Today we’d like to introduce you to Elaine Williams.
Hi Elaine, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up mostly in Dallas. I fell in love with the theatre when I did my first role, Gretel, in The Sound of Music. My parents had divorced when I was 4, so I was always looking for love and applause! I grew up in a pretty dysfunctional family, so there was a lot of trauma. After graduating from UT, doing theatre and travelling, I did the Forum in 1997 and had a spiritual awakening. In Aug of 2000, I moved to NYC from Austin, TX, and got sober at the same time. It was difficult and wonderful. After working professionally my whole life in the theatre, film, and voice-over, casting agents kept telling me to lighten up and take some improv/comedy classes. I tried stand up, and when I got to my crazy family material, I saw everyone howling, my life made sense to me for the first time. I was supposed to help others heal. From there I became certified as a coach through the Ford Institute for Integrative Coaching, then a pro speaker and touring comedian. I started Captivate the Crowd in 2017 so that I could help more female entrepreneurs find their voice, own their power, and show up confidently on camera and when speaking live. I have a gift of lifting others up and creating safe spaces for people to be vulnerable and talk about tough topics. I’ve spoken in 4 countries and 43 states on topics: Alcohol/drug awareness, assault prevention and response, and the power of healing through laughter.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Rarely has it been smooth. There have been a million struggles… from not getting booked in NYC. I was the only actress in all of the NYC who wasn’t on Law & Order, losing my voice as a singer, trying to break into the boys club in the comedy scene, not having a support network when I first moved to NYC, getting sober and they kept telling me not to change anything and everything kept changing!!! I got into flipping houses in 2008 and lost almost everything.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I help women in business show up powerfully on camera and in person. I teach female entrepreneurs how to own their power and put themselves out into the spotlight on a whole other level. I use humor when I coach, teach and speak because it helps people relax, receive and remember. I started stand-up comedy when I was newly sober and new in NYC, and I had no sense of play or fun. Learning how to do stand up literally saved my life. I’m also known for overcoming obstacles: (addictions, assault, and domestic violence), so I speak on resiliency and healing. I’m most proud of the work that I do with my clients, all of the places I’ve gotten to perform and tour, and being able to come help my aging parents and sister in Dallas!
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Patty Milligan, my horse trainer, saved my life when she told me I could have boundaries at home and that I didn’t have to say yes to some things that were happening. My choir director, Ms. Marcia Lee Bircher, was a surrogate mother to me all during high school. She was there for me when no other adults were. I’m forever grateful to her. My Meisner teacher, Mr. Pinter, is a master teacher who helped me so much my first 2 years in NYC. My mentor, Noreen Howard, has been guiding me, pushing me, and standing for me since 2017. My sister, Andrea, is the best human being I know. She’s super patient, loving, and kind. She was instrumental in me getting sober, and for that, I’m eternally grateful. My sober sisters… we got on Zoom daily at the start of the pandemic; they are amazing, fierce, spiritual warriors. And my mentor, Caterina Rando, is one of the most powerful yet very loving mentors of all time. She’s helped me be more “me” in my business in many, many ways.
Pricing:
- 997 for a VIP Day
- 10k for Platinum Program
- 2k for CTC group program
- 20k for Visibility Goddess program
Contact Info:
- Website: www.CaptivateTheCrowd.com
- Instagram: elainewilliamsfun
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/ElaineWilliamsCaptivate
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/captivatethecrowd/
- Twitter: elaine-tweets
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdaDOA8vF64MYJovKthm0sw
Image Credits
Angela Agosta
