Amy Gray in ‘artsy’ B&W

AMY GRAY (back)

Amy Gray
CEO and Founder
New Leaf Speakers LLC

New Leaf Speakers is a celebrity speakers’ agency based in Hudson, Massachusetts, USA. Since its founding in September 2001, New Leaf’s celebrity speaker clients have participated in hundreds of events around the globe, and reached audiences in over two dozen countries.

New Leaf’s founder and CEO, Amy Gray, is a native of Bangor, Maine, and a 1994 summa cum laude graduate of Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree with concentrations in women’s studies and entrepreneurship.

Since 1994, Amy has held a variety of executive level positions in the conference and seminar industry and most recently served as Director of US Events at Giga Information Group (now part of Forrester Research). In that position, Amy worked with many celebrity speakers and drove nearly $7,000,000 in annual events revenue. She also led an amazing team of fifteen talented people who specialized in sponsorship sales, marketing, registration, operations, program development and audio/web-based seminars.

Amy resides in the Worcester, MA area with Chachi, the wonder dog.

P.S. For an early look at Amy, the budding entrepreneur, at age 11, click here. The photo strip, courtesy of the SpacePort arcade in the Bangor Mall, was destined for flyers to promote Amy’s babysitting skills to unsuspecting neighbors. One look at the self-inflicted ‘haircut’ and mug-shot style of the finished product convinced Amy to post the flyers sans photo. Smart move.

Melissa Montuori and her ‘What Would Joan Jett Do?’ attitude

MELISSA MONTUORI
CELEBRITY SPEAKERS’ AGENT AND ASSISTANT TO THE CEO (back)

Melissa joined New Leaf in September of 2008 and quickly became an indispensable member of the team. In fact, Melissa continues to be amazed on a daily basis how Amy ever survived without her. Melissa was born and bred in Massachusetts and graduated with honors from Framingham State College with a BA in English, so she can recite Shakespeare and knows how to properly use a semicolon. Prior to becoming a celebrity speakers’ agent, Melissa worked in the music business for over 10 years, organizing music festivals attended by more than 80,000 people and managing the careers of world-famous rock stars. Currently, she lives in the woods of North Central Mass with her handsome husband and their young son, around whom her world revolves.

For a look at Melissa’s introduction to the personal computer, click here. She’s the cute blonde in the lower right. Fashionable AND technologically adept– she’s the whole package.

Jessica Riesenbeck

JESSICA RIESENBECK
CELEBRITY SPEAKERS’ AGENT AND VIRTUAL ASSISTANT TO THE CEO (back)

Jessica began working with Amy in 2004 as a virtual assistant and her work for New Leaf has allowed Amy to finally relax a little and think strategically about the business. Jessica is also an entrepreneur in her own right, founding and running JCR Virtual Services from her office in Ohio. She’s an incredibly organized, friendly, efficient and effective resource for other small business owners, like Amy, who need a self-starting, capable individual to pick up all the tasks and projects that would otherwise fall through the cracks. More info on Jessica can be found here: www.JCRservices.com

And to prove that Jessica, too, went through the same dorky teen phase that everyone else did, click here. Yes, that is an entire wall dedicated to the New Kids on the Block. Sadly, Joey McIntyre never took her to the prom. Instead, she moved on to a local love interest and blossomed into a beautiful cheerleader. She’s in the upper left. Eat your heart out, McIntyre.

THE WHOLE NINE YARDS: (back)
Late summer 2001: I felt the concept was timely. I would take my ten years as an executive in the conference industry and start my own events business. With the economy spiraling downward, thousands of layoffs and a booming market for contractors, I felt my success was assured. My income would go up, my commute would shrink to ten feet and my corporate footwear would be fuzzy slippers. I would be master of my own destiny and use my earnings to fund my ultimate dream: An exclusive retreat, spa and research center for executive women.

New Leaf Institute would be the world-renown destination for female executives seeking an “old girls’ network,” a place to be educated and inspired, pampered and intellectually challenged. Through week long and weekend programs, New Leaf would cater to an exclusive group of the world’s most talented women.

