Famous last words: I just want to sound like me.

...But no one buys, my podcast audience has 4 listeners, I feel invisible...

I got ya.

The easiest way to improve your communication, grow your business, and feel more confident is with BS: Baby Steps.

The best part: You'll always stay true to yourself. Watch the quick video here.

If you think your inbox is overflowing with junk messages and stuff you don’t care about, what if it were 100x worse? 

This is what reporters are trying to manage.

Every. single. day.

Plus, their jobs are all about tight deadlines, breaking news, crabby bosses, and low pay. 

It's nothing new.

Before technology, reporters were drained by irrelevant faxes and phone calls.

Pointless pitches that aren't clearly valuable to their audiences.

Maybe you're wondering why you get crickets when emailing a 3-page self-serving story idea about your book???

You know, the one with 6 attachments, 27 links, and 14 questions.

Reporters need to see something interesting that jumps off the screen.

So how do you grab the attention (and trust) of the media so that you land a coveted interview?

{BECOME A MEDIA MAGNET WITH FREE PUBLICITY. GET THE FREE GUIDE HERE}

When you know why your story is relevant to a reporter and their audience, there's a shift. 

You have to know what...

You know what "THEY" say?

Everything is bigger in Texas.

It's especially true of Halloween. People here go bat-s**t crazy on this festive day.

So here are 7 frightening communication habits.   

 Use this self-assessment to clean up your communication.  

1. You refuse to receive. Someone offers a compliment on your clothing. You deflect and show them the button missing on your sleeve. Solution: Shut up, smile, and say thank you.‍ 

2. You listen to ghastly people. Well-intentioned family, friends, and even strangers can scare the beJesus out of you. Let's believe most mean well. Still, they could be clueless about your journey, intentions, whatever. Solution: Don’t drink the Kool-Aid. Shut up, smile, and tune them out. Then run away. Fast.‍ 

3. You overshare. When the doorbell rings on Halloween, do you offer the kiddos every morsel of food in your pantry? No. You give them what you think they need, want, or may enjoy. Otherwise, their...

The charisma vibe.

Not many people are talking about it. That's why I'm going there.

'Cause I don't want you to skip this soft skill that I know is essential in business.  

Charisma is a magical quality that most people want. It makes business lighter and more enjoyable. 

Aren't you drawn to people who have that special magnetism, allure, charm, and appeal? That's charisma. 

The good thing about charisma is that it's a soft skill that's super valuable in communication.

It helps us build rapport, attract opportunities, and live more fulfilling lives. 

If you're not feeling the "charisma vibe," there's good news. You can develop it. 

Maybe you're like me.

You weren't born with a peppy, outgoing personality. No worries!

I began working on this 25 years ago, simply by watching alluring people.

I've been able to re-invent myself. And you can, too.

When you watch charismatic people who you admire, you'll notice they are...

• Kind
• Interested in  other...

Showing up isn’t worth Jack these days.

In fact, it never was.

Showing up AND getting paid to speak up is different.

Because you're communicating in a strategic way that's relevant and meaningful to others. Now that's worth something. It's about selling your expertise AND getting in front of a captive audience (lead gen!).  

It’s a smart way of doing business that requires a tinge of boldness and self-confidence. 

It’s not about being pushy or arrogant.

It’s knowing deep in your heart that your knowledge and experiences will impact people who hear you.

It’s you knowing that your voice matters. 

And it does.

The question is: Are you bold enough to pitch yourself to event organizers who can book you? 

Look, anyone can take up space. It's a higher-level conversation when you're paid as a subject matter expert. So...no more hiding.

Here are my 3 top ways to get in the door with people who can book you to speak online and on...

Whether you're a guest on a podcast or you host one, it's super important to be prepared for the right and best conversation.

It starts long before you start recording. 

This 3-minute video sheds light on how to find the right show, virtual event, and audience to share your expertise. (Hint: Your interview is an organic lead magnet!)

Click the video above to watch and learn! 

Painfully blunt is the way my hubs describes me.

Not gonna mince words here.

If you’re pitching yourself to event organizers who hire speakers….and all you get are crickets and maybe a gig for “volunteer speakers” …you’re wasting your time and energy.

You DON’T need to:

Create a slick Speaker 1-sheet with new branded photos

Pay for a goofball “speaker reel” video that's staged with “real people”

Join Toastmasters or spend big bucks on a voice coach

Waste a ton of time, money, and energy writing a book

Here’s what you DO need to do:

Connect your topic to the theme of an event so that decision-makers know you "get" their audience

Have a 1-minute video clip from a real talk that showcases your personality and expertise

Work on your internal voice first so that you quiet self-doubt (and get contracts, not crickets!)

Fine-tune your topic and description so organizers see you're a polished pro (and they can easily...

There’s long been hype about thinking big and dreaming big.

You know the adage, shoot for the moon. If you miss, you’ll hit the stars.

That’s lovely and inspiring.

But, it doesn't work for entrepreneurs who want more visibility and clients.

Here’s why.

People don't care much about the “big” events in our lives.

The graduations, certifications, weddings, or other "moon and stars" milestones.

Formal events tend to feel staged and predictable.

They're boring.

Same for our introductions, stories, and "About Me" pages.

If they are filled with milestones, people lose interest.

Look, prospects will get to your qualifications.

First, though, you've gotta show up real and relatable.

Like a human being who is easy to connect with.

That's why successful speakers and entrepreneurs pay close attention to ordinary (smaller) moments.

The gold in your story is the seemingly mundane smaller things in life that have deeply affected you.

Ordinary moments often morph...

Speaker Rant Here:

You wanna become a paid speaker so you can share your stories and change lives.

That's wonderful.

There's a huge mistake that beginners make that I want you to avoid at all costs.

This is the 3rd time in a few weeks I've heard something like this.

A connection on LinkedIn posted this today and I cringed. You should never experience this!

Look, a keynote is VERY different than a breakout session.

In how you craft your...

Stories and the flow of your talk

Slides

Activities

Handouts

And your mindset!

A true professional speaker who gets paid to present time and time again asks the right questions from the moment they are hired so that they are absolutely in their power and can blow the doors off their presentation!!

My coaching clients know that walking into a surprise is not professional.

If you're wanting to get serious about becoming a paid speaker, let's hop on a free Story Power Session strategy call. Click this link to apply.

I can’t count the times I’ve stared at a crisp new landing page that’s about to go live, wondering: will this convert?

Will my message land? Will the words resonate so people opt-in, reply, or join…whatever…?

{BECOME A CLEAR + CONFIDENT COMMUNICATOR SO YOU ATTRACT DREAM CLIENTS. APPLY FOR A FREE 30-MINUTE STORY POWER SESSION HERE}

Your words—and mine—only dance off the page and into the hearts of prospects when we use THEIR exact lingo.

When we talk about

• THEIR pain
• THEIR aspirations
• THEIR desires

This was glaringly obvious in one of the women entrepreneurs Facebook groups I’m in.

A member—let’s call her Lauren—wanted feedback on a landing page for her new offer. She specifically asked for comments on her 2-minute welcome video.

When I looked and read the few lines of text above the video, I had no clue what Lauren was offering.

Would the video bring clarity?

The page layout was visually appealing, but the words...