Liz Brunner of Brunner Communications: Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life

An Interview With Pirie Jones Grossman

You know more than you think you know. Trust that! All the skills I had honed during all of my career chapters — even working in retail and “selling” — are a part of the work I do today.

Many successful people reinvented themselves in a later period in their lives. Jeff Bezos worked in Wall Street before he reinvented himself and started Amazon. Sara Blakely sold office supplies before she started Spanx. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a WWE wrestler before he became a successful actor and filmmaker. Arnold Schwarzenegger went from a bodybuilder, to an actor to a Governor. McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was a milkshake-device salesman before starting the McDonalds franchise in his 50's.

How does one reinvent themselves? What hurdles have to be overcome to take life in a new direction? How do you overcome those challenges? How do you ignore the naysayers? How do you push through the paralyzing fear?

In this series called “Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life “ we are interviewing successful people who reinvented themselves in a second chapter in life, to share their story and help empower others.

As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Liz Brunner.

Best-selling author, Executive Communications Coach, Motivational Speaker, and Emmy award-winning journalist. Liz Brunner’s television career spanned 28 years and featured many memorable highlights including exclusive one-on-one interviews with prominent figures ranging from professional athletes to global political leaders including President Barack Obama as well as cultural icons such as Oprah Winfrey. In 2013, Liz excitedly embarked upon her next chapter, becoming the CEO and Founder of Brunner Communications and launched BrunnerAcademy.com in 2020 dedicated to helping people find their authentic voice, tell their story and lead with presence. Liz is also the host of the Live Your Best Life with Liz Brunner podcast and author of the bestselling book Dare to Own You: Taking Your Authenticity and Dreams into Your Next Chapter.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

I’m the daughter of a minister father, who was from New York, and a social worker mother, who was from India. Although I was born in Connecticut, we moved to the islands of Hawaii when I was just a year old. We lived there until the age of 10 before moving to the mainland and the state of Illinois. There are a lot of ministers and doctors in my family, but I didn’t follow that path, and only one of my three younger brothers did. My eldest brother became a minister. Growing up, my entire family was very musical whether performing in church or singing in nursing homes. We were often thought of as the “Von Trapp’s” — as in the “Sound of Music” Trapp Family Singers — of our community. So, it seemed quite logical that music would initially be my career choice. I’m grateful for all that training because it has reaped so many benefits whether singing as my talent and becoming Miss Illinois (all that scholarship money helped pay for my college education) or in all of my career chapters that followed.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I love quotes! I find them inspiring so it’s hard for me to pick just one. If you will indulge me, I will share two with you. The first is from Rev. Robert Schuller, “what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” Many of us don’t even attempt to go after our wishes or dreams because we are too afraid, we might fail, and then what? But, if we use this mindset that Schuller suggests, imagine the possibilities! The second quote is from my maternal grandmother, Dr. Dorothy Dunning Chacko. This quote was the impetus for my book, Dare to Own You: Taking Your Authenticity and Dreams into Your Next Chapter. “No knowledge is ever wasted.” I heard that quote not only from my grandmother, but also from my own mother many times! There is such wisdom in those words because all of our experiences — the good, the bad, everything — is knowledge, and when you think of it as knowledge, it can propel you into many next chapters. It certainly has for me.

You have been blessed with much success. In your opinion, what are the top three qualities that you possess that have helped you accomplish so much? If you can, please share a story or example for each.

Perseverance. Resilience. “Intelligent risk taker.” Yes, those are three words for one quality, but they truly speak to my career path, and my life. I have taken many risks — intelligent risks — to get to where I am today. I left being a high school music teacher without knowing what I would do next. I worked in retail for a couple of years before getting into television with virtually no industry experience. After 28 years in the TV business, I left and became an entrepreneur without having an MBA to my name. I even went skydiving! Talk about a risk, but it was something that had been on my bucket list. At least when I jumped out of that airplane, I had a parachute. When I launched my business, it felt like I had jumped off a cliff hoping there would be a parachute.

During my television career, I often did exclusive stories with very prominent individuals. Perseverance was key, especially getting my interview with President Barack Obama. It took four years of writing to the White House — mind you, with no response — before I heard from anyone. So, when my request was granted, and my interview finally happened, it was a moment I will never forget. I persevered and it paid off. No matter your politics, to interview a sitting president is an honor.

And, resilience. It takes resilience to rise above tough times. Life will throw all of us curve balls. Our plans may fall apart. We may have to “pivot” whether by choice or circumstance, but we can learn to be resilient. It is a choice. When you strengthen inner resilience, you can not only face the challenges of life, but also rise above them and live your best life.

Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about ‘Second Chapters’. Can you tell our readers about your career experience before your Second Chapter?