New Leaf would immerse these women in a beautiful and relaxing environment, offer them life-changing sessions led by esteemed guest instructors and authors, and introduce some FUN back into their busy lives with activities like a CEO slumber party, gourmet wine and chocolate tasting or sessions in the spa. Participants in the programs would depart the New Leaf estate with a renewed sense of energy, optimism and direction.

I knew that to get from my current start-up venture to achieving that vision, I had to have a plan. And energy. And more than a little luck.

Launch: September 10, 2001:
Some might call it a case of incredibly bad timing. I prefer to call it ‘learning adaptability and resourcefulness out of sheer necessity.’ I’m referring to September 10, 2001, the official launch date of New Leaf Productions. It was the day before one of the worst domestic disasters in United States history-one that powerfully and permanently changed the way most Americans think about their future, family and their ‘true’ calling.

My younger brother, Andrew, was originally expecting to fly on the United Airlines flight out of Logan Airport in Boston that fateful day-to work at a tradeshow just outside of Los Angeles. This flight would be the very first one of his entire life and he was excited and anxious. At 29 years old, he had a lot at stake: He was a dedicated husband, the primary breadwinner and the proud father of two young boys, ages 2 and 7. His wife, Kelly, was nearly 9 months pregnant with their daughter, and both were hoping the baby wouldn’t be born before Dad’s return later that week.

I offered to stay with Kelly in case she went into early labor or needed help with the boys. About a week before his departure date, there was a change of plans: Andrew’s boss asked him to leave on Saturday out of Providence, Rhode Island-so the company could save on his airfare and have him set up the tradeshow booth on Sunday. My initial reaction was one of aggravation. With my new company in its infancy, I needed all the time I could scrape together to get it off the ground. Spending an extra couple of days down in Rhode Island, helping out my sister-in-law, translated into nearly a one week delay in working on my New Leaf Productions contracts. With a sigh, I agreed and packed a few more outfits into my suitcase.

All I can say now, in hindsight, is Thank You, God. Those extra couple of days made the difference between life and death in our family. I was, and am, incredibly grateful that my brother was spared and that he, unlike so many other loved ones who boarded planes or went to work that day, returned to us. He rented a car with his boss and they made their way to Las Vegas, Nevada where they rebooked their flights and flew home nearly a week late, but alive. I remember shaking with joy and relief when I hugged him upon his return. His daughter, Cassandra, made her debut on October 9, 2001.

The day after September 11th was sobering as well. All the contracts I had lined up prior to my departure from my comfortable, well-paid corporate job cancelled that day. Every single one had a force majeur clause in it that allowed my clients to cancel the contract in the event of ‘acts of war, God, etc.’ September 11th, 2001 certainly qualified. So, there I was, the proud owner of a new business with zero clients and no revenue. I had no unemployment benefits due to my voluntary departure from corporate America, a dismal future for conferences and only about $12,000 in my bank account. With nearly $3,000 a month in expenses, I knew I had a brief window to figure things out. With my head in my hands, I wondered what the heck I had gotten myself into.

Making ends meet: September 2001 to September 2002:
I did what any self-respecting entrepreneur would do: I dug in and made the difficult, but necessary, choices I needed to make to stay in business. Sure, the thought of finding a ‘real job,’ as my well-intentioned relatives called it, was tempting and I reminisced about the bi-weekly paychecks, comfortable office and health insurance. But I was not going out of business without a mighty struggle and I set about my tasks with renewed determination.

To save $1000 per month, I gave up my own apartment in February of 2002 (after living on my own since my Junior year of High School, this was TOUGH) and packed my belongings and dog into my car and headed south. I spent nearly a year living with my very generous younger brother and his family in the bustling town of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Our neighborhood was home to two very, very different groups of people and on any given afternoon, you might hear the chimes of an ice cream truck or the angry yells of drunken neighbors having an all-out brawl.

