Amy Henry, known as the last woman standing in the first season of the reality show The Apprentice and now a published author and formidable businesswoman, shared insights into the lessons she has learned from her past 10 years of consulting with leading technology companies, as well as her journey onto and off of the reality circuit when she delivered the keynote address at the NCRA Connect Virtual 2020 conference which happened Aug. 7-9.
Key points Henry addressed in her speech included the importance of networking and building relationships, why it’s important to create your own brand, advice on setting goals and, most importantly, identifying the steps that will help you reach them.
She also shared her story of how she ended up becoming a part of The Apprentice and noted that among the many lessons she learned from the experience, one of the biggest was that is it important for everyone to have their own compelling story. Conversations with a magician and a self-made cosmetologist she met in a bar before the actual audition and interview for the television reality show, Henry said, made her realize the importance of having her own story to tell.
“I got nervous. I didn’t have the story these two people did, so when it came time for me to be called in with 10 other people, I told the story not only about my experience in the tech industry but also in the dot com industry, a bleached blond gone through the high tech bang and bust. I created a character for the show because the producers wanted to create a story about each participant,” she said.
“A personal brand will help ensure the longevity of your business,” Henry told attendees. “You are in a sea of competition. What are you going to do to create your brand?”
The importance of building relationships was another lesson learned that Henry shared. She told the audience that too often people think too quickly about delivering a solution and forget to think about who they are creating the solution for.
“It’s so important to create relationships. Relationships in your business are important for long-term success,” she added.
Other key advice shared by Henry included the importance of taking risks because taking a risk is often worth the reward.
“You want to look back and say, ‘I have no regrets.’ So, sit down and create a set of bullet points of things you want to accomplish and how you plan to get there. If we set goals but not the steps to achieve them, then it is sort of meaningless to even set them,” she said.
More about Henry: Over the past decade, Henry’s consulting experience has included advising IBM, JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, McKinsey & Company, Eastman Chemical, Schlumberger, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and many others. She also volunteers on the Board of Directors of GENaustin, a nonprofit organization founded to help adolescent girls develop and maintain healthy self-esteem and leadership skills.
Her highly praised book, What It Takes: Speak Up, Step Up, Move Up, shares Henry’s secrets for success in the modern workplace. She has appeared on The Today Show, The Tonight Show, Larry King Live, The View, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and numerous other television and radio outlets across the United States and Canada speaking about strategies on how to move up in today’s workplace.
