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Executive Presence for Founders: How to Show Up, Influence, and Succeed with Terri Lundberg

• Kaylan Thompson

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How you show up as a founder can make or break your success—whether you’re pitching investors, building a team, or selling your vision. In this episode, we sit down with Terri Lundberg, executive coach, attorney, and Sprocket board member, to unpack the power of executive presence.

Terri shares why executive presence isn’t just about confidence—it’s about how you’re perceived and how that shapes your ability to influence, connect, and thrive as an entrepreneur. We dive into the SPACE framework for executive presence, practical strategies for communicating with clarity, and the mindset shifts founders need to show up, stand out, and succeed.

If you have big goals but struggle with self-doubt or high-pressure moments, this episode is for you. Tune in and start building the presence that will take your startup to the next level.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Sprocket Podcast! If you’re ready to dive into the world of startups and innovation, visit us online at Sprocket WKY to learn more about our mission and how we support entrepreneurs like you.

Ready to check out the space? Book a tour with Tiffany, our Community Coordinator!

Got a business idea? Apply for a mentorship session with one of our experienced mentors!

Stay connected and join our growing community on Instagram for the latest updates, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes looks at what’s happening at Sprocket.

Let’s turn your ideas into reality—together!

Sprocket is proud to be supported by Team Kentucky, the Commonwealth's Cabinet for Economic Development. Learn more about their initiatives and resources at ced.ky.gov.

Kaylan:

Welcome, Terry. Glad to be here. Welcome to the podcast. It's great to have you. I'm so excited to learn from you today. Introduce us to who you are and the work that you do.

Terri:

My name is Terry Lundberg, and I am currently a certified attorney. executive coach. And I'm also on the board here at Sprocket. I'm a mentor here and I'm part of the healthcare advisory board.

Kaylan:

You've seen entrepreneurs in all stages of their journeys. What is a common denominator that signals this person's going to be successful?

Terri:

I've seen them from inception of an idea to a very successful company. And two of the most common things I see, number one is Those entrepreneurs that are poised for success embrace the willingness to fail. Failure is such a tough word and it's that person that doesn't want to fail. I mean, nobody sets out to fail, but failure is part of the learning process. And it's that individual that's willing to embrace failure and learn from it, grow, pivot. That's the kind of person that is bound to be more successful in the end. And the other thing I see is the tenacity. The willingness to get back up, brush yourself off, tuck yourself back in, get a hold of your ego, and just step back out there again with courage. So that willingness, that persistence, is also another key ingredient towards success.

Kaylan:

One of the things I'm excited to chat with you about today is executive presence. What are some of the components of executive presence?

Terri:

When I work with a client, I like to let them know that executive presence isn't how you think you're showing up. Executive presence is how you're being perceived. We all cast a message out there by the way we communicate, by the way we carry ourself, our tone of voice, our body language. That's a message we're sending out. But that's only half the equation. How are others perceiving us? And successful executive presence is a positive influence that you have over your audience. And I do coach individuals how to show up with confidence, successful communication strategies, how to carry yourself confidently, proper body language, active listening. Those are some of the things that are very important for any individual on a personal level. I

Kaylan:

feel like it might be a skill that may not be top of mind for a founder. They're more focused on getting that cash flow, making sure they actually have a business and getting through the first couple of years. But why is this something that is so important for them as founders to hone?

Terri:

Well, founders are leaders in the beginning. It's just them. So, they're really not thinking about their circle of influence. And when you think about just governing yourself, you're really trying to launch your idea from inception to getting it rolling and being profitable. And executive presence probably isn't going to be one of the first. You're thinking about profitability. Understandably, you have to be profitable to continue a going concern. But as you get further down the process, you'll find that your degree of influence in a market It is super important because you can't do it alone. You've got to build your community and one way to do that is through executive presence and without it, it's really hard for networking. It's hard to build your community. It's hard to have impactful influence over the market that you're trying to get your foothold in.

Kaylan:

So you mentioned it's not necessarily how we think we're showing up. That's how we're perceived. How much autonomy do we have?