I actually consider this my 4th chapter! I have a degree in music from Lawrence University’s Conservatory of Music in Appleton, WI. I started out as a High School music teacher and was singing semi-professionally in the Chicago area. We also did concert tours in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Greece and Italy, where we sang for Pope John Paul II in Vatican Square. After a couple of years of teaching, I felt there was more I was supposed to do, although I didn’t know what. So, when my contract ended, I left and worked in retail for a couple of years to pay the bills. That would be chapter #2. My third chapter was by far the longest, 28-years in television — 20 of those years at WCVB-TV, ABC in Boston. A series of informational interviews landed me my first job in TV in Champaign-Urbana, IL, then on to Tampa, FL, before ending up in Boston. I am proud to say I was an Emmy Award winning journalist who had the honor and privilege of interviewing world leaders such as President Barack Obama and many celebrities, Oprah being one of them. I also covered many major world events such as 9–11 and the Boston Marathon bombings, but my favorite stories were always the ones where people rose above their tragedies and triumphed in some way. And now, my 4th chapter is as an entrepreneur. I launched Brunner Communications in 2013. I have traveled the country as an executive communications coach working with people on presence, storytelling, presentation and public speaking skills, leadership, media training, and more. Along with being a keynote/motivational speaker, I host my own podcast, Live Your Best Life with Liz Brunner, have an online learning platform, Brunner Academy, and, now, I have published my first book. I still sing from time to time, having had the opportunity to perform our national anthem for many of our college and professional sports teams in Boston (the Celtics, New England Patriots and the Red Sox), and I have performed with the legendary Boston Pops orchestra.

And how did you “reinvent yourself” in your Second Chapter?

For all of my next chapters, I prefer to use the word “re-create” rather than reinvent. When you reinvent, to me, it feels as if you are doing a “complete 180.” You are going in a totally new, and quite possibly, very different direction. I believe most of us, more often than not, “re-create.” When you “re-create” you are taking all of your life experiences and using them in a different way. Who knew that all my vocal training as a music teacher and semi-professional singer would be so relevant night after night on the evening news — speaking and delivering stories — and now as an executive communications coach. I’ve come full circle as a teacher/coach once again, helping clients find their voice, learn how to use it to share their stories — their content — either professionally or personally.

Can you tell us about the specific trigger that made you decide that you were going to “take the plunge” and make your huge transition?

It was not an overnight decision. In fact, I took about two years to finally realize I was ready to take that plunge and leave after 28 years in the TV industry. It was a process of confidentially talking to many community leaders/mentors and assessing what my skill set was, and how I could use it in a new way. (“No knowledge is ever wasted.”) When I finally made the decision, it was a huge transition for me because I had never wanted to run my own business, but it honestly was the right step, at the right time.

What did you do to discover that you had a new skill set inside of you that you haven’t been maximizing? How did you find that and how did you ultimately overcome the barriers to help manifest those powers?

It wasn’t so much about discovering a new skill set, but rather, taking the skills I have and discovering how to use all of them in a new way. It comes back to my grandmother’s quote that no knowledge — or experience — is ever wasted. I truly feel that in this chapter, I am taking all of that knowledge, all of the skills I have honed over the years and all of the talents with which I believe I have been blessed, and using all of them. That, to me, is fulfilling my purpose. We can all fulfill our purpose when we take all of our gifts and talents and find ways to share them with the world and be of service to others.

How are things going with this new initiative? We would love to hear some specific examples or stories.

Eight years in and I feel blessed! When you consider how many entrepreneurs don’t even make it past the first year, let alone five years, and I’m now into my 8th year, I consider that a win! Besides building a thriving coaching practice, and creating online courses — in particular, my flagship public speaking course, How to Be a Rock Star Public Speaker and a new collection of “Dare” courses that align with my book — I also love hosting my podcast, Live Your Best Life with Liz Brunner. I always enjoyed interviewing people when I was an anchor/ reporter, and now I get to do it with guests with whom I want to talk. And, the best part is that I don’t have to have a news director or an executive producer telling me my interview or story is too long. I can do what I want! I’ve talked to a lot of guests who are in the transformational space such as Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, Marci Shimoff and David Neagle. I’ve had Robin Roberts of Good Morning America on my show, Chef Ming Tsai, former Navy Seal Mark Divine, motivational speaker Trent Shelton, and the list goes on. All of them are inspiring. The goal of my show is to show listeners that if my guests have created next chapters for themselves, maybe it will inspire them to do the same, and take that chance. And now, I’m very proud of publishing my first book. It’s part memoir, both personal and professional, along with offering transformational tools to help people create their next chapters. My vision for my life is to teach, motivate and inspire people to live their best life, whatever that means for them.

Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

There are too many people to say just one person to whom I’m grateful, but perhaps one mentor comes to mind because he gave me the courage to take the plunge and leave TV. I was closing in on two years of trying to discover what I might like to do if/when I left television. I had narrowed it down to three different paths. One; I could maybe be a communications expert at a corporation. Two; I could maybe get involved with a non-profit organization as an Executive Director. Or three; I could start my own business and help people with presence, communication skills, storytelling and more, as scary as that sounded. When I shared this three-lane approach with this mentor he said to me, “Liz! You’re well-known, you’re well-respected, you have credibility. That is value. Why would you give that value to someone else? Start your business, and if in six months or nine months you don’t have any clients, or you don’t like what you’re doing, then you can always go and do something else.” It was as if a kaleidoscope went click. Suddenly, in an instant, everything came into focus and I knew I would launch my business. Six weeks later, I left WCVB. I also believe if that mentor hadn’t shared that philosophy with me, I may not have found the courage to leave.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started in this new direction?

