Making It with Jess Ekstrom

Whenever we step on stage, we’re making a courageous choice to be there and share our authentic selves with the audience. 

But what does it mean to be gutsy?

Today, Natalie Franke shares her personal journey of facing a brain tumor diagnosis and infertility, while building her career. 

Jess and Natalie emphasize the continuous learning process of courage and the significance of self-reflection and embracing change. They also discuss the power of vulnerability, community support, and the value of integrity in personal and professional growth.

Natalie Franke is the Head of Community at Flodesk and author of Gutsy: Learning to Live With Bold, Brave, and Boundless Courage.

[00:02] Courage looks different for everyone.

[03:20] Evolution of Natalie’s struggles and gutsiness.

[06:16] How Natalie changed her perspective on courage.

[10:13] Fear is natural but keep moving forward.

[12:56] The impostor syndrome advantage.

[18:46] Finding authenticity in breaking free.

[23:49] Building your inner circle.

Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence, and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

Whenever you have reached any level of success, it helps others (and yourself) to be transparent about the messier early days. 

Today, Jess shares a story about a speaking event early in her career where she was picked up in a limo, and it seemed like an “I Made It!” moment. 

But instead, she was quickly reminded that not everyone was rooting for her success.

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Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence, and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

Women’s voices have been suppressed for hundreds of years. Is it any wonder that we’re still facing a gender pay gap? We’re making progress, but we still have a long way to go.

Today, Dana Rubin joins the podcast to explore the evolution of women's voices in history and the importance of inclusive communication. She discusses the need to document and share women's speeches, as well as showcasing diverse speeches. 

It’s time to amplify all voices for diverse perspectives - through effective communication strategies, the power of authenticity, vulnerability, and adapting speech to connect with audiences. 

Dana Rubin is the author of “Speaking While Female: 75 Extraordinary Speeches by American Women", and founder of the Speaking While Female Speech Bank.

[01:56] Men's voices dominate history, where are women's?
[03:48] History lesson: Women were silenced, but spoke up. 
[08:35] How we can support women to stand up and speak
[10:50] Including men in the conversation
[13:16] The power of the pause
[14:57] Overriding stereotypes
[17:04] Embracing emotions and authenticity

Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence, and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

Today, Jess takes us back to the first speech she ever gave. Fifth grade graduation at Cornelius Elementary School. 

Kids typically don't fear public speaking or sharing what's on their mind because they haven't been taught to think about what others are thinking of them. They haven't been taught that that maybe limits exist or maybe I'll fail.

So how did it go for Jess?

Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence, and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

Dr. Lorneka Joseph found herself in the hospital after pushing too hard, and she uncovered a hard truth - she needed to slow down or stare directly at a premature death.

Today, Lorneka and Jess discuss the importance of prioritizing self-care and well-being for high achievers. They share insights on setting boundaries, recognizing red flags of neglecting personal health, and integrating self-care into daily routines. 

It’s not easy, but we can all learn how to be ambitious without sacrificing our physical and mental well-being.

Dr. Lorneka Joseph is a Pharmacist, Motivational Speaker, Life and Wellness Coach for high achievers and organizations redefining work and wellness.

[01:00] Introducing Dr. Lorneka Joseph
[04:30] How do we strike a balance of being an ambitious person, but not at the expense of our physical and mental wellbeing?
[08:30] “Without our health, we're absolutely nothing.”
[12:45] Red flags showing you’re not prioritizing self
[17:00] How can we unlearn productivity in a wellness-focused way?
[19:00] Dr. Lorneka’s stress-induced anxiety attack
[22:45] “ Just because I have the ability to do something, it doesn't mean that I have the capability to do something.”

Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence, and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

Today, Jess shares a story about what happened to her physically when she was full steam ahead in her work and completely neglecting self-care.

If you’re barreling toward burnout, you’ll want to listen to this, as Jess shares some tips to help you get off the hamster wheel to something that resembles more of a work-life balance.

Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence, and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

What does it mean to be a natural at speaking? Or is that the wrong question, because being a natural at speaking is a load of crap?

Speaking can be taught, speaking can be learned, and we have to learn it somewhere. So when you see someone that is up on stage, so effortlessly sharing their story, or it seems like they have all the confidence in the world, you know what? They have had insecurities before. That happens with anything. If we work at it, we mess up. 

Our guest today is Rachel DeAlto, and seems like someone who can be so effortless on stage. But that’s not the reality.

Rachel DeAlto is a relatability and communication expert, motivational keynote speaker, and author of relatable: How to Connect with Anyone, Anywhere (Even if it Scares You).

[01:30] “Rachel clearly isn’t capable of doing this.”

[05:11] Reflecting on past mistakes

[08:22] “The house is built. It's time to live in it. It's time to enjoy it.”

[10:57] Relatability in relationships and personal growth.

[13:10] Speaking relies on relatable stories, not AI.

[18:02] Building one-to-one connections.

[00:20:15] "My signature story is about a cat allergy."

Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence, and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

On today’s Monday Motivation, let’s learn how to become a more confident public speaker. Jess Ekstrom explains the difference between being a “spotlight speaker” and a “lighthouse speaker” and encourages you to shift your mindset to focus on delivering value to the audience. 

She also shares a mantra with you to ease nerves before speaking, and discusses how to anticipate challenges and come up with solutions.

Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence, and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

With only 0.5% of global sports sponsorship dollars going to female athletes, we still have a long way to go in closing the gender pay gap in women's sports!

Today, Leela Srinivasan sheds light on the challenges women face in negotiating fair compensation and the role of social media in amplifying their voices. 

Tune in to learn more about the efforts to promote gender equality in sports and how you can support women athletes.

Leela Srinivasan is the CEO of Parity, which helps brands tap into the power, popularity, and reach of pro women athletes.

[02:38] Closing the gender pay gap in sports.

[08:09] How Parity helps female athletes get opportunities.

[11:18] Importance of data and storytelling in speaking career.

[15:07] Don’t believe the headlines: Progress in women's pay is misleading. 

[21:32] Pay transparency and representation to navigate negotiations and create more opportunities. 

[24:59] How you can support female athletes and speakers.

[27:57] Life-changing experience in Africa.

Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence, and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.

We're getting close to Valentine's Day!  Around this time, we think a lot about relationships with others.

 But what about taking a moment to think about the relationship with yourself and your own self-worth?

Start by answering: "What makes you feel worthy?"

Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence, and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop.