1 00:00:00,020 --> 00:00:01,730 Carol Cox: How can you become a better speaker? 2 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:03,770 Here are top takeaways from some of the 3 00:00:03,770 --> 00:00:05,900 women who attended our recent in-person 4 00:00:05,900 --> 00:00:08,120 speaking workshop, on this episode of the 5 00:00:08,120 --> 00:00:13,550 Speaking Your Brand podcast. 6 00:00:13,550 --> 00:00:15,740 More and more women are making an impact by 7 00:00:15,740 --> 00:00:18,470 starting businesses, running for office, and 8 00:00:18,470 --> 00:00:20,480 speaking up for what matters. 9 00:00:20,510 --> 00:00:22,760 With my background as a TV political 10 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,610 analyst, entrepreneur, and speaker, I 11 00:00:25,610 --> 00:00:28,040 interview and coach purpose driven women to 12 00:00:28,070 --> 00:00:30,530 shape their brands, grow their companies, 13 00:00:30,530 --> 00:00:33,230 and become recognized as influencers in 14 00:00:33,230 --> 00:00:36,530 their field. This is speaking your brand, 15 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:39,080 your place to learn how to persuasively 16 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,440 communicate your message to your audience. 17 00:00:43,100 --> 00:00:45,230 Hi there and welcome to backstage with 18 00:00:45,230 --> 00:00:46,460 Speaking Your Brand. 19 00:00:46,460 --> 00:00:47,900 I'm your host, Carol Cox. 20 00:00:47,900 --> 00:00:50,660 Today we are live on LinkedIn, in YouTube 21 00:00:50,660 --> 00:00:53,540 with two women who recently attended our one 22 00:00:53,570 --> 00:00:56,540 day speaking workshop in Orlando, Florida. 23 00:00:56,570 --> 00:00:59,300 I wanted to have them on to share what they 24 00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:01,860 learned, how much they progressed just from 25 00:01:01,860 --> 00:01:04,230 the morning to the afternoon sessions, and 26 00:01:04,230 --> 00:01:06,540 the main takeaways for being a better 27 00:01:06,540 --> 00:01:08,940 speaker and storyteller on stage, so that 28 00:01:08,940 --> 00:01:10,950 you too can benefit from that if you're 29 00:01:10,950 --> 00:01:12,810 listening to this on the podcast. 30 00:01:12,810 --> 00:01:13,890 So nice to have you. 31 00:01:13,890 --> 00:01:15,570 You can watch the video as well. 32 00:01:15,570 --> 00:01:17,550 The link is in the show notes, so you can 33 00:01:17,550 --> 00:01:19,740 watch us on video, or you can just continue 34 00:01:19,740 --> 00:01:20,970 to listen to us. 35 00:01:20,970 --> 00:01:23,760 Today we have with us Wendy McManus and Tara 36 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,730 Lassiter. You may recognize Wendy's name. 37 00:01:26,730 --> 00:01:29,220 She was also on the podcast not too long ago 38 00:01:29,220 --> 00:01:31,470 for another LinkedIn live that we did when 39 00:01:31,470 --> 00:01:32,910 she graduated from the Thought Leader 40 00:01:32,910 --> 00:01:34,740 Academy, where she shared a ten minute 41 00:01:34,740 --> 00:01:36,720 version of the signature talk that she 42 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:37,890 worked on with us. 43 00:01:37,890 --> 00:01:39,900 Well, she got to take those storytelling 44 00:01:39,900 --> 00:01:42,180 skills to our stage with our workshop. 45 00:01:42,180 --> 00:01:44,520 Wendy. Tara, so nice to have you here. 46 00:01:44,790 --> 00:01:46,290 Tara Lassiter: So nice to be here. 47 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:47,580 Thank you. 48 00:01:47,850 --> 00:01:49,560 Wendy McManus: Thanks for having us, Carol. 49 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:51,630 Carol Cox: Oh, you are so welcome, Wendy, thank you so 50 00:01:51,630 --> 00:01:53,010 much for taking the time to be here. 51 00:01:53,010 --> 00:01:55,350 I so often say that the best way to get 52 00:01:55,350 --> 00:01:58,650 better at speaking is to actually put the 53 00:01:58,650 --> 00:02:00,940 reps in. So the more speaking you do, the 54 00:02:00,970 --> 00:02:03,160 better that you'll get if you only do 55 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,110 something once in a while, whether it's 56 00:02:05,110 --> 00:02:09,010 speaking or going on TV or, I don't know, 57 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:10,810 riding a horse, you're not. 58 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:12,460 It's going to you're going to feel nervous 59 00:02:12,460 --> 00:02:14,140 and it's not going to feel good if you only 60 00:02:14,140 --> 00:02:15,550 do it once a year or so. 61 00:02:15,550 --> 00:02:17,710 But if you're speaking every week or every 62 00:02:17,710 --> 00:02:19,540 month, you really get into the habit because 63 00:02:19,540 --> 00:02:21,370 you're putting those reps in. 64 00:02:21,370 --> 00:02:24,010 But even better than just speaking is 65 00:02:24,010 --> 00:02:26,260 getting coaching and feedback in the moment. 66 00:02:26,260 --> 00:02:28,660 So you know what is working, what's not, and 67 00:02:28,660 --> 00:02:30,370 what are things that you can tweak and 68 00:02:30,370 --> 00:02:31,900 adjust to make it even better? 69 00:02:31,900 --> 00:02:33,970 So that's what I want to dive in with you 70 00:02:33,970 --> 00:02:36,220 today. Tara, I'll start with you first. 71 00:02:36,220 --> 00:02:37,510 Tell us a little bit about what it is that 72 00:02:37,510 --> 00:02:40,150 you do in your business and why you decided 73 00:02:40,150 --> 00:02:41,860 to attend our workshop. 74 00:02:42,340 --> 00:02:44,500 Tara Lassiter: Okay, so my background, I'm a brand 75 00:02:44,500 --> 00:02:46,750 strategist and ghostwriter story behind it. 76 00:02:46,750 --> 00:02:50,200 I spent a decade on air at QVC as a model, 77 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,120 and throughout that experience, I was 78 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,100 fortunate enough to live through the time 79 00:02:54,100 --> 00:02:56,620 when we went from all of the models being a 80 00:02:56,620 --> 00:02:59,380 size two to having plus size models and 81 00:02:59,380 --> 00:03:00,820 petite models and different ages. 82 00:03:00,820 --> 00:03:02,650 And really, there was an explosion of 83 00:03:02,650 --> 00:03:07,090 diversity that helped everyone see and feel 84 00:03:07,090 --> 00:03:08,770 representation on screen. 85 00:03:08,770 --> 00:03:10,480 Well, I want to do the same thing for the 86 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:12,130 business world. I want everyone to have 87 00:03:12,130 --> 00:03:13,750 their own version of a business Barbie that 88 00:03:13,750 --> 00:03:14,830 they can look up to. 89 00:03:14,860 --> 00:03:18,190 That is their version of hey, I can do that. 90 00:03:18,190 --> 00:03:20,080 And also that has a story that they can 91 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,750 really relate to so that we can break those 92 00:03:22,750 --> 00:03:24,340 glass ceilings together. 93 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,550 Carol Cox: And why did you decide to attend our speaking 94 00:03:27,550 --> 00:03:28,390 workshop? 95 00:03:28,540 --> 00:03:29,830 Tara Lassiter: So word of mouth. 