Voicing Your Brand

It's been a minute, right? I hope you have been happily being the voice of your brand without any missteps while I was gone. Truth is, I've been nurturing a new podcast called Empty Nest Empires and found that trying to do both was biting off more than I could chew.  ...but I do miss you, and I promise there will be new episodes coming soon. Here's a quick update for you. In the meantime, I hope you will hop on over to Empty Nest Empires and check it out. (It's not just for empty nesters.) See you again soon! ~Tami~

My guest today is Olivia M. Gonzalez - she is the CEO, Copy Curator, and Chief Brand Messaging & Development Strategist of OMG Brand Story, LLC. Olivia has established herself as a Communications Consultant and Copywriting Expert with over 10 years of experience shaping culture and engagement for national organizations. She helps business owners create brand stories that drive engagement, reinforce company culture, and effectively create a positive impact on their bottom line. She does this by working with brands to attain clarity of their brand voice and identity — and she helps businesses communicate their unique brand magic to attract, convert, and retain business while expanding their circle of influence, impact, and income. You’ll hear in a moment how Olivia and I met - it was one of those God moments that you just can’t plan. She is a dynamo in person, and everyone who works with her gets that fire, along with her ten years of working in this industry, helping big brands tell a better story.  Olivia says that having a brand story used to be a “nice to have” and now it is a “must have” for your business.  In this lively conversation, Olivia shares her top three areas to focus on when crafting your brand story: Know Your Audience Identify What's Universally Unique to Your Brand - there is a need to identify what's unique but that is also a shared value with your audience to drive connection Don't Make Statements — Tell Stories If you’d like to work with Olivia, check out the Work With Me section of her website at www.omgbrandstory.com Use this Exclusive Code for 15% Off All Consulting Services: VYB2019 (good through December 31, 2019) AND you should go right now to omgbrandstory.com/brandmagicmap to get on her waitlist for the Brand Magic Map online course launching soon - or, send an email to info@oliviamgonzalez.com  - just be sure to type “Brand Magic Map” in the subject line.  Her adventures happen on Instagram here: @theoliviamgonzalez

Using filler words is one of the most common ways your speech fluidity is stifled. You’ve heard it in others, but are you aware when you are doing it yourself? Let’s start with the definition. When you use filler words, it just means you are filling natural pauses in your speech pattern with something other than words that continue your concrete thought. Instead of a pause or a blank space, you fill that with a word, a sound or even a phrase. Some of the more common filler words and phrases are like, ah, um, so, do you know what I mean?, I’m like… some people even fill that space with a smacking noise. Using filler words is a normal part of speech, but if excessive, it keeps your listener from hearing your message. The first way to find out if you have this habit, you need to do some self-assessment. Listen to a recording you’ve done - or record something new if you don’t have one. Make a list of the things you’d like to work on. If it’s filler words, Tami shares some tips to teach yourself to stop doing this. The first option is to practice closing your mouth during a pause to remove the ability for any sound to come out during that pause. A second way to break this habit is to enlist the help of a friend who will remind you when you use filler words, Toastmasters actually has someone at the back of the room ringing a bell they call the “ah bell” - some chapters even collect a 25 cent fine for each filler word used during a speech. If you are by yourself, tap your leg or your wrist each time you use a filler word. This will help with awareness and you will retrain your brain and your mouth to stop using filler words. It takes some conscious work and practice, but in time you will break yourself of this habit and have a voice that is heard! If you’d like to join Tami’s group coaching program called A Confident Voice, go to aconfidentvoice.com and join the waitlist!  

