One of my favorite parts of the #SpeakUpTour2018 so far has been the private dinners we're doing at women's homes. In today's episode, you'll get to hear some of the two-minute speeches given at those dinners. To give you some context, at the dinners, I talk about the importance of infusing love into your presentations so you can transfer that love to your audience. The best public speakers speak from the heart and create an emotional connection with their audience - this is what makes them powerful. In the 15 speeches you'll hear today, look for the love! Each one of them shares something personal and important to them. These speeches were recorded at private homes in York, Maine on April 10th and Yarmouthport, Massachusetts on April 19th. Most of the women who are sharing in this episode rarely give speeches (some never have) and bravely agreed to not only speak in front of the group, but also be recorded for this podcast! So cool. :)

Learn more about #SpeakUpTour2018 here: https://speakersisterhood.com/speakup/

Howdy! It's day 11 of the #SpeakUpTour2018 and I'm sharing what I've learned so far on the road. I feel like a band on tour now that I'm constantly traveling in the van and living out of a suitcase. It's been fun and my schedule has allowed me some downtime to think about what I'm learning. I'm sharing my top six reflections with you on today's episode.

They are:

1. Everything is more real now
2. We are all the same
3. Being present is more important than being perfect, but it's good to have a plan
4. Life is a continual study
5. You'll never be ready; you just have to start
6. It's all about listening and connecting

If you've ever thought about going on a speaking tour or want to up your speaking game, these reflections may be helpful on your journey. Enjoy!

Thanks to our tour sponsors:

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

If you haven't already heard, I'm hitting the road! I'm posting today's episode from Portland, Maine, the first stop on my speaking tour that we've titled #SpeakUpTour2018. I'm on a mission to empower women to speak up through a series of workshops, events, and book signings happening all over New England in the month of April. I'm excited to get started and share my stories from the road as the month goes on.

On today's episode, I have three interviews to share with you. I've decided to share the behind the scenes of what goes into building a speaking tour by interviewing a couple of people who made it possible: Shana from All Star Car and Truck Rental in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and Athan Vennell, a clothing designer located in Hatfield, Massachusetts. The third interview in today's episode is with me! Lenore Braun and Amber Ladley, part of the Speaker Sisterhood team, took over the show and interview me about my pre-tour thoughts. I'm pretty tired in the interview, but I think I said a few useful things? We'll see! If you want to view pictures of the van we rented and the dresses I'm wearing, check them out here. Find out more about All Star Car & Truck Rental here and check out Athan Vennell on Facebook or email him at [email protected].

Find out where we're going on tour and join us:

https://speakersisterhood.com/speakup/

Have ideas for upcoming episodes or want to share feedback? Email me! [email protected] 

The Speaker Sisterhood is a network of speaking clubs for women who want to discover, awaken, and create their voice through the art of public speaking. It's also the company I founded in late 2016. It's a training ground for almost 200 women who are on a journey of self-discovery.

In this five-part series, you'll hear from the women of the Speaker Sisterhood as they deliver powerful speeches and discuss the process of arriving at their topic. Their stories are personal, real, and brave. The women are discovering what's inside of them and sharing it with the world. You don't want to miss this series. 

In part 5, you'll hear from members Sandra Costello and Beth Ann Jedziniak.

Learn more about starting your own club or joining the Speaker Sisterhood at www.speakersisterhood.com.

Enjoy! 

The Speaker Sisterhood is a network of speaking clubs for women who want to discover, awaken, and create their voice through the art of public speaking. It's also the company I founded in late 2016. It's a training ground for almost 200 women who are on a journey of self-discovery.

In this five-part series, you'll hear from the women of the Speaker Sisterhood as they deliver powerful speeches and discuss the process of arriving at their topic. Their stories are personal, real, and brave. The women are discovering what's inside of them and sharing it with the world. You don't want to miss this series. 

In part 4, you'll hear from members Adrienne Roth and Lenore Braun. 