96 00:03:29,830 --> 00:03:31,600 I had a previous client I was working with. 97 00:03:31,630 --> 00:03:33,010 She spoke really highly of you. 98 00:03:33,010 --> 00:03:34,780 I looked you up. I'm like, she's here. 99 00:03:34,780 --> 00:03:36,250 And then I was fortunate enough to meet you 100 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,170 at a networking event that was August, 101 00:03:38,170 --> 00:03:39,580 September like last month. 102 00:03:39,580 --> 00:03:41,740 So you really made me feel safe. 103 00:03:41,770 --> 00:03:43,480 And that's something that's like one of my 104 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,510 values. It's as a woman, you know, a woman 105 00:03:46,510 --> 00:03:48,970 in business, we're not always safe. 106 00:03:48,970 --> 00:03:50,200 We don't always feel safe. 107 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:52,900 So I knew that I could trust you when I 108 00:03:52,900 --> 00:03:55,060 wanted to step back into the spotlight. 109 00:03:55,060 --> 00:03:56,710 I had been writing behind the scenes. 110 00:03:56,710 --> 00:03:59,170 I was very comfortable hiding, and I knew I 111 00:03:59,170 --> 00:04:02,720 had to step back into my media, my host, my 112 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,300 acting background. I needed to, you know, 113 00:04:05,330 --> 00:04:06,620 use those skills again. 114 00:04:06,620 --> 00:04:09,350 And you provided a safe space for me to do 115 00:04:09,350 --> 00:04:10,430 that so that I could remember. 116 00:04:10,430 --> 00:04:12,650 Oh, yeah, you do this like you love this. 117 00:04:12,650 --> 00:04:13,910 This is where you want to be. 118 00:04:13,910 --> 00:04:15,170 But it was a safe environment. 119 00:04:15,170 --> 00:04:16,850 And also, like you said, that instant 120 00:04:16,850 --> 00:04:19,460 feedback because I wanted to make sure that 121 00:04:19,460 --> 00:04:21,560 if there was anything that I needed to fix, 122 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:23,240 if there was something I forgot, that 123 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:24,320 someone could point it out. 124 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:25,910 Because you don't know what you don't know, 125 00:04:25,910 --> 00:04:27,920 but you gave that to me. 126 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:29,240 Carol Cox: Oh, I love hearing that. 127 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:30,950 Tara. I'm so glad you feel that. 128 00:04:30,950 --> 00:04:33,260 You felt like this was a safe and supportive 129 00:04:33,260 --> 00:04:35,990 environment. I can imagine it would feel a 130 00:04:35,990 --> 00:04:38,720 little intimidating and vulnerable to stand 131 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:40,130 up in front of a group of women that you 132 00:04:40,130 --> 00:04:43,910 don't know and in front of coaches, and have 133 00:04:43,910 --> 00:04:47,540 yourself, and you know that we are so kind 134 00:04:47,540 --> 00:04:49,430 with our feedback and we'll get into that. 135 00:04:49,430 --> 00:04:51,020 But I'm so glad that you felt that right 136 00:04:51,020 --> 00:04:52,400 from the beginning, even before you showed 137 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:53,840 up with us in person. 138 00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:55,730 Wendy, tell us a little bit about what you 139 00:04:55,730 --> 00:04:58,370 do with your work and why you decided to 140 00:04:58,370 --> 00:05:00,020 attend our in-person workshop. 141 00:05:00,450 --> 00:05:01,950 Wendy McManus: Yeah. Thanks, Carol. 142 00:05:02,100 --> 00:05:03,540 I'm Wendy McManus. 143 00:05:03,540 --> 00:05:05,130 I'm a leadership coach. 144 00:05:05,130 --> 00:05:07,980 I work one on one with senior leaders. 145 00:05:07,980 --> 00:05:10,470 I facilitate with teams and help build 146 00:05:10,470 --> 00:05:12,240 culture and communication. 147 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,270 But my real passion is around working with 148 00:05:15,270 --> 00:05:18,660 newer people, leaders, folks that have made 149 00:05:18,660 --> 00:05:21,180 that shift from individual contributors into 150 00:05:21,210 --> 00:05:23,130 being people managers. 151 00:05:23,460 --> 00:05:27,330 Um, and as part of that, I'm getting out and 152 00:05:27,330 --> 00:05:28,980 doing more speaking. 153 00:05:28,980 --> 00:05:31,860 I love speaking, I love being on stage. 154 00:05:31,890 --> 00:05:34,650 And the reason that I wanted to attend the 155 00:05:34,650 --> 00:05:37,440 one day workshop is because, first of all, I 156 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,360 participated in Thought Leader Academy, 157 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:40,710 which was an eight week journey. 158 00:05:40,710 --> 00:05:42,240 That was amazing. 159 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:46,410 I've done some of your online workshops on 160 00:05:46,410 --> 00:05:50,160 zoom. Everything I've done with you in Diane 161 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,950 has been amazing, and I've always come out 162 00:05:52,950 --> 00:05:55,410 feeling like I took a big growth spurt. 163 00:05:55,410 --> 00:05:58,830 So just, you know, Carol and Diane are up to 164 00:05:58,860 --> 00:06:01,690 something like, yeah, let me go check it out 165 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,900 for sure. But this one in particular was the 166 00:06:04,900 --> 00:06:08,320 opportunity to get on stage in person. 167 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,860 Most of my work right now is still on zoom, 168 00:06:11,860 --> 00:06:17,920 and it's nice and safe and comfortable, and 169 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,400 I needed to get out of that safe zone and 170 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,060 get out there in person, in front of people 171 00:06:25,060 --> 00:06:29,740 with no notes in hand, and just be in the 172 00:06:29,740 --> 00:06:31,330 moment and speak. 173 00:06:31,330 --> 00:06:33,640 So it was a great opportunity for that. 174 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:37,240 Carol Cox: It is I again, I love zoom, it brings women 175 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:38,920 to us from all over the country and all over 176 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:40,570 the world, but there's really nothing like 177 00:06:40,570 --> 00:06:42,010 being in person. 178 00:06:42,010 --> 00:06:44,290 I really feel it feels like it accelerates 179 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,620 learning in a way that being on zoom can't 180 00:06:47,620 --> 00:06:49,840 do that in in that same fashion, in that 181 00:06:49,840 --> 00:06:50,920 same timeline. 182 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,380 All right, Tara, let's go back to you 183 00:06:53,410 --> 00:06:56,320 thinking about back to that time that you 184 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:57,970 spent with us that day. 185 00:06:57,970 --> 00:07:00,430 Was there anything in particular that 186 00:07:00,430 --> 00:07:03,580 surprised you about any of the activities 187 00:07:03,580 --> 00:07:05,770 that we did or your. 188 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:07,870 I'm going to call it a performance on stage. 