Terri:

We have all kinds of control over how we show up in a space. And it really starts with self awareness. If you don't have a level of self awareness, you have no idea how you're showing up. And I encourage people to find a way, there are several ways to figure out how am I being perceived. I'm going to speak to a couple of them. A couple of ways where I start with a client is I love for them to have a disc assessment. If you've not heard the podcast with Amy Tooley, the Maxwell certified disc expert, that's a great way to have some insight on what your strengths are, how you're being perceived. The other thing that I've found quite successful in helping individuals grow their executive presence is a 360 assessment. And what that is, is it's input from your peers, your boss, your manager. colleagues, uh, people that you work with that are above your level of influence and below your level of influence and at the same level. And by having that confidential input from others around you, you get a pretty good idea of how you're showing up in an environment and those areas that you really need to work on to help increase. It's your success in that, in that circle of influence. I

Kaylan:

think that even ties back to one of, the qualities that you mentioned in the beginning was that willingness to fail. Cause the first thing that I think of is, Oh, I'm, I'm nervous to think about getting feedback from other people who work with me because what if it's something negative, but if you're not afraid to fail, you're not afraid of negative feedback, then it's all just feedback. It's not negative or positive. It's just information.

Terri:

Yes, correct. And if you. You want to be a leader. How can you lead others or be a person worth following if you're not willing to work on yourself in the beginning? And it's that level of humility to say, everyone needs to work on something. And if you can't find that level of humility to say, what do I need to work on to help make this world a better place, then are you really worth a person worth following? So I really have a lot of respect for those individuals that come to a place that said, where can I grow? How can I lead?

Kaylan:

And I would assume that, you know, even if you're not leading a team yet and it's just yourself in your startup, I'm sure that having that self awareness and a strong executive presence is make or break when you present to investors.

Terri:

Sure. I mean, when you're going to pitch to a set of investors, that's a high stakes environment and it takes. It takes number one, a lot of preparation, but at the end of the day, we're all human. It's one human communicating to another human or a group of humans and finding successful ways to do that. So you can cast your vision and bring them on board to get behind you. That really is so powerful, such a powerful moment. And people have a great opportunity to improve those skills. And why wouldn't you, if you believe in that vision that you have and you want to bring others along and help change the world. Champion your vision, then finding a way to communicate that effectively is how you're going to get off the ground sooner and how you're going to have better traction with your company.

Kaylan:

So is executive presence a checkbox of things that you strive for, or is it more of mastering your own personality?

Terri:

I find some pretty broad reaching, areas in executive presence. Number one is communication. How are you communicating, speaking verbally, non verbally, in the written word, in your email. So, communication is a big part of having solid executive presence. Another is clarity. The ability to communicate, your message clearly in your product that you put on the market, or For your marketing surrounding your company, courage, having courage to show up confidently is another important component of executive presence and casting that vision and able to do that. So others can see what you see in that potential. So bringing that all to the table as one package creates an impact and you have with every small choice that you have, you can create a product. Positive or a negative impact. So finding each small choice or each small step, making that decision to make a positive impact, impact in how you present yourself. Why wouldn't you make that choice? For instance, let's say you're doing a pitch competition and you can walk in there either confidently and prepared, or you can walk in there and you're just a wreck. You're not prepared, you're nervous. So, all the little decisions to show up. confidently and prepared should have happened before you got there. So ask yourself, am I prepared? What small decisions do I need to make to help me be prepared for that pitch? And then, how do I show up confidently before I walk in there? What small decision do I need to make so I can show up and help cast my vision to the set of investors. So I ended up with a positive outcome.

Kaylan:

So what are some things we can do to help strengthen or start to practice these components of executive presence?

Terri:

So like we talked about a little bit earlier, that self awareness, but if you want to talk about some very smart. So there are a couple things, small things, small steps that you can do. I break it up into two categories, your physical preparation and your emotional preparation. So let's take a short term physical preparation. For instance, you want to pitch to a set of investors. There are a couple things you can do to prepare yourself physically because yeah, it's a high stakes environment. And so what we'll do is when I'm working with a client, I will help prepare them by simply talking through it ahead of time. And going through that scenario, so you've practiced the pitch competition. I cannot overstate the importance of being prepared by practicing. I do a lot of public speaking, and I know that some of my best presentations, I have practiced it to death. You cannot over prepare. That's just my personal opinion on that. And some physical ways that you can, before you step into that room, a couple things you might try is some relaxation breathing. It works for the Navy SEALs, box breathing, so why wouldn't it work for you in your pitch competition? A second successful way that you can prepare for a confident pitch is a mantra. One thing that I might recommend to a client, I wouldn't want them to come up with their own mantra, but if I were doing a pitch competition, my mantra would be. be my vision can change the world. And I would just keep repeating that to myself before I walked into that pitch, and you walk in there with the confidence that you need to help share your vision and bring others along with you. And without that confidence, it's going to be hard for others to believe in you. If they question, if you believe in yourself,

Kaylan:

do you mind sharing one of your own mantras?