My office was affectionately dubbed ‘the Bat Cave,’ since it was located in my brother’s unfinished basement. There, amidst the whir and humidity of the dryer and industrial strength washing machine, work somehow got done. My cell phone reception was non-existent in the “office,” so I took all calls from the driveway. On days of construction in the neighborhood or loud neighbors, I would sit in my car.

Each day, I would head downstairs to my desk, a spare coffee table propped up on two large storage bins and dial up to the internet using AOL. My set-up consisted of a fifty foot phone line strung from my laptop, along the wall, out the basement doors, through the first floor window and into the kitchen phone jack. Hardly a secure network and slow as h*ll, but somehow I managed.

Chunks of plaster and clouds of dust would rain down when the kids got jumpy in the room above and, in the colder months, I wore gloves with the fingertips cut off, so I could continue to type. It was definitely a character-building experience.

I also enrolled in a wonderful program for women entrepreneurs called Power UP!- a thirteen week course designed to show aspiring female entrepreneurs the ropes and provide them with an incredible network of resources and contacts. The program is offered by a group called The Center for Women and Enterprise and they have locations in Providence, Rhode Island, Worcester, Massachusetts and Boston, Massachusetts (www.cweBoston.org). I highly recommend it to others jumping off into self-employment. The ability to get weekly encouragement and support is invaluable.

I also took on any contract work I could find: Selling sponsorships for a pharmaceutical conference (I was terrible!), setting up weekly 8minuteDating (www.8minuteDating.com) events in Providence, conducting an extensive renovation and personal organization project for a prominent New York Times medical writer, Dr. Lawrence K. Altman, planning a special event for non-profit organization in Brockton, Massachusetts, and taking a part-time job at Barnes and Noble as a cashier and a barrista in their Starbucks Cafe. I made many espressos for shocked former colleagues who knew me when I held my last corporate job running a fifteen person conference division.

It was both funny and a little embarrassing to have someone recognize me behind the counter and gasp, “Amy!?! WHAT HAPPENED?!”

I was also extremely blessed to have the support of Dr. Dorothy and Stephen Weber, close friends since May 1992 when I became their cook and nanny for their daughter Meredith, then 6 years old. Without their assistance and kind words, I would have been forced to get a ‘real’ job and (temporarily!) abandon my dream for New Leaf. Thankfully, that did not happen and I am eternally grateful.

Becoming Kevin Mitnick’s Agent:
In this same timeframe, I began an alliance with a very good friend-a man who has also had his share of ups and downs and who I hired for his very first paid speaking engagement.

My friend’s name? Kevin Mitnick.

He had a legendary reputation and much of it is just that: Legend. He had impressed me from the start with his ready willingness to admit to his shortcomings and past misdeeds and make sincere efforts to put his life back on track. He had only been out of prison for a few months when I contacted him in mid-2000 to ask if he’d serve as a speaker at my company’s conference. After dealing with his agent at the time, I nearly walked away from the negotiation out of sheer frustration. Luckily for both Kevin and me, I did not.

Kevin did an absolutely fantastic job and his presentation drew a standing-room only crowd. I knew from watching the audience’s reaction to Kevin that he could have a very promising career in public speaking and security consulting. We remained close friends after the conference and once I launched my business, it became clear that Kevin and I could both benefit tremendously from working together. So, in September of 2001, I became Kevin Mitnick’s agent.

New Leaf Productions, Fall 2002-Spring 2003:
Kevin’s first book with co-author William Simon, The Art of Deception, was published in October 2002 and we were off and running. Offers for paid speaking engagements began pouring in. Between those engagements and a three-month contract with a wonderful advisory and research firm in Boston (www.YankeeGroup.com), cash flow for New Leaf Productions finally reached a comfortable level. In December 2002, I moved back up to Boston and established an office there. My timing could not have been better. When Kevin’s probation ended in late January 2003, the floodgates burst open. Kevin resumed using the internet after an 8 year hiatus and it seemed that every news agency and media outlet in the world came knocking for an interview. On top of that, we received an avalanche of fan mail and hundreds of requests for speaking engagements.

