“Authenticity is a practice” says Dr. Brene Brown in a conversation with Oprah. You have to choose it every day. This applies not only in one’s personal life, but in business as well. In business, authenticity generates authority. When we speak from our own inner authority, others sense our power. But it takes courage to speak […]

Performing arts training, of necessity, includes methods to develop relaxation, concentration and presence. Years ago, in acting school,  I learned to do a voice and body exercise warm-up before auditioning or performing. While it did not completely get rid of my performance anxiety, it did help calm me. When I became a teacher of public speaking, […]

Learning by doing is how we learn!  Seems so simple.  Yet old fashioned teaching methods have teachers, instructors and professors lecturing on and on and on and students tuning out. The flipped classroom concept allows students to watch short instructional videos outside of the classroom and then to practice skills in class while a teacher […]

Learning by doing is different from learning with the intellect where you are collecting concepts.  When learning intellectual concepts, you can go as fast as your mind can grasp the concepts.  But, just because you can grasp the concept does not mean you can do the skill associated with that concept. When you need to […]

I just read an article on Forbes called “Why Public Speaking Scares and and How to Overcome your Fear” by Susan Adams. This is one of the best articles on fear of speaking I have seen in  a long time! I am a presentation and speaking coach in Houston.  I have specialized in transforming stage […]

I had never seen Steve Jobs talk before; but after he died, I heard lots of people rave about the way he spoke in public. It seemed like many people thought he was the epitome of a great speaker. Then I began reading his biography Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. Before even finishing a quarter […]

Martin Luther King Jr. was quoted as saying, “Not everyone can be famous, but everyone can be great because greatness is determined by service.” Does it seem to you that many of us in America are struggling with a misplaced desire to be famous? Do you harbor a secret wish to have your name in […]

Have you been holding back from making videos due to fear of making a fool of yourself? Maybe not looking good? Or seeming silly? Warren Buffett isn’t! You already know that video can boost your career, your product or service.  And it is totally FUN! Take  look at Warren Buffett having fun on video and […]

 For the umpteenth time, a client shared his story about being in a meeting, having an idea and not sharing it outloud. His point, of course, was that twenty minutes later, a co-worker voiced that same idea and everyone applauded! Do you find yourself in meetings thinking a great idea but holding it back because you […]

Pearls are created by irritation and discomfort.  An oyster is irritated by a grain of sand.  To thrive and survive, the oyster develops a hard shell around the grain of sand and it becomes a pearl.  Through the process of discomfort, the oyster grows a beautiful pearl. Ever think about the phrase pearls of wisdom?  […]