Ko Monique Bradley tōku ingoa - He kaikorero ahau.
I’m Monique Bradley - I’m a storyteller.
Storytelling saved my life. And it built my business: In fact, it's helped me build multiple businesses, lead teams, sell thousands - possibly millions of dollars worth of products, drive fundraising efforts for multiple charities and causes and enabled me to pivot across multiple job roles and industries. PLUS it's enabled me to reach more than 200 million people worldwide.
I was born with a million words inside my body and have spent my life studying and playing with words and stories, exploring their power and potential. My training as an actor, speaker and singer began at the age of 8. As the youngest of 7 and born into a loud, theatrical, Radio and TV family, it was no surprise that I would end up either in leadership, sales, TV or the creative arts. In fact, I've worked in all of them.
I have a degree in theatre and film from Victoria University, a certificate in film and TV production from the TV training school previously attached to TVNZ in Wellington, qualifications with Trinity College of London and the NZ Speech Board and I'm a Board member of the Professional Speakers Association of NZ. I'm also currently doing a Masters in Creative Practice at Unitec, exploring the impact of speaking and storytelling.
I've been in multiple national and international films, TV commercials, MC'd and hosted numerous online and in real life events, worked as a voiceover artist for documentaries, commercials, animated films and games, recorded albums of music, worked as a TV shopping presenter, digital content creator and live streamer, educator, coach and even ran my own performing arts school. I've now clocked up more than 25 years of a creative career and the common thread running through it all is storytelling. Even working in retail and banking (of which I've also done) was all about storytelling.
As an actor, one of the greatest lessons I learned was understanding the relationship between text and subtext: Text being the words we say and subtext, the unspoken emotion or intention behind them. When an actors text and subtext aligns they come across as authentic, real and present. When they don't, the performance is not believable or engaging for an audience, who most often can't tell you why.
This technique isn't just a theatrical device: it's pertinent for all areas of life. When we show up authentically, empowered, confident and present, it means we're 'walking our talk', that our language and our intention are in alignment. When they don’t align, this can lead to mistrust, misunderstanding and miscommunication.
This is why some leaders build trust and have impact when they speak.
This is why certain presenters or speakers make you feel seen, connected, empowered and present.
This is also why you can sense when someone is lying, masking or trying to be someone they're not.
As a Speaker, MC, TV presenter, Educator and Coach, I bring this essence of my theatre practice into Te Ao Pakihi - the business world.
I help people show up authentically in the workplace, working with leaders and teams. My focus is on culture, conflict and communication. I also facilitate personality profiling workshops to assist with communication challenges and empower leaders through public speaking training and presentation to camera coaching.
I help business owners and entrepreneurs confidently show up in their media and marketing, focuses on how to gain attention, safely build authenticity and presence and look at how to build authority in your industry. My keynote, 'Visibility, Credibility, Profitability' is suitable for any industry or organisation, and by teaming that up with brand story workshops, on camera training, podcast training or confidence coaching, you receive a diverse range of tools that can take your presence to the next level.
For those wanting to take their speaking to the next level, I have a keynote and training program dedicated to the art and craft of speaking authentically. This involves finding your unique speaking style - a tool I created after many years of research, studying global speakers and key people of influence. Suitable for business people, leaders, and both emerging and professional speakers, this fun and interactive content has been incredibly well received with many people around the world engaging with the tool.
Finally I speak and coach about the most important stories of all: the stories we tell ourselves. In this female focused keynote: I explore self awareness, state management and activate audiences to step into the world of authentic self expression.
I’d love to speak to your team, your clients or your audiences and empower them to show up as their best and most authentic selves. Why? Because many of us have lived those lives of trying to fit in, to be part of the machine, to be acceptable. The reality is that life happens when we realise that our own sense of personal power and energy comes from showing up authentically, being mindful of who we are, and how we turn up at work or at home, being present and open with others, honouring their authentic selves, while we also honour ours.
Through my energetic, somewhat hilarious and educational keynotes, I can guarantee your people will have fun - which is one of the best ways to learn and grow, right?
So get in touch. I can’t wait to share my world of magic, mystery and undeniable MONIQUENESS with you - on my mission to help the world make their message meaningful.
