Talk About Talk Top 3 Communication Insights and Goals Happy 2022! In the most recent episode, The BEST OF Talk About Talk, I looked back at the Top 3 most downloaded episodes of 2021. (Image: Canva – Sergey Nivens) Have you listened to these episodes yet? Episode #58: Communicate with CONFIDENCE – Mental … Read More
The Talk About Talk Top 3’s! 2021 is almost over! It’s that time of the year when we look back at the year gone by, and also look ahead to the new year. (Image: Canva – duckycards from Getty Images Signature) Personally, I love rankings and “Best Of” lists. In this week’s … Read More
Thinking About Thought Leadership Have you listened to the most recent Talk About Talk episode, “DEMONSTRATING LEADERSHIP“? In this episode, we look at 5 ways to demonstrate leadership: Be a PROACTIVE, Strategic Leader Demonstrate PEOPLE LEADERSHIP Create THOUGHT-LEADERSHIP Communicate with CONFIDENCE Talk LEADERSHIP Last week, we talked about PEOPLE LEADERSHIP. This week, we’re getting a … Read More
Learning to Lead Focused on learning to lead? Are you seeking a LEADERSHIP position? Perhaps you’re looking for that promotion or perhaps you’re struggling with your “leadership style.” Or maybe your boss just said those magic words: “It’s time to start demonstrating leadership.” Whatever the case, leadership skills are in high demand and I believe … Read More
Do you have an accent? I happen to LOVE accents. I love hearing the tone and the character of a voice. An accent adds unique colour to a voice. Think about someone speaking with your favourite accent. Now imagine them reading tax law to you. Their voice could even make you want to listen! (This … Read More
Do You Like The Sound of Your Voice? Most people don’t like the sound of their voice. You never sound the same “out loud” as you do in your head. And what about how you sound when you hear your recorded voice? Exactly. We’ve all been there. This week’s Talk About Talk podcast episode … Read More
Listening Skills are a Superpower Yes, listening skills are a superpower! The most recent Talk About Talk podcast is focused on “The Power of LISTENING.” In this episode, you’ll learn: why listening is so difficult the 3 levels of listening strategies to improve your listening… LISTEN UP! Here’s your summary: 5 ways to improve your listening skills … Read More
Listen UP! Listen to this: Experts have noted that as a society, our LISTENING SKILLS are deteriorating. More of us are spending our time watching videos. We are a visually-oriented society. That’s sad, isn’t it? But I’m an optimist for two reasons: 1️⃣ LISTENING SKILLS is one of the most common topic requests I receive. Ambitious … Read More
CONNECTING PEOPLE – Are you a CONNECTOR? Connecting people in your network with each other, whether via email or IRL, can create valuable opportunities for everyone involved, especially if you do it correctly! Do you know the ETIQUETTE OF MAKING CONNECTIONS? This week we focus on: The “do’s & don’ts” of introducing two people Your … Read More
Last week we focused on INTRODUCING YOURSELF. Now we shift to INTRODUCING OTHERS. Hi, I’m Andrea! Question: Which do YOU think is more challenging? introducing yourself or introducing others? For me, it’s INTRODUCING OTHERS. I’ve stumbled a few times when introducing others, be it at networking events, dinner parties, or formally introducing a guest speaker. I have a nightmare 😱memory … Read More
Tips for Introducing Yourself Last week it was the framework, now its general tips for introducing yourself. Do you remember the framework? It’s 3 simple points: PRESENT PAST FUTURE Remember, it’s NOT a script and it’s NOT in chronological order. Here’s my example: PRESENT – “Hi. I’m Andrea Wojnicki. I’m a communication coach at Talk … Read More
How to Introduce Yourself Do you know how to INTRODUCE YOURSELF? When you’re in a meeting and the meeting leader says, “Let’s take a moment to briefly introduce ourselves. I’ll go first…” …does your head start spinning? Perhaps you get tongue-tied when you’re introducing yourself? Maybe you get distracted by “that guy “ whose self-introduction lasts way … Read More
Use jargon strategically It seems the JARGON episode struck a chord. Several people told me they’re now more conscious than ever of their words. That’s a good thing! Have you ever considered that Jargon can be 🤣funny?!? In case you don’t believe me (and even if you do), PLEASE check out this video of hockey players and how … Read More
AVOIDING JARGON. This week we’re going to get much more tactical. We’re talking JARGON. image: unsplash @ glen carrie Avoid JARGON. Words matter! In this week’s newsletter and podcast, you’ll learn: 3 types of jargon the impact of jargon, some good, but mostly bad please avoid these jargon PET PEEVES I wonder if you … Read More
