Speaking Tips From Broadway Acting

I found a wonderful blogpost by Kathy  Reiffenstein at Professionally Speaking Blog that I simply must share with you!  Kathy draws some valuable lessons on speaking from the Broadway production of A Little Night Music. So much of my skill as a speaker and speaking teacher comes from my training as an actress.  So it… Read more

Married to Powerpoint

The following is a post written by my friend and client Leigh Mires, Principal and Training Director of Walter P Moore Engineering.  She and I have been working for seven years to train their engineers to reduce their dependence on PowerPoint.  I guess we have more work to do!   Married to PowerPoint Cate Blanchett, portraying… Read more

Expressing Genuine Warmth

 A wonderful new client gave voice to her goal of expressing more warmth.  I think this is a great goal for everyone! Warmth is an emotion, so it can’t be simply acted out.  You can’t behave like you are warm because others will sense you lack of real warmth. You can’t DO warmth, you must… Read more

Thomas Friedman & BP – How Messages Find their Way to the Right Ears

I am a huge fan of Thomas Friedman.  He articulates clearly what I can’t always think for myself.  When I can’t quite clarify my thoughts about global situations, Friedman will say it in a way that makes me sigh, “Yes, that’s it!” In case you don’t know who Thomas Friedman is, he is a columnist… Read more

Crafting Your Speech so Listeners can Track

This week, I coached a Director at a Fortune 100 company who is preparing to deliver an executive summary presentation.  Twice a year, “Steve” must present to senior executives an update that includes what his team has achieved, what they are working on, what their prospects are and what they have contributed to the overall… Read more

Preparing for a 60 Minutes Interview

  Wow!  I just read a dynamite article on how to prepare for a hard-line interview such as with 60 Minutes.  It is found on The Ammerman Experience Newsletter. I know Terri Ammerman and she runs an outstanding media training program. If you are facing a really hard interview with killer media sharks, I encourage you… Read more

Changing Your Life Story with Acting

  My webmaster Kenan Branam happens to be a thought leader about the internet and the future of humanity.  He is always trying to make sense of the world and how we humans live in it.  This cold drizzly Houston morning in December we chatted about a new program I am creating called Your Life… Read more

Christmas Presence and the Gift of Listening

  One of my favorite communication experts is Loren Ekroth, Ph.D who is a specialist in human communication and a national expert on conversation for business and social life.  He sends a newsletter that always has a thoughtful and insightful article.  His article this week is on the gift of presence. You can contact him… Read more

Creating A Brilliant Marketing Message

  When I see a brilliant article, I have to shine some light on it.  Jessica Swanson of Shoestring Marketing has written a brilliant article called “Creating A Brilliant Marketing Message.”    Her three step method for designing a marketing message that sizzles is excellent.  Check it out at http://www.jessicaswanson.com/creating-a-brilliant-marketing-message Read more

Dr. Brene Brown on Shame & Perfectionism

Once in a while, an idea comes along which changes all the other ideas that I am teaching. I met that idea this week at The UP Experience in Houston.  Among the cadre of sixteen awesome speakers, who were all thought leaders in their fields, was Dr. Brené Brown.  Dr. Brené Brown is a writer, researcher,… Read more