Scott Miller is the guest on this week’s episode of Speaking to Influence. The Co-Founder and CEO of YESLY Water speaks to Laura about how he handled pushback and set boundaries to move forward. In this episode you will learn: How Scott used individual time with his team members to be vulnerable during a personal diagnosis, which resulted in galvanizing his team to become closer as they ended up opening up new levels of conversation. How Scott used transparency in order to ensure that his compan...
Jan 23, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 192
In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola and guest Vivian Wesson explore the importance of curiosity over judgment in inclusive conversations, emphasizing the transformative power of small gestures and acts of kindness in creating an inclusive society and highlighting the positive impact of smiles. In this episode you will learn: The surprising relevance of improv skills in leadership The importance of replacing judgment with curiosity The impact of silence on DEI efforts The power of greeting and ackn...
Jan 16, 2024•33 min•Season 4Ep. 191
Joining Laura on this week’s episode of ‘Speaking to Influence’ is Johann Wrede, Chief Experience Officer at Emburse. Johann shares how he manages group dynamics among key stakeholders to keep them from hijacking meetings with their own agendas so that his plan stays intact. In this episode you will learn: What a great customer experience is really about. What exactly a Chief Experience Officer does, and why more C-Suites should think about adding one to take collaboration of departments to inte...
Jan 08, 2024•30 min•Season 4Ep. 190
Happy New Year! Dr. Laura Sicola is back with Part II: The Big Reveal. In this episode, she unveils her rebranding journey, discussing the issues and challenges her Vocal Impact brand had, and introduces the audience to her new brand: LauraSicola.com. In this episode you will learn: How and why your brand should accurately reflect the value you provide and resonate with your target audience Why words and language play a crucial role in communicating your brand’s message How you can use feedback ...
Jan 02, 2024•17 min•Season 4Ep. 189
Dr. Laura Sicola: Sneak Peek- What’s Even Better than VIP? This week, join Dr. Laura Sicola for Part I of a two part series where she talks about defining and claiming your brand…or more specifically, HER brand! Join us for a sneak peek in the episode of an exciting development. In this episode you will learn: The beginnings of Vocal Impact Productions and the lessons Laura learned along the way about branding The challenges she originally faced in finding a niche How Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lea...
Dec 26, 2023•22 min•Season 4Ep. 188
On this week’s episode of Speaking to Influence, join Clate Mask, CEO of Keap Small Business Automation, as he tells Laura about when he knew it was time to put his career on the line by giving an ultimatum to his company, rather than continuing the battle of trying to persuade. In this episode you will learn: The importance of business automation for business owners and overburdened team members, and the need for entrepreneurs to have effective systems and processes in place to conquer chaos an...
Dec 19, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 187
Laura welcomes Dr. Shanil Ebrahim, Partner at Deloitte Canada, where he shares how he learned how to stop using layers of technical jargon that were preventing clients from identifying clear, actionable next steps. In this episode you will learn: How Shanil decided to make the pivot from research clinician to consultant due to his desire to have more immediate impact on more complex healthcare issues. How ‘branding’ and identifying your brand is relevant and valuable even for roles outside of ma...
Dec 12, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 186
This week on ‘Speaking to Influence,’ Dr. Laura is joined by COO of Expensify, Anu Muralidharan, where Anu shares how she was able to build momentum in her company by having everyone identify their own unique value, and how it mattered in getting the company to their goal. In this episode you will learn: How a COO is like a Swiss Army knife The importance of acknowledging and addressing self-doubt and inner critics, and how Anu sharing her own experience helped a coworker overcome her own fears ...
Dec 05, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 185
We welcome Paul Comfort of Modaxo and Transit Unplugged to this week’s episode of Speaking to Influence where he shares stories from his experiences running some of the world’s largest transportation and transportation technology organizations through potential powder-keg situations and refocused on new ‘north stars’ of safety, efficiency, reliability, and world-class customer service. In this episode you will learn: How Paul, the newly appointed head of the Maryland Transit Administration, face...
Nov 28, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 184
On this week’s episode, Melissa Schoger, Vice President of Finance for Identification Solutions and Vestcom at Avery Dennison talks with Laura about how she helped teams overcome an instance of mixed messaging to achieve mutual understanding. In this episode you will learn: How Melissa made sure the integrity of a message remained intact after witnessing how different leaders in a meeting had varying takeaways How she learned to take the time to listen to team members on the ground, rather than ...
