Welcome back to the podcast!! It’s good to be back in your ears after three months off. On today’s episode, I invite Lenore Braun, the club director of the Speaker Sisterhood, and Amber Ladley, the creative director, to the show to discuss our life-changing summers. Last time we talked, I told you my podcast was taking a vacation, but that wasn’t the only thing that took a hiatus in June. This summer, along with the core team that comprises my business, I took a major step back from working on everything so we could take a breather and get more perspective on what we were building. In this special episode, number 100, we lay out some of the biggest learnings, mistakes, ah-ha moments, and regrets from our summer break. 

We share:

• how we planned to spend our time and how we actually spent it
• how we dealt with discomfort and anxiety from taking time off 
• unexpected learnings and lessons
• how taking time off has helped us claim the stage in life and when speaking
• advice for others who may be burnt out and needing to take a break but don’t know where to start and don't know how to ask for it
• our biggest regrets and what we’ll do differently next time

Books and resources I discuss in the episode: 

The Pill by Jane Bennett and Alexandra Pope

Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Tony Weschler

Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause by John Lee, MD

My Flo app and TEDx talk by Alisa Vitti, functional nutritionist, founder of FLOliving.com

*I am not affiliated with and do not make money off recommending these books or experts.

Speakers often mistake their “norm” as a commonality that they share with many other speakers. In reality, your “norm” is actually your unique DNA. Every speaker has their own unique story/journey and learning how to tell it is absolutely crucial in today’s public speaking environment. On today's show, I interview Travis Thomas, a professional public speaker and seasoned improv performer. Travis has performed in front of thousands of people and trained dozens of organizations like the Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, US Soccer, Gatorade, PepsiCo., and Under Armour. On this episode, you'll learn how being "normal" can actually be the key to your success, how to use your story to create a connection with the audience, and how to use trust, vulnerability, and authenticity to be a better public speaker. You can learn more about Travis at http://liveyesand.com and get his book, 3 Words for Getting Unstuck: Live Yes, And!. 

When you're looking for support in accomplishing your goals, where do you turn? Do you value diversity of thought and experience unlike your own when seeking advice and direction? To offer her insight on this topic, I interview Julie Kratz, a highly-acclaimed leadership trainer, frequent keynote speaker, and executive coach. Julie is the author of Pivot Point: How to Build a Winning Career Game Plan and ONE: How Male Allies Support Women for Gender Equality.

On today's episode, we cover:

• what “male allies” are, why they are important, and their role in helping women’s success
• why women should encourage men to become allies, and how men can get involved
• a few tips to help women and men who want to work together successfully
• the kinds of results women can hope to see by following this advice
• two of the key points in Julie's book, ONE: How Male Allies Support Women for Gender Equality
• one piece of advice that you can do today to be more successful working together

Check out Julie's book here and find out more about her work here: 

NextPivotPoint.com

You've likely heard of SEO (search engine optimization), blogging, and websites, but have you ever used these tools yourself? If you are interested in being a paid public speaker, a big part of booking your next gig comes from event organizers finding you! If you don't have a website yet, you are missing out on an opportunity to show your expertise and have a virtual storefront for your speaking business.

On today's episode, I interview Kristen Day, the owner of A Visual Business and a consultant and trainer for small businesses with a focus on their online presence using social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), paid advertising on Google (PPC), blogging, website readability and development, and email marketing.

We discuss: 

• the “trifecta” and why speakers need it
• why SEO is important for speakers and how to use it
• how to be an effective blogger and write meaningful content
• how to get started with a website and tips for keeping it simple
• mistakes people make when following this advice
• how to use these tools with social media to be most effective and efficient
• the one most important piece of advice to help you get started right now

If you're interested in getting booked for more speaking gigs and don't want to do all the legwork of reaching out to organizations, help them find you by listening to today's episode. You can find out more about Kristen at www.AVisualBusiness.com. 

How comfortable are you with being assertive? Did you know that it can save your life? On today's episode, I interview Lauren Roselle, one of the world’s experts on the topics of interpersonal communication, assertiveness, harassment prevention, and self-defense. She is also the founder and President of Esteem, a communication consulting firm. 

