There are so many great reasons to embrace your “Yes” era. Saying yes to as many opportunities as you can fit into your day. Taking the job, taking the trip, going to the conference, joining the club and showing up to as many things as possible. And with each experience that you have, you walk away with more knowledge about yourself, the world, and your place in it. But maybe now it’s time for your “No” era. — Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence , and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop ...
Mar 18, 2024•8 min•Season 2Ep. 21
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 i...
Mar 13, 2024•32 min•Season 2Ep. 20
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. — Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence , and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop ....
Mar 11, 2024•8 min•Season 2Ep. 19
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 commun...
Mar 06, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 18
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 ....
Mar 04, 2024•9 min•Season 2Ep. 17
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...
Feb 28, 2024•35 min•Season 2Ep. 16
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 ....
Feb 26, 2024•12 min•Season 2Ep. 15
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,...
Feb 21, 2024•30 min•Season 2Ep. 14
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 ....
Feb 19, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 13
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 th...
Feb 14, 2024•36 min•Season 2Ep. 12
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 ....
Feb 12, 2024•9 min•Season 2Ep. 11
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...
Feb 07, 2024•32 min•Season 2Ep. 10
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 .
Feb 05, 2024•7 min•Season 2Ep. 9
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 Em...
Jan 31, 2024•37 min•Season 2Ep. 8
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....
Jan 29, 2024•8 min•Season 2Ep. 7
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 (...
Jan 24, 2024•37 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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 ....
Jan 22, 2024•10 min•Season 2Ep. 5
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 Lead...
Jan 17, 2024•26 min•Season 2Ep. 4
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...
Jan 15, 2024•13 min•Season 2Ep. 3
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...
Jan 10, 2024•42 min•Season 2Ep. 2
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 ....
Jan 08, 2024•9 min•Season 2Ep. 1
I was hesitant to restart this podcast because my mind was saying, "Is the world too noisy right now? Are we in information overload? Will I be yet another podcast that people will roll their eyes at?" But we were in Week 3 of Mic Drop Academy , which is our 10-week elite speaker program for women. And I was giving advice to someone who is hesitant to start their career as a speaker or in thought leadership - If what you have to say can help someone else, then you'd be doing them a disservice by...
Jan 01, 2024•4 min
Do you find it hard to separate your personal worth from your business, allowing every little failure to eat you up? I'm going to let you in on a little secret and daily mantra I use: it's just business. Over the last few years, I've dealt with the pain that comes from someone not loving a product, because I was taking it personally. When I started using this mantra, I found more space to focus on growth. About the Phrase: It's just business. (1:21) Using "It's just business." as a Mindset Hack ...
Jun 20, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 42
As a speaker, you're always looking for ways to gain experience and land speaking gigs, right? Suz Chadwick is sharing 3 ways to qualify yourself as a speaker and get booked for speaking engagements. Listen in as she walks us through what it looks like to call yourself a speaker, how to show your value, and where you need to start today! Get to Know Suz (2:41) Three Ways to Land Speaking Engagements: 1. Practice with low hanging fruit: Podcast, FB/IG Live, Webinar, Events (3:14) 2. Create assets...
Jun 13, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Are you dreaming of standing on a stage next to those three big, red letters? Let's get you ready to land a TED Talk! In this episode of Business on the Bright Side, I'm sharing the four P's to getting booked for a TED Talk! Jess' First TedX Talk (1:06) Ted X Talk vs. Ted Talk (1:47) Ted X Talk: Localize Events Ted Talk: Main Events The Benefit of the Ted X Talk: (2:10) - You can feature the logo on your site. - You can prove your speaking ability for a Ted Talk. - It will propel your speaking c...
Jun 06, 2021•15 min•Season 1Ep. 40
We live in a society where it's hard to be direct and say what you want—but I want to change that, starting with myself. Erica Reitman joins us today for a straightforward conversation on three ways to be more direct in both your life and your career. Listen in as she walks us through her journey and how being direct has moved the needle forward! Erica’s Past as an Interior Designer (1:44) Inner Shift to Coaching (3:31) Three Ways to Be More Direct (7:07) 1. Setting the tone for being direct (7:...
May 30, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Are you ready to make your website accessible for everyone? Let's test your website's accessibility! Myrna Daramy is an advocate for Digital Media Optimization, encouraging others to create an inclusive and accessible space in their brands. Listen in as she walks us through opportunities for improvement and how we can start optimizing our websites today! DMO: Digital Media Optimization (1:50) Digital Inclusivity: Your digital platforms are accessible to any and everyone. (3:41) ADA Compliance (5...
May 23, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Do you have a great business idea or name? You may be asking yourself, "Do I need a trademark?" Michelle Murphy of Wilson Murphy Law and The CEO Legal Loft join us to discuss when and why you need a trademark for your big idea, and how to go about the trademark process. Listen in as she walks through a trademark search, a few legal steps to take when you're getting started, and how an attorney can help you get legal! Something that Made Michelle Want to Quit What She Does: She felt like she was ...
May 16, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 37
What does creativity mean to you? Have you found a way to incorporate it into your life? In this episode of Business on the Bright Side, I'm joined by Brit Morin of Self Made and Brit & Co to discuss how you can activate your creativity, dive into what your passionate about, and use that to launch the business you've been dreaming about! Get to Know Brit (1:14) The Journey of Brit & Co (3:03) Developing Self Made (6:48) What Being Self Made Means (9:54) In December of 2020, 140k jobs wer...
May 09, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Do you typically stick to the same marketing tactics you've always worked with in your business? Sometimes that can leave you stagnant. Audria Richmond is making big moves in new marketing strategies and techniques, which is why I thought it was so important to bring her on the show. Audria joins us to share three ways you can try new marketing in your business this year to set yourself apart! Get to Know Audria (:59) Three Ways to Try New Marketing (1:57) 1. Micro-Marketing: Simplify Your Conte...
May 02, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 35