Nov 21, 2023•27 min•Season 4Ep. 183
Laura welcomes Senior Vice President of TD Bank, Chantal Capodicasa, to talk about how she found the courage to speak up in defense of her team and challenge a directive in a time of crisis. In this episode you will learn: How Chantal challenges the misconceptions about ‘lenders’ at banks, and illustrates how they are more ‘relationship managers’ for bank clients. How Chantal’s family’s battle with cancer showed her how being vulnerable can leave space for her team to show up for her in ways she...
Nov 14, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 182
Our newest episode of Speaking to Influence features Charlie Saffro, CEO and Founder of CS Recruiting, who talks about the importance of resourcefulness and curiosity in a job interview, and how to do it by doing your research on social media and asking the right questions…and even shares what thos best questions are! In this episode you will learn: How Charlie realized that she was better at being a leader than a manager and struggled when she had to manage a new team member, learning the impor...
Nov 07, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 181
Joining Laura on this week’s episode is Ossa Fisher, President of Aurora Innovation, where Ossa shares the multi-faceted pow rapport-building techniques to uncover the real problem and get people on board, resulting in enthusiastic participation. In this episode you will learn: About the development of self-driving technology, the current use of autonomous vehicles on Texas roads, addressing concerns of regulators with safety measures and reassuring the public with real-life examples of how the ...
Oct 31, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 180
This week’s episode of Speaking to Influence is with guest Erik Ryan, Senior Vice President and CFO of Iron Mountain, in a conversation that focuses on the power of ‘no’. In this episode you will learn: About a time Erik found himself in a conversation with Prince Edward where he tried to prove himself but ended up in a ridiculous argument about the similarities between different islands…leading him to learn a lesson of how to meet others where they were, avoid tangential conversations, and stee...
Oct 24, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 179
Laura sits down with Mary Ellen Harris, Chief Human Resources Officer at Kreischer Miller, to discuss how she is shifting the paradigm on aspects of corporate culture to one valuing vulnerability and integrity in the workplace to champion employees with a culture of respect. In this episode you will learn: How Mary Ellen aims to change the misconceptions about the HR function and her personal role in treating people with respect and engaging in open dialogue, sharing an example of how they shift...
Oct 17, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 178
Laura is joined this week by Laura Liotta, President of Sam Brown Healthcare and Communications Agency, where they discuss misconceptions of healthcare PR and the importance of authenticity in communication with clients, patients, and the team. In this episode you will learn: About misconceptions surrounding PR and celebrities using medical options in the healthcare industry. The importance of collaborative agency-client relationships and how the client's influence sets the tone for the company....
Oct 10, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 177
This week,Chris Hall, Chairman and Co-Founder of Stacuity Ltd. describes the challenges of being a small startup grappling with geographical bias in the tech industry, and the need to convince others of their credibility in spite of these biases. In this episode you will learn: How they are trying to change the perception of the industry by offering a better and more efficient network specifically designed for IoT. The importance of storytelling and the power of asserting oneself in a conversati...
Oct 03, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 176
This week, Matt Kraft, COO of Mosaic Learning, discusses how he rallied his team through a 17-hour marathon to overcome a total system collapse in the 11th hour before the very first earnings call for their new CEO. In this episode you will learn: The challenges of e-learning platforms and the need for more immersive and connected learning experiences. The potential applications of AI in everyday life, such as using it to manage children's activities and schedules. Why Matt discarded his past ap...
Sep 26, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 175
On this week’s episode we are honored to have Dr. Richard Santiago, CFO of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) who shares how he had to become a change agent in order to implement massive digital transformation across more than one hundred locations around the world that absolutely could not afford to fail. In this episode you will learn: How he overcame the challenges of addressing a diverse audience of leaders and individual contributors that would eventually lead to a tea...
Sep 19, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 174
Joining Laura this week is Smitha Murthy, CEO of Beagle Security. Smitha shares the steps she took to build rapport with key decision makers early in her career in order to be recognized as someone truly ready for a leadership role. In this episode you will learn: How Smitha helped build a collective community to mentor other women towards promotion in male-dominated industries. How she bucked the tradition of leadership silence during a period of chaotic uncertainty and instead encouraged open ...
