Wise Words Podcast

In this edition of the audio newsletter:Learn to speak naturally and outshine your scripted competitorsPractice is good but it's  no substitute for stage timeThe facts about fear of public speaking from an old masterWhat does 'professional' really mean?

Welcome to audio version of the Wise Words Newsletter. Here's what's on my mind this week…Have you ever jumped to a conclusion based on one side of the story? I'd be pretty surprised if there's anyone out there who can say NO to that. I've got a quick story about one of my kids where I very nearly jumped to the wrong conclusionHave you ever been labelled as good at something and found yourself stuck with that label even though you actually didn't enjoy doing that particular thing? I'm going to talk about how to make sure we aren't guilty of doing that to others as well as stopping ourselves from getting caught in that cycle.I'm going to give a quick plug for my new Crucial Speaking Skills course which is designed to help you get better results whether you are looking to advance your career, build your business, or simply improve your profile in your community.Finally, I want to talk about the subject of people who think that because they are ‘THE CUSTOMER' it gives them the right to abuse workers. It's a big problem and it's getting worse, especially for workers in retail and hospitality. It's time to stop looking the other way when we see it. I've got a story about something that happened recently and a few tips on what to do as a witness to this sort of behaviour.

As a solo business person in the coaching, training and consulting space my fear of what would happen if I said no to anything led me down a path where I was making my business up as I went. Because I had no clear strategy, I was busy doing a lot of things that weren't much fun for me and I resented not being able to do more of the things I did enjoy. The process of turning that around is still ongoing but at least can see I'm headed in the right direction. In order to get to this point, I've had to get very clear on what I want people to associate with me, start saying no to things that muddied my brand and yes to the things that strengthened it.

I wanted to share a few stories with some lessons I've learned about public speaking and beating the fear. I thought it would be better done as a conversation so for this episode I am being interviewed by guest interviewer, Craig Walsh. Some of the things we cover include managing a pre-speaking anxiety attack, the question of content vs skill & technique, the secret to being a good event MC, and how I got my very first coaching client.

I'm clearing up three misconceptions that I encounter regularly. One, 93% of communication is non-verbal. Two, public speaking and acting are the same skills. Three, listening is the most important communication skill. 

Fear of being judged is one of the main reasons that people feel insecure about putting their voice out into the world. For me, it is the number one reason I have held back, stayed quiet and not gone after my goals in the past. However, using the strategies I talk about in this episode, I now feel a lot more confident about pursuing my goals and growing my business. I hope there is something here that helps you find that little bit of extra courage you need.

In this episode I talk about the importance of speaking skills for anyone looking to build their career, business, or personal profile. I discuss some of the available training offerings and then draw an analogy to show how a holistic approach to improving your speaking skills is like baking a cake - it can get messy, there are some essential ingredients you can't leave out, and there is a method required.

Stress and trauma can affect all of us whether its source is a 'big event', lots of things stacked up over time, or a combination of both.Carissa Rodgers, is a heart-centred Somatic Psychotherapist, Counsellor, Stress & Trauma Therapist, and Self-Compassion Coach. In this episode, Carissa talks with David Wise about how stress and trauma manifest themselves and some of the approaches we can use to better manage them.DISCLAIMER: The material contained in this podcast is for general information only. You should always seek advice that is specific to your personal circumstances.

Joey Caruana from the iconic Windmill Cafe in Bargara discusses the ingredients that have come together to make 'The Windmill' a destination for tourists and a community hub for the locals. The Windmill Cafe recently won the Restaurants & Catering category at the 2019 Queensland Tourism Awards.

David Wise chats with Tracey McPhee, co-owner of the award-winning Alowishus Delicious cafe. 'Alowishus' is renowned for being fun, fast and friendly and for supporting social and environmental causes. In this interview, Tracey talks about how the business was conceived and how having clear values has been vital to its growth and how having a team that lives by those values has cemented the future of Alowishus Delicious.