanta event. Having seen Adrienne in action before I knew she was perfect for both roles. As a panelist she brought passion, energy and a wealth of personal experiences that added an extra dimension to the group conversation. And as a moderator, she was the perfect “point guard” in leading the panel in a fascinating conversation allowing each participant to provide valuable insights that fed the audience a wealth of information – in a very entertaining manner.

I will not hesitate to call on Adrienne for future events, as she is a proven entity when it comes to providing audiences with information, energy and insights, in a fun and unique way.

Brent Leary- CRM Essentials
Atlanta Tribune Moving Your Business Forward and Social Biz Atlanta

 

We were incredibly pleased with how well Adrienne demonstrated her understanding of our objectives and very impressed with the extent to which she tailored her presentation to our needs and the audience of attendees who left this important conference motivated and inspired. Adrienne’s passion and professionalism were apparent thoughout the process from first meeting, through preparation, presentation and follow up.

Andrea Amir- Director, Smart Money Chicks
Propel Summit

 

Additional testimonials and video clips provided upon request.

 

 

Past Speaking Engagements

 

“21st Century CEO”  Panel Discussion. TCE Career & Biz Conference and Awards Luncheon “Perceive — Think — Act”. Virginia Beach, VA. June 23, 2012.

“Women in Business: Bring Black Entrepreneurship to the Forefront” Panel Discussion. Alabama State University- Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Change. Montgomery, AL. March 28, 2012.

“Phenomenal Women: On Top of Their Game & How They Got There” Panel Discussion. NAFE Atlanta. Atlanta, GA. March 27, 2012.

“Don’t Be a Broke Brand” Closing Keynote Address. Propel Summit- Atlanta, GA. March 10, 2012

“The Role of Community & Influencers in Today’s Business Environment”. Social Biz Atlanta- Atlanta, GA. February 3, 2012.

“Devising the Perfect Business Plan”. 100 Urban Entrepreneurs- Atlanta, GA. November 30, 2011.

“Smart Social Media Tips for Teens”. 21st Century Leadership at North Springs High School- Atlanta, GA. November 29, 2011.

“Do We Really Have the Talent to Compete in a Fiercely Competitive Global Arena…Really?”. Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute at Gwinnett Technical College. November 12, 2011.

“Online Reputation Management.” Atlanta Tribune 2010 Moving Your Business Forward Conference. July 28, 2010.

“How to Really Work the Web.” Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference 2010. May 18, 2010.

“Women in Tech- Social Media.” University of Virginia, Darden School of Business. November 9, 2009.

Keynote Address. Sistas Atlanta. September 2009.