Are you looking for a speaker to educate & motivate your audiences? Bring Diane to speak to your group!
After 11 years in ballet and 5 years as a ballerina (and the need to support myself and two small children) I leaped
into the business world with confidence and grace. The next 20 years were amazing where I spent over 20 years with
Profit & Loss accomplishments in high growth, information technology, and start-up operations. Using the focus and
discipline I learned as a ballerina, I became a positive transformational leader with the ability to analyze products,
services, markets, and growth opportunities.
I led a $9 billion Netherlands-based coatings manufacturer into the US market, delivering $15 million in annual sales
and capturing 10% market share; then grew the IT division sales 175% in the following 2 years while doubling market
chare and increasing gross margin 15%. I directed marketing and product development for a $200 million automotive
information provider, and generated $1.2 million in incremental revenue from a new vertical market within the first year.
After a corporate cosmic kick, I transitioned into the entrepreneurial world. With 12 slides, in 15 minutes, I raised
$150,000 in cash on the spot with my presentation to a local angel group to help fund my Internet web start-up company.
No one had ever accomplished this before in the history of the group. What a ride that journey was particularly when
the opening line my future angel lead investor said to me was, "Diane you'll never raise a dime with that presentation!".
I grew my web portal for women, iwoman.net, to the #6 most visited woman's destination on the Internet within three
(3) weeks. Within one year of our launch I had the opportunity to be acquired so I chose to go down that path in hopes
it would accelerate my growth. Who knew I would be "Internet roadkill" within a year of that. But that's the way life
happens sometimes. So I tapped danced off to do something else.
Since that time, I, as a business coach, have helped hundreds of women entrepreneurs (and some men, too!) grow their
businesses organically through effective leadership, sales and marketing strategies and leveraging the power of strategic
alliances as an accelerated growth strategy.
Having been successful in traditionally male dominated industries, I have special expertise in helping women business owners
develop the skills and confidence necessary to glide through credibility roadblocks and detours to grow themselves and their
businesses beyond their wildest dreams. This is truly where my heart and passion lies.
I hold a B.A. in Business Management from Antioch University, a certificate in Managerial Policy from USC Graduate School
of Business and a certificate from Columbia Executive MBA School of Business.