Corie Clark is a business educator, the author of the Simplicity Project, creator of The Purposeful Planner, and voice of Purpose with Corie Clark Podcast. She loves not only helping others find their purpose, but equipping them to live it out and turn it into a profitable business through her Purposeful Business Academy and her VIP membership lounge. It was my joy to have Corie as a guest on Voicing Your Brand today.  Corie has a heart for helping women pursue their purpose with passion and simplicity, and hers is a business that was born from her own need to simplify her life and make room for more purpose. To attach the chaos of her life, she began by taking a few minutes a day to clear the clutter from her schedule, her digital life, and her home life - and wrote about it on her blog. From that experience her book, The Simplicity Project, was born. Then people started asking for a planner. Corie didn’t find one that met her needs, so she created one and called it The Purposeful Planner. Corie struggled at first with being the voice of her brand, but found that just making the leap and taking action has increased her confidence. Corie loves the current trend of tidying up, but thinks the technique of taking many hours to do a task doesn’t make sense for most women. If you can set a timer for 15 minutes and fill a bag with clothing or things you know you’ll never need again - you’re done, the bag is full, and it’s out of your house - it’s so freeing! The mission of helping women have a purposeful business is what drives Corie these days. She says the very first step is so important - it will turn into something great. It’s important to talk about your ideas - when you share it with someone, it brings it to life. You can’t figure this out without taking that first tiny step! Another important component to discovering your purpose is community. Corie and I met in a very supportive Facebook group started by author Jon Acuff - we both agree that if not for that group, we probably would not have stepped out of our comfort zones to do what we are each doing now! Corie says that the most important thing she learned is how important it is to get things out to the world even if they are not perfect - do it messy, but get something out there. Perfectionism will paralyze you. Corie leaves us with these thoughts: when you find something you’re passionate about and you can help other people along their journey - you can turn that into a business. She is energized by helping women discover their purpose, live it out and create a profitable business from it! You can connect with Corie at the links below - and be sure to send her a message telling her you heard this episode! corieclark.com instagram.com/corieclark facebook.com/writercorieclark ****************************************************** I am so grateful you joined me today here on Voicing Your Brand - Please connect with me on social media - I’m @TamiRomani on every platform! Join either of my two free Facebook communities by clicking on the name - Your Brand, Your Voice Building Empty Nest Empires To get on the waitlist for the next cycle of A Confident Voice, go here: aconfidentvoice.com See you next time - in the studio! Tami

Brock Johnson is a college student athlete with a passion for helping others create connections and grow their brands using short-form video! As Co-host of the Build Your Tribe Podcast, instructor of multiple online courses, and an online entrepreneur, Brock has helped thousands of entrepreneurs learn to use quick video clips to connect and build their business! His mission is to help you grow your brand, and effectively market using Stories! As Brock tells his story about becoming an entrepreneur, you will quickly see he is no ordinary college football player. He is on a mission to help as many people as he can by teaching them the art of the story. Or, more accurately, stories. Brock believes you don’t have just one story to tell, you have millions of micro stories that can be told in short increments on social media to connect with your perfect customer and in effect, increase your earning potential. As you begin thinking about what stories you can tell - Brock has several suggestions about how to keep track of those stories and how to then recall them at the appropriate time in your storytelling to make an impact. He outlines how to know what will connect with people and how to navigate the direct messages you will receive and how to best respond to them. When you tell your stories with emotion, Brock explains how mirror neurons in their brains cause them to connect with you on a deeper level. People do business and take advice from those they know, like, and trust - this is the goal of every marketer. Bringing personal emotion (not drama) into your stories will help you reach this goal. Everyone can relate to the feeling of “what do I do next?” Brock has quite a story about taking time off from social media and making a choice to feed his soul rather than his bank account. He also gives tips on how to choose the right social media platform for you - it’s all about evaluating who your ideal audience is, and finding the platform they are using, and also what platform you are most comfortable with. Brock also shares how to “dress” your existing videos for use on another platform by making some simple tweaks. I think you will enjoy the wisdom from this young entrepreneur who can teach so much! You will enjoy following Brock for his solid marketing information, and his funny antics and comedic ability will definitely bring a smile! Here’s how to find Brock - reach out to him and send him a message about hearing this interview! Instagram: @brock11johnson YouTube: Brock11Johnson.TV Website: Brock11Johnson.com Facebook: Brock11Johnson *************************** I hope you've enjoyed hearing from Brock today - if you have, would you leave a review and let us know what resonated with you? And don't forget, doors are still open for A Confident Voice - go to aconfidentvoice.com for more info and use the coupon code PODCAST20 for a special discount for my podcast listeners. You have a story (or should I say many stories) to tell - let's make it happen! To your success, Tami 

The question I am asked the most is, "How can I have a more confident voice?" Today we will dive into three ways to begin moving towards a more confident speaking voice. Simple, yet effective ways to get people to lean in and listen to what you have to say. Tip #1 is Know What You are Talking About - I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but fake it till you make it is not always a good idea. Most people can hear uncertainty, even if they are not sure that's what it is. Know your stuff, and confidence will follow. Tip #2 is Talk to One Person - Whenever you say things like "you guys" "hey everybody" "hi Instagram" "hey Facebook" there is a disconnect for the individual who is listening or watching you. You are talking to each person individually. So do that. Talk to one person. Tip #3 is Learn to Breathe - This one really is the most important one. Sound moves on air, and breathing deep will give you a clearer, more confident sounding voice. I illustrate this in this episode, and give you ways to breathe in order to calm your nerves and uncover your fullest sounding voice. For more in-depth work on having A Confident Voice, I'd like to invite you to join my VIP Group Coaching program at AConfidentVoice.com  Go to the page for more info, and as a special gift to my podcast listeners, use the coupon PODCAST20 for a 20% discount! Hope to see you inside A Confident Voice. Let's work together to move your voice from being a roadblock to a gateway to great things! To Your Success, Tami