189 00:07:08,170 --> 00:07:10,240 Well, you did do a little bit of performance 190 00:07:10,270 --> 00:07:11,500 and we'll come back to that in just a 191 00:07:11,500 --> 00:07:13,240 moment. But anything in particular that 192 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:14,260 surprised you? 193 00:07:14,830 --> 00:07:18,280 Tara Lassiter: I was fidgety and I went from not being able 194 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:20,110 to fidget like I had to be Vanna White for a 195 00:07:20,110 --> 00:07:22,390 decade. And so to notice that I was playing 196 00:07:22,390 --> 00:07:24,880 with my hair and rocking back and forth, I 197 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:26,350 was like, who? Like, who are you? 198 00:07:26,380 --> 00:07:28,000 Like, where did you learn these things? 199 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,250 So it was great that I had, like I said, 200 00:07:30,250 --> 00:07:32,230 that safe environment because I had no idea 201 00:07:32,230 --> 00:07:33,910 how I was going to show up on stage and on 202 00:07:33,910 --> 00:07:35,950 camera again. And so it gave me the 203 00:07:35,950 --> 00:07:38,800 opportunity to get back into my body and to 204 00:07:38,830 --> 00:07:40,630 like, stand up a little taller and to 205 00:07:40,660 --> 00:07:42,640 remember all of those skills that I hadn't 206 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:44,020 used since I've been on camera, because the 207 00:07:44,020 --> 00:07:45,970 last time I was on air was 20, 20. 208 00:07:45,970 --> 00:07:49,150 So four years was enough time for me to 209 00:07:49,180 --> 00:07:50,320 learn some bad habits. 210 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:51,760 So I was really surprised because that was 211 00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:52,990 the part I thought I would be great at. 212 00:07:52,990 --> 00:07:54,730 I thought I was like, I know how to be a 213 00:07:54,730 --> 00:07:56,350 mannequin. I thought it was going to be the 214 00:07:56,350 --> 00:07:58,360 speaking, but the stories came out well. 215 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,260 It was the standing in. 216 00:08:00,260 --> 00:08:03,050 It was the posture that I needed to practice 217 00:08:03,050 --> 00:08:03,620 again. 218 00:08:04,070 --> 00:08:07,370 Carol Cox: And we all have things that we do that we 219 00:08:07,370 --> 00:08:09,110 don't realize that we do, that are 220 00:08:09,110 --> 00:08:11,180 subconscious. Some of them are verbal tics. 221 00:08:11,180 --> 00:08:13,310 So words that we say, some of them are 222 00:08:13,310 --> 00:08:15,950 physical tics, like playing with our hair or 223 00:08:15,950 --> 00:08:18,380 rocking side to side, or the way that we 224 00:08:18,380 --> 00:08:19,640 maybe hold our hands. 225 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,010 And the only way to discover those is to 226 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,260 have someone watch you who's looking for 227 00:08:24,260 --> 00:08:26,660 them, or to record yourself on video and be 228 00:08:26,660 --> 00:08:28,940 willing to watch it, which I know is not 229 00:08:28,940 --> 00:08:30,920 always easy. Wendy, what about you? 230 00:08:30,950 --> 00:08:32,690 What surprised you about the day that we 231 00:08:32,690 --> 00:08:33,740 spent together? 232 00:08:35,180 --> 00:08:38,930 Wendy McManus: What was most surprising wasn't when I was on 233 00:08:38,930 --> 00:08:40,790 stage. It happened when we were doing the 234 00:08:40,790 --> 00:08:42,320 exercises as a group. 235 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:44,420 You all made us do improv. 236 00:08:44,450 --> 00:08:46,010 Improv exercises. 237 00:08:46,010 --> 00:08:48,440 So talk about getting out of my comfort 238 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:51,500 zone. That is way out of my comfort zone. 239 00:08:51,500 --> 00:08:52,760 But it was fun. 240 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,880 And you all, you and Diane made it okay for 241 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,360 us to be silly and not feel like we needed 242 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:01,740 to do it the right way. 243 00:09:01,890 --> 00:09:03,540 You just you made it really fun. 244 00:09:03,540 --> 00:09:05,490 And I feel like that got us all loosened up. 245 00:09:05,490 --> 00:09:08,130 We did some of that before anybody got up on 246 00:09:08,130 --> 00:09:10,110 stage or any of the participants got up on 247 00:09:10,110 --> 00:09:12,480 stage, and I felt really loose and 248 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:14,190 comfortable with the other women in the 249 00:09:14,190 --> 00:09:16,920 room, in particular, having all sort of made 250 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:18,870 fools of ourselves, doing the improv 251 00:09:18,870 --> 00:09:21,750 exercises, crawling around on the floor and 252 00:09:21,750 --> 00:09:25,710 just being silly and goofy and, and, uh, you 253 00:09:25,710 --> 00:09:27,660 know, feeling very unprofessional, like in, 254 00:09:27,870 --> 00:09:30,000 in our professional clothing, but just 255 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:31,620 having fun. That was great. 256 00:09:32,010 --> 00:09:33,900 Carol Cox: I'm glad you brought that up, Wendy, because 257 00:09:33,900 --> 00:09:36,360 as listeners know, Diane and I have a love 258 00:09:36,390 --> 00:09:38,310 hate relationship with improv. 259 00:09:38,340 --> 00:09:40,470 We love to hate it, but we also know how 260 00:09:40,500 --> 00:09:43,380 incredibly helpful it has been to us. 261 00:09:43,380 --> 00:09:45,870 And so we do it with you and we show you we 262 00:09:45,900 --> 00:09:48,120 like we definitely don't do it perfect at 263 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,550 all, but we're willing just to be silly and 264 00:09:50,550 --> 00:09:52,950 get down on the floor and to act things out, 265 00:09:52,950 --> 00:09:56,010 because we also know that it's us opening 266 00:09:56,010 --> 00:09:58,500 ourselves up to that level of vulnerability 267 00:09:58,530 --> 00:10:01,420 hopefully opens up all of you, and then the 268 00:10:01,420 --> 00:10:04,150 entire room and the space that we're 269 00:10:04,150 --> 00:10:06,580 creating. Tara, I mentioned that a little 270 00:10:06,610 --> 00:10:08,320 bit of the performance aspect you had 271 00:10:08,350 --> 00:10:10,450 because you actually led us in a cheer, 272 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:12,550 because you did a cheer on stage for one 273 00:10:12,550 --> 00:10:13,870 part of your story. I was like, oh, wait, 274 00:10:13,870 --> 00:10:16,540 hold on a minute. We gotta all do this cheer 275 00:10:16,570 --> 00:10:18,490 again to loosen ourselves up. 276 00:10:18,490 --> 