We discuss:

• what “verbal assertiveness” is and why it's important 
• the difference between being assertive and being aggressive
• how women can use their voice to be respected by others and seen as powerful
• how women can use their voice to prevent assault and sexual harassment
• how to set and communicate clear boundaries

Lauren has led well over 1,000 workshops and her 27 years of experience includes personal coaching, group trainings, and motivational public speaking. Lauren’s mission is to empower those around her to walk through the world with less fear and more confidence. 
You can find out more about her at https://esteemcommunication.org.

In the final episode of the Tales from the Road mini series, Lenore Braun, club director of the Speaker Sisterhood, and Amber Ladley, creative director of the Speaker Sisterhood, interview me about my reflections, lessons, embarrassing moments, and advice for other speakers interested in planning a tour. 13 days after my five-week speaking tour, I'm sharing all the details and behind the scenes stories that went into the planning and execution of this massive undertaking. If you haven't listened to any other episodes in this series yet, you might want to start at the beginning, as I do reference those episodes in this interview. Enjoy! 

Being a persuasive speaker is a work of art. It requires thinking through some key elements of your message, knowing your call to action, and keeping things simple. On today's episode, you'll hear from Dr Michelle Mazur, a speaking strategist and founder of Communication Rebel in Seattle, Washington. She gives her advice for creating a persuasive speech with a memorable message by using her "3 Word Rebellion" method. You'll also learn a few fundamental ways to be persuasive and how to avoid messing it up! If you are a business owner, you'll learn how to assemble a talk that helps you promote your work and persuade your audience (without a sales pitch at the end!). You'll also learn how to find what your audience is resistant to so you can include their objections in your presentation. This episode is full of helpful tips and easy to follow advice. You can get Michelle's 3 Word Rebellion Framework at www.threewordrebellion.com and find more information about her at www.drmichellemazur.com. Enjoy! 

As I was thinking about this week's episode, it occurred to me that there was one major piece missing from the series so far: the speech I've been giving on the tour! Monday night, I setup my podcast mic in the event space and recorded the speech I've been giving on the road. The title it goes by is The Secret Life of Speaking Up or Discover Your Power Voice and the content is the same for both. This talk breaks down how to see public speaking differently, how to reframe fear, how to use your body, mind, and spirit to be a more powerful presenter, and how to infuse love into your words so your talks are more impactful. This workshop was recorded Monday, April 30, 2018 at The Park View Room in Worcester, Massachusetts for the Young Professional Women's Association. Enjoy!

Have a question about the tour you'd like asked on next week's episode? We're wrapping up the speaking tour and may include your question in the post-tour interview. Email me at [email protected]! 

Thanks to our tour sponsors:

• Innovation Women
• BostonSpeaks
• Angie's BoomChickaPop
• Tea Forte
• Emerson College
• AllStar Car and Truck Rental
• OmPractice
• Ona 

On today's episode of Claim the Stage, you'll hear an impromptu conversation between some serious public speakers! We put together a little roundtable to share stories, tips, and what still surprises us.

Featured on the episode:

Bobbie Carlton, founder of Innovation Women

Kit Pang, founder of BostonSpeaks

Brenda Loan Baker, Speaker Sisterhood club leader in Boston, Brockton, and Lowell

Emily Canina, Speaker Sisterhood club leader in Boston

Kathy Lamphier, marketing professional 

Addison, a really cut dog

You'll hear about how to reframe fear, how I use my interest in standup comedy in my speaking, how Bobbie uses "not being funny" to also be hilarious, how Kit keeps things simple, and how passion and talking about what you like can improve your presentations. This episode was recorded at Alley, a coworking space at 10 Ware Street in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge, Massachusetts on April 26, 2018. Enjoy!

*See pictures of Addison the dog on my Instagram: @angelalussier

Thanks to our tour sponsors:

• Innovation Women
• BostonSpeaks
• Angie's BoomChickaPop
• Tea Forte
• Emerson College
• AllStar Car and Truck Rental
• OmPractice
• Ona