The Power of REAL Practice to Transform Yourself as a Speaker [In-Person Speaking Series] Podcast Ep: 347

347-SYB-Roundtable.mp3: Audio automatically transcribed by Sonix

347-SYB-Roundtable.mp3: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.

Carol Cox:
What’s the best way to practice to develop stage presence and confidence? Join me in this round table conversation with some of our clients on this episode of the Speaking Your Brand podcast. More and more women are making an impact by starting businesses, running for office and speaking up for what matters. With my background as a political analyst, entrepreneur and speaker, I interview and coach purpose driven women to shape their brands, grow their companies and become recognized as influencers in their field. This is speaking your brand, your place to learn how to persuasively communicate your message to your audience. Hi and welcome to the Speaking Your Brand podcast. I’m your host, Carol Cox. We’re continuing the series. We’re doing all around in-person speaking skills. Last week I talked to Victoria Moran and how to use body movement and vocal variation. The week before my guest was Katie Anderson, and we talked about how to increase audience engagement at your presentations and talks. So definitely go back to listen to those two if you haven’t already. Today’s episode is the audio from a live show that we did last week with three of our clients who attended our in-person Retreat Speaking Accelerator earlier this year. I invited them on to talk about how they’ve cultivated their stage presence and increased their confidence, how they’ve gotten away from using notes and a script, and how they have gotten more comfortable using the stage, including by participating in the retreat that they attended. We’re hosting our next in-person speaking accelerator in February 2024 in Orlando, Florida. It’s a great time to come to Orlando. You spend three days with us is limited to 12 women, so it’s a safe, intimate and supportive environment for you to practice on our stage, get our coaching and feedback, and then on day three, you get professional filming so that you have video clips that you can use in your speaker reel on your speaker page.

Carol Cox:
You also get an edited video. So what happens is that prior to showing up, we have a couple of Zoom sessions where we help you to prepare your speaking segments that you’re going to ultimately film at the event. So your speaking segments could be a story of something humorous. Audience engagement, Your framework. Some of the key points that are in your signature talk and during Days one and two, we help you to craft those segments and then practice them on our stage. We have improv exercises, ways for you to get more comfortable in your body using the stage vocal variation, a use of props if you want to, how to effectively engage your audience. And then again on that day three is when we do the professional filming. The clients who’ve attended have called it a life changing experience for them. They feel more confident on stage and in going after bigger speaking engagements and raising their speaker fees. You can get all the details and apply today at speaking your brand.com/retreat. Again, that’s speaking your brand.com/retreat. Now let’s get on with the show. Hi there and welcome to Backstage with Speaking Your Brand. I’m Carol Cox, founder of Speaking Your Brand and Your Host. Today, we’re going to talk about how to develop your stage presence and build confidence through practice and rehearsal. Now, of course, we know that you can build a lot of confidence actually doing the thing. So actually speaking. But we know there’s so much value in doing practice and rehearsal the right way so that you lessen nerves and so that you perform better for yourself and for your audience.

Carol Cox:
When you’re at your speaking engagements. I know you’re going to get so much out of our roundtable conversation today. Let me introduce our participants. We have Dr. Nicole Rochester, who’s a physician and the founder of your of your doc. She’s a health equity advocate and she’s a speaker, including a TEDx speaker and a paid speaker. We have Terese Cooke Bottner, who’s a leadership and communications coach, and we have Debbie Kerr-Henry with Momentous Living, who’s a creative nonfiction author. I love that creative nonfiction can go together because usually we don’t think of those two things together. So you’re going to learn a little bit more about them, what they do and their speaking topics. As we dive into our conversation today, let me kick us off right away with practice and rehearsal now on LinkedIn today as we’re live, I shared an embarrassing moment of a wardrobe malfunction that happened to me one time when I was on stage. This was actually a dance performance, not a speaking engagement. But I know we probably all have had our share of embarrassing moments or things that have happened to us on stage that probably have taught us lessons and good lessons that we’ve taken forward. So I would love to hear from from a couple of you any embarrassing moments or any wardrobe malfunctions that has happened to you and what have you learned? Let me do a show of hands, because I didn’t prep them for this question in advance. Okay. Debbie, what about you?