Terri:

So, uh, I have a situation in my life that can be a little bit draining on me personally. So my own personal mantra in that situation is holy work. I'm a very spiritual person and when I find that it's draining me, I tell myself, this is my holy work. This is my way to pour into an individual and make their life better. And that makes me feel very grounded and like I'm doing meaningful work.

Kaylan:

Things that you mentioned you didn't want to chat about is credibility and was it authenticity? Are those outcomes of executive presence?

Terri:

So when we talk about executive presence, I wanted to make the difference between emotional intelligence and social intelligence. Emotional intelligence is more geared inwardly. Your self awareness, how you're working inside yourself and the ways that you're controlling yourself. Social intelligence is how you're showing up in your environment. And so that's really important as a founder or an entrepreneur to work on your social intelligence as part of your executive presence. And some components of social intelligence are your situational awareness. You need to be able to read a room when you walk into it. When you think about, say you're going to a trade show and you're ready to present your product at that trade show. You've got to read the room. Your potential customers? Are you active listening? Are you listening to their questions and answering their concerns? Are you looking at their body language? Is there some excitement in the room that you need to be aware of? So when you walk into that room, taking that time to be aware of what's going on around you and how others are communicating with you verbally and non-verbally, that's a huge advantage when you're trying to get a foothold in a market. Let's see, so social intelligence. I was going to talk about the acronym SPACE. We talked about situational awareness. The P in the word SPACE is presence. You want to be physically and emotionally present for any situation that you're in. When you're representing your company, when you're representing yourself. And you do that by active listening, eye contact, warmth. I think a lot of times that as entrepreneurs, you can be a very driven person. You're task oriented. You only have a small amount of time and you're trying to get a big list of things done. And in the moment, you're so busy being task focused that you forget to be present in the moment. That can really hurt a company because people on your team might think I feel overlooked and you have to take, you have to take the time and be intentional about being present in whatever situation you're in. I felt then that's also part of executive presence, being present in the moment. People like to feel valued and when you think about it, whether it's a potential customer or an employee that works for you or an event, a vendor, being present is showing respect for one another and that's a win all the way. Day long when you can show respect for one another, and that's how you build your community.

Kaylan:

So what are the other,

Terri:

letters in the acronym? So, A is for authenticity. Showing up as your true self is a way that you communicate your honesty to about your company, your honesty to your customers, and the people that you, that work for you. So by showing up as your authentic self, it shows people that you're honest. Now, that doesn't mean to be brute. It's a little, you can show up as your authentic self and still be respectful of others. So I, I say that by saying that doesn't mean you can be a wrecking ball, but authenticity shows people that you genuinely care about them and you care about what you're trying to do with your company.

Kaylan:

I can imagine that requires a heavy dose of self awareness, otherwise, how will you know who your authentic self even is?

Terri:

Exactly. And there are a lot of screening tools out there. I'm here to try to help you understand what kind of leader you are. Authentic leader is, is one of those, you know, you can have a transformational leader, a transactional leader. Finding out what type of leader you are is one of the very first places I start with a person. What kind of leader are you now? What kind of leader do you want to be? How do we get from A to B? What's going to serve you and your company well? And those people that work for you. You want people to work for you that embody what your product or service is about. And that starts with the type of leader you are. And some of the most successful companies embody those characteristics that are authentic. Because you know, at the end of the day, people, they can, they can read through people who are authentic or just putting up a screen and saying, we stand for this when really they don't stand for something. And the C in space is clarity, clarity of the message that you project on the market. And what you stand for. I think that by being clear with your message and your communication, and I don't just mean just the spoken word, is going to project who you are as a company. And the last in social, the last thing in social intelligence is E for empathy. Having empathy for the people around you, your customers, your employees, your own family. It's that level of care. that really resonates with the community that you're trying to build and maintain and by taking care of each other. It's really hard to care about people. I mean, I think it's impossible. You can't care about people unless you have empathy and people want to feel like they matter. I read a really good book, recently called Expanding the Circle. It's by Matt Propsal and it really changed my life. I think about things and he points out three things that people want to have in a work environment. And I, it is really, it hasn't so much shifted my thinking, but expanded it. The three things that people are looking for in a career. Number one is they want to show up as their authentic, true self. Like I don't want to pretend to be someone when I show up at a company. I don't want to be someone who I don't believe in, who I'm not. I want to be my true self. That doesn't mean you don't have to be professional, but they don't want to have to fake it. That's fair. Who wants to go through life working in a space where they feel like they're being a fake version of themselves? The second thing they want is to be themselves and be accepted for who they are in the space that they're working. And I love that. Find the perfect fit. Find a company and as you're an owner or a founder, find those people that fit into what you believe in as a company. Because that's going to resonate with them and they're going to feel engaged in the work that they do. And that leads to the third thing. People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. So if you can show up to your job or your company every day, being your true authentic self, feeling accepted in that space and being part of something bigger than yourself, that's a home run. Who doesn't want that? And as a founder, if you can create that in your company and you can embrace that as your company culture. Those are the companies that you will find to be more successful.