Sep 12, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 173
This week, Chris Hood of CH Digital and former Head of Digital Strategy at Google discusses the lessons he learned from the communication culture at Google, and how they can be implemented in any business. In this episode you will learn: How Google established a culture of ‘psychological safety’ and appreciation, and tips on how you can do the same for your company. Why internal communication (or lack thereof!) and toxic communication culture may be the main culprit behind companies not being ab...
Sep 05, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 172
Nathan Beckord of Founder Suite and Funding Stack: Cracking the Code to Successful Fundraising This week, Nathan Beckord shares with us how to put yourself in the best position to get to ‘yes’ with potential investors. In this episode you will learn: Common misconceptions and challenges in the world of startups and fundraising The difficulties and rejection involved in launching a startup and raising capital, as well as the importance of targeting the right investors What filters and criteria in...
Aug 22, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 170
This week, Jacob Baadsgaard shares with us how he made the change to a values based business. In this episode you will learn: How marriage counseling made his business better. When to break up or let go of clients while finding the right solution for them. What a rock, paper, & scissors tournament does for team recognition. Showing businesses how to grow to the next level with digital marketing. The importance of hiring someone who don’t pretend to be someone that they are not. 24 Hour Chall...
Aug 15, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 169
This week, Dr. Mark Wilkinson will share with us various ways that preparing our voice can help lead to a greater impact in front of any size audience. In this episode you will learn: The importance of warming up your body and vocal chords before speaking. How certain foods can cause acid reflux and to be mindful of them. Why you should find a balance between breathiness and harshness in vocal sound. Recognizing some of the myths around vocal expression. About Dr. Wilkinson: This tall, fully bil...
Aug 08, 2023•40 min•Season 4Ep. 168
This week, Lisa DiPaolo shares with us the qualities that she looks for when hiring someone for a senior leadership role. In this episode you will learn: How her company is on a mission to defeat cancer. The importance of connecting with the audience and stepping back when you see that your message is not resonating. Understanding that not everyone wants to be in the spotlight. When to demonstrate active listening skills especially when it’s difficult to do so. Ways to communicate with your team...
Aug 01, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 167
In this episode of the “Speaking to Influence”, Dr. Laura Sicola spends time with Ellen Gallagher, Chief Operations Officer at Wilkes University. In this episode you will learn: how a free text-book initiative is increasing student’s likelihood for success that time spent earning a 4-year degree teaches you critical interpersonal and management skills how everyone, regardless of their role, has the ability and responsibility to represent their organization on social media that filling a presenta...
Jul 25, 2023•32 min•Season 4Ep. 166
In this episode of the “Speaking to Influence”, Dr. Laura Sicola spends time with Jennifer Krippner, Chief Experience Officer at the Institute for Healthcare Excellence, which implements evidence-based systems that instill a state of thriving in physicians, nurses, and caregiver teams. In this episode you will learn: that cultural transformation takes time, commitment, and courage it is important to be present and attentive in conversations with all team members regardless of their position to n...
Jul 18, 2023•31 min•Season 4Ep. 165
In this episode of the “Speaking to Influence”, Dr. Laura Sicola talks with Aïcha Ly, Head of Consumer Insights at Opensignal, a global organization that provides operators with unrivaled visibility of their networks and customer activity/insights. In this episode you will learn: • That people really appreciate a good human moment in your interaction with them • No matter how well you craft a message, you can’t always control how others will take it • Using contrasting statements in tough conver...
Jul 11, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 164
In this episode of the “Speaking to Influence”, Dr. Laura Sicola chats with Dr. Bill Auxier, President and CEO of the Center for Rural Health Leadership. Dr. Auxier is a renowned author, speaker, and teacher who has spent his career helping rural health leaders create a culture of health and well-being in their communities. Dr. Auxier shares his definition of leadership and challenges listeners to define their own in one sentence or less. In this episode you will learn: What to bear in mind when...
Jun 27, 2023•36 min•Season 4Ep. 163
Description: In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Chrissy McGarry, the COO of Second Front Systems, a national security software company. Chrissy has emerged as one of the few female leaders in the defense tech space. Her mission is to “Lead it better than she found it”. In this episode you will learn: How skills from sales, marketing, and performance can transfer over to the C-Suite. The value you bring to the table where there may not be someone like you present. The importance of open...
Jun 20, 2023•37 min•Season 4Ep. 162
