Naming Rights
I was chatting with a friend this morning about a pair of speakers she heard recently. Both had less than common, potentially hard to pronounce names. One of these women, acknowledged the difficulty and broke it down for the audience…
Let’s talk Power
Power, personal power specifically, is often defined as the ability to influence people and events. I don't disagree but the definition lacks a core. Power is not a veneer, it is not a lever or a conduit. What it is,…
Hard Truths
Happy Monday! Some of us are contemplating conversations we don't want to have this week. Voicing truths we'd rather leave alone. Perhaps it's a meeting with a boss, co-worker, client, or subordinate. One that will deliver some bit of unwelcome…
Perform: What Makes You Happy
I'm talking, downright joyful. What do you love? It is those things that fire you up. The things that truly energize you that bring you closest to understanding the sensory possibilities in your body. Today the offering is simple. Think…
Perform: Reps
Nothing will prepare you for excellence in a task more than just doing it. Focused practice with some stakes, such as practicing a speech or song in front of friends is great for this. But at some point, you just…
Perform: Contact High
No matter how relaxed you are in terms of pandemic safety, it is hard to avoid noticing the differences in social contact. Wearing masks, physical distancing, and touch avoidance is the norm and many of us are feeling it. I…
Perform: Bad Actors
One of the challenges around communication right now is that nuanced discourse is on a sabbatical. Instead, we are surrounded by people who confuse their opinions with facts. Flanked by people more interested in winning the argument than with building…
Perform: Authenticity and The Voice (repost, sort of)
Adapted from a post from February 9, 2008 This week in the studio has been a fun-filled authenticity fest. Actually, most weeks are that way but this week prompted me to tease out what makes a voice authentic and why…
Perform: Your Attention Please
We've spent this week talking about communicating through masks. By now, I hope you are coming around to the fact that the mask itself is really not a big issue. Today, we will engage with how you get your listeners…