Kaylan:

I can imagine being on a team like that, which is what we have here at Sprocket, I feel like, personally. Oh my gosh, yes. But you can overcome any obstacle together when you have those three things. I feel like that alone will help define the success of your company. You can create a team like that.

Terri:

And, going back to the environment here at Sprocket, what I love about it is About the people in this space is it is. It's such a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences, and on any given day, you're going to have a different experience. And having those different minds and those people that come to the day table on, on a project or a question that you might have gives you a whole nother insight onto something you might not have thought of before. And it's the coworking space, the magic that happens here. It is pretty amazing, several times I'll come of my office and intentionally work in the community room. And I love that because it's a whole different vibe and it gives you opportunities to meet new people, to work together on something, to help you practice your executive presence, to help you practice your situational awareness. It's really interesting to just sit back and observe the activity and the way people are collaborating. It's super exciting. I know I got off topic there, but I just wanted to share. Share about the, the beauty, the magic that happens and it's different every day.

Kaylan:

I felt that way whenever I first walked in, I didn't even know the term entrepreneur until I was out of college and I didn't even know it was a thing even until I started my own business while I was freelancing doing copywriting work and I went to a conference and that's when I first heard the word entrepreneur. And in my own life and sphere, nobody else was an entrepreneur. And it wasn't until I walked in here where it confirms so much of that identity of who I am. Where outside, up until this point, I had felt so different, like a, an ugly duckling or whatever. Then I walked in here and everybody is different. And it's, this is the place where those who think differently or were just a little off kilter. This is where we come to be different. Together and create new things and kind of get a little crazy,

Terri:

right. It it, like you said, it's that level of uniqueness where you feel like you are the outsider, but it is being the outsider. That's the unifying factor in the entrepreneur and you don't even know it's a thing to, you get around other people that are doing a different thing, but in a similar way. I started my first company in my early twenties and I remember feeling that way. It's like, I just feel like such an alien in this space. And to think, man, I wish I had a sprocket way back then, it was, yeah, before the internet. Yeah. But, it's such a, a dynamic, synergistic space and I see that every time I come in here. That's why I love coffee hour. Yeah. That's good.

Kaylan:

Are there any daily practices or tools that we can use, um, the first thing that comes to my mind is journaling. I can only journal so much. Right. So, I guess

Terri:

my first thought is, you've got to have a handle on your time management. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, if you don't have a handle on time management, it is going to be super hard to be successful and productive. That takes discipline. A large bulk of my clients, we spend a lot of time talking about productivity and time management. Because everybody works outta their inbox, their email. That is such a rabbit hole sometimes just as a small example of how your day gets sucked away and you don't even know what happened. So I think having a daily rhythm and having accountability to your time and commitment to the tasks that you're gonna do in a certain amount of time is certainly a discipline that can be practiced and and perfected. I mean, obviously you're gonna have some left. Turns at Albuquerque, but finding that rhythm and blocking that time for specific tasks, tasks is super important to being successful in the long run.

Kaylan:

Tell me more about that concept of having a daily rhythm. Because I've heard, that word of a daily rhythm where it wasn't necessarily a schedule, but it was like a flow of activities and, intentions and I can imagine that is incredibly helpful, professionally.

