Reflections

For years, authenticity has been the gold standard in public speaking. And for good reason. Being real, raw, and unpolished can create powerful moments of connection on stages, in boardrooms, on social media. But what if authenticity is just the beginning? After...

Do you remember the first time someone told you to stop being you?  Tina’s 4th grade teacher did just that when she said: “Don’t color outside the lines.” But Tina? She’s a color-outside-the-lines kind of person.  She’s got big enthusiasm, big love, a big...

The Universe called, and I said, “Bleh.” I was busy working my Silicon Valley executive assistant day job while doing theatre at night when I started feeling a nudge ... A strange, persistent whisper:“There’s something more.” I avoided.I resisted.I said no. But...

Dana was checking all the boxes. High-level corporate job. Clear path to success. Praise from mentors.But something felt off. She was told to “man up” and lead like everyone else. To speak like someone she wasn’t. And for a while, she did. But deep inside, her soul...

You know that moment when you’re about to speak, and something inside you wants to run for the hills? The tight chest. The dry mouth. The voice in your head whispering, “Who am I to say this?” Ever tried to “pick yourself up by your bootstraps" and push through” all...

I thought I was doing everything right. For years, I believed success in business meant having a rock-solid plan. I bought into the promise that if I could just create the perfect program, follow the right marketing strategy, and stick to a rinse-and-repeat system…...

Think memorizing every word will save you from brain freeze? Think again. Brain freeze doesn’t just happen in the moment—it starts long before we ever step up to the mic. It starts with how we prepare. It’s human nature to try to control things—especially when the...

Have you ever caught yourself mid-sentence thinking, “Am I even making sense?”That’s exactly where Eric Ayers was as he stepped into his live coaching session on Soulful Speaking. Despite years of research and deep knowledge, imposter syndrome kept creeping in....

When I was a kid growing up in Southern California, I lived for popsicles on hot summer days. I’d eat them as fast as I could—until the inevitable brain freeze hit. That sudden, icy grip that stopped me in my tracks. As it turns out, the same thing can happen in...