Podcasts about executive presence

Send us Fan MailYour best prospects are not saying “no.” Most of the time, they're saying “not yet,” and the gap between now and their buying window is where deals quietly die. I sit down with John McLaughlin, CEO of 12touches.com, to talk about a simple way to stay top of mind without becoming a nuisance: send consistent, curated industry value that makes you useful even when nobody is ready to buy. John shares how he built a newsletter engine that curates hundreds of enterprise IT articles each week, organizes them into clean topic buckets, and uses real audience click behavior to surface the most relevant stories. We get specific about why “built-in substantiation” matters for B2B sales and thought leadership, how separating vendor content from vendor-neutral coverage protects trust, and why a newsletter that stops after two issues can hurt you more than help you. We also break down LinkedIn newsletters as a free distribution channel that behaves like email, stays opt-in, and becomes searchable on LinkedIn and Google. Then we zoom out into what the tech community is worried about right now: phishing and stolen credentials, AI agents probing systems, quantum computing implications for encryption, plus the very real infrastructure strain behind AI such as high-performance storage, GPUs, rack density, power, cooling, and water use in data centers. If you want a practical personal branding and social selling play that compounds over time, this one is for you. Subscribe, share this with a sales pro who's tired of “just checking in,” and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com.And don't miss Grant McGaugh's new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/See you next time on Follow The Brand!

Executive presence doesn't have to mean becoming louder or more performative.Sometimes, it's about letting go of small communication habits that can undermine the seniority you already have.In this short episode, I share three tiny shifts to try:* Replace “Does that make sense?” with a pause.* Own your recommendations instead of softening them with “maybe” or “perhaps”.* Stop apologising when you contribute or interject in meetings.Three small changes. Potentially a very different impact.Which one will you try first?⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit belongingproject.substack.com

Join Jill Eubank, Executive Vice President at Randstad, as she shares her journey from finance grad to leading teams that support businesses across multiple industries. In this engaging conversation, Jill opens up about discovering her passion for people, balancing technical skills with human connection, and why mastering the art of storytelling is a must for today's accounting and finance professionals. Whether you want to boost your executive presence, get tips on commanding a room (virtual or in-person), or build true strategic partnerships at work, Jill's advice is packed with relatable, real-world wisdom. You'll hear candid stories, practical suggestions for growth, and encouragement to embrace feedback—not fear it. Perfect for anyone aiming to up their game in both technical and soft skills in today's fast-changing business environment.

Send us Fan MailIf “being yourself” sounds like bad business advice, Will Williams has the receipts. We talk about what it really takes to build wealth while staying authentic and why authenticity can be a competitive advantage instead of a liability. Will shares how he learned resilience early by selling door to door, treating every “no” as data, not a verdict, and building the kind of confidence that lasts longer than any pep talk.We also get into the deeper side of personal branding and authentic leadership. Will breaks down how language and word choice can hit the subconscious, why people hide behind job titles, and what changed for him after a major spiritual awakening. One of the sharpest threads is identity: when someone asks “who are you,” can you answer without reaching for status, a role, or a résumé?Then the business stories get wild. Will explains how he acquired a sports team for free, flipped it with sponsorships, and discovered that TV access is often the real revenue engine behind sports ownership. He walks through how advertising, tape delay, and sponsor strategy can turn “losing” teams into profitable media properties, plus how that experience naturally expanded into consulting. We close with a lottery wire transfer story, his LinkedIn strategy for reaching the power base, and a final reminder that luck shows up more often when preparation is already in place. Subscribe, share this with someone building in silence, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway: where could authenticity create more leverage for you right now?Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com.And don't miss Grant McGaugh's new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/See you next time on Follow The Brand!

The more experienced you get, the more dangerous your blind spots become. Not less, more.In this episode of The Inner Edge, executive coach Janet Ioli unpacks the fifth leadership trap: judgment. It's the unconscious sorting mechanism that starts screening out the exact information a leader most needs to hear.Janet tells the story of Priya, a client with multiple graduate degrees who plateaued for years after her boss described her as "too smart" to learn from others. Underneath that feedback was an automatic habit: sizing up whether someone was worth listening to, then tuning out the moment the answer was no.This habit has a name: confirmation bias. It's not a character flaw. It's how the brain saves energy, but in leadership it becomes costly fast.This is the sixth episode in an eight-part series on the seven leadership traps, based on Janet's upcoming book, Escape the Traps (releasing October 2026).Chapters:00:00:00 Why Expertise Creates Dangerous Blind Spots00:00:43 Too Smart to Learn From Others00:02:50 Janet's Own Judgment Trap, in Reverse00:04:38 Naming Confirmation Bias00:08:45 Curiosity as a Performance Multiplier00:09:47 The Mirror Question and Beginner's Mind0:12:53 Next Episode: Trap 6Read the first chapter of Escape The Traps (available October 2026): https://mailchi.mp/5d2dbf42009c/escape-the-traps-chapterWhich trap is running you? Take the quiz and find out: https://tally.so/r/lb4Z4pConnect with Janet Ioli:Website: janetioli.comLinkedIn: Janet IoliInstagram: @janetioliYouTube: @janetioliIf you want to become more grounded, confident, and aligned with your deeper values in just 21 days, check out Janet Ioli's book Less Ego, More Soul: A Modern Reinvention Guide for Women.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  Produced by Ideablossoms 

A leadership and visibility strategist on why women over-explain, and the four-part shift to executive presence and real authority in any room.Dr. Rita Renee spent 30 years in executive healthcare leadership learning the difference between explaining yourself and owning the room. On this episode of The Power Lounge, she joins Amy Vaughan to unpack why so many high-performing women shrink their language before they even finish a sentence, and the specific words to use instead. This is a conversation about executive presence for women, precision in communication, and what it actually takes to lead with authority without losing your humanity.Key takeawaysExplaining is convincing people you deserve to be in the room. Owning is knowing you already belong there.Every extra qualifier, like just, maybe, or I think, quietly gives away your authority before you finish the sentence.Precision has four parts: know your point before you start talking, lead with the headline, cut unnecessary qualifiers, and end clearly with what you recommend or need.Confidence and kindness are not opposites. You can be warm and still be clear, and disagree without over-explaining why.You do not have to be in every room. Be fully visible in the rooms that matter for the people you serve."Explaining is when you feel like I have to convince you that I deserve to be in the room. Owning is when I know I belong there."Dr. Rita Renee"Clarity is not about saying more. It's just making what matters impossible to miss."Dr. Rita ReneeTimestamps00:00 Welcome and introducing Dr. Rita Renee01:05 Explaining versus owning the room03:06 A 30 year lesson from healthcare leadership04:43 The pattern holding high performing women back07:26 Moving from seeking validation to stating your position09:34 A real example of repositioning as a decision maker11:34 Four strategies for precise communication14:03 Confidence, kindness, and the fear of being too much15:19 Executive presence on Zoom versus in the room16:46 The first shift for women early in their career19:47 The future of leadership communication23:08 Power round with Dr. Rita Renee25:47 How to connect with Dr. Rita ReneeConnect with Dr. Rita ReneeWebsite: https://drritarenee.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drritarenee/Connect with Together DigitalWebsite: https://togetherindigital.comPodcast: https://togetherindigital.com/podcastSupport the show

Send us Fan MailYour audience can smell “marketing” from a mile away, and AI is making that scent even stronger. From inbox emails to social feeds, the volume of automated content is training people to distrust anything that feels like it came from a machine. So how do you build brand trust, credibility, and real connection in an AI-shaped world without abandoning the speed and leverage AI can offer?We talk with branding veteran and author Paul Larch about a simple but powerful idea: people decide with the emotional “old brain” first, then the rational “new brain” shows up to justify the decision. That shift changes everything about messaging strategy. We get into why feature-first marketing fails, how cognitive biases and shortcuts shape buying behavior, and why manipulative tactics might grab attention but quietly destroy long-term credibility.From there, we move into practical tools you can use right away, including Paul's brand value canvas approach that starts with features, then digs into pain points and deeper desires. We also explore storytelling, character-driven campaigns, and brand archetypes (think caregiver, rebel, creator, hero) as a way to stay consistent and authentic. Finally, we connect it back to HAI, human plus AI, and how to “teach” your AI your identity so it amplifies your voice instead of replacing it.If you want smarter AI marketing without losing authenticity, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the biggest trust mistake you see brands making today.Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com.And don't miss Grant McGaugh's new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/See you next time on Follow The Brand!

Executive presence isn't just about how you speak. It's about how you are perceived, how you connect, and how intentionally you show up.In this episode of Business Influencers, Chris Salem speaks with Crispin about building executive presence through self awareness, introspection, feedback, professional branding, and stronger communication habits.They explore why trusted feedback loops matter, how small speaking habits can affect credibility, and why the feedback we resist can sometimes reveal our biggest opportunities for growth.

Send us Fan MailDoes small talk at work feel awkward, draining, or fake? You do not need to be more entertaining, clever, or outgoing to build meaningful professional relationships. The most effective small talk starts with genuine curiosity—not a performance.In this episode of Communicate to Lead, leadership coach Kele Belton shares how to make small talk that builds real connection at work. You will learn how to start a conversation, ask open-ended questions, keep an exchange going naturally, and recover gracefully when a conversation goes quiet.For high-performing women who feel confident in meetings but uncomfortable in networking situations, receptions, hallway conversations, or the few minutes before a meeting begins, this episode offers a practical reframe: your job is not to be interesting. Your job is to be interested.You will also learn why informal workplace conversations matter for career visibility, trust, sponsorship, and executive presence—and how to practice connection in low-stakes moments so it feels more natural when the stakes are higher.In this Episode, You'll LearnWhy small talk can feel especially difficult for capable, high-achieving professionals.The mindset shift that makes small talk feel more genuine: focus on being interested rather than trying to be interesting.How informal conversations at work build trust, visibility, and stronger professional relationships.How to start a conversation and keep it going with open-ended questions and thoughtful follow-ups.What to do when a conversation feels awkward, stalls, or goes quiet.How to practice small talk and networking skills in low-stakes moments so they become more natural over time.Your Action StepThis week, choose one low-stakes moment—the coffee line, a few minutes before a meeting, the elevator, or the checkout counter—and start one brief conversation.Use this simple practice:Ask one open-ended question that invites more than a yes-or-no answer.Listen for one detail, interest, or experience you can follow up on.Ask one genuine follow-up question before sharing a related thought about yourself.“How has your week been shaping up?”“Which part of that project has been most interesting?”“That sounds like a big shift. What has been the most challenging part?”You do not need a long or memorable exchange. One question and one follow-up are enough. The goal is to practice curiosity where nothing is at stake, so it is available to you when connection matters more.Who This Episode Is forThis episode is for high-performing women in middle management and senior management who:Feel confident in formal meetings but uncomfortable with informal workplace conversation.Find networking, receptions, or pre-meeting conversation draining or awkward.Want to build authentic professional relationships without pretending to be extroverted or overly polished.Want to strengthen workplace visibility, executive presence, and career-supporting connections.Need practical small-talk strategies that feel genuine and sustainable.Frequently Asked QuestionsHow do you make small talk without it feeling fake?Stop trying to be impressive and become genuinely curious about the other person. Start with something you both share in the moment, ask an open-ended question, listen for a thread in their answer, and follow it with one thoughtful question. Share something relevant about yourself so the exchange becomes mutual. Small talk feels forced when you perform; it feels real when you are interested.Why is small talk so hard for high achievers?Many capable professionals assume they need to say something smart, memorable, or impressive. That turns a simple conversation into a performance. A more useful goal is to understand the person in front of you. Curiosity lowers the pressure and creates more natural connection.What do you do when small talk gets awkward or goes quiet?A pause is normal, not a failure. You can ask a new open-ended question, return to something in the shared environment, or end the conversation warmly. A simple close such as, “It was great talking with you—I'm going to grab coffee before we begin,” is both friendly and professional.Why does small talk matter for your career?Informal conversations help people get to know, trust, and remember you. Those relationships can affect workplace visibility, access to information, sponsorship, and whether people think of you when opportunities arise. Strong work matters, but connection often determines whether that work is seen and advocated for.What are good small-talk questions for work?Ask questions that are easy to answer and tied to the person or context: “What are you focused on this week?” “How did you get involved with that project?” “What has been keeping your team busy lately?” “What are you looking forward to this weekend?” Then listen for a detail you can follow up on.How can introverts get better at small talk and networking?Practice in low-stakes settings and give yourself a simple goal: one open question and one follow-up. You do not need to work the entire room or have a long conversation. Aim for one genuine exchange at a time, plan a few questions in advance, and allow yourself to step away when you need to recharge.Ready to Go Deeper?If the bigger challenge is walking into rooms where you know no one, speaking with senior leaders who make you nervous, or turning everyday conversations into career-building relationships, a Leadership Strategy Call can help.In this complimentary 30-minute conversation, Kele will help you identify what is holding you back from the visibility and connection you have earned—and create a practical path forward that fits your leadership style.Book your free Leadership Strategy CallAbout Kele BeltonKele Belton is a communication and leadership coach, facilitator, and consultant, as well as the host of Communicate to Lead. She helps high-performing women in middle and senior management move from being essential but invisible to being seen, sponsored, and promoted.Through The Tailored Approach, Kele helps women leaders build executive presence, communicate their value, navigate workplace dynamics, and create the visibility and influence needed for sustainable career advancement.Connect with Kele LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kele-ruth-beltonInstagram: @thetailoredapproachWebsite: thetailoredapproach.comBook a Leadership Strategy Call: Schedule here

