Her prized, numero uno, #1 favorite speaking tip is…:
It’s been a tremendous week here at Blogworld Expo East. And this morning’s workshop was fantastically interactive, co-presented with @AlizaSherman about empowering women as public speakers. The attendees for our Speak Up workshop were so motivating; and people showed determination and progress on their speech topic ideas throughout the session. It’s been a great day.
Words from a witch
In the spirit of finding and asserting our voice as speakers, Nathalie Lussier talked shop about her favorite speaking tip. She presents often and really enjoys the dynamic.
It was energizing to talk with her from Blogworld’s expo floor
- and she blogs regularly at The Raw Foods Witch on lots of healthy stuff.
Nathalie’s #1 tip revealed in this fun, speedy talk:
Here’s an audio snapshot just below about presenting at Blogworld (or a written summary follows soon after on Blogworld reflections and questions about speaking in public):
‘A’ Game as public speakers (and you?)
There’s a big adrenaline rush on this end of the webz to head out to NYC for the Blogworld East New Media Expo. I’m thrilled to co-facilitate a workshop this year about empowering women to bring their ‘A’ game as public speakers with the motivating and motivated Aliza Sherman.
We’ll approach the session from a few angles:
how to develop speaker proposals and submit on a regular basis to conference selection committees (plus some coping mechanisms for those icky rejection notices);
how to enact a practice plan to strengthen as a speaker (and specifically practice your key message and assert public conversations long before it’s time to officially engage an audience from the stage).
At Blogworld Expo East this week? Here’s an invitation for you!
Have a super time at Blogworld and know you have a hearty invitation to join us Thur, May 26th at 9am for our session officially called: Speak Up – empowering women to find their voice. Our session’s specific hashtag is: #BWEvoice
Your favorite tips and strengths as a speaker: would you share?
What favorite tips do you practice in preparing for a speech — when organizing content or delivery or any aspect of stage preparation?
And what are your favorite attributes as a presenter? As in, do you love the sound of your voice or vocal range? Do you get an addictive kick out of storytelling and make an audience feel at ease? Are you a maestro at creating media decks or stimulating a sense of momentum in your narrative?
DISCLAIMER to readers: Darth Vader was not harmed in this recording.
She just gave a great speech on the benefits and stress from having so many available choices.
She has resolve, success, and a great depth of reflection.
She’s got one heck of a sense of humor, is a Women Grow Business blogger — and she’s a clear winner too.
This ’she’ is Ann Bevans, a business owner and prize winner of this year’s case study competition for the Hot Mommas Project.
The Hot Mommas Project is an online mentorship library for women and girls, comprised of case studies accessible for free. People from across the globe submit case studies reflecting their life experience about entrepreneurship and different professional industries.
What challenges did they face?
What decisions or fears or obstacles helped to crystalize their success?
These questions are often framed and answered in the most personal and triumphant ways in these case studies.
Ann’s case study won top honors this year, revealing her sense of purpose for her business and resolve to look at specific choices.
In this video talk: Darth Vader talks shop.
And Ann shares more on what compelled her to write her case study. Her potent acceptance speech was a hot topic too, looking at the trials of choice in & beyond business — all this from the Hot Momma’s Awards Ceremony earlier this week.
Wrestling with Mother’s Day & a renewed perspective
Sometimes Mother’s Day gets me anxious. It feels silly to admit.
But Mom and I have lived apart for years now, with her and Dad in Colorado, with my husband and me in DC. When Mother’s Day rolls around, anxiety has often seeped in my brain. It feels like a pensive, tugging inner voice that says:
“Whatever you do for Mother’s Day, it will fall short. Your mother is THAT fantastic. What gift could possibly honor that enough? And by the way, how can you live so far away from your momma?!”
Darn those inner voices of guilt! Do they ever talk at you too?
But this year, it’s time to re-focus that silly inner guilt. There’s something and someone in particular who helped to re-direct that anxiety to something with greater purpose and uplift. Stacey Monk and her To Mama With Love initiative motivated this re-direction and a great reminder too:
It’s more than celebrating just one mama (that’s my Mama Melba at right!)
This initiative and art project create a unique forum to celebrate our moms. But it’s also a chance to recognize – and support – specific mothers around the world who are impacting their communities for the better.
Folks can both celebrate moms in their lives with “heartspaces” but also help foster the efforts of mothers like “Mama Lucy” Kamptoni. She sold chickens in her Tanzanian village and turned her income into a primary school that now serves over 400 children.
Here’s an excerpt below of a letter written to my mother; the full letter was apart of the heartspace dedicated to her. Thanks to Stacey and the Epic Change team for creating this meaningful place to express mama goodness.
A heartspace excerpt: mom speaks up for self-respect:
But then open house night arrived, as did the chance to meet Mr. Novak directly with you and Dad. And it was then your strength and grit made a distinct impression on all of us. You let Mr. Novak know he was a “sexist pig who had no right to downgrade your daughter or anyone else’s daughter for that matter.”
I was stunned. Dad was grinning and silent.
The force of your words carried a sense of championship. I had never seen a line drawn in the sand like that before. It was the first time I consciously realized the real consequence of that teacher’s treatment. It was unmistakeable and that moment changed my outlook toward gender perceptions and self-respect.
###
Happy Mother’s Day(!)
Top image Heart of Palm by Gare & Kitty, Creative Commons
How was your week? Were there ever moments where you craved silence and the chance to intentionally practice being silent?
I appreciate silent meditation although I’m inconsistent in practicing it. I find the benefits of silence have great effect — in creating a sense of calm and clarity of mind.
All this works with a few questions churning in my brain: Can practicing silence and using video effectively unite? And if so, can a meditative impact emerge for those on both ends of the video clip?