Debbie Kerr-Henry:
I have so many. So that that’s an easy question for me. So when I was in my 20s, I was working for a publishing company out of Dallas and they had sent me to the Washington State to speak to a bunch of high school students who were working on their yearbooks. And it was my job to just teach all the yearbook basics so they could put together this beautiful yearbook for their school. And I was at this was when I was just learning how to be a speaker. So it was very early on. And so one of the things I was learning was to connect with my audience. So I go up to Washington State and I think, okay, so the Redskins just want a game that week. Well, if you need me to know about, you know, some of you are laughing. The Redskins are not from Washington State. They’re from Washington, D.C. And so I make this great announcement when they introduce me. What about those Redskins? There is dead silence. And I was like, okay, I don’t know what happened, but I’m going to pretend like nothing happened and just continue on. My take away from that, though, is. To when you when you fumble the ball, get back in the game. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Keep practicing and it will get better. And so I just wanted to quit my job that I didn’t. I kept at it. And I’m so glad I did.

Carol Cox:
That is so good. Debbie And guess also check your facts before. Don’t know. Do a Google search.

Debbie Kerr-Henry:
Exactly. Yes. And that was before Google. But no excuses. Definitely check your facts.

Carol Cox:
But good for you as a speaker. It’s always good to add some local flavor when you’re speaking to an audience. So good for the good attempt. At least I’m doing that. So thank you for that. And for those of you who are watching us live, let us know in the chat if you’ve ever had an embarrassing moment on stage or a wardrobe malfunction, just let us know. Yes. In there. And because then we know that you’re commiserating with us. Okay. Nicole, you raised your hand, too.

Dr. Nicole Rochester:
Yeah, I guess it’s not a sink via wardrobe malfunction, but my one of my first keynote presentations, I there were some activities ahead of my talk and I didn’t want to wear the heels that I was going to wear on stage. So I changed into some flats and like we had breakfast and I’m talking with some of the other attendees. And earlier in the day I kept telling myself, like, Change it to your shoes. So anyway, I go up on stage, I do the whole presentation. I’m walking back and forth across the stage. And it wasn’t until the very end when I looked down and saw that I had on these like old, you know, they weren’t quite ragged, but they were not the ones that you would wear for a keynote. So don’t know if any mean I don’t know if anyone else noticed or they didn’t know I wanted to wear, but I was mortified. And so my take home now is I always look down at my feet before I approach the stage.

Carol Cox:
That is great. And probably no one noticed. Or if they did, they literally thought about it for a microsecond and then went on. But of course we know what happened. Yes. Okay. Thank you so much for that. That is that is great, Nicole. Yes. And then and my post today was all about making sure you do a full dress rehearsal ahead of time because my wardrobe malfunction was at the dance costume I was wearing. The snaps came off in the middle of my turn. Yes. But the lesson I learned, I’m so glad it happened during dress rehearsal for the actual performance the next night, safety pins I added back there to make sure that that did not happen in front of a huge audience. Yes, that is the benefit of practice and rehearsal. So let’s talk about practicing as speakers. We want to make sure that we’re delivering the best content that we can to our audiences so that they learn from us and that they take action and and do whatever it is that we are hoping that they they take from our content. But we know that practicing can go a long way. And I feel like so many of us either maybe when we’re younger in school or somehow are kind of told or we see from other people like practice in front of your mirror. So like stand in front of your bedroom mirror or bathroom mirror and practice or practice in front of your computer. And I find that there that’s limited benefit to doing that for a few reasons, but I would love to hear from you. What are some ways that you have practiced that you have found either effective or less effective? Terese, anything come to mind?

Terese Bottner:
Well, improvisational opportunities that you have in life can can really help in just practicing, practicing those techniques that you want to do in your speech, but in everyday stuff, practicing consistency in your message, practicing with friends and family, just your daily life. I feel like that that’s been most helpful for me.