Your competence got you promoted, no doubt about it. But now that you're in a leadership seat, it might be the very thing that sabotages your leadership imprint.In this episode of The Inner Edge, executive coach Janet Ioli unpacks the fourth leadership trap: an identity so fused with personal competence that it becomes almost impossible to let go of, even after the job and scope have completely changed. The habits that earned the promotion are often the exact habits sabotaging it.Success used to depend on what you could personally produce, but now it depends on the opposite skill, and nobody hands you a new operating system when they hand you the title.Janet also draws on attachment researchers John Bowlby and Dan Siegel to explain why self-reliance under pressure is a wired-in safety strategy and shares the mirror question and practice that starts to interrupt it.This is the fifth episode in an eight-part series on the seven leadership traps, based on Janet's upcoming book, Escape the Traps (releasing October 2026).Chapters:00:00:00 The Trait That Got You Promoted Now Limits You 00:00:47 Three Leaders, One Hidden Pattern 00:04:31 The Identity Fused With Personal Competence 00:05:50 The Attachment Research Behind Self-Reliance 00:10:11 The Mirror Question: From Bottleneck to Multiplier 00:12:28 Next Episode: Trap 5Read the first chapter of Escape The Traps (available October 2026): https://mailchi.mp/5d2dbf42009c/escape-the-traps-chapterWhich trap is running you? Take the quiz and find out: https://tally.so/r/lb4Z4pConnect with Janet Ioli:Website: janetioli.comLinkedIn: Janet IoliInstagram: @janetioliYouTube: @janetioliIf you want to become more grounded, confident, and aligned with your deeper values in just 21 days, check out Janet Ioli's book Less Ego, More Soul: A Modern Reinvention Guide for Women.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  Produced by Ideablossoms 

http://www.sherylkline.com/blogMost executive presence advice starts in the wrong place. Stand taller. Slow your speech. Hold eye contact. Lower your vocal fry. These are the go-to fixes, and they treat presence as a set of behaviors to correct... as if the person walking into the room is broadcasting some visible deficiency that better technique will patch over.That framing misses the actual problem entirely.Take a client of mine... a highly capable marketing executive on the path to CMO. Every quarter she presents for 30 minutes at QBR, standing alongside some of her company's most senior, most polished executives. She is sharp. She is prepared. Her material is good. And she still leaves those sessions feeling like she's failed to demonstrate that she belongs there.Her challenge was never technique. It was what was happening internally the moment she walked into that room.This is a problem, and a big one.The research tells us that only 7% of what we say impacts how we are perceived. The rest depends on the 20000+ bits of conscious and unconscious information that we communicate. Those could be tone, gestures, yes, body language, cadence of your words, inflection points, past and future thoughts, as well as too many other things for you to juggle during a high stake's conversation or presentation.What we think leading up to and during or leading up to these crucial moments will override what we say and how we are perceivedThe trap most executive presence coaching setsConventional executive presence coaching assumes performance is the problem, so it prescribes more performance: more polish, more confidence signals, more of whatever the most polished person in the room appears to be doing. But if you're already skilled and prepared and still feel like an outsider, more technique won't close that gap... because technique was never the source of it.The real question isn't how do I perform confidence. It's whose room do I think this is?One question, two very different executivesHere's the fork: are you trying to prove you belong here, or are you acting like you already do?Someone measuring themselves against the most polished person in the room is still, on some level, asking for permission to be there. They're auditioning. And an audition mindset shows up in the room even when the content is flawless... in hesitation, in over-qualifying, in the subtle instinct to defer rather than lead.Someone who has already settled the belonging question isn't auditioning. They're contributing.Picture two executives walking into the exact same room, with the exact same material. One is thinking, "I hope I sound as sharp as everyone else." The other is thinking, "I have a perspective this room needs to hear." Same person could hold either thought on a different day... and the room would experience two entirely different leaders.Why this matters more as you riseThis shows up most acutely for executives moving from strong functional leaders into broader enterprise roles... where the room includes people from disciplines they don't have deep expertise in, and where there's no formal mandate yet handed down that says you belong here. Waiting for that mandate or trying to prove domain mastery before claiming the space, keeps talented leaders anchored to an old identity even as their role and title have already changed.The real workYou don't build presence by acting more confident. You build it by resolving, before you ever walk in, whether you already belong in that room.If you're a female executive who is looking to become even more influential, irreplaceable, and shift from an extremely competent leader who executes to one who is invited into rooms where decisions are made, I have a proven process that can help. Simply email me directly, and we'll set up a time to meet. To your continued success!- Sheryl

Send us Fan MailYour business does not need more hype about artificial intelligence. It needs a way to use AI marketing tools to drive real results without sounding like a robot. Grant McGaugh sits down with Dan of BizHack Academy and lead instructor Anita Larsen to unpack the true origin story behind their small business training movement, from an in-person Facebook ads course to a COVID-era scramble that forced a choice: shut down or serve. That decision sparked free webinars on crisis communications and digital marketing that ultimately helped more than 10,000 entrepreneurs and reshaped what BizHack became.We also dig into the moments that tested leadership and values, including how scholarships for minority-owned and women-owned businesses grew out of a commitment to show up when it mattered. Grant shares his own pivot from corporate healthcare IT into entrepreneurship, and why building a personal brand and repeatable marketing skills changed everything. Dan explains what it was really like to testify before a House subcommittee on small business about why AI literacy and training deserve public investment to protect Main Street and keep local economies from turning into nothing but franchises.Then we bring it to what's happening now: Breakthrough 402 launching in Omaha, Nebraska. Anita lays out an action-oriented, eight-week program where business owners build and run a real campaign, learn foundational marketing principles, and apply AI ethically through automation, emerging search concepts, and tools that get work done faster while keeping the human voice in charge. If you want practical AI training for small business, smarter storytelling, and a community that pushes for outcomes, hit play, then subscribe, share this with an owner who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest AI marketing question.Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com.And don't miss Grant McGaugh's new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/See you next time on Follow The Brand!

You've been told you need more executive presence.Speak with more confidence.Be more concise.Command the room.Look more executive.So you start paying attention to everything.How you dress.How you sound.How much you speak.Whether you seem confident enough.Whether your answer was polished enough.Whether everyone in the room thinks you belong there.But here's the problem:The harder you work to perform executive presence, the less present you actually become.Because real executive presence isn't about becoming more polished, more serious, or more like the woman three levels above you.It's about trusting yourself enough to stop proving you belong, and start participating like you already do.In this episode of Breaking Free from the Grind, I'm diving into:Why conventional advice about executive presence gets it backwards - and why trying to fix an internal self-trust problem with external signals like the right wardrobe, vocabulary, posture, or communication style will never create the authority you're looking for.What a lack of executive presence actually looks like - from overpreparing and overexplaining to talking through silence, watering down your point of view, and interpreting every challenge as proof that you're wrong.How to build real executive presence through self-trust - so you can say “I don't know” without panicking, disagree with someone more senior without apologizing, stay grounded when challenged, and lead powerfully without becoming someone you're not.Because executive presence isn't about learning how to look certain.It's about trusting yourself when you're not.You don't need to eliminate your personality, mute your enthusiasm, or become a generic version of what you think a senior leader is supposed to be.You need to develop the range to lead strategically without performing someone else's version of leadership.Because confidence comes and goes.But when you trust yourself, you can feel nervous and still lead.You can feel uncertain and still make the recommendation.You can be challenged and still stay grounded.You can get something wrong and still trust that your perspective belongs in the room.That's the real shift.You don't develop executive presence by adding more polish.You develop it by removing the proving, performing, and second-guessing that's getting in the way of the leader you already are.Next Level™ Leader Quiz: You're smart. Capable. Proven. So why does the next level still feel harder than it should? Take my free Next Level™ Leader quiz to uncover the hidden pattern slowing your rise…and what to do next. Take the Next Level™ Leader Quiz here. 30-min. Leadership Strategy Consult: On a private consult, we'll identify exactly where you're still operating as the doer, fixer, problem-solver, and safety net inside your organization. Together, we'll uncover the patterns keeping you overwhelmed and map out the leadership shifts required to help you lead more strategically, create stronger boundaries, and thrive at the next level without burnout. If you're serious about accelerating into your next level of leadership without sacrificing your sanity to get there, this is the place to start.  Book your 30-min. Leadership Strategy Consult here. About AmeliaAmelia Noël is an executive coach and former investment banking and consulting professional who helps high-achieving women in demanding corporate roles develop their Executive Edge™ to rise into senior leadership...and thrive there without burnout. Through her coaching, workshops, and podcast, Breaking Free from the Grind, Amelia helps women strengthen their executive presence, increase visibility and influence, communicate their value with confidence, and shift from overworking to leading more strategically at their next level. Her work blends over a decade of real-world corporate experience with practical leadership development to help women become the kind of leaders that bigger opportunities, and bigger rooms, are built for. Connect with Ameliawww.amelianoelcoaching.comIG: @breakingfreefromthegrindLinkedIn: Amelia Noel

Why is it that some people command a room with such grace and quiet power? How is it that some people are always heard in meetings though they are seldom the loudest? What is it that gives some people such polish and refinement? The answer to all of these questions is executive presence. Sarah Hon delves into the fundamentals and the intricacies of executive presence. She provides practical strategies for raising the bar on your brand by raising the bar on your presence.

People decide whether to trust you before they've had time to fully evaluate your expertise. Before they process your words, they're reading your energy, pace, posture, eye contact, and certainty. The question is: Does the way you show up match the brilliance you bring? In this milestone 200th episode, I'm sharing seven practical ways to build trust quickly, strengthen your credibility, and influence the room with Powerhouse Presence™. 1. The Handshake Moment: Trust Starts Before Your Content Does People experience you before they process what you're saying. Your posture, facial expression, eye contact, pace, and energy are already communicating a message. Before your next high-stakes conversation, ask yourself: How do I want to be experienced in this room? Choose three words, such as calm, credible, clear, and let those guide how you show up. 2. Calm Certainty Builds Credibility Powerhouse Presence™ isn't about being the loudest or most charismatic person in the room. It's about communicating: I belong here. I know what I bring. And I don't need to prove it. Slow your pace. Finish your sentences. Let your words land. Confidence doesn't rush. 3. Your First Words Matter Don't waste your opening warming up, qualifying your opinion, or giving unnecessary backstory. Instead of: “I've been thinking about this, and I'm not sure everyone will agree, but…” Try: “Here's what I recommend.” Use BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front. Lead with what matters most. 4. Remove the Language That Leaks Authority Pay attention to words and phrases that unintentionally weaken your message: just, sorry, I think, maybe, hopefully, or does that make sense? You don't have to become aggressive or overly direct. The goal is to communicate with greater clarity and certainty. Before you speak, ask: Am I softening this because it needs to be softened, or because I'm uncomfortable owning it? 5. Stand Out by Being Concise Over-explaining can come from wanting to prove your credibility. Ironically, it can have the opposite effect. Make your point. Give the necessary context. Then stop. Challenge yourself to cut the runway and eliminate the first 20–30% of what you would normally say. The more important your point, the less you should bury it. 6. Make Sure Your Presence Matches Your Brilliance You can be exceptionally talented and still have a gap between what you know and how others experience you. I call this the Credibility Gap: the distance between the expertise you possess and the confidence, clarity, and authority others experience from you. Your goal isn't to become someone else. It's to make sure the room can see the value that's already there. 7. Build Trust Through Consistency Powerhouse Presence™ isn't something you turn on for the big presentation or board meeting. Trust is built in the everyday moments: keeping your word, being prepared, communicating clearly, handling pressure well, and saying what needs to be said. People trust leaders when they know what they can count on from them.   Your Powerhouse Challenge This week, don't try to be more impressive. Be more intentional. Speak sooner. Say less. Slow down. Trust your own voice. Because when your presence matches your brilliance, you don't have to fight to command the room. People feel it. Some resources for you: Get 3 Strategies to Speak Up in Meetings here. Project more confidence and credibility with my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: Words to Avoid | Karen Laos My book “Trust Your Own Voice”: https://karenlaos.com/book/   Connect with me: Website: https://www.karenlaos.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenlaosofficial  Episodes also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwQoTGdJX5eME0ccBKiKng/videos   About me: Many years ago I found myself tongue-tied in a boardroom, my colleagues and executives staring at me. My stomach in my throat, I was unable to get the words out (in spite of being in a senior leadership role).  Then, I heard my boss shut down the meeting. My heart sank. I was mortified. She pulled me aside and said, "You didn't trust your gut. You could've tabled the meeting like I did." Why didn't that option occur to me in the moment? Why did I feel like I needed permission? That was the day I set out to change. I began a journey of personal growth to discover the root of the problem. Once I did, I wanted every woman to experience that same freedom. I'm now on a mission to silence self-doubt in 10 million women in 10 years by giving them simple strategies to speak up and ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond, resulting in more clients, job promotions, and negotiation wins. Companies like NASA, Netflix, Google, and Sephora have been propelled toward more effective communication skills through my signature framework, The Confidence Cocktail™. This is your invitation to step into your most confident self so you can catapult your career! Karen Laos, Communication Expert and Confidence Cultivator, leverages 25 years in the boardroom and speaking on the world's most coveted stages such as Google and NASA to transform missed opportunities into wins. She is fiercely committed to her mission of eradicating self-doubt in 10 million women by giving them practical strategies to ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond. She guides corporations and individuals with her tested communication model to generate consistent results through her Powerful Presence Keynote: How to Be an Influential Communicator. Get my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: Words to Avoid | Karen Laos Connect with me:Website: https://www.karenlaos.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenlaosofficial Facebook: Ignite Your Confidence with Karen Laos: https://www.facebook.com/groups/karenlaosconsultingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenlaos/Episodes also available on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwQoTGdJX5eME0ccBKiKng/videosMy book “Trust Your Own Voice”: https://karenlaos.com/book/

Half the time a leader says "that's just who I am," they're not describing their truest self. Rather, they're defending a habit they've never examined.In this episode of The Inner Edge, executive coach Janet Ioli unpacks the third leadership trap: mistaking familiar, wired-in reactions for authenticity. Through the story of Marcus, an executive who kept hearing the same feedback at every level of his career, Janet shows how "I'm just being real" can become the exact thing that blocks a leader's growth.Janet draws on developmental psychology to make the case that most of what we call our "authentic self" is actually just the most familiar version of us. Real authenticity, she argues, isn't unfiltered expression. It's chosen expression.This is the fourth episode in an eight-part series on the seven leadership traps, based on Janet's upcoming book, Escape the Traps (releasing October 2026).Chapters:00:00:00 The Word That Quietly Derails Good Leaders00:00:49 Marcus and the "Just Who I Am" Defense00:03:49 The Mirror: Excuses That Protect Us00:05:01 Where Your "Authentic" Reactions Actually Come From00:10:27 Escaping the Authenticity TrapRead the first chapter of Escape The Traps (available October 2026): https://mailchi.mp/5d2dbf42009c/escape-the-traps-chapterWhich trap is running you? Take the quiz and find out: https://tally.so/r/lb4Z4pConnect with Janet Ioli:Website: janetioli.comLinkedIn: Janet IoliInstagram: @janetioliYouTube: @janetioliIf you want to become more grounded, confident, and aligned with your deeper values in just 21 days, check out Janet Ioli's book Less Ego, More Soul: A Modern Reinvention Guide for Women.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  Produced by Ideablossoms 

