We hear about authenticity all the time, but what does it mean and how can you use it as a leader? Actions speak louder than words and as a leader, you have people who look to you for information and guidance. Good leaders are authentic in their communication--what they say, how they say it and what they do. But that doesn’t mean that everyone likes them. In fact, often their authenticity repels others--and that can be a good thing when you’re trying to find the right team members or gain visibi...
Aug 13, 2019•24 min•Ep. 41
Communicating effectively and being authentic are two components in building not just fans (of you and your business) but superfans. And in today’s online world, securing the marketing real estate you need to attract the right people can be tricky. This week on the Confident Communications Podcast, I'm speaking with Pat Flynn, entrepreneur and host of the Smart Passive Income Podcast . He shares how he took the experience of getting laid off from his dream job and turned it into a business,...
Aug 06, 2019•27 min•Ep. 40
Back in the day, press releases were typed up then mailed or faxed out to news organizations. Today, thankfully, we can toss the snail mail and fax machines and email them out. But because of the changes in technology, communications professionals need to change their methods if they want their news releases to get picked up by the media and published. How do you get the attention of the media outlets? That’s exactly what I cover on today’s episode of the Confident Communications Podcast. I’m gi...
Jul 30, 2019•13 min•Ep. 39
The revelation that disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was facing sex-trafficking charges in July 2019 left a wake of fear among many big wheels who considered Epstein - at one time or another - a friend. From Washington D.C. to Manhattan, to even (gulp) The Palace, people who have a history with Epstein needed to say something, and say it quickly. A lot of well-known people connected with him have been scrambling for the appropriate response for socializing with a convicted sex offender. This ...
Jul 23, 2019•24 min•Ep. 38
In the early hours of July 17, 1999, the world watched and waited to find out the fate of America’s son, John F. Kennedy, Jr. The night before, he took off from Essex County airport in his single-engine plane carrying his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette. They were bound for Martha’s Vineyard but never arrived. I was a reporter in Cape Cod at the time and had a front-row seat to the media coverage. I was part of the media coverage. But I was also a young and con...
Jul 16, 2019•59 min
My job is professional development. I teach business leaders how to up their communication game in workshops, talks and online forums...and podcasts. I’d like to think that I have my presentation and curriculum development skills up to par with some of the best--a requirement when you’re trying to keep high-achieving students engaged. But I hear two things from many of my audience members: either they feel like their organization doesn’t offer much in the way of professional development for some...
Jul 09, 2019•20 min•Ep. 36
No matter your profession, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to be on camera (whether you welcome the idea or not). But like speaking in front of a crowd, not everyone is a natural at it. You worry about looking frumpy, saying the wrong thing, sweating through your suit jacket or stuttering through your remarks. These are all common concerns, but with some practice and the tips on this episode of the Confident Communications Podcast, you’ll be a natural. I’m sharing how to deal with on-camera ...
Jul 02, 2019•35 min•Ep. 35
I’ve heard a lot of disparaging remarks about Millennials during my talks and workshops, and after asking other generations their thoughts on these so-called youngsters I’ve decided it’s time to give them a break. The thing is, most people’s perceptions of Millennials are wrong. Not only are they not the lazy, entitled narcissists I’ve heard them being called, they’re also not even in the age bracket most people assume they fall into. It’s time to give Millennials a break and stop blaming them f...
Jun 25, 2019•17 min•Ep. 34
LinkedIn is the online version of walking into a conference or big networking event, according to this week's guest on the Confident Communications Podcast. Kristal Hicks is the founder of JOBTALK, where she helps everyone from new college graduates to those looking to transition in their careers to optimize their LinkedIn profiles for success. With LinkedIn, professionals can connect with others in their industry and even hunt for a job--under the radar. Krystal shares how to get the atten...
Jun 18, 2019•50 min•Ep. 33
Leaders must continue to work to be more relevant in modern times. As technology changes, it can become more and more difficult to stay in the know. But if you’re off the grid and not online--or struggle to keep up with new communication trends--you’re hurting your brand. This week, I share four ways in which you can be seen, heard, and remain relevant. Yes, social media is a big part of the puzzle, but there is also much to talk about with interpersonal communications. How you speak and connect...