00:10:20,740 So what did how did you feel about some of 277 00:10:20,740 --> 00:10:22,750 the improv exercises that we did? 278 00:10:22,900 --> 00:10:25,240 Tara Lassiter: So I actually love improv, not because I'm 279 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:27,850 good at it or anything, but I like that it 280 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:30,070 it doesn't allow me to be in my head that 281 00:10:30,070 --> 00:10:31,810 you have to go with whatever your first 282 00:10:31,810 --> 00:10:33,130 instinct is. You can't judge it. 283 00:10:33,130 --> 00:10:34,720 You can't overthink it. Like, I think that's 284 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:36,820 a great exercise for everybody because we're 285 00:10:36,820 --> 00:10:40,180 so like, you want to be right and you want 286 00:10:40,180 --> 00:10:41,680 to be perfect and you want to look good and 287 00:10:41,680 --> 00:10:44,320 you want to sound good. But the best stuff 288 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,560 comes from when, like the best, our best 289 00:10:47,560 --> 00:10:49,510 content, our best productions are off the 290 00:10:49,510 --> 00:10:51,190 cuff because we don't know what's inside of 291 00:10:51,190 --> 00:10:52,570 us until we we let it free. 292 00:10:52,570 --> 00:10:55,120 And sometimes we overthink the magic and it 293 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,400 loses that special, special touch. 294 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,320 So I was happy I got to do that cheer. 295 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:01,290 I should not have kicked my leg that high 296 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:03,360 because I did not stretch beforehand, so I 297 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:05,340 paid for that the next day. 298 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,670 It reminded me how old I am, but I was 299 00:11:08,670 --> 00:11:10,890 really happy that again I got inside my 300 00:11:10,890 --> 00:11:12,900 body, I had fun, I didn't care how I looked, 301 00:11:12,900 --> 00:11:14,760 I didn't, I wasn't able to overthink it. 302 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:16,530 I was able to be in the moment and really 303 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:18,030 like connect with all of the other women 304 00:11:18,030 --> 00:11:21,660 there. Like, I, we, we were we had a shared 305 00:11:21,660 --> 00:11:24,030 experience that brought us all together. 306 00:11:24,030 --> 00:11:27,120 And you were able to do that in such a like 307 00:11:27,150 --> 00:11:28,410 that was within the first hour. 308 00:11:28,410 --> 00:11:30,840 So I was really, really impressed with how 309 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:32,760 you were able just to transform that 310 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,220 environment and make it productive. 311 00:11:35,550 --> 00:11:37,440 Carol Cox: Yeah. Well, thank you all for going with it 312 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:39,420 too, and for being willing to to do all the 313 00:11:39,420 --> 00:11:40,740 things that we asked you to do, whether it's 314 00:11:40,740 --> 00:11:44,010 dance parties or cheers or improv exercises. 315 00:11:44,010 --> 00:11:46,590 Wendy, let's talk about what I call active 316 00:11:46,590 --> 00:11:50,640 storytelling in presentations, in talks, you 317 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:52,620 know that we emphasize stories because 318 00:11:52,620 --> 00:11:54,570 stories are what connect us to the audience 319 00:11:54,570 --> 00:11:56,250 and what they usually are going to remember. 320 00:11:56,250 --> 00:11:58,620 The most of any talk is the story. 321 00:11:58,650 --> 00:12:00,470 And so there's a way to tell a story where 322 00:12:00,470 --> 00:12:02,000 you just kind of go through, okay, here's 323 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:04,190 what happened. But then there's active 324 00:12:04,190 --> 00:12:07,160 storytelling where you actually are using 325 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:08,900 your body and you're using the stage. 326 00:12:08,900 --> 00:12:10,790 So when can you tell us a little bit about 327 00:12:10,790 --> 00:12:12,980 what that process was like for you and what 328 00:12:12,980 --> 00:12:13,970 you learned? 329 00:12:16,070 --> 00:12:18,650 Wendy McManus: I think the biggest takeaway so so two things 330 00:12:18,650 --> 00:12:20,270 are standing out for me, Carol. 331 00:12:20,270 --> 00:12:24,800 One is about moving around on the stage that 332 00:12:25,190 --> 00:12:27,470 the movement needs to be intentional. 333 00:12:27,470 --> 00:12:29,990 It's not just movement for movement's sake, 334 00:12:29,990 --> 00:12:33,260 because as we saw, you know, myself and some 335 00:12:33,290 --> 00:12:36,770 other, uh, participants in the workshop, we 336 00:12:36,770 --> 00:12:39,560 would be sort of nervously rocking or kind 337 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:41,720 of moving, you know, almost looking like we 338 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:43,250 were wandering around the stage. 339 00:12:43,250 --> 00:12:45,710 And so that was one thing that I really took 340 00:12:45,710 --> 00:12:50,120 away is that being purposeful when I think 341 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:53,360 about though, the, the, the, the embodiment 342 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,790 of the speaking, it's also for me about 343 00:12:55,790 --> 00:13:00,780 using my voice more intentionally And one of 344 00:13:00,780 --> 00:13:02,880 the the big pieces of feedback that you all 345 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:04,770 gave me after the first time that I told my 346 00:13:04,770 --> 00:13:09,330 story was about like adding some variety and 347 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,060 and I was a little bit, but I needed to 348 00:13:12,090 --> 00:13:13,950 build to more of a crescendo. 349 00:13:13,980 --> 00:13:16,470 I needed to have more variety in the energy 350 00:13:16,470 --> 00:13:19,920 and the volume and the pacing add more 351 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:21,990 deliberate pauses. 352 00:13:22,740 --> 00:13:24,960 And what was interesting was when I started 353 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,890 incorporating that, then I started moving 354 00:13:28,890 --> 00:13:30,510 more intentionally as well. 355 00:13:30,540 --> 00:13:32,610 Like, I started moving intentionally to this 356 00:13:32,610 --> 00:13:36,090 side and then pausing physically, pausing 357 00:13:36,090 --> 00:13:39,480 and pausing my delivery before I started 358 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:41,640 moving again and started speaking again. 359 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:43,860 So it was interesting to see how the two 360 00:13:43,890 --> 00:13:45,630 kind of wove together. 