What do you do when your boss tells you that you need "more executive presence" but gives you no idea what that actually means? In this episode, I'm breaking down one of the most common—and least useful—pieces of workplace feedback and sharing how you can turn it into something specific, actionable, and measurable. If you'd like immediate support with the issues you're facing as a Leader, then book a call with Elisia at https://elisiakeowncoaching.com/call You can find show notes, resources, and more here: https://tinyurl.com/p6tsmnke 

Send us Fan MailThe moment AI stops being a chatbot and starts taking actions, the real question changes from “Is it smart?” to “Who owns the decision?” That's where this conversation with Alan Wesley goes fast and deep. Allen is a cybersecurity executive and educator working at the intersection of AI, national security, cognitive security, and human judgment. Together, we break down why agentic AI makes accountability harder, not easier, especially when automation moves faster than organizations can assign authority.We talk through the real-world mechanics of cognitive overload and cognitive offloading at work, including how AI can accidentally create more noise by producing polished, lengthy outputs that bury the actual ask. Allen shares a simple but powerful framework for getting better results: give the system a role, clear instructions, and a knowledge base that adds context so the output fits the human-to-human decision you're actually trying to make.From there, we get into the security realities of agents that are goal-driven and “creative” in ways you didn't plan for. We unpack permission drift, social engineering risks where an agent convinces a user to do what it cannot, and why “human intent is not a control boundary.” Allen explains what governance has to exist outside the model: policy as code, agentic role mapping, monitoring at machine speed, and tiered risk so critical functions never become a rubber-stamped approval chain. If you care about AI governance, cybersecurity, CMMC pressures on small businesses, and keeping humans meaningfully accountable, this one is for you.Subscribe for more conversations on leadership and technology, share this with a friend building with AI, and leave a review with your biggest question about decision authority in the age of agents.Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com.And don't miss Grant McGaugh's new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/See you next time on Follow The Brand!

https://youtu.be/7yugccgcgs8 Justin Nassiri, Founder and CEO of Executive Presence, is driven by the power of human connection and a mission to harvest CEO stories that reveal authentic experiences and valuable insights. By serving as thought partners to C-suite executives, Justin and his team transform personal perspectives, mistakes, and lessons into compelling LinkedIn content that builds trust and distinguishes leaders from generic, AI-generated voices. In this conversation, Justin introduces The Content Strategy Framework—Use the 40:30:20:10 Content Formula, Harvest Stories, Borrow Thought Patterns, and Apply Curiosity. He explains why leaders should build visibility through personal profiles, how skilled interviewers uncover stories executives may overlook, and why Thought Leader Ads can extend the reach of proven content. Justin also discusses growing through referrals and warm relationships, using 10-week improvement cycles to revisit every business process, and developing autonomous team members who use AI to solve problems while preserving human connection. — Harvest CEO Stories with Justin Nassiri  Good day, listeners. Steve Preda here, and my guest today again is Justin Nassiri, the Founder and CEO of Executive Presence, a fully managed LinkedIn thought leadership service for C-suite executives at growth-stage B2B companies. Justin, welcome back to the show.  Great to be back. Thanks, Steve.  So we just reminisced that it was three years almost to the day that you came here, and I can’t believe it. It feels like yesterday. But your business has grown dramatically during that time, so I think you have some new insights that you’ll be able to share with us, I’m sure.  Thank you. It’s good to be back. We just made the Inc. 5000 list, which is a first for me. I’ve never been on that before, but we’re celebrating that.  Yeah. Congratulations. That’s a great milestone to hit. And you only started in 2022, right?  Yeah, yeah.  So, pretty freshly minted, fast-growing Inc. 5000. So my question to you is, what is your personal why, and how are you manifesting it in Executive Presence, in your business?  There’s a very potent macro or micro why for me, and then probably a broader why. I think that the biggest why for me right now, like many parents, is my kids. I’ve got a three- and a seven-year-old. And so when I think of my professional life, I certainly think about not just providing for them but also trying to set an example of someone who is trying to do their best and trying to stretch and trying to grow.Share on X  And so I think that’s probably the highest leverage that I have. But I think the through line in the companies that I’ve done is just the value of human connection. My first company was all about companies using Instagram in a way to be more authentic and more genuine with their community, and that’s very true to what we’re doing now at Executive Presence, just really helping people connect to other people.  In this case, it’s executives using LinkedIn to connect with a broader audience, but I really feel like that human connection is so important, and I think it’s becoming even more important in the era of AI. So that’s a little bit more specific why in what I do right now.  Yeah, it’s fascinating how human connection is evolving in the age of AI, and I agree. I mean, I see that because there’s so much more noise out there, human connection is perhaps more important than ever. People want to make sure that they are talking to authentic people and hearing from authentic people who have authentic lived experience. So how does that impact communication for executives on LinkedIn? How do they have to evolve their voice or how they approach things?  I think if you look at LinkedIn in particular right now, I think it still remains the place where the largest source of our professional network is. And so I think there’s still a lot of value there, and I think that LinkedIn is facing a lot of growing pains. Specifically, I think that there are three things driving it. One is more people are just showing up on the platform. The secret is out, and people realize that there’s value to LinkedIn.  So, all things else equal, more people are more active on LinkedIn, which generates a lot of noise. And then the second thing is AI is making it easier to create content, so I think it’s creating not just more content, but lower-quality content. And then the third thing is it does seem as if LinkedIn is following what Facebook did over a decade ago and saying, “Look, to get reach, you’ve got to put money into ads now.”  And we saw that transition with Facebook company pages a long time ago, but it really does feel like you cannot get as much visibility today as you could have two years ago unless there’s some sort of ad buy behind it. And so I think those are kind of the three problems. I think that the answer is still there’s value in showing up, but I think that you have to show up even more human. I think that the experiences that make you unique and the mistakes that make you who you are and the things that you know and the stories that you can tell, those still hold value, and that differentiates you from generic or AI-generated content.  I also think that there’s value to using LinkedIn ads, and we can talk about that, but I think that that has to be part of one’s strategy now if you’re trying to significantly use LinkedIn for what it’s good for, which is brand building.  Yeah, and maybe this is a slight question, then we’re going to talk to you about the framework. But as I understand, LinkedIn now allows individuals to also boost their posts as opposed to just companies, which used to be the case in the past. So how does it impact companies? Is there more emphasis now? Is emphasis shifting to individual posts because there’s no real reason to build up the company pages? How is that evolving?  Yeah, I mean, four years ago when I started the company, before these Thought Leader Ads, these individual people ads were a thing, I still would’ve said to you, “Look, there’s not much value in company pages. People connect with other people. They’re not going to connect with a faceless organization.” So even four years ago, I would’ve said, “Man, if you really want to raise visibility for your organization, you’ve got to do that through your key leaders.  You’ve got to do that through actual names and faces and voices and perspectives.” And I think that the ads make that even more pronounced now because I can now take my personal post as Justin Nassiri. If it does well on LinkedIn, I can put a $50 or $500 ad buy against it, and I can make sure that essentially specific people are going to see my post. If I’m selling to CEOs of tech companies in Cincinnati that have grown 10% last year and they’ve been at their company for five years, I can have an insane level of targeting, and I could put my personal content in front of them in a way that most people still don’t realize is an ad.  It will say, “Promoted by,” and then the company name, so “Promoted by Executive Presence.” Most people, when scrolling, don’t even notice that. Yeah. And so I think there’s a tremendous opportunity then to take very human and personal content and put it in front of exactly whoever you’re trying to get in front of.  Yeah, I love that. You also say on your LinkedIn page that it takes an executive only 90 minutes a month to actually work with you guys and have you amplify them. So how do you extract all those personal stories and experiences? What is your framework for that so that when you meet with an executive, you’re able to create those posts without them having to be involved? Yeah, I think the framework is pretty universal for anyone listening. We tend to start with the content strategy. And the way that we typically start is we’ll say, okay, 40% of the content we would call industry thought leadership. And that is great if you can talk about current events and relate them to your industry. It’s great if you can share things about your industry that no one knows or that you disagree with people.  But do that 40%, which is the biggest of any of the categories, as really the education, as the subject matter expert. You are showing up as an authority in cybersecurity, or you are showing up as an authority in leadership, or you’re showing up as an authority in B2B supply chain. And I think the key here is the more niche, the better. The more narrow, the better. We are not Joe Rogan. We’re not trying to get 300 million people to look at your content. We want to get in front of a very narrow group of people, typically prospects, customers, potential employees, potential investors.  We really want to narrow where your voice can be fairly large in a very finite realm. So that's the industry thought leadership piece.Share on X The second one, about 30% of the content, we call it leadership and career journey. And what we’re trying to do here is a blend of humanizing the executive while also giving them credibility. And so if we are working with someone who is a CEO at a company, well, they’ve done things prior to that. So what did they learn in college or a previous workplace? What was a mistake that they made? What was a mentor that said something to them?  So that’s a way of us imparting one of their values or something that they know, but wrapped in a story from their history, which humanizes them. And that would be generally 30% of the content. Twenty percent, obviously they’re doing this to promote their company, so 20% would be about their company, spotlighting an employee, recent events, things like that. Again, trying to do it through stories if possible. And then the last 10% is usually the highest-performing 10%, and we would call that work-adjacent content. So we want to, again, make them a three-dimensional person. What do they do outside of the office? Is that family?  And we usually use what we call the dinner party test for this. If you were with prospects and potential employees, what’s fair game to talk about over dinner and drinks? Some people would definitely talk about their kids. Some people would never talk about their kids. Some would talk about their hobbies. Some would never talk about that. So that's a good filter to figure out what they could talk about that's not just always talking shop. So that's kind of the framework that we use.Share on X  But I think that the way that we harvest this information is really the skill of the people that I hire on my team. It’s people who are really good at pulling insights out of someone and getting someone to open up and having that heat-seeking missile approach of, what is a story that they’re sitting on that they don’t even realize is a compelling story? And that’s one thing that has stood out. Some of the best-performing LinkedIn posts, the person didn’t even think that that would be interesting to anyone else.  We’re often not the best filter for ourselves of what’s going to land. And that’s one of the values of LinkedIn, is that you can actually put out ideas and stories and insights, and very quickly, in an 18-hour time period, get signal from the market if people value that from you or not, and then follow that trend.  Yeah. That’s fascinating, and it sounds a little bit like being a ghostwriter for someone, that you can really get those stories out and you can have them open up so that their brain is going to surface those things that maybe they don’t think about. Maybe they are not extroverted and they won’t be able to bring this up on their own. But if you catalyze it, then they come to life that way.  Yeah. I think of it as a thought partner. I kind of realized this because I hosted a podcast for a long time as well, and you kind of realize the power—exactly what you’re doing—the power of curiosity and the power of distance, right? You are showing up, you’re curious about my experience.  You have enough distance from it that you’re asking questions that might even seem intuitive to me, or it might be one of those things where I’m like, “Well, everyone knows this.” But then you bring an outsider in, and it’s like, “No, not everyone knows this,” or, “I think people would find this interesting.” So having that thought partner to be the outside observer of what others would benefit from.  Yeah. That’s amazing. That’s a real skill, and that also brings in that human skill that an AI is not going to be able to prompt those kinds of questions, that kind of curiosity, that there’s an emotional driver behind it. That’s a very journalistic trait, I suppose. That’s a new form of journalism that you’re practicing here, isn’t it?  Yeah, it is. And the type of person I hire to do that are ex-consultants because they’re really good. They’re really good at coming into a business and understanding the objective and understanding how to get very senior people—because we work with CEOs of publicly traded companies and CEOs of smaller companies—to really get very prominent people to open up. And being comfortable interrupting or redirecting or pushing back, it really is a unique skill set.  Yeah, I love that. So that brings me to my next question. What drives growth in your business? How did you get, in four years, on the Inc. 5000? What was the engine here, the fuel?  Well, it’s so funny because I ask this of every CEO I meet with as well, to learn from them. Everyone always says referrals, so I’ll be generic and say referrals do drive—it’s probably the single biggest source of revenue. When I first started the company, I actually used LinkedIn. And so this actually came out of another company that I was running, and they had the idea. And so I went to LinkedIn and I said, “I think that the type of person who would be interested in this is CEOs of companies with at least 50 employees.” And I put that into Sales Navigator, and it came up with a couple hundred first-degree connections.  And I just sent out a fairly generic message of, “Hey, Steve, just wanted to give you a quick update. I’m launching this new service, and this is what we do. Let me know if you know of anyone who would like to chat.” And I actually got probably 60 or 70K in monthly recurring revenue from that, of people I wasn’t really aware of what they were up to. One of the guys who’s still a client, I had met with him 10 years previously when he was an investor, and then now he was CEO and founder of a company that ultimately went public.  So I wouldn’t have thought of that person, but that’s a great thing about LinkedIn, of saying, “Here’s someone who might be interested in what I’m doing.” And so that sort of outbound of warm connections has played a role. Obviously, I’m active on LinkedIn. I get a lot of leads from that. I do a fairly good job of keeping in touch with my network and seeing when people might be needing us. I think, back to the human connection, I do think conferences are playing a bigger role.  I’m starting to go to more conferences and realizing the value of meeting people in person and how that kind of seems to accelerate the process of building trust and building relationships. We do cold email. We do AdWords. We do a newsletter. We do a lot of content marketing, and so I think each of them plays their own part. But referrals certainly are the biggest one. LinkedIn is probably number two. Yeah. That’s very interesting. And do you see a lot of competitors? Is this a crowded field?  It is. We have expanded beyond LinkedIn largely because of the competitive nature, where I think just as people have flocked to LinkedIn. I would say the biggest faction is a lot of solopreneurs. A lot of individuals will work with a few executives, and so that’s probably the lower-level competitors. There are a handful of companies that are doing something similar to us, and then more established PR companies that will say, “Yes, we do LinkedIn as well.” But I think at this point, we’ve got the deepest track record of executives.  We work with over 400 now, which, as far as I’m aware, is the largest set. We actually present our data to LinkedIn every year because it is the largest data set of just executives rather than influencers. And I think the play for most professionals and most executives is different than what an influencer would do on a platform like LinkedIn, and I think it’s important to do what’s appropriate for an executive.  So you mentioned on your LinkedIn page that you bootstrapped this company to three million ARR.  Yep.  So what do you expect to be different from going from 60,000 monthly recurring, 700 ARR, to three million, to going from three million to 10 million? How is it going to be different?  Yeah, that’s such a good question. And I balance this because I really like Paul Graham’s thought that you have to do things that are not scalable to be able to scale. And so oftentimes, I’m looking for things to do consistently, but it’s really helpful for me not to constrain myself in that way and to think of things that—it still feels like guerrilla warfare at times—what are little things that we can do to get an edge?  I think that the thing that I think about most right now in getting from three to 10 million is creating a machine for experimentation, and experimentation not just in our service, but also in our sales and marketing. And so how do we create a culture? Let’s just take the service side of things. I never want our service to plateau. I have run a company before where our product became stale and a competitor put us out of business. I never want that to happen again. And that the way that we minimize the probability that that happens is that we are always experimenting.  We are always listening to our clients and understanding what else we could do to make their life better.Share on X But then we’re also looking at the market and thinking, what else might our clients not even realize they need but would benefit from? And I love that phrase from Henry Ford, “If I had listened to my customers, I would have built a faster horse.” I think that there’s a value in listening to customers, but also a value in being one or two steps ahead of them. And so, for example, one of the things that we’re heavily looking at right now is the thought of AI visibility for executives.  And where GEO is getting more and more prominence for organizations, we see a world where it’s very important not just to cultivate a human audience and a human group of people who view and like your content and respect you, but also essentially cultivating an AI audience and making sure that your content is visible by LLMs and making sure that Claude and Perplexity see you as the authority and are referencing you. And so that’s something that our clients aren’t yet asking for, but we’re already developing a solution and a thesis because we think that that’s the way that the world is going.  But the central point is, how do we create an engine for experimentation so we are always testing out new things and seeing if they work, and reinvesting in the ones that work and letting go of the ones that don’t work? And I think that if we can do that for our clients and for ourselves, it always keeps us evolving. We’re always upping the game. We’re always improving, because I think the moment that we stop doing that, that’s when we stagnate or that’s when someone else comes along and puts us out of business.  So how do you maintain this alignment and this entrepreneurial energy? Because experimentation is innovation. It’s entrepreneurship in your business. How do you perpetuate it? So as you’re growing the business, you’ve got 40 people now, maybe you’re going to have more, you’re going to have AI agents running around. So how do you keep that experimentation and this entrepreneurial energy as you are getting further and further from the newest hires?  So the first thing that I love—and this is my VP of Ops, Shelby, who came up with this—but I really like it. She instituted a 10-week cycle composed of one- to two-week sprints. And she oversees all of our client work. So what she did is she broke everything we do for our clients into different sections. She instituted a system of saying, “Okay, these are all the different things we do. If you have an idea about how to do something better, or if you have a complaint about how something’s not working, or if a client mentions something, I want you to put it in this spreadsheet so we can keep track of how we can improve each thing.”  And what we’re going to do is, this week we’re doing a sprint on interview questions—how we prepare our interview questions for our clients. We are going to invest a week-long sprint in improving that process through technology, AI, and processes. And then we’re going to go through every other aspect. But guess what? Ten weeks later, we’re coming back to interview questions again. What that does, I think, in today’s landscape is not only does that keep us always thinking of improving something, but every 10 weeks we’re re-looking at specifically AI to see, what are its capabilities now? It’s changing so quickly.  From 10 weeks ago, it might be able to do something better or different. So let’s create a system so that we are periodically refreshing every aspect of our business from team feedback, client feedback, but also technological improvements. And it’s mind-boggling to think that that’s the pace now, and that 10 weeks might not even be sufficient in the future with the rate at which things are changing. That’s the best example I can think of how we’re trying to create that mindset of constant and incessant improvement.  And how do you build your team? Are you remote, or do you have an office somewhere?  We are all remote. Yeah, we are 100% remote. So we’re in seven different states, all still in the United States. It does pose challenges as you grow of how do you get in person and create connection. And so we’ll do things like happy hours online and different ways to get to know each other. But I also think, for those others listening who create a remote-first culture, you filter for people who thrive in that environment and do their best work when they have a fair amount of autonomy. And I think that autonomy for us has been helpful because we want people who are individual problem solvers, and I think that overlaps well with people who prefer a remote-first workplace.  Yeah, that’s fascinating. So if you had a magic wand and you could fix one thing in your business in the next 12 months, what would you do?  That is a really good question. I mean, it almost feels like the world is moving towards more entrepreneurs, not fewer ones, which I, for one, like. I’m a huge fan of both entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs. But if I could wave a magic wand, it would be making everyone on the team think like an entrepreneur, which would have probably been a liability 12 months ago. But the way I approach everything now is—I literally, right before this, was using Claude for my personal finances.  On the business side, it is now connected to QuickBooks, and on the personal side, I have a system of creating a report exactly the way I want it, which I, for one, love—the capability of AI to personalize things. I don’t have to use Mint or QuickBooks anymore. I can build it exactly in the way that works for my crazy brain. But I was updating and realizing that the tools have changed, and so, like, upgrading the way that I track my personal finances. And that’s just kind of very natural for me, and I do that for my kids’ menus, and I do that for everything. I kind of have a project or an approach on AI.  And I think that that’s a similar mindset that I need for my team, is thinking like an entrepreneur. How do you get better at everything? How do you get more efficient at everything? How do you look for new ways of solving things? I think it used to be that the entrepreneur was the visionary and setting the vision for the company, and everyone was more or less following orders or a system.  I still see a role for the visionary, but it's almost as if everyone on the team has to be their own visionary of envisioning how to improve their workflowShare on X and how to make themselves more productive and how to utilize tools and realize where that can make them more effective. And I don’t know that it’s going to be top-down anymore. I think that the advantage of the tools we have today is, like, the way that I use AI, Steve, might be completely different than the way that you use it. And that’s the beauty of it, is that our brains are different, our worldviews are different, our skill sets are different, but we can almost bolt this technology on us to make ourselves superhuman.  But the way that it works for you is going to be different than me, and that will be true in a team. So, very long answer, but if I could wave that magic wand, it would be imparting that entrepreneur mindset of finding problems and the best way to solve them, and never stop solving problems.Share on X  Yeah. So it’s just a feeling, and maybe I won’t articulate it well, but I’m just looking at your business. You’re building this remote team, and then you’re making everyone more autonomous so that they are working with AI to improve their productivity. In a way, it is supercharging everyone individually, but what about the team cohesion? So how do you make sure that people don’t get isolated?  Isaac Asimov has a novel which is in the distant future, on a distant planet, and basically everyone has 1,000 robots, and everyone is in their own world, and they just communicate on video screen because personal contact is no longer even appropriate. And everyone gets super rich and super efficient, but something gets lost.  So I wonder, how do you see the tension between empowering people, having AI help everyone be super productive in their individual way, in a remote culture? How do you keep this constellation together going forward?  Yeah. It still comes back to human connection for me. I think that, let’s just say on a client level, if my company’s doing our job well with our clients, if we are having them become thought leaders, having them grow influence and audience, I want that to lead to more human connection for them. And the way that I have seen that showing up is they go to a conference and people know them and people come up.  Like, people are literally—they might not have created connection before, but they recognize them, they know who they are, and that draws them to in-person interactions. That’s human connection coming out of what we do. For our team, I hope it leads to more human connection, that as we become more efficient, as we become better at what we do, as the company grows, we will get together in person more often. We'll be able to be in the room together and brainstorm because that becomes more valuable, and we're all craving that.Share on X  So, sci-fi is my favorite genre of literature and cinema, and I don’t think that we will ultimately end up with VR goggles on our head and not talking to each other. I think that in the same way that we have seen with social media, that it has a purpose, but we still want to be around each other and benefit from being in person. I think that we will become more and more like that. I don’t think it will drive us apart. I think it will lead to more connection. That’s my optimist view on it.  Yeah. Love it. Well, I hope you’re right.  Yeah.  Okay, so if someone who is a founder of a business, a growing business, or maybe a C-level in an enterprise, and they don’t have time to manage their LinkedIn, but they realize that they’re missing out with their thought leadership and they need help or they want to explore, where should they go and how can they connect with you and your colleagues?  Yeah, I appreciate that. I would just say, in general, every leader needs to know that their personal brand is going to impact both their career as well as their company, and them being able to articulate their viewpoints and what they think and believe is going to be a vital skill. And that could be on stage at a conference, it could be on YouTube, it could be on LinkedIn, it could be in a book, it could be in articles, but they have to have a way to know what they believe, to know what knowledge they have that is valuable, and find a way to add value to others.  I think that that’s just more and more the direction things are going. And it can be really hard because you are probably growing an empire, you are probably doing so many different things. And just know that there are people like Executive Presence, where our skill set is figuring out where your zone of genius is and figuring out what stories you have that are really good assets, and figuring out who you are and how you want to present online, and then helping you do that consistently across different channels.  And so if that’s of interest, I obviously love talking about this stuff, but I’m happy to talk with anyone who listens to the show. If you go to executivepresence.io and fill out our contact form, it gets to me. You can find me on LinkedIn, Justin Nassiri, or my email is justin@executivepresence.io. Any of those three work. But I just believe that this is going to be more and more valuable for leaders to develop that skill, and would love to help anyone listening do that.  Well, if you’re out there listening, you see that something is working because Justin propelled his company from a standing start to the Inc. 5000 in three or four years, and he is pushing the envelope on generative AI and reinvention every 10 weeks of his company. So if you’d like to be part of that and you have to take advantage of promoting yourself on LinkedIn with a cutting-edge approach, then reach out to Justin Nassiri on LinkedIn or executivepresence.io. And if you enjoyed this conversation, stay tuned because every week I bring a couple of successful entrepreneurs who are sharing their frameworks of how they’re being successful. So thanks for coming, Justin, and thanks for listening. Important Links: Justin's LinkedIn Justin's website Justin's Email: justin@executivepresence.io

