Whether you’re thrilled or terrified to talk about your story, it’s important to remember that everyone has something unique to share with the world - one that’s meaningful and inspiring. But how do you tell your story without compromising your authenticity? Today’s guest is Jennifer’s good friend and host of Camera Ready, Val Brown. Their conversation unravels the effect our voice and story play in business and the people around us, and why it takes more than talking in front of a camera to get your story across.

• Val Brown is an Emmy Award winner and the founder of Visual Bridge Communication. VBC helps leaders and businesses tell their stories and become more fluid in front of the camera. Val’s passion and excellence in journalism and communication has led her to an award-winning career.
• What are some expert tips when it comes to being an effective host/communicator? Read and practice your material. Take care of your voice: drink water and get enough sleep. Own your voice and don’t forget to breathe. Val explains that our voice is like a muscle, and warming up is vital for delivering a successful presentation. Just as athletes don’t skip their warm-up routines for a big event, we shouldn’t either.
• After shifting from corporate to the public sector, Val saw the power of articulate messaging. How changing the organizational language changes people’s quality of life. She learned that by changing the language, they changed the conversation. And by changing the conversation, they changed the company culture.
• She eventually joined a consulting group, which later inspired her to start her own business. Val saw the huge training demand that leaders and entrepreneurs had in the communications sector. She found great delight in helping people gain skills and move past their limiting beliefs - this was obviously her calling.

Val shares her best practice broken down to 3Ps: Purpose, Plan, and Presence. (Get the Camera Ready Guide download!)

• Understand your purpose. What is this video for? What do you want it to do for you? Why did you invest time and effort into creating this?
• Create a plan to support your purpose. The plan involves laying out your message, how and where you’re going to deliver your message. Your plan must fit your purpose.
• Align your mind, heart, and gut to establish your presence. People know when we’re not being authentic. By aligning the mind, heart, and gut, we come across as genuine - people are more receptive to messages that come from an honest source. Our audience needs to feel our enthusiasm when we share our message. Before we can get them to believe our story, we have to believe in it first.
• What are some of the foundations when it comes to speaking in front of the camera? Because people are on this journey at different levels, part of Val’s process is to meet them where they are. They work through the client’s self-limiting beliefs first. Once they know that they can do it, they become more comfortable with the idea of being in front of the camera. After they've established their confidence in telling their story, then they move on to polishing techniques and existing skills.
• “Audio without video is radio.” - Val Brown, Jennifer and Val talk about other investments and guidelines to consider when doing video such as lighting, wardrobe, makeup, and audio quality, and how it affects audience engagement.

As with anything in business, it all must serve a purpose - your story is no different. Tell your story, but do so with the genuine intent to connect with your audience all while staying true to your brand’s core values. Your story tells more about you and your brand than you think, so make it work for you. Remember: Purpose, Plan, and Presence - and match it with other presentation guidelines like colors, lighting, and audio quality.

Want a little help creating your personal brand?

Jennifer has a free resource for you. The Personal Brand Workbook will help you figure out what your personal brand is today and what you want to be known for in the future, as well as how you want to impact the world. Download it today!

Val Brown

Free Download: Camera Ready Guide

Visual Bridge Communication

Camera Ready with Val Brown - iTunes

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