Making It with Jess Ekstrom

Growing up in a household of 30+ people, with an African American mom and a Sikh American dad, the importance of diversity was ingrained in Deanna Singh from the moment she was born.

As a speaker, however, she noticed that diversity was clearly not a value of every event organizer.

Today, Jess and guest Deanna Singh emphasize the need for diverse perspectives in conferences and events to provide unique and valuable content to the audience. 

Deanna Singh is the managing partner of Uplifting Impact, and the author of Actions Speak Louder.

[03:34] Public speaking is a skill, not a gift.

[05:38] Overcoming fear and embracing imperfections in public speaking.

[09:40] Diversity (or lack of diversity) in the speaking industry.

[12:23] Creating equity and inclusion helps meet everyone’s goals.

[14:32] Increasing diversity by changing recruitment practices.

[19:56] Inviting diverse speakers only for diversity topics.

[21:50] Advocating for others and sharing opportunities.

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

Today’s Monday Motivation is how to deal when feeling constantly overwhelmed. 

Jess shares her own experience of feeling overwhelmed when the never-ending tasks never seem to reach the bottom of the pile.

Learn how she reduced burnout by embracing the never-ending pile.

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

Meggie Palmer and Jess Ekstrom share the same mission - Close the Gender Pay Gap! 

Both ladies are on a mission to increase women's pay and communication surrounding it.

Today, Meggie dives into these 6 tips with Jess to help you get paid what you're worth:

• The need to build relationships with audiences
• Offering free resources (yes, to help you get paid more)
• The value of preparation in negotiations 
• Meggie's three W's framework for determining one's range in negotiations
• The power of saying no 
• Embracing an abundance mindset

Meggie Palmer is the founder of PepTalkHer, speaker, and journalist. She’s a native Australian who now calls NYC home.

[00:02:43] Gender pay gap is a problem. Start small, start local

[00:06:21] Craft a speaker statement and reach out to opportunities closest to cash.

[00:08:11] Negotiation for speaking engagements and non-monetary compensation

[00:11:37] Building referrals

[00:15:07] Negotiation is just a conversation, but requires knowing your worth

[00:21:37] The power of saying NO

[00:23:49] Building demand by creating FOMO can be powerful

[00:27:49] Collaboration and support are key

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

Welcome back to Amplify with Jess Ekstrom!

Today's Monday Motivation: "Faking it" shouldn't lead to "Making it".

When Jess began her career, she wanted everyone to believe she had it all figured out and thought the best way to prove that was through appearance and speech.

She would wear blazers and shoes that just weren't her style, try to emulate other leaders that she admired, and use words that weren't in her daily vocabulary.

But she realized quickly that faking it wasn’t serving her at all. It wasn’t until a “speaking gig” where she spoke honestly to the attendees that she found her voice.

Tune in to hear all about it.

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

A beginner's mindset can foster curiosity, creativity, and growth - and it can even help out at least a little bit with that fear we all have: Imposter Syndrome. 

Today, Liz Forkin Bohannon talks to Jess what she calls “Beginner’s Pluck,, imposter syndrome, the power of storytelling, and the beauty of being an outsider.

Liz Forkin Bohannon is the Founder of Sseko Designs, keynote speaker, host of the Plucking Up Podcast, and author of Beginner’s Pluck.

(00:00) Introducing Liz Forkin Bohannon

(04:30) The awkwardness of being a beginner

(08:30) The problem with Earned Dogmatism

(12:30) Your responsibility to share your knowledge

(18:30) Liz’s evolution from business owner to speaker to thought leader

(22:30) “I can’t do math in public. Why are you bringing me to speak?”

(25:40) Beginner’s Pluck

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

Welcome back to Amplify with Jess Ekstrom!

In today's Monday Motivation, Jess explores how an optimistic beginner mindset can pave the way for future success.

From wearing a badge that said “Earning My Ears” while working at Disney to trying stand-up comedy classes, Jess shares stories to encourage a shifting mindset from “I’ve never done this before” to “I’ve never done this before, so I’ll start here.”

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

We all have at least a little bit of fear before we grab the mic. It takes a lot of courage to go up on stage and speak in front of people you don’t know.

So, how do we consistently find the courage to take that next step?  Today, Antoinetta Mosley joins me for a conversation on courage - not just in speaking but other aspects of life.

Antoinetta Mosley helps people reach their highest potential by teaching them the power of consistently cultivating courage. She’s the founder of I Follow the Leader and Chief Encouragement Officer at Courage Candy, and I’m proud to say a Mic Drop Workshop graduate.

(00:00) Introducing Antoinetta Mosley

(03:25) Don’t DIY your DEI

(06:45) Calling out events that lack diversity

(11:15) “Hi, my name is (blank), and I help people (blank)”

(12:35) Antoinetta’s first gig

(15:00) How speaking has changed for Antoinetta over the last 7 years

(18:00) Courage in speaking

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

Welcome back to Amplify with Jess Ekstrom!

For today’s Monday Motivation, Jess talks about why habits and intentions are more effective than New Year's Resolutions.  

If one of your resolutions is to grow your personal brand, Jess is going to share some of her habits to make that goal happen, including speaking engagements, podcast guesting, and writing! 

Learn how to leverage your platform - to serve both yourself and everyone out there who needs to hear your message.

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

Welcome to Amplify with Jess, Today, we’re leading off with Giselle Ugarte, Global Speaker and Executive Performance Coach, and someone who’s become TikTok famous. Giselle wasn’t always comfortable being behind the camera, so I ask her what happened and why she appears so confident now.

(00:00) The confidence journey

(03:56) Admitting vulnerability

(07:47) Breaking barriers

(11:00) Competition or support system?

(17:58) Conquering your content creation fears

(21:10) “What if you just let it be messy and you just let it be real and you just let it be you.”

(27:14) Managing video expectations

(29:20) J-Lo: Longevity over virality

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

Welcome to Amplify with Jess! Get ready to dive into anecdotes, insights, and tips that'll amp up your 2024! 

Today, we’re talking about the fine line between inspiration and comparison. When you see others winning (especially on social media), do you find that motivating? Or a little deflating?  If it makes you feel less than, what can you do about it?

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