Carol Cox:
That’s a really great point. I had never thought of it that way, but really taking what it is that we like to talk about anyways and the mission we have and the message that we have, and just integrating it into what we do every single day so it doesn’t feel as foreign or as unusual when we’re actually presenting it in front of a formal audience. And then that’s why I always encourage so many of the women we work with to do a lot of podcast interviews, especially after they’ve created their signature talk with us, because then they get a lot of practice just saying different parts of their message. How about you, Nicole? What are some ways that you have practiced that you have found effective or less effective?

Dr. Nicole Rochester:
I think one of the more effective ways when was preparing for my Ted talk, I was encouraged to record myself and then listen back, which of course is like cringe worthy. Even as a speaker, I don’t like to hear myself speaking, but I did do that and it allowed me to catch some of the ums and the ahs and just, you know, to kind of refine how I said certain things. So I think that was helpful and more helpful than the practicing in front of the mirror that you mentioned earlier. And then similar to Therese, I often did it with that talk and I’ve done it with others. I’ve shared it with my family members and friends and maybe not the whole talk, but maybe certain parts, especially if there’s something that I want to make sure is landing properly. I’m wanting to get some feedback on how it’s coming across. So I think that that’s been incredibly helpful. And then to your point about podcast interviews, I mean, I think that’s probably one of the single. Um, one of the single most important things that I’ve done without really realizing that it was practice is just getting comfortable with answering questions on the fly. And that has helped me a lot with public speaking as well.

Carol Cox:
And Debbie, I know that when you attended our in-person client retreat earlier this year, you did a fantastic segment for one of the ones that we filmed for you on day three, channeling Sally O’Malley’s character from SNL. And that had a lot of body movement in it. I mean, you were like kicking on the stage right in it, and it was so fun. You did an incredible job on that. And obviously you had the first two days of the three day retreat to kind of practice that and work it out. What what did you find helpful about that practice time with us?

Debbie Kerr-Henry:
Thank you for asking me. First of all, I love to do Sally O’Malley. She was like one of my heroes. But. You know, I think for me. Getting away from memorizing a speech and really just putting yourself into your presentation. And in that example, just taking on a character, which was just fun and it loosened me up. And I. I would say when I first started speaking, I would try to memorize the speech and. That was so ineffective for me for a few reasons. First of all, it would put a lot of pressure on me to remember the speech and not forget things. A notorious for forgetting things. So that was just very stressful. And then secondly, when you have I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a presenter who is so polished, they have everything down. And for me, I disconnect from those speakers because they don’t come across as genuine and they’re not connecting with their audience. So for me, I like to really just figure out what my message is and think through the points that I want to get across and then interject some stories, 1 or 2 stories, so that I can own that message and feel comfortable with it and really believe in the message that I’m giving my audience, that it’s worthy of me being up on that stage. But it’s it gets away from what it’s total opposite of what Theresa said, you know, really interjecting your practicing throughout life in different circumstances to going to the other extreme and just memorizing everything and coming across very mechanical. I hope that answered your question.

Carol Cox:
Yes, absolutely. Thanks, Debbie. And want to say hi to to Denise and Shannon, who are watching us live and have joined us in the chat. And Denise, thank you for sharing your embarrassing story and so glad that that got fixed for you in. Hi Shannon Shannon appreciated your advice about the listening to yourself and how hard it is to listen to your own voice. And yes, there it is. But the more you listen, the easier it gets, I promise. All right. So and then Debbie mentioned about not memorizing because it can put a lot of pressure on you because you’re, you know, you want to, like, remember that beautiful sentence that you crafted on the page of your speech and you’re in the middle of your talk and you’re like, Oh, what was that word? Or how did I transition to that? And that can get you stuck. Nicole, I’m going to come back to you in just a moment, because during our retreat, I took your notes ever on your phone away from you. And I found and I know you weren’t too happy about that. So I’m going to come back to you in just a moment on that.

