Elizabeth Torres

Elizabeth Torres is a 20 year old poet, painter and motivational speaker. Currently Kean University's Poet in Residence, Elizabeth is a frequent speaker and panelist at cultural conventions and community lecture series in the US and abroad.

Born in Bogotá, Colombia, her latest book is "Because the Flame is Alive". She was selected by CNN's Young People Who Rock in 2007 and by American Eagle Outfitter's "Live your Life" campaign as a role model.

Her list of clients includes Verizon, Daimler Chrysler, Johnson and Johnson, universities and schools in several countries, such as Georgetown, Franklyn and Marshall, La Guardia Community College, and Rutgers.She has given more than 1,000 interviews around the world to newspapers, TV and radio shows.

More about Elizabeth

Biggest obstacle overcome...

Learning a new language when moving to the US to be able to share my message and give my speeches with a completely new audience... The reward was learning to playfully communicate my thoughts and poetry to write it in English.

Biggest business mistake...

Procrastination...and... Not keeping in touch with people who are interested in your work after they meet you. Networking can be truly fun and benefit your business, but you have to make a little extra time to stay in touch with others, learn from their experiences and share their success, to get the most out of every meeting.

Biggest vice...

I'm a night owl. It still is a bit difficult to remember that we can't work 24/7...Sometimes I need reminders to know I need to sleep and breath :).

Biggest advice for others...

Celebrate your victories, no matter how small they are... Patience, patience, patience. Keep the vision of your goal alive in your mind every day, wherever you go.

What I do for fun...

Visit New York City as often as possible for poetry readings, art shows, concerts, and to interact with different artists. I absolutely love going to the movies, traveling, and am a big fan of myspace and poetry blogs.