Nicki Krawczyk (KRAW-zick) is a professional copywriter with more than 15 years of experience writing for big brands like adidas, TripAdvisor, and T.J.Maxx as well as with small businesses and solopreneurs. She also owns a company that teaches people how to become professional copywriters. She’s dedicated to helping everyone perfect their messages and connect with their perfect target audiences. I’m thrilled to have her as our guest in today’s episode of Voicing Your Brand. Nicki says it’s so important to get your messaging right. A confused customer will not buy from you. Don’t get hung up on your industry buzzwords, which might actually be a turn off to your potential clients - focus instead on words your customers use to describe their pain points. This will give them a clear picture of how you can serve them. Knowing what benefits your target audience is searching for and focusing on them will help you craft effective copy that gets results. Test your copy by gauging reactions you are getting. Experiment by using different subject lines or calls to action on your emails, writing posts on Instagram and Facebook. When people respond, start a conversation and ask them what would be helpful for them. When you know what people want, you can highlight that in your promotions!  What is your brand voice? What personality traits do you want to use when you are writing? Nicki has some great suggestions for how to discover this and then how to create a brand voice checklist you can use to check your copy against as you write future material.  I absolutely loved this conversation with Nicki, and I can see how helpful it is to use her techniques to uncover your brand’s very special story. You have a unique place in the world, and finding your own way to stand out and tell that story is so important. It’s all about how we serve people! Connect with Nicki on her website and get her free resources here: http://www.copyforsolopreneurs.com/freebies/ Connect with Nicki on Instagram and Twitter here: @nickicopy on Instagram @nickicopy on Twitter **********************************************  Now let's talk about your voice. I mean, your actual VOICE. If you think your voice is holding you back from connecting with your followers - there's help for you. Confidence and clarity are on the other side of just a few minutes a day in A CONFIDENT VOICE. A waitlist is forming now, and you can go to aconfidentvoice.com to get in line! See you soon!!

My guest today is Tammy Helfrich. Tammy is a coach, speaker, writer and host of the Right Where You Are podcast. She is passionate about helping women rediscover their inner wisdom so they can feel empowered to create the life and business they desire.  In reviewing your past year, Tammy says it's important to take an honest look at all of your notes. Gather them from near and far and be curious - look for what keeps coming up. It's important to not judge yourself in this process, and give yourself a lot of grace. Ask yourself these questions: What worked? What didn't work? What were some highlights of my year? Where have I settled? What do I want to leave behind that no longer serves me? What are my intentions going in to a new year? Do you make New Year's Resolutions? Do you call them setting your intentions? Or perhaps you choose a theme or a word to set the tone for your year? All of these are useful, as they create a place for you to focus your energy on and make improvements. There are several personality tests these days, but Tammy's current favorite is the Enneagram. She says it's a valuable tool to help you see the world through someone else's eyes, and shared that even her marriage improved greatly when each spouse realized the differences between them, and that it was how they were created. Tammy suggests you pick up the book by Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile, The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery There is also a podcast called Typology, which will help you with figuring out your type and how to use it for your benefit. If you would like to take the Enneagram test, you can go to this website: exploreyourtype.com  (The paid test we discussed can be found here: theenneagraminstitute.com ) Connect with Tammy Helfrich through her website, tammyhelfrich.com - and @tammyhelfrichcoaching on Instagram and @tammyhelfrichblog on Facebook. Tammy's Podcast: Right Where You Are **************************************************** Thank you so much for listening today! If you like this podcast, would you share it with your friends? Even better, write a review and let me know what was helpful for you. A review is like a tip jar for a podcaster, and it helps me find new ways to bring you the information you want! As always, I am here for your success, Happy New Year! Tami  

