December 11, 2017

Meet Mikki Williams of Mikki Williams Unltd. in Gold Coast

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikki Williams.

Mikki, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Born and raised in NYC, I married my college sweetheart… he-Cornell, me-Ithaca College. I had aspirations to be a wife and mother as I am an only child, raised by a single parent and wanted the family I never had. I was a professional dancer, physical education teacher and gave it up to be the homemaker I always wanted to be. Pregnant with our second child, in Dec. my father in law died suddenly, in Jan. I lost the baby and almost died with peritonitis and in Feb. My 29-year-old husband died in a car accident while returning from a job-related event for IBM. I’ was a 29-year-old widow with a 2-year-old child, no job, a mortgage and very little life insurance. I started teaching dance to support myself and my son, Jason and built one of the most successful dance studios in the country, it was featured in the money column of USA Today and in many media outlets.

My dance company performed on Broadway and my famous students included Martha Stewart, Joanne Woodward, Erica Jong, Patty Heart and the choreographer of Wicked, Wayne Cilento, I started a catering business at the same time, The Happy Cooker and won an award from the CIA, Culinary Institute of America. I turned the dance studio into a health club, The Body Firm then sold it and started 7 more entrepreneurial businesses. Finally, I decided to leverage my business acumen, life stories and stage experience and became a professional speaker. I have spoken on every continent except Antarctica (where I can’t wear my stiletto’s:-), at the White House twice, and I was the first speaker to tour South Africa after apartheid and speak at Mandela’s home when they debuted the new South African anthem and unveiled the new flag. Currently, I am also a Master Chair with two executive peer advisory boards with Vistage international, the world’s leading executive organization and one of their top award-winning speakers for over 20 years. I also run The Mikki Mouth Club with four divisions… Speaker Source’ executive speech coaching, Accountability Academy, a yearlong program with quarterly coaching, Keynote Kamp, a two-day intensive, designing your speech and Outrageous Orators, a unique boutique speakers’ bureau as well as quarterly Speakers Schools.

Has it been a smooth road?
Not at all…young widow, embezzlement, breast cancer…but I survived them all…life is not about the hand you are dealt but how you play that hand.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Proud of all the achievements listed above in earning my CSP, certified speaking professional as there are only 600 in the world. Being inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame, only 1 percent of all speakers are honored with this distinction. Becoming a Master Chair, only 3% of Chairs worldwide and an award winning speaker for Vistage and having sold out Speakers Schools and successful coaching clients.

I am proud of all I have accomplished, my resilience, my volunteerism and most of all, my son, Jason. Very proud of accomplishing a major goal this year when I conceived, created and wrote my own one-woman show, “She Came, She Wore, She Conquered…shoes, sex and other stories” at Second City, Chicago. It was supposed to be a one night only and sold out four shows.

What sets me apart is having created a recognizable brand as a speaker,
“Be outrageous, it’s the only place that isn’t crowded™ and the recognition and reputation earned in the process.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes, I would recommend it as the people of the Midwest, Chicago in particular are welcoming and supportive. I come from NYC. I love Chicago, it’s a clean NY with nice people. I have been to all the great cities of the world and adore Chicago as one of THE best! We have great restaurants, theatre, shopping, the lakefront, entertainment, activities and sports.

What I like least is the actual crime and the reputation of having it.

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