Phyllis Davis
Author | coach | Speaker | corporate trainer
About Me
With over 40 years of experience, I’ve dedicated my career to shaping ethical and professional behavior in the American workplace. As the founder of the American Business Ethics and Etiquette Trainers Association (ABEETA) and author of Navigating Virtue: Ethics and Etiquette in the American Business Landscape, I’ve trained leaders, teams, and individuals across the globe.
If you are interested in hiring Phyllis Davis as a speaker for your event, as a trainer within your organization, or as a personal consultant to teach you or your teams diplomacy skills. I encourage you to contact me: 804-467-3752 est. pd****@et**************.com. Or, you can leave me a message on the form found on our Contact Us Page.
World’s best seller
1970s
In the early 70’s, I ventured into the creative world as an actor in Hollywood, appearing in films and television commercials. These experiences shaped my understanding of people and the importance of authentic communication.
The mid-1970s was a time when American businesses operated without a formal code of conduct. Witnessing the unstructured landscape of deal-making—sealed with handshakes and martinis—I saw an opportunity to create a framework for ethical and professional behavior in the workplace.
I began writing and speaking about Ethics and Etiquette in American Business, and I was invited to speak and train for companies in the US and, eventually, around the world. Global companies hired me to teach them how to conduct business with the United States, and I traveled 3 million air miles globally to speak about my expertise. At that time, the only experts in my arena taught social and wedding manners or state protocol. My specialty was a first that focused on the business world in the US.
1980s
In the 1980s, I continued writing, teaching, and traveling to speak and teach about American business ethics and etiquette.
In the late 1980s, I joined Julia Cameron’s first pioneering 12-week cluster group that inspired the global bestselling book, The Artist’s Way. This transformative experience deepened my passion for helping others unlock their creative potential. My experience so profoundly inspired me by working with Julia and The Artist’s Way that I launched my own experiential course for The Artist’s Way Workshop, guiding over 40,000 participants through 12-week or 6-week programs designed to empower artists, professionals, and dreamers alike. This experience was a turning point in my life.
2001
By 2002, I had become a thought leader and a voice for ethics and etiquette in corporate America, embarking on a national 20-city media tour with my first book, E2: Ethics and Etiquette in American Business. During the tour, I addressed the fallout from scandals from the recent downfall of Enron and WorldCom for all major US media from Bloomberg, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and more. Sharing stories from boardrooms to breakrooms, I emphasized the critical role of leadership and integrity in building resilient organizations and fostering long-term relationships.
In 2001, I launched the American Business Ethics and Etiquette Trainers Association (ABEETA). I certified new Ethics and Etiquette Experts who traveled from all over the world to spend three days with me in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, or New York City to learn my materials and explore ways to market themselves to companies to speak, train, and consult within companies. ABEETA has continued to thrive since 2001 and it is still growing in 2025.
2008
In 2008, my husband, Colle, and I combined our love for innovation and sustainability to invent Portable Farms® Aquaponics Systems, merging practicality with environmental consciousness.
The ease and practicality of our farms, to raise food in gravel instead of soil, was an appealing premise for our farms. The plants were nourished from the strained Tilapia fish affluent, grown in large-sized tanks near the grow tables. So, no soil, chemicals, fertilizers, and food require 80% less water than traditional agriculture. Our farms have sold in all 50 US States and 16 countries. People flew to Southern California from all over the world to see our farms and to meet us. I provided 7,000 private tours of our farms, and I have had the opportunity to meet with other people who are also excited about how to feed their families with backyard farms or to build commercial farms to feed their communities. Plus, I love the taste of the table vegetables and tank-grown tilapia we grow in our farms.
Today, 2025
In the fall of 2024, I published my 400-page book, Navigating Virtue: Ethics and Etiquette in the American Business Landscape. This major work reflects many decades of experience shaping professional behavior and providing actionable insights for navigating today’s ever-evolving workplace. The book is also filled with dry humor and anecdotes to bring my concepts to life.
Now, in 2025, I share my insights and practical advice for thriving in today’s dynamic business environment, and I continue to offer Certification for Ethics and Etiquette Experts in American Business Ethics and Etiquette Experts in American Business (ABEETA).
Join me as the United States finds it footing in the race to the future so it may remain the most prosperous nation in the world.
Looking Forward
Whether you’re curious about:
—My book, Navigating Virtue – Ethics and Etiquette in American Business
—Joining ABEETA as a freelance Ethics and Etiquette Expert
—My speaking at your event over Zoom or in person
—Or, if you are interested in corporate training, let’s connect.
Together, we can create a workplace culture—and a professional life—that thrives.