Terri:

It brings to mind another book called The Miracle Morning. I think Hal Enrod wrote that. And it, it, it is about creating a habit based on a very fine set of things that are kind of automation. Let me explain that better. I feel like Like I didn't explain that very well. So the Miracle Morning is just a set of routines that you just kind of go on autopilot. You get up at the same time every day. You brush your teeth. For me, I have a very specific schedule in the morning. I get up super early, gotta have my coffee, my prayer and meditation time, on to my workout time, then shower, hit the door, ready to go. And that happens almost automatically. And when that doesn't happen, for instance, if I go to bed too late the night before. The whole rest of the day is shot. So by having that rhythm of that routine, it sets you up to accomplish those things in a day that you set to accomplish so you can be successful. Without that rhythm, you will get off track faster than you know what hit you. So that's super important. And I guess I, being in the health and fitness space for so long, I can't not talk about getting yourself physically and emotionally ready. Because if you want to be an entrepreneur and run a company and be a leader, it's going to be extremely hard to do if you are not physically and emotionally healthy. And I, I say that from a point of real sincerity, um, without taking care of yourself, you're not going to be able to lead well. And eventually your body is going to let you know you're going to self destruct. Because the body's pretty smart, it figures out you can overdo a stress situation. So, um, I'm going to be talking about the Just to be perfectly transparent, being in the healthcare space, and having a whole lot of traumatic things happen in the business, and in my personal life all at once, you absorb all that as the leader. And, when you absorb that, it's got to take its toll somewhere. Well, my hair all fell out. So, unless you're in a good space physically and emotionally, eventually you will break down, and then that affects everybody. Everyone around you. It affects your employees. It affects your company. So if you start with that physical and emotional health, you're already off to a great start. And that's how you're going to be able to lead well. That's how you're going to be able to develop your executive presence and show up with confidence and cast your vision and create that level of influence and those champions around you that will help launch your company into beyond your wildest dreams.

Kaylan:

That's so interesting. That's interesting. So it's not the first time that I've heard that. And I can imagine that when you're getting yourself healthier, both mentally, emotionally, physically, you're creating more of a buffer to withstand. Sure. More hard hits.

Terri:

Absolutely. You, you're definitely more resilient in finding those ways to bounce back. That resiliency is super important because you will have setbacks. You will. And that helps you embrace those failures and grow from those failures. And then our body also has natural rhythms where certain tasks, like for me, my creativity and productivity, they're out the door from 7am till I don't know, early afternoon or, you know, it starts to trickle down around lunchtime. else might be their most productive time later in the evening. So finding that rhythm where you do your best work and protecting that rhythm is super important to being successful in what you do. Protect that time like it's Fort Knox and that's where you're going to do your best work. I guess some parting advice would be, for entrepreneurs just maybe a little bit hesitant to make the ask. Uh, I go back to my very first years in community college. I had an economics teacher and he said shameless persistence. And that's another mantra that I use when I might be a little hesitant to make the ask. Shameless persistence. Why not? Because if you don't make the ask, you'll never get it. So believe in yourself enough to make the ask. What's the worst that could happen? I talk, uh, through my clients sometimes when they've had a setback. Or we're preparing for, you want to prepare for a no. Okay, well what other opportunity presented itself or can present itself? Okay. And I'm going to say, if you're going to represent yourself in the midst of that, no. But at the end of the day, if you don't make the ask, you'll never get it. So, that would be my final piece of advice to people out there that are on the edge of making that leap. I mean, we have so many great tools here at Sprocket. No cost tools, the mentor deck is amazing for people that have never checked out the mentor deck. If you look at that, that is like the all star team. So I just want to encourage people to engage in sprockets. Stop by. My gosh, I was coming in this morning and I just, when you walk in and you smell that fresh coffee, I feel like I've just put on my favorite robe. It is just so comforting and now like, yes, I am here and I'm ready to just rock this day.

Kaylan:

I love it. So for those listening or watching and they want to connect with you, what is the best place for them to come and learn? Learn about your work and connect with you. They

Terri:

can find me on, on our website, Weiser 360 or just swing by sprocket here. Send me an email at Terry at Weiser 360. com I am super easy to get a hold of and I would love to connect with people. I am here to help. Like I said, I've been an entrepreneur my whole life and I'm at the season of my life right now where I just really care about doing meaningful work and I love what I do now because I see that it is making. A difference in people's lives and how they're showing up on any given day and leaving our world a better place. Thank you, Terry. Thanks for gifting your time and your wisdom today. Well, thank you for the opportunity. This has been awesome