I have always been terrified of tough conversations. Well, I say ALWAYS, but honestly, I don’t think any of us are terrified of tough conversations as kids, because we don’t yet know what a “tough conversation” is. Which is why my kids can very confidently announce to a sibling, “I’m not inviting you to my birthday […]
How do Tough Conversations Make You Feel? Read More »
A few weeks ago, one of the students at the college where I teach turned in her final paper. Like I usually do, I checked the sources included in her bibliography and my mouth dropped open. She had taken her 5 main points directly from a website on the Internet. In keeping with school policy, I
A List of (Truly) Free Photo Websites Read More »
Last week, I wrote a message to the students I teach in my undergraduate public speaking class: “If your grade is on the edge and you do not turn in a final paper, you may fail this class.” Fear is a powerful motivator, and I know it. Chances are, you know it, too. Whether with
Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad, Boss? 4 Ways to Avoid Using Fear to Persuade Read More »
(To listen to my audio recording of this post, click on the white triangle below) A client remarked offhandedly in a rehearsal session yesterday, “When I actually give my talk, I’ll embellish that part of the story.” I laughed sarcastically, “Yeah! You could say you were hit by enemy fire!” I’m a public speaking coach. I
2 Things We Can Learn From Brian Williams Read More »
As you probably know, having a career and being a parent has its challenges. Yesterday, my 10-year old son and our 7-year old friend, and I went to the Word studios on Music Row in downtown Nashville to record character voices for an upcoming Christmas musical I just finished writing for Word. (Other people wrote
You Try Being a Voiceover Artist- and a Mom Read More »
(Listen to the audio recording of this post by clicking on the bar above) Even if you didn’t see the opening scene to Dumb and Dumber 2, I think we can all agree that pretending you’re insane for 20 years is just plain…dumb. But then, it’s supposed to be. Our smartphones, on the other hand, are
How Our Smartphones Make us Dumb- and Dumber Read More »
It’s my Faithful to Speak workshop and we’re talking about emotion in the context of public speaking. Joanne raises her hand, “But how do you know when you’re being manipulative? Using emotion because you know it will get to your audience?” Her question makes me dig deep. And it takes me back to a late
“Zoom in on the Tears”- 3 Safeguards Against Using Emotion to Manipulate Your Audience Read More »
(To hear the audio recording of this blog post, click on the white triangle in the black line above) “I’m not really a speaker; I’m more of a writer,” Jordan, a participant in my public speaking workshop, explains. Her dark brown hair frames her pretty face. “What do you write?” I ask. “My blog. It’s trustingadventure.com.”
The Place Between Panic and Rock Star Read More »
“You are way too blunt.” “You’re not blunt! You just tell it like it is!” “I appreciate your small talk. It makes me feel like you care.” “Enough small talk already- just get to the point!” Ever been completely confused by people’s contrasting opinions of your communication style? Ever been bewildered, trying to figure out
The Art of Mirroring Read More »