At one point, after my email had shut down for the umpteenth time due to the daily volume of 400+ messages, I had reached a point of mental and physical exhaustion. It was time to move beyond my dial-up connection to the internet and launch an official business. New Leaf Productions LLC was born on February 6, 2003.

Summer/Fall 2003: I thought the hardest part was over..HA.
The summer was a blur of multi-tasking. I’m sure many of you can relate to that. Between confirming Kevin for speaking engagements in seven different countries outside of the USA, developing the first New Leaf site and launching two, expensive and ultimately doomed, events— the 360 Security Summit and AccessDenied 2004– I squeezed in a 10-week stint with an amazing personal trainer and coach. Meanwhile, Kevin and his Defensive Thinking co-Founder, Alex Kasper, worked night and day for several months to create a 2-day seminar on Social Engineering. It launched in September 2003 to much praise and requests for the in-house versions have begun arriving in my email. It is extremely gratifying for me to see Kevin’s career going in such a positive direction.

Now that projects are beginning to roll in with regularity (for which I am both grateful and a bit astonished), I’ve had to really focus my attention on what I want New Leaf to be– both in the short and long terms. It’s very easy to get distracted and a bit lulled by the siren song of new business, but now I’m very careful to ensure that the new business fits with the future I want to create for New Leaf. For me, that means working on events that cater to executive women or substantially build New Leaf’s credibility in the marketplace.

Winter 2003- Spring 2004: Light at the end of the tunnel or oncoming train?
It has long been my dream to offer interesting, fun events for women and my Inspiring Women: A Girls’ Night Out event series is New Leaf’s first foray into the field. I launched the first one on Tuesday, March 30th, 2004 in Boston, MA with speaker Gloria Larson, ranked the most influential woman in Boston by Boston Magazine (May 2003). She blew us away with her energy, charm and willingness to open up about her life.

April’s event featured Sheila Heen, the Life Coach Columnist for Real Simple magazine and a lecturer at Harvard Law School. Sheila was warm, friendly and candid, and following her words of wisdom, we made gorgeous accordion organizers from Paper Source.

June’s event is nearly sold out at this point– the one on 6/29 with the Lt. Governor of Massachusetts, Kerry Healey. Everyone I’ve spoken to about the event is thrilled to be hearing from her in a conversational, intimate environment and they are also excited to be making their own personal pair of flower flip-flops.

Spring 2005: The Miracle of Cash Flow
Well, another May is upon us and I’m thrilled that New Leaf has been in business for nearly four years at this point. The best part of this year, though, is the feeling that things are on a definite ‘roll’ and cash flow is going well. Finally.

I’ve made some big decisions this spring, to really focus my business on strategic growth and aligning the business with my passions and aspirations. It has been a bit painful to make these changes, but I’m very optimistic that I’m on the right track.

Fall – Winter 2005: Hey, Hey, Hey! That’s Faaaat Albert
Well, what a difference a few months can make! New Leaf has officially become a celebrity speakers’ agency, phasing entirely out of the special events business with our last event: The Camille O. Cosby World of Children Awards Ceremony on October 26, 2005 in Boston. Famed comedian, Bill Cosby, was one of three distinguished honorees and the evening drew over 600 people to raise funds for the Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston.

I also added Steven Wozniak, the legendary wizard of technology and co-founder of Apple Computer to my speakers under management. He is a tech pioneer and amazing philanthropist and I am having a great time working with him on speaking appearances worldwide.

Now, just as things are beginning to heat up with New Leaf Productions, another potential opportunity has presented itself: I applied to Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania for admission to the MBA class next August (2006) and was just interviewed for possible admission to the program. I’ll find out on Dec. 22nd if I’m in or not. If I am accepted, I’ll have a huge decision to make. I’ll keep you all posted!

