Issa Litton’s desire to create positive change manifests through a calling to share her skills and knowledge with future generations of hosts and public speakers.
This is an excerpt from Lifestyle Asia’s October 2023 Issue.
Issa Litton has the charisma you would expect from one of the country’s most esteemed hosts and public speakers. Conversing with her feels natural and never contrived; she talks to someone with the ease, confidence, and compassion of a woman who understands the true power of words and storytelling. She has, after all, been in the industry for nearly 25 years.
“When people say, ‘why do you look young?’ Well, I really believe I’ve never worked a day in my life. I mean, of course, this [her career] has its frustrations. But, I’d still rather be doing this than anything else,” she tells Lifestyle Asia.
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UPLIFTING VOICES
Some people may think hosting is a one-sided performance where a person reads a script and everyone just listens. However, a great host understands that creating moments of happiness requires genuine connection and engagement with the audience.
“This is really, I think, my brand: connection. It’s all about your connection with people, with your message. Everything should be aligned. You can tell if it’s scripted, if it’s not authentic, if it’s empty or shallow,” Litton explains.
Over the years, the talented speaker established herself as the must-have host for a variety of occasions, from lifestyle events to weddings. However, being one person, it wasn’t possible to cover everything. Some people would approach her saying they wished she could’ve hosted their events, or that they could find hosts who carried the level of professionalism and competency she did.
“I found myself thinking: ‘What can I do about that? Can I transfer my skills to other people?’” she states. “I’m not blind to what I’ve been given. And I really just want to share them.” This is the very ethos that drives Litton forward: that’s to say, her desire to contribute and make life better for others by doing what she knows best.
From this desire sprung 1LitCorp, a company that Litton started in 2019 with the help of some trusted friends. What began as a series of training sessions quickly evolved into a full-fledged agency that continues to train and manage some of the country’s brightest talents in the sphere of public speaking.
THE FIVE C’S OF 1LITCORP
When running 1LitCorp, Litton ensures her trainees are equipped with the five C’s, which stand for qualities and skills she believes every good host should possess. The first “C” is competence, and the second is clarity in communication. Next, of course, is connection—the beating heart behind Litton’s work. The fourth C stands for “carriage”: a catchy word the host came up with to refer to the way a person carries themselves. “Because you’re seen when you’re a host. You’re in front of a crowd, so make it worth their while to not just listen to you, but look at you; it’s a show,” she expounds.
Finally, there’s the fifth C, which stands for consistency. “Do it again, and again, and again. You need to keep working on it,” she explains. Litton adds,“Why do you think I’m still around?”
Read more by purchasing a copy of the Lifestyle Asia October 2023 magazine via SariSari.shopping or select newsstands in National Bookstore and Fully Booked. Subscribe to the E-Magazine via Readly, Magzter, and Press Reader.
Photos by EXCEL PANLAQUE OF KLIQ, INC.
Stylist: SIDNEY YAP
Creative Direction by PAOLO TORIO
Art Direction by MARC PAGDILAO and AGATHA ROMERO
Hair by CATS DEL ROSARIO
Makeup by LILIAN YEUNG
Shoot Coordination: MAE TALAID and TONI MENDOZA
Shot on location at THE PEAK IN GRAND HYATT MANILA