If you had asked me in 2013 when I started my company what I thought it would look like eight years later, I could not have predicted where it is today other than hoping it would be a success. There have been many interesting stories, but three come to mind. Number one: pivoting. Like many, when the pandemic hit, I had to learn how to teach what I had always taught in person and start to do it virtually. Also, finding a way to share with many clients–old and new — that my skill set was so applicable for this new virtual world. The second is launching BrunnerAcademy.com. Creating online learning was not something I had even considered, but once I figured out how to coach people virtually, it was a natural next step. And, number three: getting my book published. It was not even on my radar eight years ago. I did start writing it in the summer of 2019, but felt I was going off course, so I stopped writing. I didn’t pick it back up again until March 2021. I was now really ready to write it and I was on a mission. I felt compelled and by mid-August, I’d finished it. Now, it’s out in the world and I truly hope it helps people become more authentic, turn wishes into dreams — their reality — and create next chapters for themselves.

Did you ever struggle with believing in yourself? If so, how did you overcome that limiting belief about yourself? Can you share a story or example?

Absolutely, yes! Many times. Many of those stories are in my book, Dare to Own You: Taking Your Authenticity and Dreams into Your Next Chapter. Perhaps one of the biggest “limiting beliefs” I had to get past was that I thought I wasn’t smart enough to run a business. I have no idea where that came from, but when I was making the decision to leave TV or not, I truly felt that if fear was the only thing stopping me from leaving, that wasn’t a good enough reason! I pushed through my fears and reminded myself of Schuller’s quote: “what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”

In my own work I usually encourage my clients to ask for support before they embark on something new. How did you create your support system before you moved to your new chapter?

I surrounded myself with as many good people as I could to guide me. They all knew more than me about running a business. But, the bottom line with that approach is you have to be willing to ask for help and that is not an easy thing to do for many people, especially women. I had to be willing to be that vulnerable and authentic. As Keith Farazzi says, “Until you become as willing to ask for help as you are to give it… you are only working half the equation.” Yes, I had a lot of skills that were transferable, but there was a lot I didn’t know, too. I asked and, thankfully, people were very willing to help. So much so that, at times, I almost felt guilty for the assistance that was being offered. That is, until one of my other mentors said to me, “Liz, you were in our homes giving us the news, comforting us during troubled times. You’ve been in this community for twenty years, giving of your time, talent, and energy. You were building your business even before you started it.” I’d never thought of it like that. Words like these allowed me to graciously accept all that was being offered.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my organization” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. You know more than you think you know. Trust that! All the skills I had honed during all of my career chapters — even working in retail and “selling” — are a part of the work I do today.
2. When you run your own business and are offering services & programs, you are always selling! I’d never really thought about it like that until I was doing it. But honestly, when you live under a microscope of nightly TV ratings and “judged” every day, in many respects, I was always selling myself and my station. The two are very similar.
3. As a reporter, I often only had a few minutes with someone for an interview, which meant I had to assess very quickly how to connect with someone. I had to be what I call a “good student of human nature.” While initially a surprise, that skill set has proven invaluable when connecting with a client and developing a trust with them in order to help them learn and grow.
4. In the world of television and breaking news, decisions are made in an instant. But in the corporate world, things often move MUCH slower! There are many layers or hoops one may have to go through before a meeting is scheduled, let alone a decision made on a proposal. The funny thing is, being as busy as I have been in my entrepreneur tenure, I now “get it.”
5. And last, but not least, that eight years in, I would still feel so much passion for helping people! I often see the progress clients make before they do, whether it’s gaining more confidence, delivering a presentation that knocks it out of the park, or helping them discover their next chapter. But, when they see the progress, when they feel it, that is the best feeling in the world!

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

Give yourself permission to own who you are. Dare to own who you are because when you are that authentic, you can create dreams and next chapters. You can live YOUR best life!

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. :-)

I’m choosing two people. 1) Oprah. Even though I am fortunate to have met her and interviewed her, it was so long ago that I would love to have breakfast or lunch with Oprah. I am a completely different woman now from when I first met her more than 30 years ago. Given how much I have grown as a person, I believe we would have an amazing conversation today! And there’s one thing that I would want to share with her. It’s actually a “regret” that I have upon our first meeting… but I will save that for her ears only. And 2) the Dalai Lama. I would love to talk with him about his teachings on spirituality and love. I imagine his energy being incredibly inspirational.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

I’m delighted to share with everyone my website, LizBrunner.com and my online learning platform, BrunnerAcademy.com. My podcast, Live Your Best Life with Liz Brunner is on all the major directories and I’ve had some amazing guests! And, now my book, Dare to Own You: Taking Your Authenticity into Your Next Chapter is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indy Bound.

Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!