Why does someone with weaker thinking get the credit just because they spoke up more? Speaking up more makes you visible but does not build presence. The signals can be built, but whether the people deciding your next move currently read you as ready is a separate question this video cannot answer for you. See where you stand: https://masteryinsights.com/mentorship-pc What is executive presence, and how do you actually build it? Executive presence is not gravitas, appearance, or how much you speak; it is the conclusion other people reach about your internal state, specifically how you are likely to function under pressure. It becomes visible through five signals: a controlled pace, economy with completeness, composure under pressure, decision level framing, and the ability to leave space. Those signals cannot be faked by speaking up more, because they are produced by five inner conditions: competence, cognitive clarity, internal authority, consequence readiness, and orientation toward service. Visibility only determines whether people notice your contribution, while presence determines what they conclude once they have, so building the conditions, not adding airtime, is what changes how leadership reads you. Key Concepts Visibility versus presence: Visibility is whether people have heard enough to notice your contribution, while presence is what they conclude about you after they notice, so more airtime can raise visibility while leaving the wrong impression intact. Presence: Presence is the read other people form about your internal state, developed internally and made perceptible externally, signaling how you are likely to function under pressure with self-regulation rather than a need for recognition. The five signals of presence: The observable behaviors senior leaders scan for are a controlled pace, economy with completeness, composure under pressure, decision level framing, and leaving space. Economy with completeness: Economy with completeness is using no more language than the decision requires while still giving enough context for others to follow your reasoning, which is not the same as merely being brief. The five conditions of presence: The inner sources that generate the signals are competence, cognitive clarity, internal authority, consequence readiness, and orientation toward service. Internal authority: Internal authority is the grounded conviction that your value and perspective do not depend on another person's immediate agreement, most observable when you are disagreed with, challenged, or speaking with someone more senior. Of the five signals of presence, which one do the people deciding your next role never get to see from you?   Show notes and free resources: https://CareerRevisionist.com/episode256 Do you want to move up in executive leadership? Want to elevate your communication skills, leadership abilities and influence in the world around you? If you're ready to start leveling up in your career and you want to develop all of the skills and professional acumen that will allow you to grow into senior executive positions with confidence, apply here: https://masteryinsights.com/mentorship-pc Answer a few questions to see if you qualify for Dr. Grace's executive coaching program, then book a time to speak with a member of our team. --------- Thank You for Listening! I am truly grateful that you have chosen to tune in. Visit my Youtube channel where I release new videos weekly on executive career growth, communication, increasing income, and professional development. Please share your thoughts! Leave questions or feedback in the comments below. Leave me a review on iTunes and share my podcast with your colleagues. With Love & Wisdom, Grace

Summer Remix: Album 8 Track 12: Win the Room - Accelerate Your Career w/Bernard BellHow do you go from "Step Zero" to a Senior VP role at a major cable network? Bernard Bell, known as "The Confidence Professor," joins the podcast to explain why Executive Presence is the ultimate career accelerator.In this candid conversation, Bernard breaks down the difference between networking and "engaging," the importance of leading like a "shepherd who smells like his sheep," and why culture will always trump strategy. He also shares the high-stakes story of a $55 million programming misstep and the valuable lesson in humility and due diligence it taught him. Tune in to learn how to curate your personal brand and win the room before you ever open your mouth.In this episode, you'll learn:The F.O.R.M. Framework: A tactical guide to engaging anyone, anywhere.The 8-Slice Pizza of Success: Why your degree is only one slice of your professional value.Ego Management: Why Bernard keeps his ego in his back pocket to lead effectively.The $55 Million Mistake: A vulnerable look at what happens when instinct replaces market research.Whether you're a junior marketer looking for your first break or a Director aiming for the CMO chair, this episode is your blueprint for career acceleration.Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and share with a fellow Brand Nerd!Instagram | LinkedIn