January 2006: New Year, Renewed Focus
Well, the jury is in and B-School is not in the cards for me. I was waitlisted (AGAIN) at Wharton and decided to politely decline so I can focus my energy on building a great celebrity speaker agency. Watch out world! I’ve also decided that my focus for this year will be: Taking Care Of All That I Love?and that includes my finances, my friends, my family and my personal fitness. To jump start (pun intended!) the latter, I’ve begun working out with an awesome personal trainer: Olivia Chamberland who owns FOA (Focus on Abilities) Fitness. What a hot ticket! She has the task, with a lot of effort from me!, of whipping me into great shape by June 21st (the first day of summer). Wish me luck!

June 2006: New Leaf is in a new location…..suburbia!
We are nearly finished with a massive move — both personal and professional– to a gorgeous neighborhood in Newton, MA. Suburban life is more idyllic; however, I must be careful not to let the sounds of the landscaping crews in my neighbor’s yards drown out important calls. Ahhhh….the joys and struggles of the home office. We’re settling in nicely, though, and the scent of freshly cut grass outside my windows is already inspiring me….sigh.

I’ve also renewed my quest to add just a few more speakers to the New Leaf roster.

January 2007: Ready for the Real World
In the fall of ’06, I was serendipitously connected with a very talented and charismatic speaker named Terrence Real, a celebrity marriage counselor and relationships guru. After a few high-energy meetings and an immediate ‘click’ in personalities with his entire team, we were ‘off to the races.’ Terry’s new book, The New Rules of Marriage, will be released late this month by Ballantine Books (an imprint of Random House) and I think Terry is on the brink of speaking stardom. New Leaf looks forward to booking many speaking engagements with Terry in the coming years– and to working with Terry’s ‘right hand woman:’ The amazing Lisa Sullivan.

In addition, 2007 will be focused on new beginnings, new relationships, and, with any luck, a few new speaker clients. Armed with my new ‘wish list’ of clients, I hope to add 2-3 more by the end of 2007 and have a strong, dedicated company that reflects the tremendous brilliance of the speakers we work with.

I’m also beginning, in earnest, my quest to find my own apprentice “Amy” to teach the speaker business to and grow my company beyond just what I can accomplish myself. So….if you know someone phenomenal who is highly detail oriented, motivated by a commission-based income model, super friendly, a fanatical spell-checker, and can write warm and witty emails, let me know! Over and out….

P.S. On January 21st, we added one of my favorite authors to our list of clients: Martha Beck. I’m thrilled and honored to have her aboard. Welcome, Martha!

June 2007: On the road again…….
The client roster at New Leaf is in a great place: Each speaker has some exciting new developments and appearances on tap for the balance of 2007 and into 2008 and I couldn’t be happier for their success. One of our speakers is being considered for a national public relations campaign for an international wine brand……another is trekking to Zurich, Athens, Vegas and Kentucky over the next few months…….still another has just had a huge ‘streak’: Eight new keynote bookings in the past month. Wow! Life is GOOD…….and I feel truly blessed. I’m looking forward to a wonderful summer and fall in our new surroundings. May life bring you much success and happiness, too.

July 4th, 2007: Celebrating Independence Day By Encouraging Speaker Independence
Today, New Leaf launched a new service for budding and established speakers: Personal coaching and consulting. Since so much of this industry is shrouded in mystery, misinformation and school of hard knocks, I felt it was HIGH time for someone to offer a personal resource to professional speakers. It’s a ‘pay as you go’ service and offers you the chance to have a professional insider working on YOUR behalf. Have a peek at our News and Announcements page for more details. I look forward to meeting you!

January 2008: Oh…..I’m just here for my sister’s benefit
It’s a cold, sunny morning here in Phoenix and I’m only a few hours from taking off in a jumbo jet to return to an even colder New England. I arrived last Thursday, under the auspices of supporting my sister through a workshop with one of my amazing posse of speakers: Martha Beck. Instead, in a few short days, I find that we are both transformed. The material that Martha imparted has me thinking on a higher level of ‘What is possible for me? For New Leaf? For my life?’ and I’m excited for the 5 hour plane ride that will allow me to begin nuking my limiting beliefs and practicing a bit of everday magic. Steering by Starlight, Martha’s new book and the basis of much of what I learned this weekend, is coming out in April / May 2008 and for anyone who loved ‘Finding Your Own North Star,’ this is the MUST read follow-up. Blessed with my shiny new treasure chest of tools, I’ve set my sights on some audacious and fantastic goals for 2008. The magic is already unfolding to make them happen.