Learn more about starting your own club or joining the Speaker Sisterhood at www.speakersisterhood.com.

Enjoy! 

The Speaker Sisterhood is a network of speaking clubs for women who want to discover, awaken, and create their voice through the art of public speaking. It's also the company I founded in late 2016. It's a training ground for almost 200 women who are on a journey of self-discovery.

In this five-part series, you'll hear from the women of the Speaker Sisterhood as they deliver powerful speeches and discuss the process of arriving at their topic. Their stories are personal, real, and brave. The women are discovering what's inside of them and sharing it with the world. You don't want to miss this series. 

In part 3, you'll hear from members Deb Burke and Julie Bermant. 

Learn more about starting your own club or joining the Speaker Sisterhood at www.speakersisterhood.com.

Enjoy! 

The Speaker Sisterhood is a network of speaking clubs for women who want to discover, awaken, and create their voice through the art of public speaking. It's also the company I founded in late 2016. It's a training ground for almost 200 women who are on a journey of self-discovery.

In this five-part series, you'll hear from the women of the Speaker Sisterhood as they deliver powerful speeches and discuss the process of arriving at their topic. Their stories are personal, real, and brave. The women are discovering what's inside of them and sharing it with the world. You don't want to miss this series. 

In part 2, you'll hear from members Becky Vesce and Lori Polep. 

Learn more about starting your own club or joining the Speaker Sisterhood at www.speakersisterhood.com.

Enjoy! 

The Speaker Sisterhood is a network of speaking clubs for women who want to discover, awaken, and create their voice through the art of public speaking. It's also the company I founded in late 2016! It's a training ground for almost 200 women who are on a journey of self-discovery.

In this five-part series, you'll hear from the women of the Speaker Sisterhood as they deliver powerful speeches and discuss the process of arriving at their topic. Their stories are personal, real, and brave. The women are discovering what's inside of them and sharing it with the world. You don't want to miss this series. 

In part 1, you'll hear from members Alicia Davis and Beth Fairservis. 

Learn more about starting your own club or joining the Speaker Sisterhood at www.speakersisterhood.com.

Enjoy! 

A big part of becoming a well-known speaker is getting yourself in front of people and being seen. However, being visible can be scary! Where do you go? What do you say? How do you do it well? In today's episode, I interview Ed Evarts, an author, speaker, and leadership coach and we get into this sticky subject. His newest book, Raise Your Visibility & Value: Uncover the Lost Art of Connecting on the Job includes his "Seven Visibility Accelerators" and he shows us how to create that visibility we're looking for. The seven are:          

#1: Introduce yourself

#2: Be accessible

#3: Be responsive

#4: Interact with others

#5: Participate with a purpose

#6: Engage with industry associations

#7: Manage your reputation

Ed shares great tips and stories to emphasize the seven accelerators and even shares a few mistakes he sees people make so we can be more successful at following his advice. If you're trying to build your brand as a speaker, today's episode is for you. Learn more about Ed Evarts and get his book here: http://www.excellius.com 

Do you struggle with feeling confident when presenting yourself in front of others? Join the club! Feeling discomfort when speaking in public is a normal reaction. So how do you curb that natural response? On today's episode, you'll hear from Alyssa Dver, chief confidence officer and co-founder of the American Confidence Institute and author of seven books including Kickass Confidence: Own Your Brain. Up Your Game. She answers the question, what is confidence? And shares how confidence impacts your behavior, how to build confidence leading up to a presentation, hold onto it throughout your talk, and not let your inner critic run the show when you're done. She also shares the neuroscience behind building confidence and offers a couple of her “instant, anytime confidence kickers." If confidence is an area where you struggle, you'll love today's episode!

Get a free ebook copy of Alyssa's book, Kickass Confidence: Own Your Brain. Up Your Game. by emailing her at [email protected]. 

Learn more about Alyssa: www.kickass-confidence.com