Does the thought of public speaking make your heart leap — in terror? ​ What happens next? Do you judge yourself for being nervous? Do you feel inadequate to play the role of “speaker”? Do you wish you could figure out how the heck to just get it over with? I promise you that you are not alone. Anticipating being seen and heard can feel very vulnerable, and our insecurities often jump to the surface when we are asked to speak to a group. However, with some simple changes in

As a public speaking coach, I get asked about A LOT of different topics. How do I make my topic more engaging? How do I speak to camera and not feel totally self-conscious? But, the number one topic that I get asked about - and the number one experience that my clients struggle with is… NERVES! 😨 Yep. No matter people's ages, professions, levels of expertise, or backgrounds, nerves are the #1 topic they want to discuss. More specifically, they want to rid themselves o

Welp, it's time to talk about that dreaded experience...NERVES! Nerves can be so sneaky, can't they? They hijack your excitement and turn your brain into a scramble. It's no wonder why you would avoid speaking opportunities - even great ones - to avoid feeling nervous. Why would you go out of your way to suffer, am I right?! In fact, here is a typical conversation I have with new clients: ME: What drew you to public speaking coaching? CLIENT: I hate public speaking. I

Ummm....you know…..people don’t like filler words. But I, like, love them on on my NYTimes game app. Rewind. It’s a Saturday morning. I wake up. Have a few thoughts. And grab my phone. The NY TIMES games are my coffee. (My heart doesn’t like caffeine. My brain loves games.) The NYT’s CONNECTIONS game is one of my favs. Real quick, here’s how it works: There’s a grid of 16 squares. Each square has a word in it. Your job is to split the words into 4 categories that make sen

Have you ever met someone who sounds unsure of even the most basic facts? ​ “Hi, I’m Ben? I’m from Chicago? I’m in cancer research?” There’s a word for this kind of speech pattern – it’s called upspeak. ​ Upspeak is very common, so if you find yourself relating to Ben, you are not alone! ​ That said, it’s important to be aware of the effect that upspeak can have on your credibility, your career, and your audience. ​ Let’s start with your credibility. ​ I know you’re an expe

If you've ever coached with me, you've probably heard me say that presenting is the art of being present. When you're in front of your team or a client or a room full of strangers, being present means… 🌞 Thinking clearly 🌞 Listening intently 🌞 Trusting your flow 🌞 Truly connecting with your audience (instead of talking at them) 🌞 Gaining their trust 🌞 Potentially raising your earning potential On the flip side, not being present means… 🌩 Trying to replicate e

I'll never forget the surprise and delight I felt the first time I saw it - a tiny creature letting me in on one of nature's best kept secrets. I'd been staying at a colorful, eclectic airbnb in San Diego, surrounded by impossibly beautiful views. I'd stayed there many times before, and kept returning for the scenery and the company - the charming owner with a penchant for bizarre antiques and extraterrestrial life. One breezy morning, I sat on her front steps, pausing to a

It's clear that virtual meetings are here to stay. ​ So…here are 5 ways to look your best on Zoom.💻 ​ (…or on Teams, Meet, or whatever virtual platform you prefer!) ​ ⚡ 1. Lighting is your friend! ​ If you’ve ever noticed during a virtual meeting that one of your colleagues looks like they’re in witness protection - that likely means that they are back-lit. ​ Their light source (lamp or daylight) is behind them. ​ If you are not hiding from the authorities, put your lightin

I used to believe that the more skilled I was, the less nervous I would be. Years ago, as an actress, I figured that the more training I had, the less anxious I would feel before performances and auditions. But, somehow, the opposite was true. Sigh. The more I worked on my craft, the higher my standards became to get things “right”. I wanted everything to be 100% emotionally truthful. Authentic. Natural. Spontaneous. These aren’t bad things to want. I LOVE perfo

"Presenting is the art of continually being present." - Me When you are fully present in the room (or on Zoom), your audience is much more likely to stay present with you. When you are present, they are more likely to... 🌼 Let go of their worries for a bit 🌼 Put their phones away The present moment is where you have the most power. A lot of the work I do with my clients is to help them shift away from: "I just want to get this over with!" ...and shift to: "I'm excited to

Which comes first - your confidence or your presentation message? 🥚🐔🥚🐔🥚🐔🥚🐔🥚🐔🥚🐔🥚🐔🥚🐔 After supporting one-on-one clients to create presentations that feel alive, relevant, and relatable for over two decades, I have a strong opinion on this. Ready for it? Here's my answer. They feed each other. CONFIDENCE ←→ PRESENTATION As your confidence in knowing who your audience is grows, your presentation gets stronger.💪 As your presentation gets more clear

Public speaking isn't just appearing on stage in front of hundreds of people. In my years as a public speaking coach, I've helped my clients prepare for every type of scenario you can think of -and some that you may not event consider. To prevent you from being caught of guard in one of these situations, here are five public speaking scenarios that might surprise you. 1. Someone Asks, "So, What Do You Do?" ​ Whether you're at a party or sitting in the back of an Uber, this q

There is a restaurant in San Diego that I am unlikely to ever visit. It's not because it has bad reviews. (People really love this place!) And I never got food poisoning there. It's because… …of its name. It's called The Broken Yolk. I have never ever liked broken yolks! 🍳 EVER! I was about to launch into all of my negative feelings about runny yokes, but I am already starting to feel queasy and sick. Before you start to tell me how magnificent eggs benedict