“What quality makes a GREAT speaker?” I ask this question in many of my corporate training programs, and my audience usually provides a variety of interesting responses — including ONE particular quality that is brought up each and every time. They’re not wrong. But they’re not 100% right either. There’s one very necessary question […]

I get that this blog generally isn’t the place to share gardening photos. But hear me out… In past years, I would always plant a small garden in my backyard. I would plant “a bunch of stuff” (that’s my technical gardening term for cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and whatever else I was ready to experiment […]

  According to a report by The Harris Poll and Grammarly, 75% of business leaders say they spend too much time and energy resolving miscommunications in the workplace. But here’s what really caught my attention: The article states that U.S. businesses lose a staggering $1.2 trillion annually due to poor communication! So let’s consider this: […]

It was a pleasure to have a conversation with Jen DeTracey, Elevate Results Coach and Strategist. In this short but valuable discussion, we talked about elevating your influence and impact. On my end, I focused on how to gain more clarity, confidence and connection with your audience, to help elevate our communications and gain more […]

  I was so excited to see that my book, From Nervous to Nailed It, has been featured on Shepherd.com‘s top list of “Best Books for Nice People to Be More Persuasive.” This article is insightfully written by Shelle Rose Charvet, CSP, HoF, GSF,  influence and persuasion expert, accomplished (and hilarious) speaker, all-around nice person, and best-selling author of Words […]

You’ve got a presentation coming up, and you’re excited, you’re nervous, you’re ready to share your message and uplevel your visibility. So what’s your first step? Get your slides together, of course! But….wait! Can I convince you of trying a different, not-necessarily-intuitive-but-far-more-effective-way? Put your slides to the side — and start this way instead The […]

Have you ever met a complete stranger who recognizes and knows you because they were once impacted by something that you said, and they never forgot it? Have YOU ever had a chance to meet someone who had an impact on your life – a speaker, author, mentor, teacher– and you never forgot it? We […]

  A presentation mistake, public speaking mistake, or communication mistake — just don’t do it! A few years ago, I attended a networking group meeting where the organizers regularly gave a different member 20 minutes to present themselves and what they do. Pretty standard practice for many networking groups, and nicely supportive of their members. […]

What happens when you have a brilliant idea, and you’re SURE that you’re explaining it well, but your intended recipient or audience just doesn’t “get it?” So frustrating. Is the problem that they just don’t understand the idea? Or is the problem that you’re not communicating it clearly enough? After hearing this complaint a little […]

  What do you do when work and ‘parent guilt’ collide? A few weeks ago, after the summer months of staying pretty local, I headed off on my first post-summer work engagement in Toronto, followed immediately by another one in Montreal. A busy week indeed! But…I had a problem. My 12-year old son had just […]