Carol Cox:
But Therese, let me go to you. So you mentioned about kind of improvisation and this idea of just incorporating what it is that you talk about your message into your daily life. Now, one of the other things that we did at our in-person retreat was improv exercises and improv games to really get us into our bodies, get us more comfortable because that’s a huge part of developing stage presence. And confidence is feeling like remembering that you have a body. I know I’ve had times where I’ve spoken and it’s been an out of body experience. I finish and I’m like, What? How? What just happened in the past 45 minutes? It’s like when you drive somewhere, you always know and you don’t know how you got there. But we don’t want to have out of body experiences. We want to feel connected to the bodies that we have and making sure that we we use our bodies as a way to do that. So, Terese, how did the improv exercises, the improv games, help you? What what kind of what did you feel going into them and then what did you get out of it?

Terese Bottner:
Well, it’s like you said, you get when you do improv, you really get connected to your body and into the present moment. Because if you’re not in the present moment, you don’t do improv very well. You overthink it, you stumble, you hesitate. And that’s not what improv improv is. Just go in for that moment. So it was it’s it’s a really helpful tool to do improvisational exercises. And if you’re by yourself, you don’t have somebody to work with. Breathwork is, is is a really significant piece for presenting being in in your body, coming to your breath and having those those tools to get in your body, having that real experience to connect physically, not only for yourself, but to the audience to really like see them and, and breathe into that moment so you can appreciate it and they can appreciate you and then you can really energetically connect. It’s really helpful.

Carol Cox:
Yes. Remembering to breathe, which I know again, we’re like our adrenaline is racing. You know, our hearts are beating fast when we’re on the stage. And remembering to breathe can help, number one, calm our systems down. But then also it gives our audience. A moment to catch up to what we’re saying. The pause. You can also take the opportunity to breathe. When we when we stop talking and give ourselves a pause. Now, Nicole, let me go back to you as I promise to talk about this idea of memorization. Now, I know with Ted Talks, because they are very time limited, most of them are about 8 to 10 minutes. And I know many of the clients I’ve worked with have ended up pretty much memorizing their scripts because they know that there is not a 30 minute, 45 minute talk where they can just kind of meander on or go to one thing and then come back and they don’t have to worry so much about time. So, Nicole, let me ask you, did you memorize your Ted talk And then if you did, how did that go or not? What did you end up doing? And then and then we’ll talk about me taking your notes away.

Dr. Nicole Rochester:
I knew you were going to come back to that. Yes. For the reasons that you stated. I did memorize my Ted talk for so many reasons. I mean, it was a Ted talk, like, of course. And I’m a recovering perfectionist, let me just say that. So I definitely felt the need. You know, this was like my one shot, so to speak, And I really wanted to make sure that I delivered. And like you said, it’s very limited amount of time. So I did memorize it. There definitely was at least one part. You know, it’s kind of a like you had had this total out-of-body experience, but like when it was over, I’m hearing the clapping. I’m like, Wait, where am I? So some of it is a blur, but I definitely recall having at least one, if not two moments where I did forget kind of what was next. And I did take a deep breath and just kind of paused for a moment and then it came back and it may not have come back exactly the way I had it written on my script, but it came back in a way that I was able to recover. So, yeah, but remember, kind of panicking the first time it happened, and then I just took a deep breath and then it came back.

Carol Cox:
That happens to a lot of speakers, and most of the times the audience, the audience doesn’t really know. But I have been in the audience where I’ve been the coach, and I see I literally see the gears turning with my client, right? Because they’re trying to remember the next thing. And I’m just like, Yeah, just breathe and then just say something like, Whatever you think is next, and then you’ll catch up from there. Okay. So Nicole on I think it was day two of the retreat. So on day one, like I let you all use your notes because I know like you’re just kind of warming up. You’re getting used to the stage and going through your material in front of us. And then it was day two, and I know you had your phone and you were kind of like on the stage and you were looking at your stuff. And then and then what happened?