Strategic Principles of Personal Branding Before we shift to the 3 STRATEGIC PRINCIPLES of PERSONAL BRANDING… let’s review the most common mistake that people make in terms of their PERSONAL BRAND. Do you remember what it is? COPYING OTHERS Instead of copying others, I urge you to focus on your unique traits and qualities – … Read More
STRATEGIC PERSONAL BRANDING CONFIDENCE is still the #1 most common communication-skills-related topic that I get asked about from listeners and clients. PERSONAL BRANDING is a close second. Interestingly, when we take the time to define and communicate our PERSONAL BRAND, our CONFIDENCE is elevated. So focusing on your personal brand is like a double-whammy! image: unsplash … Read More
How to Overcome IMPOSTER SYNDROME Need some advice on how to overcome IMPOSTER SYNDROME? Let’s back up. Did you take the IMPOSTER SYNDROME TEST that I sent you last week? (Here’s the LINK.) It’s a fun exercise. But it turns out most of us feel like imposters! image: Unsplash @ Jon Tyson Here are 3 … Read More
Let’s Talk IMPOSTER SYNDROME In this week’s podcast and newsletter, we talk IMPOSTER SYNDROME. Recently at Talk About Talk, we talked about confidence-related topics including INTROVERSION, EXTROVERSION, and SHYNESS. CONFIDENCE is key to effective communication. This week, we cover IMPOSTER SYNDROME. Read on to learn what it is, where you can take the imposter syndrome test, and some good news about this scary topic… Let’s … Read More
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT INTROVERTS & EXTROVERTS Last week we defined INTROVERT, EXTROVERT, and AMBIVERT. This week we cover common misconceptions about these terms. We already covered the first of our 3 misconceptions: We’re all one or the other, an introvert or an extrovert. NOPE! As I mentioned last week, it’s a continuous scale. In fact, most of us are in the … Read More
“Are you an INTROVERT or an EXTROVERT?” This introvert or extrovert Q is question #3 of the five rapid-fire questions that I ask Talk About Talk podcast guests: What are your pet peeves? What type of learner are you? Introvert or extrovert? What’s your media preference for personal conversations? What podcasts or email newsletters do … Read More
RESPONSES TO TABOO TOPICS Here’s a Q about responses to taboo topics. Have you ever been seated at a table, perhaps at a business luncheon or a conference, when someone starts talking politics or gun-laws, something TABOO, and you realize people are literally squirming in their seats? image unsplash Baptista Ime James What do you … Read More
This week we’re talking TABOO! “Taboo topics” are fascinating, aren’t they? I’m a big fan of stand-up comedy, and I love watching how comedians use taboo topics to entertain and shock their audiences – be it talk about sex, relationships, money, profanity, I could go on. Have you ever noticed that taboo topics are also commonly … Read More
PODCAST RECOMMENDATIONS FROM ANDREA & MORE…. My top 3 podcast recommendations Podcast listening tips & facts My podcasting question for you. Let’s do this! Andrea’s Top 3 Podcast Recommendations I listen to a lot of podcasts when I’m getting ready in the morning, when I’m walking or driving, when I’m putting away groceries… Here … Read More
Communication Insights from Dave Jackson Ever since I started podcasting, I’ve been listening to Dave Jackon and his School of Podcasting. Dave has been podcasting since 2005 and he was inducted into the Podcasting Hall of Fame in 2018. He is the author of “Profit from Your Podcast,” and he has launched over 30 different podcasts with … Read More
On WHERE TO FIND GREAT STORIES – and more…. “Where can I find great stories? This is one of the most common questions I get. Read on to learn: 4 places to find great stories how to use storytelling to elevate your personal brand Let’s do this! Where to FIND Great Stories … Read More
How to Tell Impactful Stories Speaking of impactful stories – Have you watched the #1 most-watched TEDTalk? Over 20 million people have viewed this “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” TEDTalk by Sir Ken Robinson: Many experts have dissected this 18-minute TEDTalk to better understand what makes it so compelling. There’s Sir Robinson’s use of humour, … Read More
On Strategic Networking & Who to Have in Your Network A few weeks ago, we focused on the #1 SECRET to successful strategic NETWORKING. Do you remember the secret? Networking is NOT about YOU. It’s about ADDING VALUE. It’s about GIVING, not taking. The feedback was very positive when I posted this insight on social media. One of … Read More
On PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT & UPSKILLING There’s no question that we can accelerate our career advancement by focusing on our PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT and strategically UPSKILLING, whether it’s taking a course to acquire formal accreditation, doing a “lunch & learn” workshop at work, or hiring someone to coach you through a “development opportunity” identified in your recent performance … Read More
The Secret to Successful Networking Successful networking is not sales-y or awkward. I have a confession: Until recently, the notion of NETWORKING made me cringe. Networking is sales-y. Selfish. Awkward. Right? image unsplash @ neonbrand WRONG. Last year I interviewed executive recruiter Sharon Mah-Gin about NETWORKING. That episode quickly became the most downloaded Talk About Talk episode! … Read More
IMPLICIT COMMUNICATION & YOUR PERSONAL BRAND We can think of communicating our PERSONAL BRAND both EXPLICITLY and IMPLICITLY: EXPLICIT as in the words. Overt, direct, unambiguous messages. This includes your resume and how you introduce yourself. IMPLICIT as in signalling or sending queues. This is less direct, but critically important communication, as in your body language, your style, and lots more… … Read More
HOW TO DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP Several listeners and workshop participants asked me for advice on how to “DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP.” This is a FANTASTIC question! Whether you’re looking to get into an MBA program, get promoted from your entry-level position, or perhaps you’re ready to enter the c-suite, the decision-makers who will decide your fate are focused … Read More
Introducing the Unapologetically Authentic Jill Nykoliation Are you an AUTHENTIC LEADER? If you haven’t had a chance yet, please listen to Part 1 of my interview with JILL NYKOLIATION. Jill’s growth mindset, her candour, her self-awareness and her focus on creating a positive working environment for her team is truly exemplary. Jill Nykoliation I have two words … Read More
Meet Jill Nykoliation – CEO of Juniper Park, TBWA Are you leadership material? Do you COMMUNICATE LIKE A BOSS? I know someone who does and I’m so excited to introduce you to her! Jill Nykoliation – like a boss! Years ago, Jill Nykoliation and I started our careers together at Kraft foods in brand marketing. About when … Read More
YOUR PERSONAL BRAND – I’m excited to share 5 insights to help you improve your PERSONAL BRAND! Recently my friend Sharon Mah-Gin and I have been coaching female executives all over the world on Personal Branding and Networking. Do you remember Sharon? She’s the energetic executive recruiter who shared her Networking tips with us in two … Read More
How MINDFUL are you? Are you focused or are you oblivious? Yes, I admit that MINDFULNESS is a buzzword these days. But being mindful, being intentional, can elevate our communication effectiveness and even our life satisfaction. Mindfulness & meditation coach, Swiss renaissance woman, Anne V. Muhlethaler For this episode, I interviewed ANNE V. MUHLETHALER, a true … Read More
PERSONALITY TESTS Let’s talk about personality tests. This week it’s all about YOU! As in your individual, unique, very own PERSONALITY… (image: Unsplash @ georgeprentzas) I know this is a popular topic. We are intrinsically wired to seek to understand and learn about ourselves. PERSONALITY is one of the most searched terms on the TalkAboutTalk.com website! … Read More
Technology, VR, and Practicing our Communication Skills This week we’re going high-tech with VR and communication skills. Two weeks ago we learned why practice does NOT make perfect and how to practice with intention from my friend Dr. Nadine Kelly. Nadine personally practices yoga, podcasting, and the drums, amongst other things! This week I’m excited to … Read More
Telling stories is a superpower. Stories are memorable, they evoke emotion, they connect us, and they help us communicate our personal brand. This week we’re focusing on STORYTELLING, one of the 3 COMMUNICATION SUPERPOWERS: Listening Communicating with Confidence Storytelling !!! Recently, I’ve been personally experimenting with STORYTELLING. For example, I’ve released podcast episodes and conducted corporate … Read More
“Practice makes perfect.” Right? Maybe not! (Just ask 🏀 Allen Iverson…) “Practice makes perfect” is a cliche. Practice can certainly elevate our performance, be it playing sports, playing a musical instrument, or making a client presentation. It occurred to me recently that while we talk a lot about various aspects of communication (like networking and personal branding and … Read More