Do you choose a theme or a word to set your intentions as you walk into a new year?  New Year's resolutions usually go by the wayside within a few weeks, but I've found that having a word before me is helpful. In this episode Tami shares a plan for the first quarter of 2019, and how she decides what her theme word for the year should be. It's often not what she would like it to be, but it ends up creating a year of thoughtful momentum in an area that needs work. Tami's word for this year is GO. What's your word? Here are links to what we talked about today - For more info about choosing a word, go to OneWord365.com To purchase the books mentioned, click here (Amazon): Draw the Circle - the 40 Day Prayer Challenge The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson Join free Facebook groups! Building Empty Nest Empires the Voicing Your Brand Community Links to podcast interviews with Tami in 2018 (iTunes links) Build Your Tribe with Chalene Johnson the Your Voice Podcast with Kay Helm Creative Thursday with Marisa  Thank you for joining me today! I'd love to know what your ONE WORD is to set the tone for a new year. Connect with me @tamiromani on all the social media platforms. Happy New Year! 

Today we welcome branding expert Keenya Kelly back to continue our conversation on business and branding. In episode 8, Keenya explained business details and told her story. Today, we dive in to branding and what it means to brand both yourself and your business. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised that the process is not as scary as you think. Learn all about Keenya and take her free brand quiz by visiting her website, KeenyaKelly.com Follow Keenya on Instagram @Keenya_Kelly and on Facebook @keenyakelly If this podcast has been helpful, I'd love to hear from you! You can find me, I'm @ tamiromani on all social media platforms. Send me a message and let's chat! And your review here helps this podcast to be found by others who are looking for help with being the voice of their brand.  Connect with me on Facebook: @tamiromani Instagram: @tamiromani Instagram: @voicingyourbrand To join the Building Empty Nest Empires Facebook group, Click here To join the Voicing Your Brand Community Facebook group, Click here As always, I am cheering for you! To your success, Tami  

Keenya Kelly is an accomplished business executive, teacher and inspirational speaker - she found her voice by writing and speaking about understanding your God-given purpose and living up to your fullest potential. She has a powerful message of overcoming fear, self-doubt and divorce to create successful six-figure businesses. But she didn't start out that way. After a painful divorce, Keenya felt her voice had been silenced. She had lost everything. Yet, she still had big expectations and big faith and DECIDED this was going to be THAT. She made up her mind to succeed, and she hasn't stopped since. Keenya says everyone should have a job, a dream and a hustle. Her end goal is to have a thriving ministry, but she doesn't want to be a broke minister! In this episode of Voicing Your Brand, Keenya shares her journey to clarity and finding her voice for business. She says the secret is taking action: action creates clarity. I hope you will enjoy her story and will be able to take away some nuggets of wisdom for your own life. Learn all about Keenya and how she can help your business by visiting her website: KeenyaKelly.com Keenya's Instagram: @keenya_kelly Keenya's Facebook: Keenya Kelly ** Thanks for joining me on the podcast today! We will continue with Keenya next week when we go deeper into the topic of branding your business for success! If this podcast has been helpful, I'd love to hear from you! You can find me @tamiromani on all social media platforms. Send me a direct message and let's chat! Facebook: Tami Romani Instagram: Tami Romani Instagram: Voicing Your Brand To join the Building Empty Nest Empires Facebook group, Click here To join the Voicing Your Brand Community Facebook group, Click here As always, I am cheering for you! To your success, Tami

My guest today is Katie Leigh. Katie is a popular and talented voiceover veteran. She is beloved as Connie Kendall in the world’s longest running international radio drama, Adventures in Odyssey. Other roles she's played include Baby Rowlf in the Emmy Award-Winning Jim Henson's Muppet Babies cartoon series, Honker Muddlefoot in Darkwing Duck, Sheila the Thief in Dungeons and Dragons, Richie in Richie Rich, Sunni Gummi of Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Alex in Totally Spies and young Han Solo for Lego Star Wars: Padawan Menace, and many others. Katie also has decades of experience in every form of Voiceover from toys, to games to radio, to elearning, specializing in boys and girls voices and many foreign accents. We had a fun conversation about finding your voice. Katie has a young sounding voice, and was told by a college journalism professor that she would never get work behind a microphone unless she did something about her voice. Well, she did something, all right. She became a sought-after voice actor in animation work. We chat about how her life has been a series of divine appointments, and that even with her success, she still sometimes feels like she is not taken seriously because of her voice. She is learning that confidence is the key to overcoming the stigma - that, and knowing your stuff. Become an expert and you will speak with confidence. I know you will enjoy our candid conversation between friends. Here's where to find Katie and hear her demos: KatieLeigh.com Info about Katie's voiceover coaching: Coaching for Animation Buy Katie's book: Adventures in Oddity Follow Katie on Instagram: @katieleighvo Follow Katie on Twitter: @katieleighvo Katie's Facebook Fan Page: @katieleighvo For info on Katie Leigh and Chris Anthony Landsdowne's upcoming tour, follow them on Facebook here: Katie and Chris ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for joining me today! If you are liking the podcast, the most "awesomest" thing you could do is subscribe! Thank you, Katie - for adding a fabulous word to my repertoire today! If there's something you'd love to hear covered in the Voicing Your Brand podcast, feel free to drop me an email at hello@tamiromani.com As always, I'm committed to your success! Warmly, Tami