Jun 11, 2019•21 min•Ep. 32
It’s happened again. A high-profile man accused of inappropriate conduct. Even those with a PR staff to help them out don’t always respond appropriately when their reputation is being attacked. That’s exactly my take on the recent man in the spotlight: Tony Robbins. This week on the Confident Communications Podcast, I’m dissecting the accusations against Tony Robbins and his response. What did he do right? Where did he (and others) miss the mark? What happens next? There’s a 3-step process for r...
Jun 04, 2019•45 min
The thought of a call from the media, or (yikes!) a request for an interview is the stuff of nightmares for many business owners and executives. But it’s also par for the course if you want to stay ahead of the story, put out the right message and stay transparent and relevant to your audience. If you want to run and hide when you hear a reporter is on the line, or avoid speaking in public because it makes you uncomfortable, you need to take a step back and listen in to this episode of the Confi...
May 28, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 30
How do you ask for your check at a restaurant? Are you a “Check, please!” person or someone who waits to make eye contact with their server then air-signs to let the server know what you want? Do you know which is the more appropriate thing to do? In honor of National Waitstaff Day , this week’s episode of Confident Communications focuses on all the things your waitstaff wants you to know about dining in a restaurant--but can’t actually tell you. Waitstaff are key personnel in my business becaus...
May 21, 2019•19 min•Ep. 29
Back in the day, you relied on personal relationships when deciding whether to do business with someone. While that’s still the case in a lot of circles, an even more popular method is through our good friend Google. I don’t know about you, but I often Google the name of someone who reaches out to me for business -- for a media interview or for help in their business. I want to know who I’m dealing with before I agree to do any work with or for someone. And I love that it’s so easy to find the i...
May 14, 2019•20 min•Ep. 28
As many as 90% of people check out reviews on social media and business or industry websites before buying. That means your reviews matter. But what matters even more nowadays is how you respond to reviews your customers leave online. Unfortunately, you don’t have time to manage your reviews all day long. And you shouldn’t. What you should do, however, is make sure that you respond to every single review you receive--good or bad. In fact, it’s even more important to respond to bad reviews, publi...
May 07, 2019•31 min•Ep. 27
I spent a good part of my career working with the media in my role as a public affairs officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and my time as the head of communications for the cruise line industry outside of Washington D.C. The journalists I met had a passion for finding the story and making sure the public heard it. One of the journalists I encountered during my career was Jeanne Meserve, an anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News and winner of two Emmy Awards, two CNN...
Apr 30, 2019•59 min
Major League Baseball hits a home run when it comes to social media strategy. But you don’t have to be a multi-billion dollar enterprise to get noticed and stay relevant. By following the winning tactics teams use to engage their fans, you’ll soon be hitting social media home runs with the big leagues. That doesn’t mean you need to be on all the social platforms; it just means that you need to find which platforms your people are on, know what’s going to stop their scroll and then give them the ...
Apr 23, 2019•35 min•Ep. 25
Do you know the power of a hashtag? (Do you even know what a hashtag is?) I get asked about hashtags a lot in my business, and it’s not uncommon to feel like a #dinosaur. Heck, I question myself every time I use a hashtag--still. There’s no shame in not knowing what a hashtag is or how to use it. There really aren’t any true tutorials on it and for us Gen-Xers and older, it’s just the pound symbol on the dial pad of the phone you grew up with. But for those of us who use social media on a regula...
Apr 16, 2019•25 min•Ep. 24
You know you’ve seen and heard it: The person driving down the street texting. The mom Facetiming her teenager in the grocery store. Loudly. The video call with background noise (or underwear hanging on the treadmill in the background). The “reply all” email threads that go on...and on...and on… Sure, you’re well aware of the annoying communication habits that others are guilty of. Do you know what you might be doing that’s annoying others? This week on the Confident Communications podcast, I’m ...
Apr 10, 2019•31 min•Ep. 23
Everyone has difficult moments in their lives, whether it’s a high-conflict divorce, an argument with a friend or family member or clashed personalities at work. It happens because we’re human and because we often don’t know how to react or interact during difficult times. Instead of reacting to triggers that only make the moment more heated, this week’s guest teaches us how to pause a moment to make sure we’re reacting appropriately. Lara Currie is a speaker and trainer who teaches professional...