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION Certainly, gender differences exist: “Men are direct. Women are emotional….” “Men are from Mars, women are from Venus.” You’ve probably heard the comments and perhaps you’ve witnessed differences between how men and women talk. Recently a few people asked me about the differences between how men and women communicate. Like you, I’ve … Read More
On the tension of PERSONAL BRANDS: There’s a real tension here: Do you bring your whole self to work? How can we be authentic without sharing TMI (too much information)? How can we be transparent without appearing unprofessional? image: Unsplash @ loicleray Read on to learn: why navigating this authenticity-TMI tension might be easier for … Read More
LISTENING SKILLS – LISTENING SKILLS are, in my opinion, the #1 communication superpower… If you’re not listening, it’s not communication. It’s a monologue! ? We could all use a primer on IMPROVING OUR LISTENING SKILLS. Whether we’re in an online meeting, engaging in small talk, or receiving feedback. Active listening, listening with intent, can make all the … Read More
Do you encourage engagement when you LEAD ONLINE MEETINGS? I have a quick STORY for you… Recently when I was leading an online corporate workshop, I noticed that about 1/2 of the participants had their cameras turned OFF. (For the record, I prefer cameras are on, but it’s not necessary.) The workshop went well and the group was interactive, especially … Read More
Combating Zoom Fatigue In last week’s ? podcast episode we focused on how to PREPARE so we can excel in online meetings. In this week’s newsletter, let’s shift to combating “ZOOM FATIGUE.” Have you noticed more and more people complaining about feeling exhausted? Fortunately, there are habits we can adopt to overcome Zoom fatigue! Based on some research (e.g. HBR … Read More
Your Online Meeting Preparation Checklist ONLINE MEETING PREPARATION… do you know what to do? Virtual meetings are now the norm. That goes for both professional as well as personal communication. image: Unsplash @ becihannah In 2020, Zoom was the #1 most downloaded app in the App Store and the #2 most downloaded app overall (after TikTok)! Nowadays we … Read More
Let’s Develop Your Personal Brand! It’s time to develop your personal brand. PERSONAL BRANDING, or proactively managing our identity, is important. But it can also be overwhelming. Let’s take it one step at a time! Last week I wrote and podcasted about HOW TO COMMUNICATE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND ONLINE. This is a great place to … Read More
On COMMUNICATING Your ONLINE Personal Brand – QUESTION: Do YOU have a “Personal Brand”? ANSWER: Of course you have a personal brand. We all do! The real question is: how actively are you managing it? PERSONAL BRANDING is reputation management or impression management. Ideally, your personal brand transcends both personal and professional contexts. Managing your personal … Read More
On INTRODUCTIONS – Every week in these newsletters, we focus on improving our communication skills. Let’s back up. What about INTRODUCTIONS? Well, clichés exist for a reason… “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” “A first impression is a lasting impression!” “Hi. I’m Andrea!” Read on to learn all about INTRODUCTIONS: How … Read More
These days, we’re all NETWORKING ONLINE. Read on to learn: general networking advice reasons you should be optimistic how to approach people when you’re networking online tips for following up with people when you’re networking online Let’s do this! ? THE PODCAST For this timely podcast, I interviewed Sharon via Zoom. Sharon has so much positive energy! Sharon … Read More
Let’s focus. 2021 has the potential to be an amazing year. Certainly, there are some things we can’t control, but many things we can. It just takes a little FOCUS. Read on to learn how you can leverage your awareness and ability to FOCUS. FOCUSING can help you succeed in many contexts: focusing your New Year’s … Read More
2020 – What a year, right? With just a few days left in 2020, I thought I’d share with you some insights and recommendations, including: the top 3 trending Talk About Talk podcast episodes the 3 most clicked-on Talk About Talk newsletters 3 key communication insights from 2020 3 things we will be focusing on … Read More
On GIVING as a means of communication – It’s the season of GIVING! Have you ever considered: GIVING = COMMUNICATING We say a lot when we give gifts, advice, compliments,… Think about the implicit communication associated with what we give, to whom, and how. Read on to learn: 5 different ways we give (beyond gift-giving) what science says about giving 3 ways to … Read More