Send us Fan MailYour first 30 days can shape how they see your leadership, credibility, and potential. When a new boss takes over, the trust you built with your previous manager does not automatically transfer. Your new manager may know very little about your strengths, the problems you solve, or the value you bring to the team.In this episode of Communicate to Lead, leadership coach Kele Belton shares how high-performing women can navigate a leadership transition without becoming invisible. You will learn what to do in the first 30 days with a new manager, how to request a strategic introductory conversation, and the one question that helps you align your work with your new manager's priorities.If you have a new manager, are going through a reorganization, or worry that your contributions are being overlooked after a leadership change, this episode will help you build visibility, strengthen your working relationship, and be seen as the leader you already are.In This Episode, You'll LearnWhat to do in your first 30 days with a new manager.Why your credibility can feel reset after a manager leaves or is promoted.How new managers form early impressions of employees—and why those impressions matter.The best way to introduce your experience and strengths without sounding self-promotional.How to request a 30-minute conversation with a new manager.Why “letting your work speak for itself” can hurt your visibility during a leadership transition.The difference between presenting yourself as a resume versus giving your manager a useful map of your work.The most important question to ask a new manager about their first 90 days.How to position yourself as a strategic, trusted, and essential member of the team.A Practical First-30-Days Action StepIf you have a new manager—or expect one soon—request a 30-minute conversation within the first two weeks.Frame the meeting around helping them get up to speed on your work, the priorities you own, and the areas where you can support their goals. Rather than listing accomplishments, explain the problems you solve, the stakeholders you work with, and the outcomes you are responsible for.Before the conversation ends, ask:Before the conversation ends, ask:“What does success look like for you in your first 90 days, and where would it be most helpful for me to contribute?”This question signals that you are thinking beyond your own role. It positions you as someone who understands the larger business, anticipates needs, and wants to help your manager succeed.Who This Episode Is ForThis episode is for high-performing women in middle management and senior management who are:Starting with a new manager or new boss.Navigating a reorganization or leadership transition.Concerned about losing visibility after a trusted leader leaves.Tired of being reliable but overlooked.Ready to build executive presence, stronger sponsorship, and career momentum.Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat should you do in the first 30 days with a new manager?Schedule an intentional 30-minute conversation in the first two to three weeks. Help your new manager understand the work you own, the problems you solve, your key relationships, and where you can support their priorities. Then ask what success looks like for them in their first 90 days.How do you introduce yourself to a new manager?Focus on what is useful to them, not a chronological list of accomplishments. Share your responsibilities, current priorities, relevant context, and the results you are accountable for. Explain how your work connects to the team's goals and ask where they need support most.Why does a new manager change workplace visibility?Your former manager had built a detailed understanding of your work over time. A new manager does not automatically inherit that understanding. Without proactive communication, they may see only a small portion of your contribution and form an incomplete early impression.Should you let your work speak for itself with a new boss?Not during a leadership transition. Your work can only “speak for itself” when the person evaluating it knows the context, scope, and ownership behind it. Make your work visible by communicating the priorities you lead, the outcomes you create, and the strategic value you provide.What is the best question to ask a new manager?Ask: “What does success look like for you in your first 90 days, and where would it be most helpful for me to contribute?” This helps you understand their priorities and shows that you are thinking like a strategic partner.Mentioned in This EpisodeEpisode 188: How to Negotiate What You're Worth Without Undermining Yourself or OverexplainingEpisode 190: Passed Over for a Promotion? The First 90 Days Matter MostReady to Go Deeper?If you are navigating a new manager, a leadership change, or a shift in workplace dynamics—and you want a strategy for being seen, trusted, and considered for bigger opportunities—a Leadership Strategy Call can help.In this free 30-minute conversation, we will look at your specific situation, what your new manager may value, and how you can communicate your contribution with greater clarity and confidence.Book your free Leadership Strategy CallAbout Kele BeltonKele Belton is a communication and leadership coach, facilitator, and consultant—and the host of Communicate to Lead. She helps high-performing women in middle and senior management move from being essential but invisible to being seen, sponsored, and promoted.Through The Tailored Approach, Kele helps leaders strengthen executive presence, communicate their value, navigate workplace politics, and build the visibility needed for career advancement.Connect With KeleLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kele-ruth-beltonInstagram: @thetailoredapproachWebsite: thetailoredapproach.comBook a Leadership Strategy Call: Schedule here

Most people are waiting to be noticed. The people with executive presence make it impossible not to notice them.Part two of Phil and Pen's Executive Presence series is here, and this time it is all about the tools. The practical, immediately usable things you can do in your next meeting, your next conversation and your next online call to start commanding the room with confidence.Because here is the thing: Executive presence is not something you are born with. It is something you build. And in this episode, Phil and Pen give you exactly what you need to start building it today.From the four dimensions of executive presence and a tool for each one, to the authority trap and why levelling the playing field with more senior people is not about losing respect but about showing up as an equal, this episode is packed with tangible, real world tools that will change how people experience you the moment you walk into a room.And here is something worth sitting with. We often compare our internal experience to what we see in other people's external appearance. They are not the same thing. Not even close. Everyone in that room is carrying something. The difference is who has learned to own the space anyway.In this episode you'll discover:The SCRIPTS framework and how the way you use your voice is shaping your executive presence more than you realiseThe three things tool and why this one simple structure will instantly make you look more confident, credible and in controlHow to take up more space physically and why your gesture levels are one of the most underrated executive presence tools there isWhy arrogance and defensiveness are both the enemy of executive presence and what to do insteadBy the end of this episode, we want you to try one thing. In your very next meeting, notice your gesture levels, get your voice in the room early and ask yourself this question: If people could not hear me, would they still want to look at me? Because presence does not build itself. But with the right tools, it absolutely can be built.Haven't listened to part one yet? Head back and start there first.

Cindy Esliger explores what happens when years of quietly minimizing ourselves at work start to make our expertise invisible. Many of us have learned to soften our language, wait to be asked for our thoughts, and let the confident answers of others stand even when we know there is a better one. Cindy explains why being competent is not enough if no one understands the contribution we're making. Visibility is not vanity. It's information, and closing the gap between how capable we are and how visible we allow that capability to be is essential to career growth. Reclaiming our voice means noticing how often we ask permission to use it. Tentative preambles, qualifiers, overthinking, and waiting until an idea is certain quietly undermine our authority and can keep us from contributing at all. Cindy reminds us that the people who invited us into the room have already decided that our expertise belongs there. Speaking with conviction means trusting our preparation enough to put an idea on the table. The same applies when we disagree. Avoiding conflict doesn't preserve harmony. Respectful disagreement can build trust, especially when we make the point about the work rather than the person and present a solution to a problem. How we use our voice matters too. Cindy identifies three specific habits worth listening for: 1. Uptalk, 2. Pace, and 3. Qualifiers. The goal is not to sound like someone else or perform confidence. It's to recognize the habits that undercut the expertise and authority we've already earned. Reclaiming our voice takes practice, but over time the gap between what we know and what we allow others to see can close. Key Moments: [00:00:07] When You Have the Idea but Don't Say It [00:02:57] Visibility Isn't Vanity [00:05:43] Position Your Expertise Strategically [00:07:17] Stop Asking Permission to Speak [00:10:14] Choose Boldness Over Burnout [00:13:07] Disagreement Can Build Trust [00:17:23] Three Vocal Habits That Can Undercut Authority   Resources discussed in this episode: Guide to Reclaiming Your Voice Astronomic Audio Confidence Collective — Contact Cindy Esliger  Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most CEOs think they have a confidence problem. They don't. They have a clarity problem.You can watch it happen in real time. Someone stands up in front of a room, opens with "so..." and thirty seconds of hedging, and you can feel the room's confidence in them drop before they've said anything worth remembering. They're not less smart than the person who sounds brilliant right after them. They're just less clear.So what actually separates the executives who sound years ahead of everyone else in the room from the ones who don't?It's not innate charisma. It's not a personality type you're born with. It's a small number of specific, trainable techniques that get drilled into people at the top, usually in private, and almost never explained anywhere public.In this episode, I break down the exact mechanics I use to coach CEOs and senior executives to sound clearer, more decisive, and more convincing under pressure. You'll learn the four-part framework top executives use to answer any hard question in under fifteen seconds, why a story about a customer will always outperform a slide full of data, and why the way your voice ends a sentence can undo everything you just said.I also share the real reason over-preparing doesn't make you sound scripted, the one metaphor rule almost everyone breaks the moment their first one works, and an uncomfortable truth about why some people always seem three months ahead of everyone else in the room.If you've ever watched a CEO speak and wondered how they make it look so easy, this episode is the answer.Apply to work with me: https://www.michaelxcampion.com/Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelxcampion/(00:00) The Communication Gap Nobody Talks About(02:52) Tip 1: The PREP Framework(05:49) Brevity & the Cost of Rambling(08:40) Tip 2: Stories Beat Spreadsheets(10:51) The SHUSH Storytelling Formula(12:24) The Neuroscience of Great Storytelling(14:39) Tip 3: The Downward Close(18:22) Tip 4: One Metaphor Beats Ten Adjectives(21:53) Tip 5: The Preparation Advantage(24:52) Knowing the Room & The Pratfall Effect(27:05) Bonus: Wisdom Is Just Access in Disguise(29:10) The Real Point of All This

Somebody out there remembers exactly how they felt in your presence today. That's the imprint you left, whether you meant to or not.In this episode of The Inner Edge, executive coach Janet Ioli unpacks the second of seven leadership traps: the autopilot trap. She opens with a question most leaders get wrong: presence or competence, and argues that presence isn't a soft skill. It's the thing doing the real work.Janet grounds this in two people from her own past, both of whom shaped her in a matter of seconds without holding any formal leadership role in her life. One left her feeling capable for decades. The other made her feel small enough to walk away from a school entirely.This is the third episode in an eight-part series on the seven leadership traps, based on Janet's upcoming book, Escape the Traps (releasing October 2026).Chapters:00:00:00 Presence vs Competence: Which Wins? 00:01:19 Two Moments That Shaped Janet 00:04:22 The Excuses Leaders Tell Themselves 00:07:47 Why Leaders Default to Autopilot 00:10:03 The Mirror Question and Self-Audit 00:12:16 Next Episode: Trap ThreeRead the first chapter of Escape The Traps (available October 2026): https://mailchi.mp/5d2dbf42009c/escape-the-traps-chapterWhich trap is running you? Take the quiz and find out: https://tally.so/r/lb4Z4pConnect with Janet Ioli:Website: janetioli.comLinkedIn: Janet IoliInstagram: @janetioliYouTube: @janetioliIf you want to become more grounded, confident, and aligned with your deeper values in just 21 days, check out Janet Ioli's book Less Ego, More Soul: A Modern Reinvention Guide for Women.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  Produced by Ideablossoms 

Send us Fan MailSend us Fan MailIn this enlightening episode of Living the Dream with Curveball, we are joined by Dr. Laura Sicola, a renowned leadership and communication coach with over 15 years of experience guiding individuals to master the art of effective communication. Dr. Sicola delves into the crucial elements of leadership communication, introducing her concept of the "three C's": Command the room, Connect with the audience, and Close the deal. She shares valuable insights on the importance of aligning what you say with how you say it, and how this alignment fosters trust and credibility in any conversation.Throughout our discussion, Dr. Sicola emphasizes the power of storytelling and the techniques that can transform ordinary speakers into hypnotic storytellers. She explains how using analogies, shifting energy, and speaking in the present tense can engage listeners on a deeper level, making messages resonate and stick. Additionally, she addresses common pitfalls that undermine authority, such as run-on sentences and upspeak, providing practical tips to enhance communication skills.Listeners will walk away with actionable strategies to improve their leadership presence, understand the relationship between voice and body language, and the significance of authenticity in communication. Dr. Sicola also shares details about her upcoming projects and offers a special gift to our audience, the first two chapters of her book, *Speaking to Influence*.What You'll Learn in This Episode:- The three C's of effective leadership communication- Techniques for becoming a hypnotic storyteller- Common speech pitfalls to avoid for greater authority- The relationship between words, voice, and body language- Insights into Dr. Sicola's upcoming projects and how to access her resourcesFor more information on Dr. Laura Sicola and to receive your free gift, visit her website at https://chapters1and2.speakingtoinfluence.com/register-page-1640-3841-2773-8221Support the show

How is your executive presence evolving as your leadership responsibilities grow?In this episode of The Dr. Ginny Show Podcast, Dr. Ginny Baro sits down with Elizabeth Lewis, MBA, CEO and Founder of Brand, Style & Bloom, to explore how to build executive presence, strengthen your personal brand, increase leadership visibility and influence, and become more intentional about how others experience you as a leader.As our responsibilities expand, more people may experience our leadership without knowing the history behind what we have accomplished. That makes how we communicate who we are and the value we bring increasingly important.Elizabeth brings a unique perspective through visual intelligence: how color, prints, patterns, fabrics, and silhouettes can affect how we feel and how we project ourselves to others.We also explore self-advocacy, making our contributions visible, and building a personal brand and leadership reputation that can continue to serve us throughout our careers.For me, this connects directly to Continuous Elevation™. As our careers, responsibilities, and business conditions evolve, we must continue to elevate how we communicate, influence, build relationships, and show up.Listen to this episode to:Think differently about executive presence and what it communicates about you as a leader.Explore visual intelligence and how your physical presence influences how others experience you.Strengthen your personal brand, visibility, and influence as your responsibilities grow.Consider the leadership reputation you're building and how it can serve you throughout your career.About Our Distinguished GuestElizabeth Lewis, MBA is the CEO and Founder of Brand, Style & Bloom, a personal brand strategist and stylist, speaker, and author of Dress Your Brand: Use Your Wardrobe to Elevate, Stand Out, and Achieve Your Boldest Vision.She helps women founders and leaders dress with intention for success and brings a unique perspective to executive presence, personal branding, visual intelligence, and leadership visibility.

Send us Fan MailAI isn't just a faster tool, and it isn't only a threat to job security. The real shockwave is what AI can reveal about how work actually gets done, especially the unwritten rules, side conversations, and invisible decisions that never make it into process docs.We talk with technologist, author, and speaker David Dean about the future of work in an AI-driven world through a practical lens he calls business AI realism. David explains why AI acts like a mirror inside organizations, creating organizational self-awareness by connecting to everyday systems like email, chat, meeting transcripts, and document collaboration. He calls the inbox a behavioral record, a place where the written contract of official policy collides with the unwritten contract that actually moves work forward. Once you can see that hidden layer, you can finally understand why approvals drag, where bottlenecks really live, and what behaviors are quietly shaping outcomes.That kind of visibility can also create tension. We unpack why leaders may feel uncomfortable when patterns become measurable, how “insight vs surveillance” becomes a real governance question, and why AI strategy is as much about behavior and intent as it is about technology. We also get personal about what makes humans valuable, from lived experience to lived consequence, and how the best AI story is using these tools to give people breathing room to think, decide, and lead.If you're navigating AI at work as a leader or an individual contributor, this conversation will help you ask better questions and make smarter choices. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review with your take: is AI making work more honest, or just more exposed?Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com.And don't miss Grant McGaugh's new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/See you next time on Follow The Brand!

Send us Fan MailIf you're running a high-growth business, chances are you'll need to reach out to an executive recruiter at some point. When you do, make sure you watch for this dangerous filter of “executive presence.”Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.comPlease send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Send us Fan MailSomeone else got the role. The one you had your eye on. The one you had quietly been preparing for.And the hardest part is not even the no. It is that you still have to show up the next morning, lead your team, and be gracious in the hallway while something inside you is genuinely grieving.Being passed over is not a verdict on your worth. It is a moment. And what you do in the 90 days after that moment can shape how the decision affects your career far more than you may realize.In this episode of Communicate to Lead, Kele Belton walks through what to do when you get passed over for a promotion. This is not about the mechanics of the next role. It is about the first 90 days afterward: how to get the real reason instead of the polite one, decide whether to stay or go, and protect your reputation and relationships while you process something that genuinely hurts.What You Will LearnWhy the first 48 hours call for steadiness, not decisions, and the one thing never to do in that window.How to have the conversation that surfaces the real reason you were passed over instead of accepting the polite non-answer.The exact way to open that conversation so your manager can be more honest with you.How to ask for feedback you can actually act on and what to do when the answer stays vague.Why the gap that holds many high-performing women back is visibility, not competence.How to decide whether to stay and reposition or move on from clarity rather than from the wound.How to protect your reputation and handle the person who got the role while you recover.Who This Is ForThis episode is for high-performing women in middle and senior management who were passed over for a promotion they had earned and want to respond in a way that protects their future rather than quietly derailing it.If you are in the middle of this right now—or you want to be prepared if it happens—this episode is for you.Your Action StepIf you were passed over recently and accepted the smooth answer, go back and book the conversation.Open with:“I want to grow into a role like that one. Can you help me understand what would have made me the obvious choice?”Then ask for the one or two specific things that would close the gap, and hold the silence.If it has not happened to you, ask yourself one question instead: If the next role opened tomorrow, would the people making the decision see you as the obvious choice? If you are not sure, that is not a failure. It is useful information you can act on now.Mentioned in This EpisodeThe clean ask and the power of silence in a negotiation, from the previous Thursday episode on negotiating what you are worth.Common Questions About Getting Passed OverWhat should I do first when I get passed over for a promotion?For the first 48 hours, do not make any decision you cannot undo. Give the feeling room away from work, stay steady in the office, and wait until you can decide from clarity rather than from hurt.How do I find out the real reason I did not get promoted?Have the conversation, but open it forward rather than backward. Instead of asking why you did not get it, ask what would have made you the obvious choice. Then ask for the one or two specific things that would close the gap. Framing the question as small and forward-looking makes it easier for your manager to be honest.Should I quit after being passed over?Not from the wound. The decision to stay or go depends on the real reason you uncover, whether the gap is closable where you are, and whether you still trust the people above you. If you stay, set a real deadline and name what has to change by then.How do I stay professional around the person who got the role?Their win is not your loss, even though the two happened in the same moment. Visible resentment can reinforce doubts about your readiness, even when the disappointment itself is completely understandable. Genuine grace in a hard moment demonstrates maturity and protects your future leadership reputation.Related QuestionsHow do you recover from being passed over for a promotion?What do you say to your boss after not getting promoted?Why do high performers get overlooked for promotions?Should you leave a job after being passed over?Ready to Go Deeper?If you are sitting in the middle of this right now—if you were passed over and do not know whether to stay or go, or you want to stay but cannot see how to come back from it—that is exactly the work Kele does with clients.A Leadership Strategy Call is a complimentary 30-minute conversation where you look at your actual situation: the real reason, the decision in front of you, and the plan to make you the obvious choice next time.Let's talk about where you are, where you want to go, and what it will take to get there.Book your Leadership Strategy CallAbout Your HostKele Belton is a communication and leadership facilitator, coach, and consultant who helps high-performing women in middle and senior management move from essential but invisible to seen, sponsored, and promoted through strategic communication. She is the founder of The Tailored Approach and host of Communicate to Lead.Connect with KeleLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kele-ruth-belton/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetailoredapproach/Website: https://thetailoredapproach.comBook a Leadership Strategy Call: https://calendly.com/kele-thetailoredapproach/leadership-strategy-call

Cindy Esliger looks into the gap between who we have become and what we still won't allow ourselves to believe is possible. Many accomplished women in engineering have already exceeded anything their younger selves could have imagined, but continue to play smaller than their capabilities suggest because of learned patterns that prioritize safety over possibility. Cindy explains how these patterns develop, why they persist long after the original threat has passed, and how they quietly limit career opportunities. Rather than chasing more achievements, she encourages us to give ourselves permission to imagine what comes next and to build careers rooted in curiosity instead of fear. Much of what holds us back is not a lack of confidence but a nervous system that learned to stay safe through appeasing others. Cindy introduces the concept of the fawn response and how it can appear in everyday work situations, from staying quiet in meetings to over apologizing, overcommitting, or constantly managing other people's comfort. She explains the difference between perfection and wholeness, encouraging us to stop measuring ourselves against impossible standards and instead embrace growth as an ongoing process. Rather than trying to become a polished, finished version of ourselves, she reminds us that we can be whole while still evolving. Cindy offers practical ways to begin shifting these deeply ingrained patterns: Pause before automatically saying yes to requests, ground ourselves by reconnecting with our senses when our minds start anticipating threats, ask ourselves what we genuinely think and want instead of defaulting to what is expected of us, and follow the threads of curiosity that fascinated us as a child. Treat career growth as an ongoing practice of experimentation rather than something to perfect. Cindy reminds us that by choosing curiosity over control and trusting our own instincts, we become examples of what's possible for anyone who comes after us. Resources discussed in this episode: Guide to Becoming Whole Astronomic Audio Confidence Collective — Contact Cindy Esliger  Career Confidence Coaching: website | instagram | facebook | linkedin | email Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Respect isn't something your title automatically earns. It's something people decide through every interaction they have with you. In this episode, Karen shares seven practical communication habits that help you command respect, build credibility, and strengthen your executive presence, without changing who you are. In this episode, we cover: 1. Speak First Don't wait until everyone else has shared their opinion. Contributing early positions you as someone who helps shape the conversation rather than simply reacting to it. 2. Stop Over-Explaining Lengthy explanations often sound like you're seeking permission. Learn how to state your recommendations with confidence and let your expertise speak for itself. 3. Be Clear Before You're Clever Lead with the bottom line first. Clear, concise communication earns trust and helps people make decisions faster. 4. Hold Your Boundaries Respect grows when your words and actions align. Learn how healthy boundaries reinforce your priorities and demonstrate self-respect. 5. Let Silence Do Its Job Confident leaders don't feel the need to fill every pause. Discover why a few seconds of silence can increase your influence in conversations. 6. Make Your Words Match Your Presence Your body language often communicates before your first sentence. Learn how calm, intentional presence reinforces confidence and credibility. 7. Keep Your Word Nothing builds respect faster than consistency. Following through on commitments and communicating early when plans change creates lasting trust. Your Challenge This Week Choose just one of these habits and practice it intentionally: Speak first in your next meeting. Stop over-explaining one recommendation. Pause before filling silence. Hold one healthy boundary. Lead with your bottom line. Walk into the room with calm certainty. Follow through on one commitment exceptionally well. Small communication shifts create big leadership results. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a colleague, leave a review, and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Every week you'll learn practical strategies to communicate with confidence, influence high-stakes conversations, and develop your Powerhouse Presence™. Some resources for you: Get 3 Strategies to Speak Up in Meetings here. Project more confidence and credibility with my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: Words to Avoid | Karen Laos My book “Trust Your Own Voice”: https://karenlaos.com/book/   Connect with me:   Website: https://www.karenlaos.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenlaosofficial  Episodes also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwQoTGdJX5eME0ccBKiKng/videos   About me: Many years ago I found myself tongue-tied in a boardroom, my colleagues and executives staring at me. My stomach in my throat, I was unable to get the words out (in spite of being in a senior leadership role).  Then, I heard my boss shut down the meeting. My heart sank. I was mortified. She pulled me aside and said, "You didn't trust your gut. You could've tabled the meeting like I did." Why didn't that option occur to me in the moment? Why did I feel like I needed permission? That was the day I set out to change. I began a journey of personal growth to discover the root of the problem. Once I did, I wanted every woman to experience that same freedom. I'm now on a mission to silence self-doubt in 10 million women in 10 years by giving them simple strategies to speak up and ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond, resulting in more clients, job promotions, and negotiation wins. Companies like NASA, Netflix, Google, and Sephora have been propelled toward more effective communication skills through my signature framework, The Confidence Cocktail™. This is your invitation to step into your most confident self so you can catapult your career! Karen Laos, Communication Expert and Confidence Cultivator, leverages 25 years in the boardroom and speaking on the world's most coveted stages such as Google and NASA to transform missed opportunities into wins. She is fiercely committed to her mission of eradicating self-doubt in 10 million women by giving them practical strategies to ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond. She guides corporations and individuals with her tested communication model to generate consistent results through her Powerful Presence Keynote: How to Be an Influential Communicator. Get my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: Words to Avoid | Karen Laos Connect with me:Website: https://www.karenlaos.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenlaosofficial Facebook: Ignite Your Confidence with Karen Laos: https://www.facebook.com/groups/karenlaosconsultingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenlaos/Episodes also available on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwQoTGdJX5eME0ccBKiKng/videosMy book “Trust Your Own Voice”: https://karenlaos.com/book/

"It's not me, it's them." Four words. That's all it takes to miss the real problem.In this episode of The Inner Edge, executive coach Janet Ioli unpacks the first of seven leadership traps. This is the one she sees more than any other, and the one leaders defend the hardest. Through the story of Jack, a brilliant, fast-scaling CEO who built an empire and an intimidating reputation without ever realizing it, Janet reveals a psychological pattern so common it has a name, and once you see it, you can't unsee it in yourself.Because here's the uncomfortable truth: your team's behavior might not be telling you who they are. It might be telling you something about what it's like to be led by you.Janet shares the mirror question that starts to close this gap, and why some leaders, even with the best coaching, never fully escape this trap.This is the second episode in an eight-part series on the seven leadership traps, based on Janet's upcoming book, Escape the Traps (releasing October 2026).Chapters:00:00:00 How a Brilliant CEO Became Intimidating Without Knowing It 00:03:37 The Fundamental Attribution Error 00:05:28 What Your Imprint Is Teaching Your Team 00:08:02 The Mirror Question and the Interruption Practice 00:09:29 Next Episode: Trap TwoRead the first chapter of Escape The Traps (available October 2026): https://mailchi.mp/5d2dbf42009c/escape-the-traps-chapterConnect with Janet Ioli:Website: janetioli.comLinkedIn: Janet IoliInstagram: @janetioliYouTube: @janetioliIf you want to become more grounded, confident, and aligned with your deeper values in just 21 days, check out Janet Ioli's book Less Ego, More Soul: A Modern Reinvention Guide for Women.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  Produced by Ideablossoms 

Send us Fan MailAI automation is everywhere right now, but most of what people see online is the easy part: a slick demo, a chatbot, a promise that one person can suddenly do the work of five. We get real about what happens after the hype, when you try to put agentic AI into production and it has to run every day on real data, real customers, and real consequences.Grant McGaugh sits down with Navin, a longtime IT and workflow automation builder who helps small business owners design reliable AI agents, configure tools, and connect messy systems into clean business process automation. We unpack why the biggest challenge is not “which AI tool should I buy” but “what problem am I solving.” From financial reporting workflows to e-commerce operations, we show how to map the steps, define the inputs and outputs, and build an AI roadmap that actually improves speed, communication, scale, memory, and pattern recognition inside your company.We also dig into AI governance and validation, because probabilistic AI outputs still need domain expertise, especially when accuracy matters. Then we shift into what is changing in marketing and discovery: SEO is no longer the only game in town. With Artificial Engine Optimization (AEO), people ask AI for answers, and businesses need to understand how they show up and how to audit what these systems return. If you want AI to save time without creating new chaos, this is the playbook to start with. Subscribe, share this with a founder who is overwhelmed by AI tools, and leave a review with the workflow you want to automate next.Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com.And don't miss Grant McGaugh's new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/See you next time on Follow The Brand!

Today I'm joined by Scott McInnes, founder of Inspiring Change, a Dublin-based culture and internal communication consultancy. Scott helps senior leadership teams close the gap between the culture they have and the one they actually need to deliver their strategy.  In this episode, we explore why communication is far more than simply sharing information. Scott explains how great leaders connect people to purpose, why clarity without emotion rarely inspires action, and how frontline managers play a critical role in translating organizational strategy into meaningful conversations. We also discuss hybrid work, employee engagement, storytelling, communication confidence, and why self-awareness may be one of the most important communication skills any leader can develop. Whether you lead a team, communicate change, or simply want your messages to create more impact, this conversation is full of practical insights you can apply immediately. Let's dive in. Additional Resources: ► Follow Communispond on LinkedIn for more communication skills tips: https://www.linkedin.com/company/communispond ► Connect with Scott D'Amico on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottdamico/ ► Connect with Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwmcinnes/ ► Learn more about Inspiring Change: https://www.inspiringchange.ie/comms ► Subscribe to Communicast: https://communicast.simplecast.com/ ► Learn more about Communispond: https://www.communispond.com

When you hear “executive presence,” do you picture someone walking into a boardroom looking polished, confident, and completely certain of what to say?My guest, Mary E. Maloney, sees it differently. Executive presence matters most when you're in the middle of a high-stakes identity shift, such as after a promotion, a career change, the sale of a business, a retirement, or an unexpected ending. Mary calls that in-between space the Keystone Gap: your old identity no longer fits, but the new one hasn't fully locked into place.In this conversation, Mary explains why the real issue in that gap usually isn't a lack of confidence. It's a lack of clarity. Mary shares her Five C's of Identity Shift, the year she struggled to explain who she was without her CEO title, and the boss who pushed her onto a stage before she believed she was ready.In this episode, Mary and I talk about:What executive presence means during a high-stakes transitionWhy identity is the hidden architecture beneath career and leadership changesThe Keystone Gap between releasing an old identity and building a new oneWhy rushing through an identity shift can make the transition harderMary's Five C's of Identity ShiftThe difference between needing more confidence and needing more clarityHow purpose, impact, and your standards for showing up strengthen executive presenceWhat Mary learned after selling her company and taking a year awayHow a reluctant first speech changed the trajectory of her careerWhy authentic stories and knowing your audience matter on stageAbout Our Guest: Mary E. Maloney, FACHE, is a former CEO/CMO turned Master Facilitator who guides senior leaders through high-stakes transitions, helping them clarify and articulate the identity, purpose, and value that will define their next act. Through her signature two-call Brand Declaration® process, she helps leaders sift through decades of experience to name the recurring themes of their value in minutes rather than months. She works with C-suite executives, physician leaders, military officers, founders, and board-level talent through online courses, mastermind cohorts, and 1:1 inplacement/outplacement executive advisory work, and facilitates leadership and strategy retreats for enterprise teams navigating complex change.About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com. Links:Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/484/ Mary's website: https://revealinggenius.com/ Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ Connect on LinkedIn:Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcoxMary E. Maloney (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryemaloney123/ Related Podcast Episodes:Episode 483: How an I.D.E.A., Not a Topic, Makes You Easier to Refer, Pitch, and BookEpisode 288: A Framework for Creating a Signature Talk for Income and ImpactSpeak with Confidence series

