“The barriers that prevent women from being in the room are absolutely artificial.” So said the inspirational Rev. Rose Hudson Wilkin of Oprah Winfrey. Recently, she talked about how Caribbean women led the way in what is called the Windrush generation. And yet, the picture is very different today for black women in the workplace. No matter […]
Barriers to Oprah Winfrey Being in the Room Read The Post »
What do you think of the rise and popularity of face-to-face networking in its current format? Networking is as old as community and economics, but it has taken a deliberate turn in the 21st century to cope with a more individualistic society and more transient and mobile communities. Some don’t like the evolution and find it contrived
Networking – Schmetworking! Read The Post »
How Often? “Inside every adult lurks a graduation speaker dying to get out,” wrote Mary Schmich in a column for the Chicago Tribune in June 1997. She continued in the article to offer advice, including “Do one thing every day that scares you.” I would love to live by that maxim, but I have to admit that,
Do One Thing That Scares You! Read The Post »
Here’s a simple tip to improve your public speaking if you like/need to use notes, with a couple of other tips thrown in for good measure: Most of us type up a speech, so printing it on a card isn’t always convenient. I don’t recommend using paper, as it’s far too easy for pages to stick together,
Improve Your Public Speaking Notes Read The Post »
One form of powerful marketing communication is networking—historically known as talking to people in business! At a networking gathering, I now belong to, feedback was requested on what people most wanted help with. One of the two requests that emerged was that people starting out in small businesses want to know how to market their businesses effectively.
Marketing Communication, aka Networking Read The Post »
It’s official – youthquake is the word of the year, declares Oxford Dictionaries. This comes as a result of the word’s resurgence since it was first coined in the ‘60s to describe sudden changes in fashion, music and attitudes by Vogue Fashion Editor Diana Vreeland. This time around it’s because young people drive political change in June’s
Youthquake Requires Older Adults Wake Up! Read The Post »
October turned to May in the UK when everyone was talking about the disasters that befell the current leader of our government during her main party speech. While many used it as an opportunity to deride UK Prime Minister Theresa May as a leader, I was filled with compassion for the human and the woman. There are so
The Pitfalls, Pity and Paranoia of Public Speaking Read The Post »
Have you ever paused to think of the many life lessons you can learn from playing sports? I am not a sporty person. I mean, that is not how anyone would have described me growing up. However, I have always aspired to be fit and healthy so over the years I have taken part in activities which
Tennis, Golf and Coaching Read The Post »
BESPOKEN Voice and Speech Coaching received its first award a year after its genesis! Firstly, I was honoured to present an award to Marjorie Mair for Best Speaker over the last year. She is a wonderful businesswoman and person. I was then honoured to be shortlisted among 3 out of 19 Newcomers at WADBCC. Congratulations to the
Business Award from Grove Business Park Read The Post »
In the last year, I have invested many hours in growing and promoting Bespoken for voice and speech coaching. I’ve learned more than I ever thought I wanted to know about websites and social media! I have attended business breakfasts and networking events, which have been really insightful and encouraging, especially when a speaker shares her or
What Can I Do for Your Speech? Read The Post »
“There’s no such thing as a bad voice; there are only voices with blocks in them” – Patsy Rodenburg, Voice and Speech Coach. What is Generational Theory? Recently at Bespoken, I’ve had reason to draw on generational theory to help my clients understand causes of blocks in their voices. Have you come across generational theory? In brief, it’s
Generational Theory – understanding yourself, working together Read The Post »
Understanding ourselves better before the next job interview No matter how great our CV looks or how confident we are in an interview, one of the biggest questions the interviewer’s mind for schools, universities and especially workplace interviews is, “Will they be a good fit for the school/team/organisation?” This is why it’s important to invest in a good personality
The Enneagram: 9 Personality Types Read The Post »
I love learning! If I’m honest, I’m something of a learning junkie. But I know that as we get older, even past 25, it becomes harder to learn a new skill. It can even seem unpleasant at times, certainly uncomfortable. That’s possibly why many of us give up at a certain stage and decide it’s not worth
Learning about Learning Read The Post »
Good posture is the foundation of support for the voice because the body is the instrument from which the breath is supported, which in turn powers the voice. The technique shown here is the fifth step of a 15-step preparation sequence and is pivotal to its success. I hope you enjoy practising it and that it becomes
How You Can Use Posture to Improve Your Presentation Skills Read The Post »
You may find this interesting if you use public speaking as part of your work. If you admire Richard Burton, you definitely will. “There’s no such thing as a bad voice, only a voice with no blocks in it” Patsy Rodenburg There’s also no such thing as a great voice that requires no work. However, there are
How to Speak like Richard Burton Read The Post »
“The two most common problems with wedding speeches are 1. you can’t hear them, or 2. you can.” Disputably one of the most famous in the English language, Sherlock Holmes’ Best Man speech at Dr Watson’s wedding epitomises all that is good, bad and ugly in an occasional speech. Here’s an ideal showcase to demonstrate how I
Coaching Sherlock! Read The Post »