I NEED SLEEP! Do you need sleep? Are you EXHAUSTED? I don’t know about you, but I’m craving hibernation… Did you know: sleep is even more important than nutrition in terms of affecting longevity we humans are the only species that voluntarily deprive ourselves of sleep This week let’s focus on SLEEP! Read on to … Read More
Step-it-up in online meetings – A few weeks ago I was participating in an online meeting, actually a “Communicating with Confidence” presentation to an organization via Zoom. During the Q&A at the end, a young, ambitious manager asked me, “As a junior person who isn’t leading meetings, I have limited opportunities to be heard in online … Read More
This week we’re talking CORPORATE CULTURE. “Culture” is relevant for all kinds of leaders, whether you manage a project team, you coach a sports team, or you’re a c-suite executive. Now might be the ideal time to build a strong culture – yes, even with physical distancing limitations and WFH. This is an opportunity that’s being handed to you “on … Read More
ONLINE MEETINGS Online meetings as in “remote meetings,” “Zoom meetings,” “virtual meetings”… Remember this? ? image: Unsplash @ febrianzakaria Questions for you: Have YOU ever “multi-tasked” when you were supposed to be focused during an online meeting? Checked your email or social media? Do you ever wonder whether the people with their cameras turned off in online … Read More
This week we’re focusing on THE FUTURE OF LEARNING. Rapid adoption of educational technology is one silver lining of the otherwise devastating COVID pandemic. Read on to learn: 5 ways that online educational platforms help students and educators 5 things I wish I knew before I started teaching! What type of advice we should accept (and … Read More
Here’s a list of 10 things you can do to COMMUNICATE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND ONLINE. (image: Unsplash @ samish_18) Let’s do this! 10 Ways to Communicate Your Personal Brand ONLINE! FIRST – KNOW YOUR PERSONAL BRAND Personal branding is a popular term these days. But identifying your unique personal brand can be overwhelming. … Read More
OPTIMIZE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE – Top to Bottom! Recently I interviewed my friend, social media guru Andrew Jenkins about how to optimize our LinkedIn profiles. Immediately after the interview, I opened my laptop and started making some changes! I hope this newsletter has the same effect for YOU! Read on to learn: now more than … Read More
On SMALL TALK – online & IRL! Recently I read a comment about making SMALL TALK on Zoom calls. Interesting, right? Video-conferencing has become so normalized that phenomena like small talk applies. The SMALL TALK advice and insights below apply whether you’re communicating online or IRL. Read on to learn: What is Small Talk? 5 … Read More
Podcasting learnings from the first 60 episodes of Talk About Talk! Read the top ten communication insights to-date: Some of these insights are things that I’d read or heard before, but never experienced directly. Others are completely new learnings for me. ALL of them are things that will help us be better communicators! Let’s … Read More
Email Communication: Let’s take a few minutes to optimize our EMAIL COMMUNICATION. More and more of our communication is shifting to the ONLINE world these days, including social media, video-conferencing (Zoom!), and email. (image: Unsplash @ samish_18) Read on to learn important email communication tips: How to nail the title Signing off with style The #1 … Read More
Are you a good storyteller? Do you have a personal brand story? Effective storytellers involve the audience, they impart emotions and they create stories that are memorable. Read on to learn: Why being a good storyteller is a superpower (according to an influencer with over 1/2 million twitter followers!) How to create your personal brand … Read More
This week we’re focusing on COMMUNICATION SUPERPOWERS. Communication Superpowers as in the most important things we should work on to communicate more effectively. The communication skills that will get us noticed for the right reasons… (image: Unsplash @ cassar_photography) What do YOU think are the most important communication skills? Please reply to this email to let me know! … Read More
How to BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE– in the moment, when you’re onstage or chit-chatting with strangers…. You know, when you need to boost your confidence? When you suddenly feel the butterflies?, a shot of adrenaline and you’re very self-conscious?!? This week we learn how to Communicate IN THE MOMENT, when you need to boost your confidence… (image: … Read More