This was an interview episode of the Speaking and Communicating Podcast where Roberta hosted Sandra Bargeman, a voice and presence coach with a 35-year career in entertainment. Sandra shared her journey from starting performing at age six to becoming an actor, singer, director, and ordained minister, explaining how she combined her creative and spiritual paths through her company Sacred Stages LLC. They discussed how Sandra's acting background provides natural skills for coaching leaders on voice, presence, and authentic communication, emphasizing that true presence comes from being comfortable with one's authentic self rather than trying to be larger-than-life. Sandra explained her philosophy that finding oneself is the wrong goal, instead suggesting that people should focus on setting down what stands in the way of revealing their true identity. The conversation concluded with Sandra's advice for authentic grounding, recommending that people take deep breaths in challenging moments to choose courageous responses over reactive behavior.Next stepsRobertaConnect with Sandra on LinkedIn and Instagram.Update the workflow on PodMatch regarding the episode with Sandra.Send Sandra the listening links and YouTube video link when the episode is published in the fourth week of August.SandraShare the published episode with her network when notified by Roberta.SummaryPodcast Guest Interview PlanningRoberta welcomed Sandra Bargeman to the Speaking and Communicating Podcast, discussing her background as a voice and presence coach from upstate New York. They agreed that Roberta would notify Sandra when the YouTube video is published in the fourth week of August and share the links on LinkedIn and Instagram. Sandra expressed her commitment to sharing the episode with her network, and they briefly discussed the challenges of getting podcast guests to promote their appearances.Performing Arts and Spiritual JourneySandra shared her 35-year career in performing arts, which began in childhood and included theater, music, commercials, and film work. She explained how she combined her performing career with her spiritual journey by enrolling in an interfaith seminary in her mid-40s and later creating her own company Sacred Stages LLC. Sandra described how COVID impacted her performing work but led her to create a podcast based on her "Edge of Everyday" concepts, which has become a significant part of her career.Sandra's Creative and Spiritual JourneySandra discussed her personal mission of knowing herself deeply, which flows through her creative, spiritual, and leadership journeys. She explained how her parents supported her artistic pursuits, including her violin playing and theater interests, with her mother being her greatest champion. Sandra described how she cannot separate her creative life from her spiritual life, explaining that artists often experience their work as a spiritual journey connecting them to something larger than themselves, drawing parallels between performing and spiritual practices.Voice and Presence DevelopmentSandra discussed how her natural talent for voice and presence developed through her career in entertainment, including her musical background and 30 years of voiceover work. She explained that actors naturally develop skills in voice control, breathing, and body awareness through their training and experience playing different roles. Sandra emphasized that presence comes from confidence in one's authentic story rather than from being the loudest or most aggressive, noting that truly confident people remain solid in their identity regardless of external reactions.Authentic Leadership PresenceSandra discussed the importance of authentic leadership presence, explaining that effective leaders should focus on being their true selves rather than adopting a false authoritative persona. She emphasized that today's successful leadership requires soft skills like empathy, communication, and collaboration, rather than traditional authoritarian behavior. Sandra noted that leaders seeking her coaching are already aware they need to shift away from role-playing and masks, understanding that genuine authenticity inspires trust and engagement from their teams.Self-Discovery and Personal GrowthRoberta and Sandra discussed the concept of "finding oneself," with Sandra explaining that the goal should be about setting down what stands in the way of self-discovery rather than going outside to find oneself. Sandra emphasized that the real work involves looking in the mirror through relationships and being willing to face difficult truths, particularly in personal relationships. She advised using breath as a tool for regulating emotions during challenging moments and making courageous choices rather than reactive responses. Sandra also shared details about her Edge of Everyday podcast and offered her services for voice, presence, and storytelling coaching through MagicThreadMedia.com. Connect with Sandra:Sandra Bargman's Website: sandrabargman.comBook a Consultation / Magic Thread Media: magicthreadmedia.comSandra's Podcast: The Edge of Everyday Podcast (Streaming on all major platforms)YouTube: Sandra Bargman on The Edge of EverydayListen to the Podcast, subscribe, leave a rating and a review:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-have-executive-presence-voice-coaching-w-sandra/id1614151066?i=1000781371307Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1MPWlv1AbVroFsrvBCmHRX?si=EDxs1an7RDu-m7wm1TL28ghttps://open.spotify.com/episode/1MPWlv1AbVroFsrvBCmHRXYouTube: https://youtu.be/hpR50dBjntw

A chief officer reflects on the burdens of senior leadership. While grateful for its privileges, he's keenly aware his title can put up barriers between himself and others. Typical burdens of leadership:People put up barriers because of your power;You are a public figure and will get judged, often harshly;You are always on display;Feeling entitled because of your heavy lifting.Tom suggests three tips to help you manage your power:Get conscious about your power;Share selectively;Be humble.Resources for humilty:Humility as StrengthHumble InquiryIf you're like Michelle and feel yourself being star struck in the face of corporate celebrity, these episodes might help:252 - How to Build Self-Esteem219 - How to Set Boundaries241 - Conquering People PleasingJOIN US FOR DINNER!Tuesday, September 1, 2026, Irvine, California.Join Tom and Coaching for Leaders host Dave Stachowiak for a lively gathering. Find out more and reserve your space here.Got questions? Shoot Tom an email here.Sign up for our monthly resources here. Want to explore Leadership & Power?Related Library Categories:LeadershipManaging YourselfPerception – How You're PerceivedRelated Episodes189 - “Don't Take Anything Personally” 128 - The Honorable Executive252 - How to Build Self-Esteem210 - How to Grow Your Self-Management231 - Staying Afloat in a ShitstormA transcript of this month's episode is here. Thanks for being in touch!All of us here at The Look & Sound of Leadership are grateful for you! 

"You want to make sure you have the energy at the end of your communication as well as at the beginning." Why do some people command a room without raising their voice? Being heard isn't about speaking louder—it's about using your voice with intention. Breath, posture, and preparation all play a role in helping your message reach the people who need to hear it. In this Quick Thinks episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams shares practical techniques for projecting your voice with confidence, building vocal stamina, and using microphones effectively. From breathing with more control to making the most of your physical presence, you'll learn simple strategies to ensure your message is heard when it matters mostKey Takeaways:Strong voices start with strong breathing. Your breath is the foundation of vocal projection, helping you speak with greater volume, clarity, and confidence without straining your voice.Preparation helps your voice go the distance. Building vocal stamina, improving your posture, and using microphones effectively ensures your message stays strong from your first word to your last.Activity:Build a vocal warm-up. Before your next presentation or important meeting, spend five minutes reading aloud while focusing on slow, deep breathing. Then identify one physical reminder—such as standing taller or relaxing your shoulders—to help support your voice before you begin.Episode Reference Links:Ep.262 Own the Room: How Voice, Breath, and Body Work Together Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn Chapters:(00:00) - Introduction (00:58) - Breathing for Better Projection (02:29) - Place Your Voice (04:05) - Building Vocal Stamina (05:41) - Using a Lavalier Mic (07:07) - Using a Handheld Mic (08:29) - Conclusion ********Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.With LinkedIn Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence, knowing you're getting the best talent for your needs. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com/fast

Send us Fan MailYou negotiated at least three times last week. You may not have called it negotiating. You called it asking.And in every one of those moments, your case was strong. But whether it sounded strong helped determine the answer you received.Here is the pattern that costs high-performing women more than almost anything else: the case is usually solid, but the delivery comes apart in two specific, predictable, and fixable ways—softening and overexplaining.In this episode of Communicate to Lead, Kele Belton explains why a strong ask can still receive a soft no and what to do about it in the moment. Following one leader's story from soft no's to a clean, confident ask, Kele lays out a simple three-part structure for making requests well. She also draws an important distinction between being clear and being blunt—the difference that allows you to communicate directly without creating a reputation you did not want.What You Will LearnWhy the strength of your case is not the only factor that determines whether you get a yes.The two delivery habits that quietly weaken even a well-prepared request: softening and overexplaining.A three-part structure for making a request that lands as a clear position rather than a hope.Why the silence after your ask is one of the most powerful—and difficult—parts of the conversation.The difference between softening your position and keeping warmth in your delivery.How to stay in the conversation after an initial no without retreating into overexplaining.The reframe that can change how you approach compensation conversations.Who This Is ForThis episode is for high-performing women in middle and senior management who prepare thoroughly, make a strong case, and still leave conversations with less than they asked for. If you have ever softened an ask until it disappeared or buried a good point under five extra reasons, this episode is for you.Your Action StepTake one ask you have been carrying; the one you keep meaning to make but have not yet made. Write it as three sentences:The ask, stated in one line with a number in it.The reason, framed around business impact or consequence.The word “silence,” to remind you to stop talking after you make the ask.Read it out loud, remove every softener, and schedule the conversation this week.Mentioned in This EpisodeEpisode 188 - The Mid-Year Audit: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Q4Common Questions About Negotiating at WorkWhy do I get a soft no even when my case is strong?Usually, the case is not the problem. Softening the ask and overexplaining can signal that the request is optional or uncertain before the other person has even responded. The fix is in how the ask is delivered, not in building an even longer case.Will being more direct make me seem aggressive?Not necessarily. There is a difference between softening your position, which weakens your ask, and keeping warmth in your delivery, which helps the message land. Clear and warm are not opposites.What should I do when the answer is no?Treat the first no as a position, not a verdict. Instead of retreating, ask, “What would need to be true for the answer to change?” That question shifts the conversation from whether to when and can surface conditions that had not been named.How is negotiating compensation different?The structure is similar, with one important rule: frame your reason around market value and contribution, not personal need. When the conversation shifts from what your work is worth to what you need to live, your leverage can weaken.Ready to Go Deeper?Knowing the structure is one thing. Building the actual ask for your situation—the evidence you bring, the number you name, and the way you open the conversation—is easier with someone in your corner who has done this work before.A Leadership Strategy Call is a complimentary 30-minute conversation where you can bring the real ask you are sitting on and build a plan together. Let's talk about where you are, where you want to go, and what it will take to get there.Book your Leadership Strategy CallAbout Your HostKele Belton is a communication and leadership facilitator, coach, and consultant who helps high-performing women in middle and senior management move from essential but invisible to seen, sponsored, and promoted through strategic communication. She is the founder of The Tailored Approach and host of Communicate to Lead.Connect with KeleLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kele-ruth-belton/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetailoredapproach/Website: https://thetailoredapproach.comBook a Leadership Strategy Call: https://calendly.com/kele-thetailoredapproach/leadership-strategy-call

Your team isn't responding to your intentions. They never were.In the Season 3 premiere of The Inner Edge, executive coach Janet Ioli introduces the concept that will anchor the entire season: your leadership imprint. This is the gap between how you believe you show up and how your team actually experiences you.After reading more than 1,600 360-degree feedback assessments across two decades of coaching senior leaders inside Fortune 100 companies, Janet has found the same pattern again and again: good intentions and real impact rarely match. And that invisible gap is quietly shaping your team's trust, candor, and performance.This episode kicks off an eight-part series on the seven leadership traps, based on Janet's upcoming book, Escape the Traps (releasing October 2026). Each episode unpacks one trap that catches even the most well-intentioned leaders and how to escape it.If you're a leader who's ever wondered why your team isn't responding the way you expect, this season is for you.Chapters:00:00:00 Your Team Is Not Responding to Your Intention 00:05:41 Defining Leadership Imprint 00:08:13 The Trap of Good Intentions 00:10:10 Introducing the Seven Traps 00:13:31 This Week's Practice: Pause, Choose, Lead 00:16:18 Next Episode: Trap OneRead the first chapter of Escape The Traps (available October 2026): https://mailchi.mp/5d2dbf42009c/escape-the-traps-chapterConnect with Janet Ioli:Website: janetioli.comLinkedIn: Janet IoliInstagram: @janetioliYouTube: @janetioliIf you want to become more grounded, confident, and aligned with your deeper values in just 21 days, check out Janet Ioli's book Less Ego, More Soul: A Modern Reinvention Guide for Women.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  Produced by Ideablossoms 

