Skip to main content
Notifications
  • How to improve your ticket sales
    ×
  • You Need to Be a Better Public Speaker
    ×
  • Thank you for joining the site and for staying with us!
    ×
  • At your virtual events
    ×
  • Here are our top tips for coping with public speaking.
    ×
  • Upgrade
  • Blog
  • Login
  • Sign up
  • Speakers
  • Organizers
  • Agencies
  • Events
  • How it works
  • SkillCamp
  1. Home
  2. Find a speaker
  3. Sonya Smith-Valentine
Sonya Smith-Valentine's cover banner
Sonya Smith-Valentine's picture

Sonya Smith-Valentine

Esq
President
Financially Fierce, LLC
Country or state 
United States
Available to 
Global
Fee 
Languages 
English
Volunteer
Yes

Personal Details

Bio

Sonya survived a devastating car accident during law school to become a nationally recognized financial expert and attorney. A drunk driver ran into her car at 90 mph and she lived! That accident and the year that followed (taking the CPA exam, finishing law school and taking the bar exam all while in physical therapy to recover from her injuries) taught her the importance of perseverance and determination.

Years later, Sonya learned that she had a brain tumor and needed brain surgery. (Nothing can ever prepare you to hear those words.) She was blessed to find an excellent neurosurgeon who made sure she’s still alive and kicking today. The months Sonya took off from work to recover without worrying about her finances reinforced that all of her hard work in finance was well worth it.

Sonya went on to build a well-regarded law firm due to her successful representation of clients in cases involving credit reports, mortgages, and credit cards. Over time, other lawyers began to seek out her advice for help with their own financial issues. They were often unsure of how to deal with their large student loan debt and/or how to properly manage their money. The attorneys weren’t educated about finances. They learned about crimes and contracts in law school, not about planning for mortgages, retirement or their kids’ education.

Around this same time, corporate executives started asking Sonya how to teach their employees and managers about personal and business finance. Some companies had employees who were underperforming due to financial stress. Others had managers who were struggling with using business metrics and other financial indicators in their decision making (and therefore generated less revenues and/or incurred higher costs).

This all caused Sonya to realize that the next chapter of her career had just presented itself to her.

Drawing on her 25+ years of financial and legal experience, Sonya now helps companies and law firms improve the financial skills of their employees, managers and attorneys for increased productivity. She provides strategies and solutions on decreasing employee and attorney financial stress for improved workplace performance and turning ordinary managers into financially savvy decision makers for higher profitability.

Because of her vast knowledge, Sonya is a highly sought-after speaker by corporations, law firms, government agencies, higher education, and associations across the country.

Sonya’s expertise is recognized by reputable media outlets such as The Washington Post, CBS News, NBC News, and Black Enterprise. She has also contributed to Forbes and Thrive Global as a writer, making a powerful impact on the lives of many.

Current position (1)

President

Financially Fierce, LLC

Degrees (2)
Juris Doctor (Law)
Brooklyn Law School
1996 to 1998
Bachelor's of Science in Accounting
Villanova University
1987 to 1991

Presentations

Past talks (11)
To Negotiate or Not to Negotiate: That is the Question
CardCon
Washington, DC
September 9, 2019
Balancing Financial Priorities
Freddie Mac
McLean, VA
September 12, 2019
How to Advance Your Career by Managing Your Money
International Finance Corporation
Washington, DC
June 6, 2019
Leveling the Financial Playing Field
Elevate Influencer
New York, NY
May 25, 2019
The Hidden Effects of Student Loans on Your Career and Ways to Minimize the Impact
Ellevate (DC)
Washington, DC
May 16, 2019
Sometime Things Go Wrong...How to Help Consumers Fix Mistakes
CardCon
Orlando, FL
September 25, 2018
Role Play and Money Management
SFE&PD Annual Financial Literacy Leadership Conference
Orlando, FL
September 13, 2018
Office Hours Financial Expert
Next Generation of Government Training Summit
Washington, DC
August 9, 2018
Women on Boards: a Discussion on How to Join and Why
Ellevate (DC Chapter)
Washington, DC
May 10, 2018
Financial Behavior for Preserving Security Clearances
Get Fierce About Your Finances Expo
Alexandria, VA
April 22, 2018
The Foundations of Financial Acumen That Every In-House Counsel Should Know
LegalWeek
New York City, NY
January 29, 2018
  • All (2)
  • Videos
  • Photos (1)
  • Press information (1)
This speaker hasn't uploaded any videos yet.
This speaker hasn't uploaded any slides yet.
This speaker hasn't uploaded any one sheet yet.
Media Appearances | Financially Fierce

Books & Articles (2)

How Asking Questions Keeps Me Financially Fierce
Take Charge of Your Finances to Give Your Career a Boost

Expertise (13)

Business
Leadership
Leadership Finance Motivation Business Inspiration Growth Management Productivity Transformation Success Entrepreneurship

Awards & certifications (4)

Powerhouse Woman of the Year
Black Enterprise Financial All Star
Women in Finance - Power 100
Metro Phenomenal Woman Award
Recommendations
Why choose me? 

Funny, Engaging, Daring, Inspirational, Powerful and Always Memorable!

Social media
Similar to Sonya
  • Aquayemi-Claude Garnett Akinsanya's picture
    Aquayemi-Claude Garnett
    Akinsanya
  • Josephine Jackson's picture
    Josephine
    Jackson
    Freelance Writer / Speaker
    Self-Employed
  • Wes Schaeffer's picture
    Wes
    Schaeffer
    President & CEO
    The Sales Whisperer®
  • Desolyn Hicks's picture
    Desolyn
    Hicks
    Women’s Speaker, Mindset Coach, Author, Podcaster
    Faithcures, LLC
  • Clara Capano's picture
    Clara
    Capano
    Owner
    Capano Speaking and Training
  • Speakers
  • Agencies
  • Events
  • How it works
  • Blog
  • Upgrade
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Organizers
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy policy
  • FAQ
  • API
  • White Label Terms
  • Contact
  • Corporate Speakers Bureau & CRM
  • Motivational speakers
  • Leadership speakers
  • Business speakers
  • Inspirational speakers
  • Keynote speakers
  • Corporate speakers
  • Celebrity speakers
  • Top 50 Business Speakers
  • Top 50 Leadership Speakers
  • Top 50 Motivational Speakers
  • Top 50 Technology Speakers

Get speaking tips & so much more!

Twice a month we send you speaking tips, training ideas and lots of useful updates.

© 2023 SpeakerHub
All rights reserved.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • SoundCloud
Developed by Integral Vision