Apr 02, 2019•40 min•Ep. 22
When you’re in the public eye, be ready for scrutiny. Even if you’re not in the public eye, your audience is looking for transparency both online and offline. Try to hide and you’re going to get some backlash--especially in the face of a crisis. This week on the Confident Communications podcast, we’re ripping from the headlines two fallouts from two executives’ mistakes. One flat-out lied and bamboozled the public and investors out of millions (a billion!). The other thought that denial and hidi...
Mar 26, 2019•36 min•Ep. 21
Your Name Went Viral - But Not in a Good Way. Now What? Going viral isn’t always a good thing. Just ask Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin , who both had a rough week in court and online because of their involvement in the college cheating scandal. No one wants to go viral like that. The thing is, in today’s digital age, you’re at risk whether you know it or not. It’s important to be prepared and to know what to look for when you're headed for digital infamy, which is exactly what I’m talki...
Mar 19, 2019•36 min•Ep. 20
Too many people get stressed out when it comes to writing, and it’s usually because they’ve told themselves that they’re a bad writer. But that’s not actually true. Most people know how to write. What you need to figure out is how to make writing a little less something you dread. When I was a kid, I loved writing-- as most kids do. But it was when my paycheck started depending on my writing ability, that writing became something I dreaded. I’ve noticed that this is usually when most adults star...
Mar 12, 2019•28 min•Ep. 19
For most people, your voice is simply the tool you use to communicate. But for Gina Razón, this week’s guest on the Confident Communications podcast, the voice is much more than that. And when you don’t use your breath properly, your voice (and your credibility) can suffer. A former opera singer and current public speaker and voice coach, Gina shares with us why the voice is a tattletale for your confidence and exactly what speakers do when they’re not as confident or as prepared as they’d like ...
Mar 05, 2019•1 hr
Did you watch the 2019 Oscar telecast? I did - that's why I’m looking at how the stars’ publicists did on the most important night in Hollywood. It was the first time in the history of the broadcast that the program went hostless. Join me and my long-term friend and fellow pop culture enthusiast Mary Mitschow as we each chose our top three hits and misses by both stars and publicists on Oscar night and riffed on our take. We’re digging into whether the stars’ publicists did a good job of pr...
Feb 26, 2019•31 min•Ep. 17
Let’s face it, we all lie. Many of those lies are innocent white lies with the intent of making the other person look or feel better ( That jacket looks great on you! ) but other lies are much more hurtful and impactful (think: the Fyre Festival). Most people can’t spot a lie because humans are wired to believe one another. In this episode of Confident Communications, I’m sharing the common reasons we lie, which gender is more likely to lie, the lies each gender tell and which gestures can be mi...
Feb 19, 2019•36 min
More than ever, being President of the United States means you need to be at the top of your game as a communicator. And no matter what you think about current or past presidents, each one had his own challenges and triumphs when it comes to communicating with the American public. In this non-partisan episode of the Confident Communications podcast, I’m sharing how communication by our nation’s leaders has changed over time--from the written State of the Union to fireside chats that worked for o...
Feb 12, 2019•48 min
The subject of race is a hot-button topic, one that many people shy away from for fear of offending someone. But in America today, it’s not going away. Part of being an effective communicator means being able to relate to and talk to a range of people, regardless of race, creed, origin, sexual preference, age and more. That’s why I wanted to talk to Jeffrey Blount about the topic. Jeffrey is an accomplished speaker on race and social justice and gives us deep insight into what it means to grow u...
Feb 05, 2019•1 hr 3 min
When a big story hits the news, we all take notice. Many of us dissect the events strictly from a "just the facts" point of view, but plenty more tune in to watch the twists and turns, and eventually, the reputation fallout. The latest - the story of Nick Sandmann. A Covington, Kentucky teen who was caught on video with what looked like a smirk on his face while allegedly staring down a Native American protester. But do we really know the whole story? In this week’s episode of the Conf...
Jan 29, 2019•29 min•Ep. 13
We’re in a whole new age when it comes to making personal announcements. No matter what the announcement is, the bigger the name, the bigger the story. When Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos announced their divorce on January 9, they chose only one public communication channel - Twitter. Twitter posts for high-profile news announcements have taken the place of the tried and true press release, and Facebook posts have taken the place of phone calls for the general public’s announcements. Both of these hav...
Jan 22, 2019•35 min
