Tiffany Atkinson

Title

Keynote Speaker and L&D Consultant

Organization

Tiffany Atkinson Consulting

Location

Indianapolis, Indiana

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/doyouknowtiffany

Education

Bachelor's degree in graphic design (the Art Institutes)

Favorite Quote

"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." —Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Becoming an L&D professional was not always Tiffany Atkinson's plan, but her path has informed her current work. She accidentally fell into the field after trying a few different careers, including the US Army and starting a marketing agency after she was laid off from her first job after college. In Atkinson's current role as the CEO of her own consultancy company, she works to empower women to become leaders in their fields.

Why have you chosen to focus on women's leadership?

Because I had spent most of my speaking career at women's conferences, and women would often approach me to share how much my talks resonated with them, it felt like a natural progression.

What project in your career are you most proud of?

My very first keynote. I delivered the opening keynote at a local design conference several years ago. It was my first time trying out a new format where I included aspects of my personal story in the presentation. I was pleasantly surprised by how the audience received the information. Every speaker who followed me referenced something they learned in my presentation while delivering their own. It was the best feedback I could have gotten. That presentation encouraged me to incorporate more speaking engagements into my career and it's what ultimately led me to discover my path in L&D.

What are the biggest learning-related challenges in your current role?

Since I am a self-taught consultant, I have a bit of a learning curve when it comes to explaining the why behind the things that I do in L&D. Coming from marketing coaching and business consulting, I made it a habit to use more general and simplistic terms when explaining concepts to clients. That ultimately was a strength when I became a speaker because it made me more relatable than others. But now, as I step into more L&D spaces, I am a bit self-conscious when I explain the work we do and why we do things the way we do. It's something I'm working on, but it is my greatest challenge at the moment.

What career advice do you have for up-and-coming L&D professionals?

Never be afraid to try something because you might fail at it. Even if you do fail, you'll still learn something from that experience, and that lesson could be the very thing that sets you up for your next career accomplishment.

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