Dr. Nicole Rochester:
And then you, Carol, came up on the stage and you said, Hand me your phone. And I was upset. I was really upset at Carol over that. But honestly, it was the best thing that could have happened. I mean, I’ve told that story so many times. Carol Because it was truly transformational. Unlike Terese, who just wings it and has a great time, and Debbie, who doesn’t like to memorize, you know, I’m going to blame it on my medical background. And, you know, maybe maybe what came first, the chicken or the egg? Did it make me this way or was I already this way? I don’t know. But absolutely. You know, with the talks that I previously gave and my former life as a physician and an assistant professor, I was really used to pretty much reading from paper and providing lots of facts and data and information. And and then there’s that perfectionist that I talked about. So I, I knew that by the third day when we were taping, I couldn’t have my notes. But I really thought that you were going to let me slide on day two. But you did not. But it was the best thing because you basically told me and Terese and Debbie and all the other amazing women like affirmed this, that I already know the material. Like I it was literally my life. And that this is when you all would just ask me a question. I was able to engage like I am now in conversation, but I couldn’t make that jump from just talking about what I do and what’s important to me to the speech. And so when you took my notes away, it really forced me to kind of go within myself and pull out what was already there. And I have used that over and over again. So thank you. But at the time I did not like you much.

Carol Cox:
That is okay. And you know, and this is, I believe as a coach, this this is my role because I see the potential and I and I wouldn’t if I didn’t feel like you could do it without the notes, I wouldn’t have taken that away from you because, yes, on a certain, you know, a certain point in our practice, we do need to be to look at what is it we’re doing. But I knew by that point that you could do it on your own, but it was more like the the, the safety blanket. Yep. That was there versus a necessity.

Carol Cox:
Yeah. So that was. All right. So, Debbie, let me come back to you. So since again, since you are such a physical speaker, I don’t know if it’s like by nature or by practice and experience, how do you think about stage presence for yourself? What are you hoping to convey to your audiences?

Debbie Kerr-Henry:
Well, I think the stage is an integral part of your speech, your presentation. They think about it. If you just go on stage and stand there in one place, you’re not delivering your message to its full capacity. So being on stage allows you to move around and to interact with your words and your message and, you know, do kicks high kicks like I did with Sally O’Malley and really connect with your audience that way, as opposed to just standing behind a lectern and reading something. So I think the stage can really provide a wonderful opportunity for your audience to get to know you as a person and not just a speaker.

Carol Cox:
So like that.

Debbie Kerr-Henry:
Yeah. So you’re using your body language and and that’s something that you can’t capture as well. Like on a computer screen here, for example. You can, but it’s limited. But the audience opens up. I mean, the stage opens up possibilities for you to connect better with your audience.

Carol Cox:
Debbie And then I’ll go to you. So Debbie, let me start with you. So what would you say to someone who’s watching or listening who has done some speaking, but they’ve been a little bit hesitant to kind of use the stage fully because they feel, you know, they feel a little bit more comfortable kind of just standing in one place. They’re not sure. Well, if I walk to this end, how am I going to get back right to where I want to be in the center? Like, what do you do? You think about these things in advance? Do you just kind of go with what you’re feeling in the moment? What what is helpful?

Debbie Kerr-Henry:
Well, there’s a couple of things. First of all, practicing and allowing like we did at at the retreat with you, Carol, just practicing and getting feedback from other people, That’s that’s huge. You have to practice with anything in life. If you want to get better, you have to practice. If you’re trying to learn to play the piano or right now I’m trying to get back into running. I have to practice to get better. So getting up on the stage and practicing and getting feedback that also for me, it’s been a lot about not being concerned about like what Nicole said, that being perfect and being able to give yourself a break, to just go up there and be yourself and know that your presentation is not going to be perfect and to be okay with that and. To take with you just to take note of the things that you can improve upon and try and work on that next time. So, for example, if if I was standing in the middle of the stage next time, okay, I am going to when I give this presentation again, I’m going to move over here when I say this and I’m going to practice moving over here when I say this and just really building on your presentation skills, each time you go out there and looking at it as a learning opportunity.