361 00:13:46,230 --> 00:13:48,660 Carol Cox: Yes, well, our minds and bodies are 362 00:13:48,660 --> 00:13:51,240 connected, and so it's almost like what Tara 363 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,640 was saying about improv is that we like to 364 00:13:53,970 --> 00:13:56,490 improv gets us to not think so much or 365 00:13:56,490 --> 00:13:58,770 overthink. And I feel like as speakers, 366 00:13:58,770 --> 00:14:00,980 oftentimes we want to overthink what we're 367 00:14:00,980 --> 00:14:03,110 going to do, but if we sometimes just let 368 00:14:03,110 --> 00:14:05,960 our bodies do what it would naturally do in 369 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,630 the moment when we're telling a story like 370 00:14:08,660 --> 00:14:10,280 we know if we're like, it's a heavier part 371 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:11,960 of the story. If we were telling that to a 372 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:15,860 friend, we probably would take a beat, take 373 00:14:15,860 --> 00:14:19,010 a breath, maybe look at the friend, check in 374 00:14:19,010 --> 00:14:21,530 on them, and then continue. 375 00:14:21,980 --> 00:14:23,990 But we forget when we're on stage speaking 376 00:14:24,020 --> 00:14:26,180 to an audience that the same, the same 377 00:14:26,180 --> 00:14:28,820 elements apply. That alignment still needs 378 00:14:28,820 --> 00:14:31,970 to be there. Tara, what about you? 379 00:14:31,970 --> 00:14:34,280 Tell us a little bit about your storytelling 380 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:36,890 and what you learned from from doing that 381 00:14:36,890 --> 00:14:38,150 with us on the stage. 382 00:14:38,570 --> 00:14:41,600 Tara Lassiter: So I am like a lifelong storyteller. 383 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:43,580 I love writing, I love words, I love telling 384 00:14:43,580 --> 00:14:46,700 stories. Um, the thing that stood out to me, 385 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:49,670 to me most about telling my story, was that 386 00:14:50,270 --> 00:14:52,700 the stories that I should tell are the 387 00:14:52,700 --> 00:14:55,490 stories that I'm most reluctant to tell. 388 00:14:55,490 --> 00:14:57,860 And so that's why I made it a point to tell 389 00:14:57,890 --> 00:15:00,530 stories. Well, the first story was one that 390 00:15:00,530 --> 00:15:02,990 I wasn't necessarily proud of, but to show 391 00:15:02,990 --> 00:15:07,280 that, hey, we all make mistakes and not 392 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:08,750 everybody had a perfect upbringing. 393 00:15:08,750 --> 00:15:10,610 Not everyone has a perfect upbringing, uh, 394 00:15:10,610 --> 00:15:13,190 background. So sometimes we do things that 395 00:15:13,190 --> 00:15:15,530 we're not proud of, but how do we turn it 396 00:15:15,530 --> 00:15:17,270 around? That says something about our 397 00:15:17,270 --> 00:15:20,270 character, and it says something about our 398 00:15:20,270 --> 00:15:22,550 potential. And I think that's something that 399 00:15:22,550 --> 00:15:25,220 our audience is really wanting because 400 00:15:25,220 --> 00:15:26,750 they've seen us be polished, they've seen us 401 00:15:26,780 --> 00:15:30,830 be perfect. And if we can tell those hard 402 00:15:30,830 --> 00:15:33,440 stories, whether they're business stories or 403 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,650 personal stories, but if we can share in a 404 00:15:36,650 --> 00:15:38,990 way that's vulnerable but still relatable, 405 00:15:39,020 --> 00:15:40,430 right? Like we're not sharing for the sake 406 00:15:40,430 --> 00:15:43,400 of sharing, but we're sharing to show how 407 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,700 we've overcome it creates space for them to 408 00:15:46,730 --> 00:15:47,750 overcome as well. 409 00:15:48,380 --> 00:15:51,320 Carol Cox: And Tara, I remember the opening of the 410 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:52,970 story, the five minute story that you were 411 00:15:52,970 --> 00:15:55,340 practicing, which was can you share the 412 00:15:55,340 --> 00:15:57,890 opening with us? It was really a lot of fun. 413 00:15:58,310 --> 00:16:01,170 Tara Lassiter: So in middle school, I was a cheerleader. 414 00:16:01,170 --> 00:16:04,260 I think the prompt you gave us was tell us 415 00:16:04,260 --> 00:16:05,880 when you used your voice as a child. 416 00:16:05,910 --> 00:16:07,500 Right. That was what it was. 417 00:16:07,530 --> 00:16:09,150 Carol Cox: Well, I'm thinking of the one with the guy 418 00:16:09,150 --> 00:16:10,350 with the Ferrari. 419 00:16:10,380 --> 00:16:11,490 Tara Lassiter: Oh. 420 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:13,710 That story. See, we told lots of stories that 421 00:16:13,710 --> 00:16:16,950 day. Okay, so I asked, this is, you know, I 422 00:16:16,950 --> 00:16:20,340 like to ask because when I think of a show 423 00:16:20,370 --> 00:16:22,560 off, I think of a guy. 424 00:16:22,590 --> 00:16:24,240 He's driving a Ferrari. 425 00:16:24,270 --> 00:16:25,560 He, like, revs his engine. 426 00:16:25,590 --> 00:16:27,960 Vroom vroom vroom. And I picture him, like, 427 00:16:28,410 --> 00:16:29,610 into valet. 428 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:31,890 Right? He just cuts everybody off. 429 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:33,600 He gets out the car, he leaves the door 430 00:16:33,630 --> 00:16:35,010 open. He doesn't talk to the valet. 431 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,200 He throws the keys at him and his shoulders 432 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,660 are back. And he's looking around and like 433 00:16:39,690 --> 00:16:41,640 he just owns the place, right? 434 00:16:41,670 --> 00:16:43,710 That's a show off. Everybody look at me. 435 00:16:43,740 --> 00:16:46,140 Not giving any energy back to anyone else. 436 00:16:46,140 --> 00:16:49,140 And I use that because I want to contrast 437 00:16:49,140 --> 00:16:51,330 when I was called a show off and I wasn't 438 00:16:51,330 --> 00:16:54,630 anything like that, but that's a like I know 439 00:16:54,630 --> 00:16:56,610 a lot of people have been said, you're doing 440 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:58,650 too much. You're showing off. 441 00:16:58,650 --> 00:16:59,680 You are. 442 00:16:59,710 --> 00:17:02,560 You are trying to steal all of the shine in 443 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,470 this situation. And that's not that wasn't 444 00:17:05,470 --> 00:17:07,690 my intention. And typically when that's set 445 00:17:07,690 --> 00:17:09,340 to other people, that wasn't their intention 446 00:17:09,340 --> 00:17:11,290 either. They just were doing great. 447 00:17:11,290 --> 00:17:13,510 And instead of being commended, a lot of 448 00:17:13,510 --> 00:17:14,620 times we're reprimanded. 449 00:17:14,620 --> 00:17:16,660 So I knew that was like a universal 450 00:17:16,660 --> 00:17:18,670 experience that a lot of us could relate to. 451 00:17:18,700 --> 00:17:21,490 So I wanted to really contrast, hey, when 452 00:17:21,490 --> 00:17:24,010 you're when someone tells you that you're 453 00:17:24,010 --> 00:17:26,320 showing off, are you really showing off 454 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:28,780 because that's showing off or are you just 455 00:17:28,780 --> 00:17:30,370 standing in your greatness? 