You’ve probably heard (or even said) this oft-repeated “fact”: All communication is 7% what we say and 93% how we say it. WELL…THIS IS ACTUALLY NOT ACCURATE. Psychology professor Dr. Albert Mehrabian came up with this rule while working at the University of California, Los Angeles. Over the years, it has been misinterpreted and the […]

I love the month of May for a few reasons: it’s my birthday month, the weather is warming up (I LOVE hot weather!), and I can start doing my walks by the lake again. Can you say Winning!! May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. And if you’re someone who’s uncomfortable with public speaking, just the […]

I was part of a panel today that spoke to high school students on the topic of “Preparing for Adulthood.” I’ve coached clients who’ve had upcoming panel speaking opportunities, and this situation sometimes feels scary to them unlike a prepared speech they had to give. Avoid these 3 mistakes to handle the panel successfully: 1️⃣ […]

When it comes to potential speaking engagements – you always want to weigh the pros vs. cons when it comes to considering whether to speak for free. There are a NUMBER of ways you can still get “paid” even if the organization can’t give you money. But for right now, let’s just look at WHEN […]

Recently, I competed in the area level (the second level) of the speech competition I’m in. I lost and came in second place. Let me tell you something… I HATE to not win a speech contest! However, this time was different. Even though I’m still disappointed I lost, I can tell I have grown in […]

Last night I competed in a Toastmasters International speech contest, and am excited to share with you that I placed FIRST!! I had taken a three-year break from competing, so it felt especially GREAT to take home the top honor at the club contest! I will move on to compete at the area level in […]

I can’t believe we are winding down the last month of 2022 already! It seems like we just started the year. I pray you are taking time to enjoy yourself and not getting overwhelmed with all the hustle and bustle that often comes in December. Below is a great article from Black Speakers Network that […]

If professional speaking is a goal of yours, your Speaker One Sheet is one of your most important marketing tools to have. However, there are still some lingering misconceptions about them! Let’s clear up some of the biggest ones… 1. IT NEEDS TO BE ONE SHEET It does NOT need to be one sheet! Many […]

I want to speak, but I don’t know what to talk about… I don’t have any interesting stories to use… I really don’t have any experiences others would be that interested in hearing about… All LIES!! Listen, you have SO much speech content inside of you that you’d be AMAZED. You don’t think you have […]

Yesterday I had the opportunity to record a PSA (public service announcement) at WLRH radio station. It’s located on the beautiful campus of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. I’ve done radio interviews before, but never did a PSA – til now! I love being able to cross off “firsts”! 😉 Here are a few […]