December 2008: Another year over…and a new one just begun (just about)
After seven and a half years in business, I’m still so honored and thrilled to have this company and to be blessed with so many fun and challenging things to work on. Each morning when I get to the office, I can hardly wait to see what has come in via email from all parts of the globe. An endorsement opportunity from a company in the US? A speech in the United Arab Emirates? Another speakers bureau that would like to co-broker with us? A prospective new speaker seeking management? Always something new and different to explore……… I truly plan to be doing this work until I cannot type or talk on the phone… which could be a very long time from now (with any luck). So this post is a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to my speakers, hosts and my two wonderful assistants/agents in training: Melissa and Jessica. I could not have gotten this far without your help and care. I look forward to many years of mutual success, pride and friendship.

GRATITUDE LIST: (back)
This list is my way of acknowledging all the wonderful people and companies who have helped New Leaf in significant ways– thank you from the bottom of my heart. If I’ve inadvertently left your name off this list, please write and let me know! So that I don’t offend anyone with their placement on the list below, everyone is listed in alphabetical order by last name or company name:

Walter Angoff, retired Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP (www.NixonPeabody.com) Walter has been a fantastic sounding board for ideas and a wonderful guide through the creation of my LLC and the issuance of my first major contract. Without his knowledge, help and expertise, New Leaf LLC would not have been possible. Thank you for everything, Walter. You are amazing– and I wish you all the best in your retirement.

Charlene Drisko: My beloved mother who passed away at only 45 years old from complications related to her Multiple Sclerosis. It was her return to college in 1986 and her paper from July of 1991 on the Women’s Empowerment Network that really got me thinking about what I’d like to do with my own life. I’m so proud to be her daughter.

Andrew and Kelly Gray: My incredible sister in law and my awe-inspiring younger brother, the true entrepreneur in the family. My sincere gratitude and appreciation for welcoming Chachi and me into your home for nearly a year. It was a busy, welcoming house and full of love. I’d also like to send a ‘shout-out’ to Joshua, Elijah, Cassie, Alex and Sarah. I love you all!

Barbara and Brian Hutchings: My cigar-smoking brother in law and my hilarious older sister who is the best damn dental hygienist in Utah, or so Kevin Spacey says! My older sister is a constant source of encouragement and always makes time to listen to my entrepreneurial plans. A big “I love you!” from Auntie Mamie to Ashlyn, Aiden, Addison Grace and Samantha. Long live the lip-gloss!

Judge Baker Children’s Center: www.JBCC.Harvard.edu
This organization makes a dramatic difference in the lives of children and their families– specifically working with kids who’s emotional and psychological challenges threaten to limit their potential. After working with them on the Camille O. Cosby World of Children Awards in October 2005, New Leaf is a committed supporter and fan. My deepest appreciation goes out to: Kevin Hepner, Lauren Wholley, Liz Fitzsimons, Beth Tishler, John Weisz, and Dottie Weber. You are all the BEST and truly wonderful, caring individuals.

Kevin Mitnick, CEO and Founder, Mitnick Security Consulting (www.MitnickSecurity.com)
For the past four years, Kevin and I have been close friends and staunch supporters of one another. I am truly proud of the efforts he has made to turn over a ‘new leaf’ and happy to support him in many of his endeavors. Here’s to many, many more years of mutual success!

Dr. Dorothy and Stephen Weber: My surrogate family in Boston and my close friends and mentors since May of 1992. They hired me as their live-in cook and nanny for their daughter, Meredith, and I never left. Their financial and emotional support over the years has been nothing short of a miracle. Thank you both for everything.