456 00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:32,350 Carol Cox: Oh, I love that, Tara. 457 00:17:32,350 --> 00:17:34,360 And for those of you who are listening to 458 00:17:34,360 --> 00:17:36,220 the podcast, you should come watch the video 459 00:17:36,220 --> 00:17:37,930 at this part because you'll see Tara as she 460 00:17:37,930 --> 00:17:40,150 was doing the Ferrari and the guy getting 461 00:17:40,150 --> 00:17:41,200 out of the car and throwing the keys. 462 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:42,910 She acts, she pantomimes that. 463 00:17:42,910 --> 00:17:44,920 She acts it out in her facial expressions 464 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:46,540 and the way she moves her shoulders. 465 00:17:46,570 --> 00:17:49,810 It really brings so much life to the story, 466 00:17:49,810 --> 00:17:51,370 and that's what makes it memorable. 467 00:17:51,370 --> 00:17:54,370 It's the combination of the words and the 468 00:17:54,370 --> 00:17:56,410 delivery at the same time. 469 00:17:56,410 --> 00:17:58,720 So I want to ask you now, Wendy, so of the 470 00:17:58,780 --> 00:18:01,060 think about all the women who were there and 471 00:18:01,060 --> 00:18:02,140 listening to their story. 472 00:18:02,140 --> 00:18:04,750 So you all practice your main story one time 473 00:18:04,750 --> 00:18:06,760 in the morning, got the feedback, and then 474 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:08,800 you practice it again in the afternoon. 475 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,550 And I bet both of you can remember every 476 00:18:12,550 --> 00:18:15,070 single woman's story. At least you could 477 00:18:15,100 --> 00:18:17,920 kind of summarize to yourself, okay, Sandy, 478 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:20,170 talk about this. Melanie talked about this 479 00:18:20,170 --> 00:18:21,490 and go down the list. 480 00:18:21,580 --> 00:18:24,460 Think about going to a conference and 481 00:18:24,460 --> 00:18:25,900 thinking about all the speakers that you see 482 00:18:25,930 --> 00:18:28,630 at a conference. And how much could you 483 00:18:28,630 --> 00:18:32,170 remember of what they presented versus what 484 00:18:32,170 --> 00:18:34,360 you heard when you hear stories? 485 00:18:35,950 --> 00:18:39,010 Wendy McManus: Yeah. And let me I wanted to throw this in. 486 00:18:39,010 --> 00:18:42,280 So, you know, when we tell a story, we 487 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:47,680 usually have a particular, um, lesson or a 488 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,960 message that we're trying to convey through 489 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:51,850 the story. And the stories are so amazing. 490 00:18:51,850 --> 00:18:55,000 They help the lesson or the lesson or the 491 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,610 message stick, as you were saying, Carol, 492 00:18:57,610 --> 00:18:59,630 they make it so much more memorable. 493 00:19:00,020 --> 00:19:01,850 I had an experience yesterday. 494 00:19:01,850 --> 00:19:04,640 I was speaking with a vendor who was in the 495 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:09,800 room with us and during the workshop, and we 496 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:11,690 were talking a little bit, she was, you 497 00:19:11,690 --> 00:19:13,310 know, giving me some praise. 498 00:19:13,310 --> 00:19:14,990 It was lovely. Oh, I loved the way you did 499 00:19:14,990 --> 00:19:16,190 this. I loved the way you did that. 500 00:19:16,190 --> 00:19:18,920 And she said, and you know, when you told 501 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:20,330 that story about. 502 00:19:20,330 --> 00:19:22,580 And then she talked about what message she 503 00:19:22,580 --> 00:19:26,750 got, it wasn't the message I intended to 504 00:19:26,750 --> 00:19:30,290 deliver. It was the message she needed to 505 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,500 internalize based on what was going on for 506 00:19:33,500 --> 00:19:34,880 her or based on her experience. 507 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:36,230 It wasn't the wrong message. 508 00:19:36,230 --> 00:19:39,290 It was still an accurate message, but it was 509 00:19:39,290 --> 00:19:40,970 a different message. 510 00:19:40,970 --> 00:19:43,940 And to me, it just brought home that power 511 00:19:43,940 --> 00:19:46,790 of story that we create space for. 512 00:19:46,790 --> 00:19:50,000 The listener almost becomes a character in 513 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,340 the story as they're listening. 514 00:19:52,340 --> 00:19:54,410 And I just wanted to share that because it 515 00:19:54,410 --> 00:19:57,260 really, in that moment, kind of expanded my 516 00:19:57,260 --> 00:19:59,820 understanding of the power of story. 517 00:20:00,540 --> 00:20:02,490 Carol Cox: That's a beautiful example, Wendy, I'm so 518 00:20:02,490 --> 00:20:04,590 glad you shared that, because it goes to 519 00:20:04,620 --> 00:20:07,800 show that a presentation I call this the 520 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:09,810 Expert Trap, where we just give the audience 521 00:20:09,810 --> 00:20:11,700 a bunch of information, a bunch of bullet 522 00:20:11,700 --> 00:20:13,470 points, do these five things and you're 523 00:20:13,470 --> 00:20:14,850 going to be successful. 524 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:19,110 There's no room for them in that versus the 525 00:20:19,110 --> 00:20:20,880 story like you just described. 526 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:24,120 They become the main character even in your 527 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:25,830 story, even though that particular thing 528 00:20:25,830 --> 00:20:27,210 didn't happen to them in the way that it 529 00:20:27,210 --> 00:20:29,010 happened to you. 530 00:20:29,010 --> 00:20:31,830 And then I think about reading novels, and 531 00:20:31,830 --> 00:20:34,860 I've read since I was a young child, and 532 00:20:34,860 --> 00:20:37,260 I'll go back and read books again that I 533 00:20:37,260 --> 00:20:38,400 read before. 534 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:40,020 And I'm not the only one I know, because I 535 00:20:40,050 --> 00:20:42,300 hear this from other readers, that the first 536 00:20:42,300 --> 00:20:43,770 time they read it, they got a certain thing 537 00:20:43,770 --> 00:20:45,600 from that novel, but then they read it again 538 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,220 at a different stage in their life, and they 539 00:20:47,220 --> 00:20:49,290 get a totally different thing from that 540 00:20:49,290 --> 00:20:51,000 novel, because that is the power of 541 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:53,040 storytelling. We get what we need in that 542 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:53,910 moment. 