Hi, I'm Lee Bonvissuto
I help empathetic leaders express ourselves everywhere—even in rooms where our voices usually disappear.
I was unable to speak, but only in certain settings.
I was confident doing the work itself. But the moment I had to talk about the work—especially to people in positions of authority—I'd lose my personality (and my train of thought).
I spent years thinking something was wrong with me. That I needed to fix myself.
So I spent the last 10+ years collecting and developing tools to consolidate focus under pressure.
Pulling from my backgrounds in theater production and assisting a neuropschologist for over a decade, I created tools to work WITH my nervous system instead of fighting it. To use my empathy strategically instead of letting it scatter my attention.
But here's what I learned: My voice wasn't the problem. My focus was.
When my attention splintered between what I wanted to say, how I was being perceived, and whether I sounded professional enough—I lost access to everything I knew.
I wasn't broken. The rooms were set up to reward dominance over depth. And my empathy—the thing that made me great at my work—was being weaponized against me in high-stakes moments.
I call it Empathetic Presence—the alternative to traditional "executive presence" training that asks you to perform confidence and dominate rooms.
This isn't about becoming someone you're not. It's about accessing who you already are—even when your attention wants to splinter.
Watch Lee’s TEDx talk about this work
My Approach:
Anti-oppressive, not aspirational
I'm not here to teach you how to fit into toxic systems. I'm here to help you access your authority despite those systems.
Your speaking challenges aren't personal failings. They're rational responses to hierarchical power structures that reward dominance over depth.
Structure, not scripts
I don't tell you what to say or how to say it. I give you frameworks to organize your thinking on the go—so you can adapt them for your voice, your situations, your expertise.
Together, we find your WHY. The Framework gives you the HOW. You bring the WHAT.
Practice, not perfection
Presence is a muscle. We strengthen it in supportive environments (like the PresentVoices Presence Labs) before you take it to your most important moments.
"I stopped over-preparing for presentations and everything feels easier now. This work is strengthening the muscle of being myself."
—VP in Financial Services
WHO I WORK WITH:
You have deep subject matter expertise, wisdom, and you know how to lead (in your own way).
You want more authority, responsibility, influence—and to express yourself fully and freely in every room.
You've been told you need "more confidence" or "better executive presence." But dominant alpha workplaces make you feel like something's wrong with you.
Mid-career professionals at a fulcrum point:
You're transitioning:
From individual contributor → people leader
From execution → executive
From deferential to authority → creating the clarity and strategy
From thorough and detailed → concise and visionary
From forceful → magnetic
The unpredictability is the worst part.
You're confident with your team but lose your voice with executives. You're fine one-on-one but freeze in groups.
You never know which version of yourself will show up.
What Shifts When You Trust Your Voice
More Respect & Authority
Stop proving yourself and start being recognized as the leader you already are.
“I never realized how much the fear of public speaking hindered my professional growth. After this work, so many doors and opportunities opened up for me. I wish I could go back and tell my younger self to jump on the chance to work with them earlier.”
— Chief Wellness Officer
Promotions & Career Growth
Step into senior leadership by confidently articulating your value and vision.
“Before my work with PresentVoices, I was convinced something was 'wrong' with me and that I was a 'bad communicator.' Lee helped me learn to trust myself and my voice."
— Psychotherapist
Ease Instead of Exhaustion
Stop over-preparing, over-thinking, and over-performing.
“I thought I had to change who I was to garner respect in corporate culture, but Lee gave me the toolkit to craft my own personal communication style that is uniquely mine.”
— Entrepreneur Ops Lead
Just some of the companies where PresentVoices has supported leaders and teams:
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