The Great Big Voice Blog
Reflections on finding your voice, strengthening your presence,
and communicating what matters most, on stage and beyond.
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The One-Two Punch of a Powerful Presentation Opening What if the key to a more powerful presentation opening wasn’t just what you say—but how prepared you are to say it? A few years ago, I worked with the president of a bank who was an experienced and accomplished leader. Because he was the face of his company, he had to deliver a lot of presentations. And he came to me for coaching because, as he put it: “I get so […]
A Platter Of Poppies
As soon as she gave her hand to him in marriage, the giving began in earnest: When he balked at spending time with her beloved extended family, she gave in. When he refused to let her relatives call her by […]
When We Dwell In Bittertown: Moving Beyond Misery
It’s happened to all of us: Just when we think things are going swell, something or somebody comes along and knocks the stuffing right out of us. Demoralized, mis-understood, mis-treated and miserable, we pack our bags and move to Bittertown, […]
Walking Into the Wind
Sometimes, for whatever reason, it is all we can to do put one foot ahead the other and take a faltering step forward. And yet, one foot, one step after the other, is all is takes to get us where […]
When the Well Runs Dry: Priming the Creative Pump
Let’s face it: Even the most seasoned speakers and performers among us experience the feeling of being “tapped out,” of having their creative or emotional well run dry. It’s not always easy having to “come up with it” time after […]
The Fallen Actor
My coaching clients often ask me “What should I do if something horrible happens while I’m giving my speech? What if I completely lose my place/trip as I walk to the podium and scatter my notes/go utterly blank?” My answer […]
SPEEK’s Process Work: Beginning, Middle and (No) End.
Someone recently asked me to define what I call “Process Work.” I thought about it for a couple of minutes and said, “Process work is the work we do on a moment-by-moment, day-by-day basis—on ourselves as people, and on the […]