Carol Cox:
That’s a great suggestion, like finding places even in your in your your script or your outline to say, okay, maybe for this part I can kind of emphasize that by going to this part of the stage or to the other side on a different part like that. Terese, let me come back to you. So if you think about this idea of stage presence and I love what you’ve talked about with improv and with making sure that we’re coming back to our breath and into our bodies for you, When you think about using the stage and having presence on the stage, what does that look like?

Terese Bottner:
Yeah, it helps the audience to connect with your message when you move with purpose. And to piggyback on what Debbie was saying, you go one place and say one thing and then the audience follows you and you know, they’re thinking, okay, now they’re going to say this and you say this able to connect more with the audience, help the audience process your message, much like pausing when you move with purpose and use a stage. It’s it’s a prop and to practice like Debbie said to practice like we did at the retreat and Nicole Debbie me we all got directed from you and Diane this this might be a better way to do to move maybe don’t sway don’t rock. You know things that maybe we don’t notice when we’re not practicing with other people or we don’t rehearse with videotaping ourselves and we end up having too much movement. So to move with purpose and to practice and to practice with people is really incredibly helpful.

Carol Cox:
Yeah, great point. This is why I listen to myself when I go on podcast interviews because I look for my filler words, my crutch words, and mine is so I really, really, really try to now take it like a mental, you know, a snapshot of that and try not to do that. But to your trace’s point, we don’t know unconscious things we’re doing unless we either have video that we watch of ourselves or other people tell us. Now, I know it can seem really intimidating and the last thing someone wants to do is go into a room of 12 to 15 women who are their peers and then have them watch them and give them feedback. So I want to kind of like lessen that anxiety that some women may have. So, Terese, how did it feel to you to be in the room with us, the 15 of us, and then and to get coaching and feedback?

Terese Bottner:
Okay. Well, I can not if I could tell anybody who’s watching this and if they’re intimidated by hanging out and getting feedback from other women. Your life will be changed. The group we had and I have a feeling that because of the way Carol and Diane run the show, we were so supportive for each other. It felt incredible and safe. Just having having women who were so I was looking at them like they’re way beyond me. But then, you know, like I have I have been coaching for over 15 years, so I’m like, I’m no slouch. But, you know, I was rusty and the women helped me get more comfortable with myself. And it was a we became very close. I just can’t say enough about having that opportunity to to meet and get supported by all the women in the group.

Carol Cox:
Oh, well, thank you. It was so fun having you there. Nicole, what about you? What was the experience like being with all of us?

Dr. Nicole Rochester:
I completely agree with Terese and honestly, Terese, like, as you were speaking, I was starting to get a little full because it was an amazing experience. And I just want to co-sign what she said about you and Diane, because when when you are in a room or an environment where every woman you meet is just genuinely warm and kind and supportive, that’s not by accident. So I really have to, again, give credit to you and and Diane and your team. It was very safe. I love that you used the word safe, Theresa. That’s exactly how I would have described it. Each of us came there with our own, like, very diverse backgrounds in terms of speaking and the different industries that we work in and that we speak in. And yet there was this common thread and like Theresa said, we were at different levels, but that vulnerability was present in all of us. And that, that fear and, and everyone was so incredibly supportive, like genuinely supportive and, you know, clapping for each other and laughing and providing that open and honest feedback. And, you know, like she said, I mean, we’re all still connected. We have a group chat on text that we were doing regular calls. We got to get back on that, ladies. But but, you know, we just had this desire when it was over, like we have to stay connected. This can’t end here. So, you know, these are I consider these ladies lifelong friends. And that was absolutely a bonus that I wasn’t necessarily expecting when I signed up for the speaker retreat.

Carol Cox:
I always say at the end of this we did. The second one was earlier this year and we had done the first one in April of 2022. And I always say that I wish all of you would just move to Orlando so that we could hang out and do this stuff all the time, because it truly is. You are like the best group of women and I’m so fortunate to have to have met you and have you be a part of our community. Debbie what was the experience like for you?

