In this episode of the Speaking of Phenomenal Podcast, we delve into the extraordinary journey of Precious Williams, a pitch master, international professional speaker, best-selling author, and the founder and CEO of the Perfect Pitch Group. Her story is one of resilience and transformation, as she went from battling severe financial, personal, and health struggles to winning half a million dollars at Shark Tank with a 54-second pitch and becoming the # KillerPitchMaster.
In this masterclass, Precious shares with host Amy Boyle the invaluable lessons she learned from her unique life experiences. From being an unwanted child to becoming a lawyer in New York, she ultimately discovered her talent for pitching, communicating, and helping others "unlock the gift of speaking and pitching."
"I want to do all the things that no one expects the little girl from the hood to be able to do," was her thought as a child, which led her to leave Saint Louis and pursue a career as an attorney. She attended Georgetown University Law Center on a full scholarship, then finished her studies at Rutgers School of Law in Newark and passed the bar exam. While applying to Georgetown, Precious learned how to make people see she deserved to be there, "to be able to articulate and to put it down on paper."
But being in the courtroom for 40 years wasn't exactly her dream, and Precious eventually "embraced being the killer." She abandoned her career and decided to pitch an idea for a plus-size lingerie company at Shark Tank, winning half a million dollars. But she had challenges. Her boyfriend died, she couldn't take care of the company on her own and eventually lost everything. She struggled with homelessness and alcoholism (she is now seven years sober). "I am glad that no matter how dark it got, that I kept moving forward. And I dreamed bigger."
Precious's mission is to empower her clients to recognize and articulate their unique values. She encourages them to step into their 'zone of genius,' to be innovative and creative. "We're witnessing people living their dreams. And can we do it? Yes," she says.
As for the future of pitching, she reminds the listener about the importance of seeing beyond today to come up with creative and groundbreaking ideas, highlights how a personal touch can make a difference in everything we do, even in the AI era, and encourages us to foster narratives that are inspiring and realistic at the same time. Just like hers. "Everything isn't perfect. But you know what? I'm not going to give up."
Carolina Baldin is a freelance journalist from Brazil. Having worked in law, policy and regulation, she is passionate about everyday stories that illustrate larger issues. She graduated from a master's program at Northwestern University in 2023 and became a guest blogger on the "Speaking of Phenomenal" podcast blog in March 2024.