SPEAK+ Week Six

Welcome to Week Six of SPEAK+.
Own your voice. It’s time to LevelUp.

15 years ago I was brought in to speak at a parenting conference providing both a keynote and a workshop. It was a big booking for me and I remember feeling endlessly nervous about it. To make it even more “scary” my old high school principal was in the audience. Pressure!

I presented my keynote on the first day. I shared my ideas, stories and energy the best I could. I spoke passionately on how media makes us crazy with magazines that promote the newest diet secrets next to the headline, “…how to bake the best chocolate cake ever.” I talked about stats and numbers around eating disorders and peer group connections. I talked a lot about the things I am passionate about and talked even more about why I cared so much about why I was talking about what I was talking about. :)

After the keynote, an attendee said to me, “I know all those stats about body image…I was hoping to hear what I can do to help my kids through it.”

And in that very moment, with that one statement, I was transformed from a good presenter into an engaging speaker. I learned this incredibly important lesson: I not only need to TALK about things that matter, I also must EDUCATE and EMPOWER YOU on how you can move forward once you connect with what matters too.

Owning your voice is about levelling up two skills: how you actually say what you say (persuasiveness) and how you package what you say (unique perspective & style).

When you OWN YOUR VOICE you speak from your intuitive confidence. This means you boldly share what you know in a way that genuinely empowers others to know it too.

It’s time to learn the art of OWNING YOUR VOICE. #yesyoucan

Welcome to Week Six of SPEAK+

This week is short and sweet and more about HOW you speak than WHAT you are speaking on. The goal over the next 7 days is to help you OWN YOR VOICE.

Owning your voice on “stage” (whatever your stage might be) as a speaker is crucial for connecting with your audience and delivering truly impactful presentations.

Here are five tips to help you do just that:

1. Know your stuff inside out: Before hitting the stage, make sure you're super comfy with your material . The more you know it, the more confident you'll feel when delivering it. Don’t memorize your talk—you will be connecting your stories together to create a Speech Roadmap that guides you with along the way (more of this in Week 7).

2. Be yourself: Don't try to be someone you're not. Embrace your quirks and style. Whether you're funny, serious, or somewhere in between, just be authentic. People dig that. Don’t overthink this…simply let your humour, personality and unique energy shine through.

3. Play around with your voice: Have fun with how you speak. Mix up your tone, speed, and volume. It keeps things interesting and helps emphasize your points. Record yourself practicing your stories (in the car or in front of a mirror). Play it back and listen for the smoothness of your storytelling, tone, speed and volume etc. Remember, practice makes progress!

4. Connect on a personal level: Share stories or experiences that tug at the heartstrings. Being real and vulnerable helps folks relate to you and your message. When someone see’s themselves in YOU…that’s when true engagement is created.

5. Own that stage: Stand tall, look people in the eye, and use your hands to express yourself. Confidence is key. Believe in what you're saying, and others will too. Use your Impact Statements as opportunities to take up space, plant your feet, take a breath and speak with the conviction you genuinely FEEL.

With these tips, you'll rock your “stage” and engineer an experience for your audience that matters.

Keep practicing and tweaking until you find your groove. #practicepracticepractice

Owning your voice involves enhancing two key skills: how you articulate your message (persuasiveness) and how you present it (unique perspective & style). When you truly own your voice, you speak with instinctive confidence. This means confidently sharing your knowledge in a manner that genuinely empowers others to understand it as well.

The reality is that you will build these two skills by….wait for it….SPEAKING! So let’s get you sharing your thought leadership and owning your voice.

Last week I asked you to share a story in the Facebook Group (a recorded video). Did you do it? Did ya? Did ya???? :)

I have learned that even though you are committed to being a speaker, and even though you have invested your time and money to be coached on how to be an effective and engaging presenter….95%-100% of you WILL HAVE NOT actually shared a story in the Facebook Group.

WHY? Because that’s scary shit. You may feel unsure. You may feel you will be judged. You may be overwhelmed with what to talk about and unsure how to format it (be sure to follow the recipe I provided!).

Guess what? These are all the feelings you will have when you are asked to get up and SPEAK for an audience! And if you are like me….even after all these years…you will still have these doubts, worries and self-sabotaging fear of judgement.

Half of OWNING YOUR VOICE is having deep faith that what you have to share WILL MAKE IMPACT. That there is true value in the lessons you have learned, the tools for levelling up you share and the unique energy you bring to all of it.

The other half is actually stepping onto your “stage” and speaking.

SO SPEAK. Stop thinking about it. START DOING IT.

Your Action Steps for this week…

• Develop a story using the formula in Week 5. Share a recorded version of it in the SPEAK+ Private Facebook Group . When we share we inspire each other. OWN YOUR VOICE.

• For 1on1 clients please refer to your google doc for additional action steps and customized feedback.