A BORN
SPEAKER?
With a little wink of the eye, I like to say that growing up as the eldest of 5 brothers and sisters has taught me the importance of captivating my audience’s (my parents’) attention and getting to the point quickly (before my siblings could interrupt).
In other words, If I wanted to enjoy my mum’s undivided attention, I had to deliver an engaging “speech”… 😉
As a student at the Ecole Hotelière de Lausanne, I still believed that being confident and appearing fearless on stage would make me a good public speaker.
The more I learnt, the more feedback I tried to incorporate into my performance, the more pressure I put on myself.
I really, really wanted to be a great speaker and inspire my audience, yet when on stage I struggled to keep all the elements of “a good delivery” in mind, while trying to remember my eloquently worded speech.
It was stressful, exhausting and I often feared people wouldn’t understand my point… Rarely was I satisfied with myself.
CONNECTING
WITH MY
PURPOSE
Together with fellow students I founded a public speaking club to create a safe environment without judgement but lots of positive energy to practice.
With a university curriculum asking students to regularly present, I often heard friends say how much they feel under pressure to deliver the perfect presentation. Some were so afraid of failure and being judged, they would shy away from speaking up.
My goal became to help students feel calm and confident when presenting in front of an audience. My true desire wasn’t to become the best speaker. I quickly noticed how much I enjoyed standing next to club members, helping them to succeed.
Also, it seemed as though I had a talent to make it simple for speakers to give engaging presentations by making complex concepts simple.
TRANSFERRING
THE KNOWLEDGE
After graduating, I lead teams in the food & beverage department of some prestigious hotels in the world.
I had to rely on my public speaking skills when handling complaints, communicating change, or giving feedback.
Soon, colleagues from other departments approached me, sharing how stressed they felt when an angry customer met them at the reception desk, or a sales call didn’t go so well. Yet again, I had people around me who experienced speaking up as stressful and complicated, whereas I often saw how a little shift in their approach could make it so much simpler for them.
What seemed to become a pattern: Especially women feared to be seen as too emotional when turning red in stressful situations or when putting too much passion into their statements.
DISCOVERING MY
COACHING SIDE
When one day my colleague Nathalie, a true expert in marketing, told me over lunch that she doesn’t think she should accept the promotion because it would surely make her present more and that the thought alone horrifies her, something clicked.
I couldn’t stand the thought of her missing out on a great opportunity and the team losing a passionate professional only for a fear of public speaking. Something I knew I could make simple for her…
Then and there I knew in my heart that my professional purpose was to stand next to inspiring individuals helping them to see their potential while building confidence and trust in their own skills.
I wanted to make it simple for people like my colleague Nathalie to feel calm and confident, while captivating their audience with their message.
TAKING
THE LEAP
A couple of weeks later I enrolled in my training to become a certified coach.
A year later I took one year off to go soul searching and truly connect with my purpose. After that year, there was no other choice but to start my own business.
It was a difficult decision to quit my hotel job, I had just been told that my next move would be the position of Hotel Manager. Still, I felt deep down inside of me that I wanted to help people using my strengths, talent and enthusiasm, while having the freedom to be truly me.
Today, I am an established entrepreneur and champion for my clients. I value the open exchange and possibility to make it simple for them to captivate their audience with their message, so they can inspire lasting change and create an impact.
Picture (TEDxZurich 2021 Speaker - Aurélie Litynski)
FINDING MY
LITTLE UNIVERSE
I have found that my style of coaching and techniques resonate especially with women who have a purpose.
Being a speaker coach for women doesn’t mean “only for women”. It’s a space that has found me and a space I love working in, because I feel I am creating a lasting impact.
Openness is one of my core values and I strive to welcome anyone for who they are. That translates into helping them build credibility towards their audience for who they are, their purpose, their uniqueness.
And to feel comfortable while doing it.
That’s what true Power of Speech feels like.
When I'm not wearing my coaching hat
-
I grew up in Hamburg, Northern Germany where people say the land is so flat you can see your Sunday’s invitees on Wednesday already.
-
Switzerland became my home in 2006 where I lived in Lausanne at the shores of lake of Geneva (French-speaking part) until 2021. Since then, I have been based in Zurich (German-speaking part).
-
I met my wonderful wife while studying at the Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne.
-
I am a passionate foodie. Cooking is my form of meditation.
-
I love sailing and the ocean, the mountains here in Switzerland for hiking or road cycling.