Last week I had a video chat with my friend and colleague Jen. I met Jen 2 years ago when she presented at a women’s retreat I hosted. Her background is eclectic. Jen is a salsa dancer/instructor, mindfulness teacher and career coach. She is compassionate and grounded. In a short period of time, we’ve learned…
Earlier this month I facilitated a leadership program for 15 professional and entrepreneurial women. The day focused on leading and communicating with others. During the day the group participated in a variety of experiential learning activities, including one known as “Helium Stick” (see photo above). Here’s how the activity works. The women form two lines,…
Imagine this … You have a big sales pitch coming up. You’ve been promoted to a leadership role and have to manage people. You’ve been asked to present to clients, donors or the board. You’re speaking on a panel or at a conference. And you’re nervous Maybe your heart races and hands shake. Or you…
Last Saturday I took my fourteen year old niece, Abby, to the sold out Twenty-One Pilots concert at the TD Garden in Boston. You may or may not know who they are (click here if you care to know more). To think that a band who avoided the mainstream can sell out big stadiums like…
“How did the conversations go?” I asked Julie. She said, “They went well and people seemed to appreciate the time to ask questions. But boy am I drained!” Talking to people can feel exhausting! See, Julie is in the midst of communicating big changes to her employees, and they have a lot of concerns regarding…
Looking for a way to spice up your speeches and presentations and connect better with your audience? Metaphors can help you do just that. Last week my husband, Michael, asked me for some public speaking help. He was preparing to speak at a human resource conference about building a leadership coaching culture in business. “I…
Imagine this. You’re really good at what you do, yet when the time comes to give a presentation, speak in public or conduct a meeting, you feel uneasy. Maybe your heart races, or you have a hard time organizing your thoughts. Maybe you look around the room and wonder, “how the heck did I get…
This one’s for the thinkers and problem-solvers. Do you love a good challenge to think things through, connect the dots and come up with a solution? Me, too. And that leads to burnout, fast. I didn’t know I had a problem until my friend and client, Gwynne, a former lawyer turned non-profit executive Director, pointed…
Has this ever happened to you? “In meetings I can see eyes glazing over and sometimes the client gets up and takes a phone call! How can I keep people from tuning out when I talk?” This question came up in a recent workshop on making meetings more engaging. And it’s not the first time…
I hear from clients all the time who say, “My employees don’t talk to each other!” To which I’ll ask, “Are you giving them a reason to talk?” A Reason to Talk My 14 year old niece, Abby, called the other day. She’s not a phone person, so my heart skipped a beat when I…