Dr. Elayna Fernández

February 4, 2025

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Dr. Elayna Fernadez
What is your “Speaker Superpower”?
As a Transformational Storyteller and Student of Pain, my speaker superpower is my innate ability to connect with my audiences and help them feel seen, safe, and supported through our interactions, whether on stage or off stage.

I share authentically and from the heart with the purpose of inspiring my audience while providing simple and powerful steps, skills, and tools to create positive change in their own lives and those they influence and lead.
How does your message empower others?
As a multiple trauma survivor, my mission is to empower individuals, organizations, and communities to break cycles, find peace, and feel whole. I love hearing the breakthroughs that my audiences experience as they apply the methodology, tools, and action steps I share with them.

My vulnerable stories serve as a testament that freedom is possible after even the most harrowing and unspeakable tragedies, traumas, and turmoil. I share the wisdom and insights I learned in my near-death experiences and through the hardships I’ve endured in ways that are actionable for the audience, so they can too, transform their trauma.

My audiences are equipped with the mindset and skillsets that will help them become peaceful, powerful, and profitable leaders at home, at work, and in the world.
What inspired you to start speaking or coaching?
After I was diagnosed with cancer almost two decades ago, I met Les Brown and within two weeks, I joined his team as a strategist, becoming immersed in his training programs and traveling around the nation for his events. My blog was already successful, I was already an author, and I had won Best Marketer of the Year in the state of Florida; but even though I’ve always considered myself a storyteller, I didn’t think I was a speaker and when Les suggested it, I quickly dismissed it. He surprisingly called me to share a 5-minute story at one of his events and, although I was terrified at that moment, I am so grateful that he did.

I felt the audience’s love as they did a standing ovation even though they were all professional speakers and to see their faces filled with tears truly inspired me to continue sharing my stories in this setting. I have now spoken as a professional speaker in many countries around the world and mentor others who want to achieve the level of impact and success I have in my career.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received in your career as a speaker?
I had the honor of sharing the stage with Brian Tracy at a conference for authors a little over a decade ago and we were having a conversation in Spanish during one of the breaks. His advice resonated with me: “The speaking business is show business.” He told me that, as a speaker, it is our job to make the learning process enjoyable for our audiences. He mentored me and inspired me to bring my whole self to the stage and use my personality to create a powerful and immersive experience for the audience, rather than just pushing information their way, especially with the difficult topics I cover.
What are some of your most memorable moments or achievements in this field?
My proudest moments have been those moments after I speak and have the opportunity to speak with audience members and to hear the impact my message and my stories had on them because that’s my purpose as a transformational storyteller.

As far as accomplishments, it was an honor to receive the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the White House. I also think a big highlight of my career has been to speak at the United Nations and 5 times on the TEDx stage.

I have spoken internationally multiple times, however, I recently spoke to a massive audience of over 700,000 people in India, where my 11-year-old daughter also spoke and sang in the native language, so that experience stands out.

Besides sharing the stage with the top transformational leaders of our time, I also have been named a Women of Influence and TOP 125 by SUCCESS Magazine, where I was named along with Tony Robbins, Mel Robbins, Brené Brown, Jay Shetty, Amy Porterfield, Elena and Grant Cardone, Luvvie Ajayi, Tom and Lisa Bilyeu, Jenna Kutcher, Glennon Doyle, Ed Mylett, Marie Forleo, Vishen Lakhiani, Gary Vaynerchuk, and other trailblazers and icons in the speaking industry.
How do you stay motivated and inspired to continually grow your influence?
As the bestselling author of The Gifts of Pain, I recognize that many of my God-given gifts started out as painful experiences. I strive to stay grounded in my faith so I can learn from everything that happens in my life and from others’ stories.

I’ve been really blessed to have the guidance and accountability of mentors who are legends in the speaking circuit and have poured their love, support, and wisdom to empower me to grow and thrive.
My inspiration is fueled as I see the impact of my work as my Transformational Storytellers community members share their success stories and as I witness how their own work transforms lives, whether in The Gifts of Pain books, The Transformational Storytellers Show, or paid stages and TEDx stages across the world.
How does your brand reflect your core values?
It’s been over 20 years since I started thePositiveMOM® and my core values of love, inclusion, support, respect, partnership, vulnerability, and learning, have guided my every choice and move, both personally and professionally.

Through my work, both on and off the stage, I spread the message that we are one, we all deserve to feel that we belong. I strive to lead with authenticity and vulnerability, to foster deep, lasting, and meaningful connections, and to create safe spaces where others can do the same.
What do you want audiences to remember after experiencing your presentation or session?
Whether I am delivering a keynote at a convention, conference, or college, and whether I’m speaking in front of hundreds of thousands or leading a training or mastermind in a corporate boardroom, I receive the same feedback: people feel seen, uplifted, and equipped to take empowering steps in their lives.

Audiences and participants leave my sessions encouraged with the assurance that they are not alone and their story matters – that they matter.
What has been your biggest learning experience as a speaker or consultant?
One of my dear mentors, Jack Canfield, who is the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Success Principles, taught me that “You only have control over three things in your life-the thoughts you think, the images you visualize, and the actions you take.”

I took that advice to heart, and I practice the art of non-attachment not only in my coaching and consulting but also when I am in front of an audience. I only control how prepared I am, how I show up for them, and how much value I deliver – everything else is up to the audience. As long as I give my all and do it with a generous heart and loving energy with the pure purpose of serving my audience, every speaking experience is a success. I am aware that what I do is not about me, it’s all about my audience – what they want, what they need, and providing solutions to their problems and pain points.
What advice would you give to aspiring speakers, coaches, or consultants who want to make an impact?
I think the most valuable advice I can offer is to bring the spirit of collaboration and contribution to every event you are part of. Show up with gratitude and generosity to your audience, to your fellow speakers, to the event organizers, and to everyone who is part of the event. Being a speaker is not just about getting on a stage and delivering a message, but about being part of a team creating a life-changing experience.
Finally, how can people get in touch with you?
They can find me at thepositivemom.com/ef and connect on any social platform @thepositivemom

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