543 00:20:55,410 --> 00:20:56,460 Wendy McManus: Yeah, yeah. 544 00:20:56,730 --> 00:20:57,240 All right. 545 00:20:57,270 --> 00:20:58,800 Carol Cox: Tara, so let's go back to you. 546 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,100 So thinking also to the speaking that 547 00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:05,130 you're, you're set to do you're this was, I 548 00:21:05,130 --> 00:21:07,200 think kind of like your your launch back 549 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:08,910 into the speaking world. 550 00:21:08,910 --> 00:21:10,530 It sounds like. So what do you have on the 551 00:21:10,530 --> 00:21:12,270 horizon. What are you most excited to be 552 00:21:12,270 --> 00:21:13,230 doing next? 553 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,500 Tara Lassiter: So I'm starting with a podcast tour, and I'm 554 00:21:16,500 --> 00:21:18,300 really, really excited about who I'm in 555 00:21:18,300 --> 00:21:21,660 talks with now because so podcasts to me are 556 00:21:21,660 --> 00:21:26,850 like stages that are I'll use that word safe 557 00:21:26,850 --> 00:21:28,710 again. They're like safe stages because it's 558 00:21:28,770 --> 00:21:31,500 a it's a 2 to 1, even though we have a large 559 00:21:31,500 --> 00:21:34,920 audience that can hear in that moment, it's 560 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:36,780 just you and who you're speaking with. 561 00:21:36,780 --> 00:21:38,880 And that's similar to what my experience was 562 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:40,830 on QVC, because there might have been 563 00:21:40,830 --> 00:21:42,690 millions of people watching, but it was just 564 00:21:42,690 --> 00:21:44,910 us and the host and, you know, the 565 00:21:44,910 --> 00:21:48,030 production staff. So it was it was a closed 566 00:21:48,030 --> 00:21:50,130 space that made it easier for us to 567 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:52,110 experience, experiment and have fun. 568 00:21:52,110 --> 00:21:54,180 So I'm starting with podcasts, and I'm just 569 00:21:54,180 --> 00:21:56,550 excited to share those stories and also 570 00:21:56,550 --> 00:21:58,990 reach audiences of women that I wouldn't be 571 00:21:59,020 --> 00:22:00,100 able to on my own. 572 00:22:00,100 --> 00:22:04,090 So because there's only 365 days in a year. 573 00:22:04,090 --> 00:22:06,730 So if I try to one by one touch all of these 574 00:22:06,730 --> 00:22:08,860 women, I would run out of time before my 575 00:22:08,860 --> 00:22:09,910 mission was complete. 576 00:22:09,910 --> 00:22:13,330 So I love the way that podcasts are able to. 577 00:22:13,360 --> 00:22:15,730 It's like exponential messaging. 578 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:18,220 And it makes me think too, because like you 579 00:22:18,220 --> 00:22:20,200 said, our stories like we own the stories, 580 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:21,700 but we don't own the takeaways. 581 00:22:21,700 --> 00:22:24,670 So when we multiply our stories and multiply 582 00:22:24,670 --> 00:22:26,440 the stages that we speak on or the podcasts 583 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:28,390 that we speak on, we're multiplying those 584 00:22:28,390 --> 00:22:31,180 takeaways. So we have no idea how. 585 00:22:31,180 --> 00:22:32,650 We're just affecting all these different 586 00:22:32,650 --> 00:22:36,160 people. And I love when I receive messages 587 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:37,870 and they're like, I listen to you on this 588 00:22:37,870 --> 00:22:41,050 podcast and this helped me with XYZ. 589 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:42,760 I'm just like, this is what I do this for 590 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:44,770 because I want that connection, but I don't 591 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:45,880 know who it will land with. 592 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:47,530 We don't know how it'll land with the 593 00:22:47,530 --> 00:22:50,500 stories, mind, but the takeaway is for for 594 00:22:50,500 --> 00:22:53,230 the listener. So I'm excited to receive 595 00:22:53,230 --> 00:22:55,420 feedback and to tell those stories and to 596 00:22:55,450 --> 00:22:56,440 spread the word. 597 00:22:56,890 --> 00:22:58,670 Carol Cox: Oh, I love that, Tara. And for those of you 598 00:22:58,700 --> 00:23:01,190 listening, if you host a podcast and you 599 00:23:01,190 --> 00:23:03,440 think Tara would make a fantastic guest 600 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,000 based on your audience and the type of 601 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,670 content that you typically have on your 602 00:23:07,670 --> 00:23:09,800 podcast, reach out to Tara for sure. 603 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:11,450 And I'm sure that she would love that 604 00:23:11,450 --> 00:23:13,520 connection. Wendy, what about you? 605 00:23:13,550 --> 00:23:15,380 What is next for you? I know I planted a 606 00:23:15,380 --> 00:23:19,280 seed for you on Friday about a potential 607 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,410 other talk that you have besides the 608 00:23:21,410 --> 00:23:23,270 signature talk that you work with us on and 609 00:23:23,270 --> 00:23:24,590 the Thought Leader Academy. 610 00:23:24,980 --> 00:23:28,250 Wendy McManus: You did that one still in the ground. 611 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:30,230 Um, so. 612 00:23:30,230 --> 00:23:31,910 So the thought leader Academy. 613 00:23:31,910 --> 00:23:33,500 I worked on a signature talk. 614 00:23:33,530 --> 00:23:37,700 It's very much about the journey that newer 615 00:23:37,700 --> 00:23:40,220 people, managers go through when they step 616 00:23:40,220 --> 00:23:42,650 into this role, because, you know, you're 617 00:23:42,650 --> 00:23:45,590 really good at the job and you get noticed 618 00:23:45,590 --> 00:23:47,300 and you get that tap on the shoulder. 619 00:23:47,300 --> 00:23:50,420 But too often you get into the role. 620 00:23:50,420 --> 00:23:52,430 And now part of your responsibility is to be 621 00:23:52,430 --> 00:23:54,500 a manager of other people, a leader of other 622 00:23:54,500 --> 00:23:57,620 people. And very few companies are doing a 623 00:23:57,620 --> 00:23:59,920 good job of preparing people, and it's an 624 00:23:59,920 --> 00:24:01,150 entirely different skill set. 625 00:24:01,150 --> 00:24:05,050 So the signature talk that I developed in 626 00:24:05,050 --> 00:24:06,910 Thought Leader Academy was focused on that. 627 00:24:06,910 --> 00:24:10,960 So my next work is to, you know, be looking 628 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:13,420 for opportunities to speak there. 