Barbara Guterman, Founder of Barbara Guterman Consulting
Name: Barbara Guterman
Founder: Barbara Guterman Consulting
What problem do you solve and for who?
I help Women with public speaking so they can show up as their most empowered, confident and powerful selves. With over 40 years as a public speaker and public speaking coach, I guide women to curate their stories and to elevate their voices for maximum impact. From the boardroom, to the TEDx stage, I know that our speech has the power to reveal what is inside. Our speech is the bridge to generating powerful change.
What's your story?
I have a 40 year history of entrepreneurism and started my first company at the age of 23. I took my company public on my 30th birthday and worked for the next 15 years telling our company story to WallStreet, to the Press and to the General Public. Thinking on my feet and in a powerful persuasive way became my superpower. I now curate a women’s speakers platform called Teach Give Inspire Fridays, coaching over 100 women to find their authentic story and to deliver it with passion. I am now branching out to individuals for private coaching no matter their stage.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
I am very excited to learn those things I do not know and to collaborate on known and unknown areas in my business. I am excited to be amongst such a super charged group of women who are committed to growth for themselves and those around them. I love the “all boats rise" mentality here and look forward to participating in the group.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
I’ve run a women’s speakers series for the last 8 years and have featured over 75 women. We have built a community of over 2,500 women who have attended our events which are designed to empower themselves, their families and their communities. Uplifting other women is a primary goal of mine, my new consulting business will focus on elevating the voices of women to step into their power.
What are three podcasts you listen to that have helped you with your business?
Mel Robbins
Lindsay Pinchuk
Flight Club
What is ONE BOOK that you would recommend every female business owner read?
Simon Sinek, Finding your Why
Who is a female entrepreneur you look up to and why?
Sara Blakely, because she created her company bootstrapped, and did it on her own.
What are the first five things that you did when you were starting your business?
Surrounded myself with people smarter than me
Asked for help when I needed it
Listened, Listened, Listened
Did not take “no” for an answer
Sought out mentors and supporters
Worked my ass off
Who is someone who has helped change or shape your business for the better and what did they do to help you?
My mother. She was my first investor with a 50K investment. 8 years later, I was able to payback her initial investment of over $200K with interest when I took my company public.
At what point did you make your company a full time gig? How did you know the time was right?
From the very start. I quit my job at 23 and worked without pay for the first two years so I could afford to pay the experts I needed to get started.
What lesson or skill did you take with you from a prior job to help you succeed in your role today?
Put your ego aside and surround yourself with experts.
Let’s talk social media—who handles it for your company and what is the secret to making it successful? What is the biggest challenge?
I have been handling most (not my superpower) and now have some help with a part-timer from a more recent generation. I know the secret to staying in front of people properly is to stay ON BRAND, to use media and reels, to collaborate with others and to post once a day. I am working on all these things.
How did you land your first client?
I asked if they would like to work with me. They saw my personal expertise and wanted to learn how they could become more expert. I ended up training the whole C-suite team on brand messaging and pubic speaking. The ED reported that it was the most powerful team building program they ever had. I am now working with their three key execs on further public speaking training.
What is something you do differently from the industry standard?
I am brutally honest in a loving way. I bring a unique feminine approach to creating powerful messages. I am able to allow people to dig deep to share with audiences in a meaningful and impactful way. I always say, “Don’t tell me what you do. Tell me who you are.” Vulnerability is hard, but it is what connects and moves people to action.
Have you sold a business?
Yes, I took my first company public and raised initial capital of 8M. 15 years later, my company was sold for 6B to MCI/Worldcom.
What would you do differently if you were starting your business today?
Seek the advise of private/personal counsel in addition to corporate counsel to make certain that there was ONE person whose sole responsibility was to look out for my interests, not just the teams or company’s interests.
What are three strategies you use to market your business, grow brand awareness and generate bottom line growth?
Social Media
Word of Mouth
Personal Referrals
What was an obstacle you overcame to get your business where it is today?
There is no substitute for putting the time in. A hurdle I ran into was making the decison to invest in myself.
What are three actionable tips you would give with other women who want to start a business or are just getting started?
Have a Focused Plan
Be Fearless in your execution
Be Flexible in your approach.
Often the path to the end goal looks different than we might expect.
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