Let’s talk about silence, the awkward pause, crickets…

Silence is a powerful tool. As a musician, I was taught that silence is just as important as sound. It should be allowed to sing just as loudly as the notes we played. I teach the same concept in public speaking!

Silence, or the strategic pause, is a powerful rhetorical tool that, when used correctly, can significantly enhance the impact of your speech. It also provides a chance for your audience to process your words, reflect on their own experiences that might be triggered by your words, and prepare themselves for what comes next. 

You’re probably thinking, “how long does the silence have to be to do all that?” 

The good news is that a few seconds of silence is more than enough most of the time! Silence also allows you as the speaker to process, reflect, and prepare to move forward. 

Silence gets a bad wrap these days. Awkward pauses can feel tense, but they don’t have to....

I recently had the chance to speak at a virtual event. I enjoy public speaking but prefer to do it in person. However, this was a completely virtual stage, so I had to get out of my comfort zone to be on video. It was a great opportunity to share my knowledge and push myself to do something I may not otherwise do.

I had a short notice to prepare for this event so I didn’t waste any time pulling together some content to present. That short notice got me thinking about the process I use to get ready for speaking events. This week I am going to share the 3-step version of that process to help you get ready for any event that may require you to speak to a group!

1. Preparation. The first step in getting ready for a public speaking event is to prepare. In this step you determine your topic, pull together your content, create a rough draft, edit, then draft the final version. In the preparation phase you should also get familiar with the venue in which you will be speaking and...

For the better part of my life, I have been a musician. For all its complexities, music has always come easily and felt so natural to me. So much so that at the ripe old age of 29, I enlisted in the military as a musician! I could talk all day about how amazing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is, or how Beethoven’s 5th Symphony is one of the greatest works ever written, or how Barber’s Adagio for Strings can make even the strongest of us tear up with its intensity…but I won’t. I will save those conversations for my fellow music friends!

Being a musician has taught me many things over the years. Not the least of which is that music is a form of communication. Like music, communication (more specifically, conversation) is made up of many moving parts. These include phrases, ideas, themes, emotions, and silence. All of these components are parts of any musical piece and any conversation.

Phrasing and emotion are inherent in our ability to communicate. The...

Every day we have to do things that make us uncomfortable…it’s called living. I try to live by the notion that without discomfort, there is no growth. Today, I took the opportunity to get uncomfortable and I spoke on stage…a virtual stage.

I’m one of those weird people that actually enjoys being on a real stage, speaking to and with others, but being on video is a whole other ball game. However, I couldn’t pass up the chance to speak at this event and since it was all virtual, I had to reach out of my comfort zone to make it happen!

Every coach, mentor, and teacher in the world says we should “get out of our comfort zone” in order to grow. I’d like to challenge that idea and instead think that we should expand our comfort zones in order to grow.

If you think about it, stepping out of your comfort zone implies you are leaving it behind. However, you need some level of comfort in order to feel confident moving forward and trying...

Do you feel like communication is a challenge? Do you find yourself struggling to articulate your thoughts and feelings in the moment? Communication, especially verbal communication, can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be. In this blog post, we will discuss 11 tips that will help improve your communication skills and make speaking easier.

1. Start with the end in mind. Every communication, verbal or otherwise, has a purpose, an end-goal. Identify this first so you have a clear idea of what you will need or want to say. Ask yourself what you are looking to accomplish through your words to help you know your goal.
2. Identify your message. This should become clear once you know the purpose of your communication. As part of this, identify your audience and how you need to speak to them to ensure your message will be properly received. 
3. Identify potential challenges. Most of us will inevitably mess up or trip over our words a few times in any given situation. DO NOT let this...

It is often said that simplicity is key, and this holds true in communication. Keeping your message clear and concise helps people better understand what you are saying.
This blog post will explore simplicity in communication and why it is important.

Think about a time when you read or listened to something, and afterward, you had no idea what was said. There had to be a message in there somewhere, but it was so jumbled you couldn't find it.

Simplicity is one of those things that is easy in theory but can be challenging in practice. For many of us, anxiety about what to say, or fear of not saying enough, can cause us to overthink. This leads us to create a muddy message with a lot of words but not a lot of clarity. Remember, the key to success in communication is simplicity!

If this describes you, keep reading. To help you keep things simple, here are a few tips to remember as you craft a message:

1. Less is more - Don't overthink what you need to say, just say it. A good...

Do you think your communication skills could use some help? If so, don't worry. You're not alone. In fact, most people struggle with the art of communicating at one point or another.

There are many ways to improve your communication skills and it could take a lifetime to explore them all. To help you out, I've put together 9 tips that will help you communicate better right now!

1. Simplicity is key! Keep it simple. Don't overthink what you need to say, just say it.
2. Try to avoid saying "umm."
3. Eliminate fluff words. Words and phrases like "honestly" and "let me be clear" can cloud your message. Adding unnecessary words to make your content appear fuller will dilute your message and create distractions for your audience.
4. Think before you speak. When you are addressing people live, it is okay to take a few seconds to gather your thoughts before speaking. When writing, you can erase and rewrite as needed but when speaking, you only get one shot to get it right.
5. Context is important....