Executive presence is not something you are born with. According to Joy Errico, it's a series of intentional decisions built through image, message, and delivery, and it matters most for the Second-In-Command leaders who operate behind the scenes of founder-led companies. In this episode of The Right-Hand Roadmap, Megan Long sits down with communications strategist and image consultant Joy Errico, founder and CEO of Maven Row Communications, to break down how COOs, Integrators, and right-hand leaders can build executive presence, personal branding, and visibility without competing with their founder's spotlight. Joy, who spent 25 years managing the public image of executives, brand ambassadors, and Fortune 500 leadership teams, shares her framework for closing the gap between how capable you are and how you actually come across, along with practical tools for public speaking nerves, wardrobe decisions, and building a professional reputation that is portable beyond any single company. You'll hear all about... 2:03: What executive presence actually is Joy defines presence as three things: image, message, and delivery, and explains why it is built through intentional decisions rather than innate charisma. 6:07: Behind the scenes with Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart, and Tina Fey Joy's background managing the spotlight for high-profile brand ambassadors and executives, and what 25 years of observation taught her about what separates strong presence from weak presence. 8:36: The 7-second rule and how to deliver hard feedback Why the human brain forms judgments before you speak a word, and Joy's approach to giving feedback on someone's presence without damaging trust. 11:11: The unique presence challenge of the Second-In-Command Why operators need authority without upstaging the founder, and why building a voice around your own zone of genius matters more than mirroring the CEO. 12:17: "A reputation that's portable" Joy's core argument: your reputation should transcend the company you work for, because ownership changes, companies get sold, and your career outlasts any single organization. 13:46: Why great Second-In-Commands get overlooked The paradox of operational excellence: when everything runs well, the work becomes invisible, and why leading with headlines instead of details protects your visibility. 16:14: The fastest way to improve your presence: record yourself A simple, no-cost method for identifying distracting habits (rambling, up-talking, fidgeting) by watching yourself with and without sound. 19:44: Controlling the controllables before high-pressure moments Joy's practical prep tactics for public speaking nerves, from seating position to hydration, and why removing small distractions frees you to focus on delivery. 22:04: How to stay present instead of self-conscious What to do when you're so focused on how you're coming across that you stop actually listening in the room, and how preparation solves it. 25:35: Your company is a rented brand Why your professional reputation needs to exist independently of your employer, and the first concrete step to take if you have never thought about your personal brand. 29:33: Where to build visibility beyond LinkedIn Joy's list of underused visibility plays for operators: customer advisory boards, nonprofit board seats, and speaking engagements tied to your specific expertise. 39:17: Why wardrobe still matters, especially remote The case for dressing with intention even in a remote-first world, and the distinction between "polished executive" and "the most polished version of you." 42:35: Does a Second-In-Command need to be on social media? Joy's honest take: visibility matters, but forcing a platform that doesn't fit your personality will backfire. 43:37: The one thing that matters most: personal core values Why Joy calls values the true foundation of personal brand, and how they define what people say about you when you're not in the room. Rate, review & follow on Apple Podcasts Click Here to Listen! OR WATCH ON YOUTUBE If you haven't already done so, follow the podcast to make sure you never miss a value-packed episode. Links mentioned in the episode: Maven Row | Executive Presence and Communications Coaching Joy Errico on LinkedIn Second First Membership Second First One-on-One Coaching Second First on Instagram Second First on LinkedIn Megan Long on LinkedIn

You are a seasoned and established leader, and opportunity knocks at your door for another level of authority.    What happens if you say yes to your next transition in leadership? My guest, Amy Throw, answered this call and is here to share her experience. Amy has spent over 15 years in the styling and fashion industry, helping women build confidence, poise, and influence by aligning who they are with how they are experienced in every room they enter.    Although widely recognized as an expert fashion stylist and Executive Presence Coach, she joins us today to pull back the curtain on a different kind of transformation. A significant leadership transition. Recently, a promotion took her from leading a team of 20 to directing 56 people—many of whom had just been her peers. For a leader naturally wired for fast-paced action, this next chapter demanded a complete shift in mindset.  She had to intentionally slow down, reshape her rhythm, and learn to cast a higher-level vision while developing leaders who could grow their own teams with clarity. Amy understands that even the best of leaders have seasons of growth, and her story will inspire you to take that next step and increase your level of impact not only in your life, but in those you are called to lead.    CONNECT WITH AMY Website: https://www.cabionline.com/?pws=styledwithsoul Coaching Website: http://www.amythrow.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/styledwithpurposebyamy/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/styledwithpurposebyamy   CONNECT WITH DEBI Website – https://www.debironca.com Instagram - @debironca Email – info@debironca.com Free Group Coaching - https://debi.sequoiatransitioncoaching.com/group-coaching YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DebiRoncaOfficial   Check out my online course! Your Story's Changing, Finding Purpose in Life's Transitionshttps://course.sequoiatransitioncoaching.com/8-week-program The Family Letter by Debi Ronca – International Best Sellerhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SSJFXBD Free Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/debironca/free-clarity-call

Send us Fan MailThe life looks impressive, the resume is stacked, and yet something feels off. That tension is exactly where this conversation with Tiffany Lauren Jones begins and it quickly turns into a deeper look at why so many high-achieving women feel burned out, unfulfilled, or trapped inside a version of success that no longer fits. Tiffany shares her path from a dream corporate role to a full reset, and she gives language to a pattern we don't talk about enough: building a performance identity to survive and achieve, then realizing it can't carry you into your next chapter.We dig into what Tiffany calls the identity evolution era, where collapsing trust in institutions, mass layoffs, and cultural change force a new question: who are you without the title, the degree, the grind, or the approval? We talk sovereignty versus validation, why emotional signals are real data, and how reflection portals like layoffs, divorce, or major loss can push you toward truth if you don't numb out. Tiffany also breaks down a practical entry point: permission to not be okay, plus time off with no agenda so you can actually hear yourself again.We also connect the dots to artificial intelligence and the shift from the information age to the intelligence age. AI can amplify output, but it also raises the stakes on authenticity, lived experience, and intellectual property. We explore how to build an identity ecosystem around your gifts and values, and why rest, seasonal cycles, and “beginner” practices like pottery can retrain your nervous system away from perfection and performance.If this resonates, subscribe, share this with a high achiever who needs it, and leave a review telling us what part of your identity you're ready to reclaim.Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com.And don't miss Grant McGaugh's new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/See you next time on Follow The Brand!

Many people don't miss out on opportunities because they aren't qualified, they miss them because they don't ask effectively. In this episode, you'll learn how to strengthen every request you make. In this episode you'll get five tips: Be discerning, not pushy. Confidence isn't demanding or entitled. It's knowing when an ask is appropriate, respecting the other person's perspective, and being willing to hear either yes or no with grace. Discernment is what separates confidence from pressure. Don't bury the ask. Stop spending minutes explaining the backstory before you get to what you actually want. Lead with the request, then provide context if it's needed. Don't negotiate against yourself. State your request with confidence instead of discounting yourself before the other person has even responded. Don't confuse hints with requests. Hoping someone picks up on subtle cues isn't the same as asking. Be clear and specific about what you need. Don't let fear choose your words. Replace hesitant language like "I was wondering if maybe..." with clear, confident communication that reflects your value. The biggest opportunities often belong to the people who are willing to ask clearly, confidently, and respectfully. Your next "yes" may be waiting on your next ask.   Write a review If you enjoy this podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. Your reviews help more people find the show and start communicating with greater confidence and ease. Some resources for you: Get 3 Strategies to Speak Up in Meetings here. Project more confidence and credibility with my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: Words to Avoid | Karen Laos My book “Trust Your Own Voice”: https://karenlaos.com/book/ Connect with me: Website: https://www.karenlaos.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenlaosofficial  Episodes also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwQoTGdJX5eME0ccBKiKng/videos About me: Many years ago I found myself tongue-tied in a boardroom, my colleagues and executives staring at me. My stomach in my throat, I was unable to get the words out (in spite of being in a senior leadership role).  Then, I heard my boss shut down the meeting. My heart sank. I was mortified. She pulled me aside and said, "You didn't trust your gut. You could've tabled the meeting like I did." Why didn't that option occur to me in the moment? Why did I feel like I needed permission? That was the day I set out to change. I began a journey of personal growth to discover the root of the problem. Once I did, I wanted every woman to experience that same freedom. I'm now on a mission to silence self-doubt in 10 million women in 10 years by giving them simple strategies to speak up and ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond, resulting in more clients, job promotions, and negotiation wins. Companies like NASA, Netflix, Google, and Sephora have been propelled toward more effective communication skills through my signature framework, The Confidence Cocktail™. This is your invitation to step into your most confident self so you can catapult your career! Karen Laos, Communication Expert and Confidence Cultivator, leverages 25 years in the boardroom and speaking on the world's most coveted stages such as Google and NASA to transform missed opportunities into wins. She is fiercely committed to her mission of eradicating self-doubt in 10 million women by giving them practical strategies to ask for what they want in the boardroom and beyond. She guides corporations and individuals with her tested communication model to generate consistent results through her Powerful Presence Keynote: How to Be an Influential Communicator. Get my free tips: 9 Words to Avoid & What to Say Instead: Words to Avoid | Karen Laos Connect with me:Website: https://www.karenlaos.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenlaosofficial Facebook: Ignite Your Confidence with Karen Laos: https://www.facebook.com/groups/karenlaosconsultingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenlaos/Episodes also available on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEwQoTGdJX5eME0ccBKiKng/videosMy book “Trust Your Own Voice”: https://karenlaos.com/book/

"When there's a gap between our intention and our impact, we diminish others and our communication."The best leaders don't succeed because they have all the answers—they succeed because they bring out the best thinking in others. Liz Wiseman, executive advisor, CEO of the Wiseman Group, and author of the million-copy bestseller Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, has spent years studying why some leaders amplify the intelligence around them while others unintentionally hold people back. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Wiseman joins Matt Abrahams to explore the habits of multiplier leaders, the subtle ways well-intentioned managers accidentally diminish their teams, and how curiosity, trust, and thoughtful communication create environments where people can do their best work. Together, they share practical strategies for leading with greater impact by aligning your intentions with the experience you create for others.Key Takeaways:Great leaders multiply, not diminish. Create trust, ask more than you tell, and challenge people to do their best thinking instead of stepping in with the answers.Good intentions aren't enough. The most effective communicators pay attention to the impact of their actions, ensuring their support empowers others rather than unintentionally holding them back.Activity:Ask the multiplier question. At the end of your next one-on-one or team meeting, ask: "What do you need from me to do your best work?" Listen without jumping in to solve the problem. Focus on understanding what will help others think, contribute, and perform at their highest level.To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.Episode Reference Links:Liz WisemanLiz's Book: Multipliers147. Disrupt Yourself: How to Innovate Who You Are and Become Who You Can Be212. Break It to Make It: Disrupt Your Way to the Perfect Job FitConnect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn Chapters:(00:00) - Introduction (00:55) - Multipliers vs. Diminishers (02:26) - The Habits That Hold Teams Back (03:54) - Safety, Stretch, & Trust (05:12) - Curiosity Over Control (06:56) - The Most Important Leadership Question (09:14) - Becoming an Impact Player (12:20) - When Good Intentions Backfire (15:54) - Accidental Diminishing (19:47) - The Final Three Questions (25:07) - Conclusion

Send us Fan MailAI can write your emails, summarize your meetings, and spin up a strategy deck in minutes, but it cannot do the one thing that actually determines outcomes: execute. Grant McGaugh sits down with Peter De la Torre, a longtime executive and the creator behind the Magic of 13 Weeks, to confront a brutal truth leaders need to hear. Most teams don't have a knowledge problem. They have an execution problem, and the gap between knowing and doing is where goals go to die.We dig into the hidden “blind spots” that sabotage implementation, including AI abdication, when companies invest in artificial intelligence but ignore the human habits required to make it work. We also break down the 12-month mirage that turns yearly planning into annualized lethargy, plus the convenience of busy, where meetings and inbox churn replace results. Peter shares a clear rule of thumb for productivity and business growth: protect the time that drives revenue-producing activities or results-producing activities, and automate the rest.The conversation moves from tactics to identity: red ocean competition versus blue ocean creation, personal vision that creates an emotional stake, and ruthless honesty as the foundation for real change. Peter challenges the usual language around accountability, arguing that ownership is the only lever that consistently works, then adds a practical tool to keep execution real: predictive scorekeeping built on lead indicators, like a scoreboard that tells you whether you're winning before the quarter ends.If you want a repeatable execution framework that makes strategy real, press play now. Subscribe, share this with a leader who's stuck in “busy,” and leave a review with the one execution habit you're committing to next.Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com.And don't miss Grant McGaugh's new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/See you next time on Follow The Brand!

“Managing emotions—yours and your audience's—is hard enough, but it's even harder when you're under pressure to respond."High-pressure communication doesn't have to derail your message. In this Think Fast, Talk Smart Ask Matt Anything episode, Matt Abrahams answers real-world questions from members of the Think Fast, Talk Smart Learning Community, sharing practical advice for communicating with confidence when the stakes are high. From managing cognitive load and regulating anxiety to leading uncertain conversations and running more engaging meetings, Matt offers actionable strategies for staying focused, connecting with your audience, and communicating with clarity under pressureKey Takeaways:Manage your emotions to manage your message. Reducing cognitive load through preparation and emotional regulation helps you think and communicate more clearly under pressure.Lead with your audience in mind. Whether navigating uncertainty or running meetings, acknowledging emotions, setting clear expectations, and tailoring your message helps people stay engaged and take action.Activity:Stress-test your message. Before your next high-stakes conversation or presentation, rehearse it once under mild pressure—set a timer, record yourself, or practice with a colleague. Notice where you lose clarity, then refine those moments before the real conversation.Episode Reference Links:Think Fast Talk Smart Learning Community Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (01:07) - Speaking Under Pressure (04:01) - Calming an Anxious Audience (07:45) - More Engaging Meetings (12:33) - Communicating Change Without Fear (16:30) - Conclusion

Send us Fan MailMost security teams keep buying tools and still feel behind. That's not because you picked the “wrong” scanner or missed the latest AI feature. It's because many organizations are trying to secure software like it's a one-time project instead of a repeatable manufacturing process. I'm joined by Darius Radford, founder and CEO of Knights Watch Cyber, to make that idea concrete and practical for any software-driven business. Darius breaks down why applications, APIs, CI/CD pipelines, cloud platforms, open source dependencies, and identity are the real battlefield now. He shares the core insight behind what he calls the Secure Software Factory: software isn't “written” anymore, it's manufactured. When you adopt a factory mindset, you build in quality control, governance, automation, standards, metrics, and feedback loops so secure software development becomes consistent instead of heroic. We also walk through the four capabilities he sees as non-negotiable: orchestrated delivery, developer-centric application security tooling, supply chain and artifact management governance, and unified risk correlation that turns endless security data into real context. We go straight at the AI era too. Developers and AI will build the next generation of products together, which makes AI security governance and testing even more urgent. Darius gives practical guardrails for AI-generated code, including input validation, session management, authentication and authorization checks, and permission modeling. We also talk about how a mature DevSecOps approach can help you win deals by proving security by design with repeatable metrics and alignment to common risk frameworks like OWASP. If you build software, lead engineering, or sell into security-conscious customers, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a builder on your team, and leave a review with your biggest question about secure software development, what are you struggling to make repeatable?Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Follow The Brand! We hope you enjoyed learning about the latest trends and strategies in Personal Branding, Business and Career Development, Financial Empowerment, Technology Innovation, and Executive Presence. To keep up with the latest insights and updates, visit 5starbdm.com.And don't miss Grant McGaugh's new book, First Light — a powerful guide to igniting your purpose and building a BRAVE brand that stands out in a changing world. - https://5starbdm.com/brave-masterclass/See you next time on Follow The Brand!