lisa gates

A Stand

I wholeheartedly take the stand that it’s time for women to stop twisting themselves into pretzels to conform to gender and cultural expectations. In fact, it’s time for the patriarchy to start conforming to us. We have big aspirations. And mountains to move.

A Superpower Statement

As a leadership and career story coach, my superpower is helping ambitious women master their influence and thought leadership through the power of story so they are seen, heard, promoted, and rewarded — equitably.

A Story

Years ago I was interviewing for a new business coordinator position at a well-known PR firm—before Google and smartphones and all the ready access to information that might help me interview better. My future boss asked me, “Do you have a story from your work or life and you think really conveys who you really are as a person?”

I was completely unprepared for that question. I paused. Fumbled around. And then I told him a story about how I convinced my high school board to allow girls to wear pants (yes, we’re talking old days). I thought I gave a riveting performance, but my boss said, “Now, tell me that story one more time and invest it with the characters and conflict.” And so I did, even sneaking in an imitation of the principal’s nasal twang.

At that point I was thinking, I’m an actor, I know I nailed it. But he asked me to tell the story yet again, and “this time, don’t make yourself the hero of the story. Tell me about your missteps on the way to success.” And so I made a bit of a mess, but eventually I put a period on the last sentence and to my surprise, he hired me.

Weeks later I was sitting down with my boss and I asked him why he made me jump through all those story hoops. He said, “Well, first of all, I wanted to see if you could think on your feet. And second, what we do here when you really get down to it is tell stories--brand stories, customer stories, human stories. I wanted to see if you had the makings of a good storyteller because that’s what will make you valuable to our clients and valuable to our company. Your story will make you promotable.”

Boom. That lesson is now a part of my DNA. Storytelling not only helped me grow my early career, it has now helped me create a successful business as a coach through articles, interviews, blogging, podcasts, speaking engagements, and workshops. And I now use my life and career experience to help ambitious women grab hold of their superpowers, learn how to craft strategic narratives that inspire results, and become sought after thought leaders in their professions.

The Usual Stuff 

I am a leadership coach certified with both the Co-Active Training Institute and Beyond Barriers Women in Leadership Program. I have additional training in mediation, negotiation, Crucial Conversations, and Strength Finders. With a degree in theatre and a minor in journalism I have performed in countless plays, torn up the boards in several improv troupes, and participated in storytelling events for over 35 years. To make a living, I applied my storytelling and communication chops in public relations and marketing roles. From there, I co-founded the negotiation consulting company She Negotiates and have authored several online courses available at LinkedIn Learning, including Asking for a Raise, Negotiation Foundations, Conflict Resolution Foundations, Coaching and Developing Employees, and Coaching for Results.