Jim Woods is an author, editor, writing coach, and storyteller... but he wasn't always living into his calling. He was an accountant, and counting the days till he would be able to quit his job. In this episode of the Voicing Your Brand Podcast, we learn how Jim realized he was a writer and that he could make a living doing what he loves. His story of pushing past his fear and unlocking his authentic voice will inspire and uplift you. Do you think you might be a writer? Jim invites you to connect with him and have a talk - for less than the cost of a coffee ($3.99), you can book a Storycrafting call here. For more information about Jim Woods, go to his website: Jim Woods Writes Other resources mentioned in this episode: Jim's books on Amazon: Ready Aim Fire! and Focus Booster The quote, "Do the art that's in your heart" courtesy of Jump Into the Arts Personality Tests:  Take the Enneagram Test here Myers Briggs Personality Test info here  Take the Myers Briggs test here Thank you so much for joining us today! Connect with me on social media, I'm @tamiromani on every single platform - I'd love to hear your thoughts about this episode and what part of Jim's story resonated most with you. If you would like some support in learning how to best use your voice to tell your story, we have something really special coming soon. Join the Vocal Makeover waitlist here: tamiromani.com/makeover As always, I am committed to helping with your success, Tami

It’s Thanksgiving week and this is the month where we typically turn our thoughts toward Thankfulness and gratitude. Since this is the natural time for reflection as we approach the holidays, I thought we would dive in to some of the ways practicing gratitude can shift your mind, heart and business. Maybe we should keep an attitude of gratitude at the front of our minds all year long. ***** For show notes for this episode, go here: tamiromani.com/vyb005 To join the 7 Day Vocal Makeover waitlist, go here: tamiromani.com/makeover

In this episode, Tami discusses the 3 things that held her back from launching this podcast for more than a year, even though she KNEW it was what she should do next. She talks about overcoming those obstacles and adds a 4th thing that might be holding you back from pursuing your purpose and calling. Connect with Tami on social media: @tamiromani on all platforms Join the 7 Day Vocal Makeover waitlist: tamiromani.com/makeover  

In this episode, we continue a discussion about why your voice matters - and dive into the science behind how people make judgments about you based on the sound of your voice. You had me at hello - it's really a thing! Show notes will all the links: tamiromani.com/vyb003 Sign up for the 7 Day Vocal Makeover waitlist here: tamiromani.com/makeover

Everyone has a vocal quality or speech habit that makes them cringe. Is your message getting lost in your delivery? Today we will talk about what is difficult to listen to so we can begin to recognize areas where we can improve. Welcome to the studio! Episode show notes are here: tamiromani.com/vyb002 Join the 7 Day Vocal Makeover Waitlist here: tamiromani.com/makeover

Episode 001 Voicing Your Brand: Meet Tami & Hear What's Coming! Thank you for checking out the Voicing Your Brand podcast - I hope you will find it both helpful and inspiring. Today I introduced myself and gave a brief overview of what Voicing Your Brand will cover in our time together. We will talk about your voice, of course, and what you can do to become a more confident speaker - we will also talk about all things branding, offer business tips, and interview experts with a message I think you will enjoy. I shared my commercial voiceover demo to give you some background. You can listen to all of my demo recordings on my website here: Tami Romani Demos I'd love for you to join my free Facebook group, The Brand Voice Roundtable - it's a safe, judgment-free space where you can practice your message if you're not quite ready to unleash it to the world. Go to tamiromani.com/table to join! If you enjoyed this episode and are looking forward to more, please share with your friends and tag me @tamiromani on social media so I can share your post with my followers! Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat - I'm @tamiromani on all social platforms. Thanks for listening! ~ Tami ~ Resources mentioned in this episode: Tami's Voiceover Demos: tamiromani.com/voiceover Follow Tami on social media: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / SnapChat