Despite never meeting a microphone I didn’t like, I’m not always the most confident public speaker. Beyond the “um’s” and “ehh’s,” and even when I know the content backwards and forwards, in the back of my mind I often think, “am I making any sense at all?”
It’s either that experience or I’m like Will Ferrell during the debate scene in “Old School” – I say a whole string of things very quickly and it’s probably pretty decent content, but I basically black out and have no recollection of the words that came out of my mouth ðŸ«
So when I knew I was going to do the #FollowFriday conference and open with a personal story about my own professional journey, I wanted to work with someone who could help me refine my speaking skills. I was ready to level up from being someone who could adequately speak on stage, to someone who could inspire a room.
Which led me to Wendy Saltzman, today’s #FollowFriday feature. Wendy is a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist with 23 years in the news business. She coaches executives to prepare them for on- and off-camera interviews and public speaking opportunities. As we all know, in today’s video-centric world, being confident, clear, and concise is critical.
Wendy worked with me not just on my presence, projection, and poise, but also on my content, helping me shape my story into the best possible version.
But even more than that: Wendy helped me have the confidence in myself to help me take the stage knowing I could deliver the message I wanted to deliver. She challenged me to not rely on the crutch of the words on the page.
“You know your story,” she would say. “Don’t read it. Tell it.”
I’m grateful to have a confident, articulate woman like Wendy in my world. And I highly recommend you getting to know her too because what you will learn from her is worth its weight in gold!!
Meet Wendy! She’s got a way with words.
#AddisAdvice #ConfidentCommunication