Debbie Kerr-Henry:
Well, I actually wanted to emphasize what Nicole said about how diverse the group was. For me, that was such a blessing. There were women from all over the United States with varying backgrounds and experiences and. I loved that because I can get very comfortable just staying in my little circle and speaking to the same types of women. And so I really looked forward to that opportunity to step out there and interact with women I didn’t know and who frankly, were so much. I mean, beyond me and just learning how to getting to know women for who they are and not by titles and experience and all that. We just came together and just embraced who we were. And I loved that.

Carol Cox:
Yes, it truly and I feel like like you all have said, even though everyone’s from a different industry and different type of business that they run or different speaking topics, I feel like the the common thread is that you are very mission driven and purpose driven and want to have a positive impact with the message that you’re sharing with your audiences. So thank you so much again for being part of that. And for those of you who are watching and listening, our third annual In-person Client Retreat is coming up February 20th, 24 in Orlando, Florida, again. So we are excited to to have those three days together. You can get all of the information and apply as speaking your brand.com/retreat. Again, that’s speaking your brand.com/retreat. As we wrap up, let me have each of you share a little bit more about what you do and the best way for people to reach out to you. Nicole, I’ll start with you.

Dr. Nicole Rochester:
Awesome. Thank you. Carol, first of all, thank you for this opportunity. And it’s so good to see Debbie and Theresa and you again. So I am an independent health advocate. And what I’m currently focusing on primarily is health care consulting in the areas of health equity and patient and family engagement and really making sure that patients and family caregivers have the resources, the tools, the support that they need to get the medical care that they deserve, specifically those from marginalized communities, so those with who are racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities. And the best way to reach out to me is actually right here on LinkedIn. That’s my preferred social media platform. So you can just search Nicole Rochester. You can also follow me on Instagram if you search your doc. That’s the name of my company. Always open to speaking opportunities. So feel free to send me a message.

Carol Cox:
Thank you. And Terese.

Terese Bottner:
I am a professional and personal development coach and I specialize in mindful leadership communication and I work with corporate people, but I work a lot with teenagers and I work with at risk youth. A lot of my kids come to me through the criminal justice system, so I am doing that. I’m currently writing a book on Becoming Together a crucial act of parent teen connection, and I have to thank the retreat for my act, which stands for Awareness, compassion and Trust. And thank you, Carol and Diane for working with me, because I also before the retreat, I did the Academy. I worked a lot on this, and it really helped me, helped me with writing my book. So I’m hoping to do a lot more group facilitations and also speaking about speaking with parents and teenagers.

Carol Cox:
And sorry. Thank you so much for the incredible work that you do. Debbie, let us know more about what you do and where’s the best way to connect with you.

Debbie Kerr-Henry:
So I am a creative nonfiction writer, like Carol already said. And my next big step is I’m going to be launching some new embodiment memoir writing classes for women. And this is a time that I get to work with women and help them explore their stories through one word body prompts like hair and heart, face legs. It’s amazing when you throw those words out. What stories? Are triggered from that because all of our all of our stories and experiences are captured in our bodies. So I’m about to launch a couple new series of those classes in November, and you can reach me. My main platform too, is LinkedIn, or you can go to my website. Momentous living.com.

Carol Cox:
Fantastic. And I and so for those of you who are watching here live on LinkedIn, obviously you can connect with them right here on LinkedIn. For those of you who are listening on the podcast, because now the audio will become the podcast episode, we’ll make sure to include links to their LinkedIn profiles in the show notes for that. Thank you, Nicole, Terese, Debbie for coming on our backstage with Speaking Your Brand to be part of our roundtable discussion. You all are incredible speakers and women and I’m so grateful to know you.

Debbie Kerr-Henry:
Thank Thank you. Thank you.

Carol Cox:
Be sure to connect with us on LinkedIn and also check out all the details for our upcoming in-person client Retreat Speaking Accelerator happening February 20th, 24, in Orlando, Florida. You can get all the details at speaking your brand.com/retreat. Again, that’s speaking your brand.com/retreat. And until next time thanks for listening.

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