629 00:24:13,570 --> 00:24:16,420 I do have in my thriving Leader Circle 630 00:24:16,420 --> 00:24:19,180 program, which is a coaching and leadership 631 00:24:19,210 --> 00:24:21,610 training program for those newer people 632 00:24:21,610 --> 00:24:23,590 managers. I'm starting to bring in more 633 00:24:23,590 --> 00:24:27,190 storytelling in the pre-recorded modules and 634 00:24:27,190 --> 00:24:29,950 in the integration sessions, the live calls 635 00:24:29,950 --> 00:24:32,530 that I have starting to give myself 636 00:24:32,530 --> 00:24:34,720 permission to bring in more of my stories 637 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:37,390 and recognize how powerful that is. 638 00:24:37,570 --> 00:24:41,440 The seed that that Carol just referenced is 639 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:43,120 that, you know, these things that I'm 640 00:24:43,150 --> 00:24:45,580 talking about are all, you know, very much 641 00:24:45,580 --> 00:24:47,680 in that professional space, the business 642 00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:52,780 space. We were encouraged in the workshop 643 00:24:52,780 --> 00:24:56,110 last Friday to tell a personal story. 644 00:24:56,110 --> 00:24:59,710 And so I stepped out of my comfort zone and 645 00:24:59,710 --> 00:25:03,490 told a very personal story, and was really 646 00:25:03,490 --> 00:25:06,250 surprised by how strongly people reacted to 647 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:08,980 it. Before I even came off stage the first 648 00:25:08,980 --> 00:25:11,140 time, both Carol and Diane were saying, 649 00:25:11,140 --> 00:25:12,850 that's a keynote. 650 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:14,980 That's the foundation for a keynote. 651 00:25:14,980 --> 00:25:17,950 So I'm just I'm letting it marinate for 652 00:25:17,950 --> 00:25:20,020 right now. Carol, I might be back for 653 00:25:20,020 --> 00:25:22,000 another VIP day to figure out how to 654 00:25:22,030 --> 00:25:23,980 structure this keynote, but I need to I need 655 00:25:23,980 --> 00:25:26,380 to figure out if it's too much of a of a 656 00:25:26,380 --> 00:25:28,810 distraction from the main focus of my 657 00:25:28,810 --> 00:25:30,220 business, or if it's something that I'm 658 00:25:30,220 --> 00:25:31,930 really feeling called to do, and it might be 659 00:25:31,930 --> 00:25:33,460 something that I'm called to do, just not 660 00:25:33,460 --> 00:25:36,340 right now. But it's the seed is planted and 661 00:25:36,340 --> 00:25:38,290 we're going to see if it sprouts into 662 00:25:38,320 --> 00:25:40,630 something that's perfect. 663 00:25:40,630 --> 00:25:42,610 Carol Cox: I love that, and that is really also the 664 00:25:42,610 --> 00:25:45,850 power of literally saying things out loud to 665 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,430 an audience. I have had light bulb moments 666 00:25:48,430 --> 00:25:50,290 in the middle of speaking to an audience 667 00:25:50,290 --> 00:25:52,450 where something all of a sudden gelled for 668 00:25:52,450 --> 00:25:54,970 me as the words were coming out of my mouth 669 00:25:54,970 --> 00:25:57,250 that was unplanned and I had never did not 670 00:25:57,250 --> 00:25:59,080 anticipate that. So it does happen and I'm 671 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:00,370 glad that it happened for you. 672 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,830 Wendy, make sure to connect with both Tara 673 00:26:02,830 --> 00:26:04,630 and Wendy on LinkedIn. 674 00:26:04,660 --> 00:26:06,580 The links to their profiles are in the show 675 00:26:06,610 --> 00:26:08,470 notes, and for those of you listening and 676 00:26:08,470 --> 00:26:10,330 watching, if you would like to join us, we 677 00:26:10,330 --> 00:26:13,330 have our next One Day speaking workshop 678 00:26:13,330 --> 00:26:16,000 happening in downtown Orlando, Florida at 679 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:20,590 the Citrus Club on February 27th, 2025 680 00:26:20,590 --> 00:26:22,480 February 27th, 2025. 681 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:24,580 Coming up in just a few months, super early 682 00:26:24,580 --> 00:26:27,610 bird pricing is on now for a limited time. 683 00:26:27,610 --> 00:26:29,950 We would love to have you there so that you 684 00:26:29,950 --> 00:26:31,900 can practice your storytelling and your 685 00:26:31,900 --> 00:26:33,490 speaking and have a lot of fun. 686 00:26:33,490 --> 00:26:36,370 As I reminded the women there, we if we're 687 00:26:36,370 --> 00:26:38,290 not having fun, if we're not playing, if we 688 00:26:38,290 --> 00:26:40,360 don't have these moments of being silly, 689 00:26:40,390 --> 00:26:42,310 like we're so serious all the time and for 690 00:26:42,310 --> 00:26:44,110 good reason, we have to run our businesses 691 00:26:44,110 --> 00:26:46,270 and do our and do our work and do well at 692 00:26:46,270 --> 00:26:48,490 it. But it's also fun just to come together 693 00:26:48,490 --> 00:26:50,290 and play, but really get get. 694 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:51,550 It's like productive play. 695 00:26:51,580 --> 00:26:54,220 It's for it's for a greater purpose for both 696 00:26:54,220 --> 00:26:56,230 personal and professional growth. 697 00:26:56,230 --> 00:26:57,790 So you can get all the details about our 698 00:26:57,800 --> 00:26:59,810 workshop and sign up as speaking your 699 00:26:59,810 --> 00:27:02,000 Brand.com slash workshop. 700 00:27:02,030 --> 00:27:02,870 Again, that's speaking your 701 00:27:02,870 --> 00:27:05,930 brand.com/workshop. Tara. 702 00:27:05,930 --> 00:27:07,820 Wendy, thank you so much for taking the time 703 00:27:07,820 --> 00:27:09,380 to chat with us today. 704 00:27:09,890 --> 00:27:10,910 Tara Lassiter: Thank you, thank you. 705 00:27:10,910 --> 00:27:13,130 This was great. And anybody who's listening, 706 00:27:13,130 --> 00:27:14,510 please do that workshop. 707 00:27:14,630 --> 00:27:18,050 It's if a zoom gets you ten x, a workshop 708 00:27:18,050 --> 00:27:20,240 will get you 100 x. Like you will not regret 709 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:22,010 that in-person experience and you're in the 710 00:27:22,010 --> 00:27:24,200 best hands. You will leave a better speaker 711 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:25,580 than you arrived in the morning. 712 00:27:25,940 --> 00:27:26,870 Carol Cox: Well thank you. 713 00:27:27,170 --> 00:27:29,750 Wendy McManus: I have I have nothing more to add because 714 00:27:29,780 --> 00:27:31,820 Tara just literally took the words out of my 715 00:27:31,820 --> 00:27:35,690 mouth. I'm a very big proponent of speaking 716 00:27:35,690 --> 00:27:37,130 your brand and the work that they do. 717 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:39,080 If this is something you're interested in, 718 00:27:39,110 --> 00:27:40,970 just go ahead and do it. 719 00:27:40,970 --> 00:27:44,510 You will be surprised at what you get out of 720 00:27:44,510 --> 00:27:47,120 it, that it's probably far exceeds even what 721 00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:49,700 you intended when you signed up. 722 00:27:49,700 --> 00:27:51,290 And thanks very much, Carol, for having me 723 00:27:51,290 --> 00:27:51,800 on. 724 00:27:52,340 --> 00:27:53,780 Carol Cox: Well, thank you again so much. 725 00:27:53,810 --> 00:27:56,150 Until next time, thanks for listening.