Crafting and packaging her clients’ go-to-market message and teaching them how to communicate it powerfully, Teresa helps them achieve extraordinary results that last a lifetime.

Whether guiding business leaders to a breakthrough in their presentation skills or coaching entrepreneurs in the Strategic Coach® Program, Teresa works with playful determination to help each person identify their core vision and deliver it to the world effectively.

Teresa Easler’s clients include financial services professionals, high-tech companies, sales teams, entrepreneurs, executives, and individuals who just want to communicate better. No matter what the message, Teresa has found there are universal principles that work consistently. “When we communicate from the best of who we are,” she says, “from what’s most important to us, we inspire ourselves and we can inspire others. There’s communication, not just data exchange.”

The people Teresa works with have something important to say, and she’s able to add the piece that gets their message across—a task she finds tremendously rewarding. This opportunity is also her main motivation for coaching: “It’s an absolute privilege to contribute to the lives of people who are doing such incredible things.” And the feeling is mutual: Many of her clients have maintained a working relationship with her for ten years or more.

Teresa’s foray into business began when she completed her MBA and worked in financial planning, first as a commissioned salesperson, then in a salaried position at a bank. All the while, she consulted on the side. In 1984, she left the corporate world to become a full-time entrepreneur.

At first, she ran a gourmet cheesecake business from her home in Florida, providing cakes for parties, restaurants, and sky boxes at the Super Bowl. She and her then-husband moved to Toronto to pursue an opportunity, but it fell through, so they decided to start a business they’d talked about for years. “I guess it was out of desperation,” Teresa says, “but that’s how a lot of entrepreneurs start!”

The couple soon found a niche market for their skills: offering high-end video production services to corporate clients. Teresa made a cold-call that connected them to Alias Research, a start-up technology company, who hired them to interview users of the firm’s computer imaging software. The project was a huge success and led to relationships with several other large technology firms—right at the beginning of the tech boom.

Teresa found that many of the companies asking them to make videos were a “train wreck” when it came to crafting their message or doing strategic planning. More and more, she was being called on to provide coaching—preparing executives for an IPO or training salespeople for roadshows. In her mind, all this work was a “value-add” to the production services.

A dinner conversation with her financial advisor about the Strategic Coach Program started Teresa on the path to joining. When she did, Dan Sullivan quickly recognized the value of the coaching she was giving away and said, “You know, there are people who will pay you for this. Trust me. Just ask them for a check and see what happens.”

At first she hesitated, not having the confidence of credentials, but her consulting work was clearly making an impact with their clients, so she tried charging for it. “I kept making up big numbers, and they kept thinking it was a bargain,” she says. Over time, the business model changed to make greater use of Teresa’s talent. Dan’s next suggestion was that she package her ideas and services. This led to the evolution of Teresa’s current company, Connect to the Core, which helps corporate leaders, salespeople, and individuals overcome their frustrations and uncertainties about communication so they can make a persuasive, effective, and genuine connection with their audiences.

Teresa is proud of what she’s accomplished, especially since it reinforces what’s most important to her. “I work very hard at making sure my life is in balance,” Teresa says. “I’m extremely close to my family, and the Program supports me in that, taking time to spend in the most important relationships, and knowing it’s okay to do that.”

She’s even used her skills and experience in her relationships with her children. When one of her two sons was eleven, he made an announcement: He wanted to be a stand-up comedian. “This is not one of those things that warms a mother’s heart,” Teresa laughs, “but I didn’t panic.” Instead, she led him through a Strategic Coach® exercise to identify what a person has to do to become a comedian. “He took classes at Second City and created a great comedy act. It turns out he’s hysterically funny. Fortunately, he realized this wasn’t the best way to make a living, and now he’s focused on being a veterinarian—but he’ll be the funniest veterinarian anybody ever has!”

Teresa’s excitement about the future is infectious, as is her joy in the present. “I feel like a teenager,” she says, “like it’s all in front of me. The Program gives you a deep appreciation for the life that you have. And—guess what—you can do more! So it’s not just about the future being when it’s going to get good, but also about appreciating that, hey, it’s pretty good right now.”

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[Download] PDF version of Teresa Easler’s Coach Story.