Last week, I spent some lazy hours watching old episodes of Say Yes to the Dress. (Men, stay with me; I swear this applies to you, too!) The show is set at Kleinfeld’s, a famed New York City bridal store that stocks 2000 wedding dresses. Real women are pretty scarce on TV, but since Kleinfeld’s Read More
Fear of Public Speaking and Self-Criticism
Breathe
Much of what I have to say about overcoming fear — my own and that of my public speaking clients — is boiled down to this one word: Breathe! Of course, having the word engraved on my wrist (yes, that’s my wrist in the photo) is another story — a short-short story that accompanies my novel, The Tattooed Heart. Read More
Public Speaking Confidence: Structure, Prepare, Organize, Cope
Clients often ask me to help them build their confidence about speaking, speaking up, or speaking out in public. Build On These 4 Pillars We do that by building their skills in the following four areas, because relaxed and flexible public speaking confidence — the kind that allows you to meet all challenges — comes Read More
For Great Public Speaking: Let the Tears Come
Twice this week, I’ve “made” my clients cry. One man was recalling his childhood struggle to speak out. A female client was trying to talk about cancer. They were both primed to cry, and at the moment when they might have pulled back, I urged them forward, into tears. I hate feeling vulnerable, and hate Read More
Are You Allergic to Public Speaking?
If you’re allergic to ragweed pollen (it’s called “hayfever”), you know how bad the symptoms can be: Runny eyes. Frozen lungs. Throbbing sinuses. What causes these unpleasant allergic symptoms? Not the ragweed! Like other allergies, hayfever is the the result of a big miscommunication between your immune system and reality. Your Basic Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Allergic Read More