About Stefanie
Stefanie Coleman was born in the United States, raised in
Germany and educated in both school systems. She later majored in French, minored in Communications, and spent one year in
France, where she became certified in Business French by the Paris Chamber of Commerce.
Upon graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, Stefanie returned to Germany and spent four years working in public relations, mostly for the German office of
Fleishman-Hillard International. Here she developed and implemented PR programs for clients in the tourism, technology, food and beverage and healthcare fields. She honed her communication skills while writing news releases, acting as liaison between the client and the media, and organizing press conferences and media trips.
On weekends, Stefanie often conducted tours to Paris for American military living overseas. This was her first exposure to public speaking, and instilled in her a love of teaching and travel. Soon it would lead her to leave the corporate world and cross the
Atlantic to begin her biggest adventure.
Over the next four years Stefanie worked as a tour director for Americantours International,
introducing groups of foreign visitors to the United States on
cross-country bus tours of up to three weeks. She led tours in both
English and German, presenting information on history, geography,
geology, cities, national parks and culture. In the twelve or more
hours that she interacted daily with her groups, she not only educated
and entertained, but was also responsible for almost every detail of
making their trips a success. Communication and presentation skills, leadership, resourcefulness, problem solving, crisis management, strategic thinking and multi-tasking were required daily.
Stefanie employed those same skills in more than seven years of contracting her training services to an international seminar company at an average of 120 days per year. Her topics included time management, communications, creativity, conflict management, assertiveness and support staff skills,
and she traveled throughout eight countries to deliver them in both
public and on-site formats. Every day brought new cities, new audiences, new insights and new challenges. Just the way she likes it!
Currently Stefanie runs her own speaking and training business. She still contracts out to
various training organizations, but primarily delivers presentations for her own clients on personal and professional development topics. Her services range from workshops, breakouts, keynotes and coaching, to occasional translations and tour directing to keep up her language skills.
In her spare time, Stefanie is also a triathlete, marathon runner, amateur photographer, avid traveler and member of the National Speakers Association. Since moving back from Germany 12 years ago, she has resided in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where the temperatures are warmer, the sunshine is more plentiful and the beach is closer. She does miss Europe and visits Germany about once a year!
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