Mikki Williams

My business experience

I have owned nine different entrepreneurial companies, including a health club, catering business, dance studio, management consulting firm, cruise placement travel service, retail store, natural health products company and coaching organization. My current business is professional speaking and training and speaker schools, private coaching and consulting clients.

My Vistage experience

Since 1993 I have been one of the most consistently highly rated speakers on the Vistage circuit. I have also served as a Vistage Chair since 2000 with a Chief Executive group and a Key Executive group.

In my Vistage groups, our focus is on the "whole person." We process business as well as personal issues, believing that if one area of your life is out of whack, it will probably affect other areas as well.

My Vistage groups

The "personality" of my Vistage groups is unconventional and challenging. Although members are extremely diverse in age, ethnicity and gender, they are socially and personally bonded. The balanced ratio of male to female members provides the group with broad perspectives; also, there is a strong balance of industries from service to manufacturing and retail, so no one industry dominates.

I administer the DISC profile (a widely accepted behavioral instrument) to all incoming g members and we keep everyone's "personality style" visible on their name tent so we're always sensitive to needs and differences when we process issues. And yes, we have lots of fun!

Members of my Chief Executive group are leaders in a wide array of industries, including E-learning, Broadway promotion, customer experience consulting, financial services, restaurant and catering, architecture, online travel solutions, B2B marketing and design, telecommunications, and intellectual property law.

Key executives in my Key Executive group represent numerous industries, including telecommunications, radiopharmaceutical manufacturing, financial planning, human resources services, investment banking and training product specialties.

Who is the "ideal" Vistage member?

The ideal Vistage member is a man or woman who is willing to operate in a "discomfort zone" and who isn't afraid to challenge in our "carefrontational" manner. Our meetings are creative and while we strive to try new things, we have many rituals, processes and systems in place to ensure that members get their value proposition and ROI. We are looking for members who want to grow their businesses and, in kind, grow themselves.

In my Key Executive group, we are looking for men and women in a variety of roles—from CFO and COO to sales managers and office managers. We are also looking for individuals leading start-up companies or businesses with revenues under $1 million who understand that the investment they take early on will escalate their growth.

More about Mikki Williams

I have a BS from Ithaca College and an MBA from the University of New Haven. I am a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional), a designation held by less than 500 speakers.

Other awards and certifications include:

Finalist, EOY Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Judge and keynote speaker, EOY Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Presidential Sports Award
Nominee, Athena Award
Small Business Person of the Year Award
Guest speaker at the White House (twice) for the Executive Staff
President, Entrepreneurial Women's Network