What is confidence? When we define what is confidence, we think of amazing things: Thankfully, confidence can be learned! Let’s BOOST our CONFIDENCE! Last week we focused on how to MENTALLY PREPARE for a big event – when you really need to COMMUNICATE WITH CONFIDENCE. This week we focus on understanding: WHAT IS CONFIDENCE? Simply put, confidence … Read More
To communicate with confidence you have to MENTALLY PREPARE. Read on to learn: A simple (“4P’s”) formula to help you MENTALLY PREPARE How to PIRATE Confidence! What’s your MAGIC NUMBER? How CONFIDENT are YOU, on a scale of 1-10? Over the next 3 weeks, we’re going to focus on the #1 most common topic that I’m asked about: How … Read More
Zoom Skills: How to improve your VIDEO-CONFERENCING skills. How are your video-conferencing / Zoom skills? (image Unsplash @ visuals) Since COVID-19 was declared a world-wide pandemic in March 2020, Zoom has become: one of the most downloaded apps one of the fastest growing companies part of our common vocabulary, a generic term for video-conferencing in … Read More
On ASKING FOR HELP This week we focus on ASKING FOR HELP, for example when you: aren’t sure how to do something, but you know someone who has the expertise are working towards a tight deadline and you need help to get it done in time need to increase your budget – you need to … Read More
APOLOGIES: How to say I’m sorry – blog This week we focus on APOLOGIES – and how to say I’M SORRY. Based on my research for this blog, it seems we have some work to do when it comes to apologies. Mea Culpa! Come on people! Read on to learn: How to say “I’m sorry” (do’s … Read More
On BRAND NAMES and How to choose a brand name. How do you choose a brand name? How important is a brand name? The brands we display and consume say a lot about us! (image Unsplash @ slidebean) Read on to learn: The TOP BRANDS in the world Step-by-step instructions on HOW TO CHOOSE a brand … Read More
This week we focus on another aspect of our personal and professional IDENTITY: our NAME! Over the past month we’ve covered ARCHETYPES 101, ARCHETYPES & FEMALE POP STARS, and PERSONALITY. Are you getting the theme here? It’s all about IDENTITY. What does YOUR NAME say about you? Read on to learn: What your name means How our names affect us … Read More
On ARCHETYPES & THE MUSIC INDUSTRY – What does the Music Industry have to do with Archetypes? Let me back up… Thank you for all the emails you sent telling me which ARCHETYPE you are! I LOL’d at a cheeky email I received from “Heidi,” who replied, “I’m a SINNER” As in Steve Miller’s ? “I’m a Joker, … Read More
Let’s talk PERSONALITY. Are you a leader? A risk-taker? Funny? Charismatic? Read on to learn about: Personality Tests Can We Change Our Personality? Brand Personality This concept of personalities is closely related to ARCHETYPES. Have you listened to last week’s podcast ? on ARCHETYPES? If yes, let me know what you think! If you haven’t listened yet, think of this short (23min) ?episode as your “Archetypes 101” … Read More
What’s your ARCHETYPE? Read on to learn how an archetype can help people and brands resonate. Which archetype describes YOU? Your BRAND? You can skim this email or click on the LINKS to dig in and learn more. Let’s do this! ? THE “ARCHETYPE” PODCAST Think of this week’s podcast as your “ARCHETYPES 101″ lecture. (Note this is … Read More
On what your conversation topics say about you… I’ve been thinking about how our CONVERSATION TOPICS say a lot about us. (How “meta,” right? ?) So what do YOU talk about? Two weeks ago I blogged about how RACISM has quickly evolved from a taboo conversation topic to a common conversation topic – something we need to … Read More
This week we focus on two specific leadership contexts, CRISIS LEADERSHIP and leading VIRTUAL TEAMS. How’s that for timely? Whether you’re managing a corporation, leading a project, coaching a sports team, or parenting your children, chances are you can improve your leadership effectiveness. ? The Podcast: CRISIS LEADERSHIP & VIRTUAL TEAMS Executive coach Heather Stark is back to … Read More
“Racism.” Words matter more than ever before. Listening may be the #1 most important communication skill. But it’s not enough. Recently I’ve had a few intense conversations (as I’m sure we all have!) about current events including systemic discrimination, police brutality, #blacklivesmatter, protesting and looting. Are you with me? Read on to learn: important definitions your … Read More
This week it’s all about LEADERSHIP. My Dad always had a sign on his desk that said, “LEAD, FOLLOW or GET OUT OF THE WAY.” It’s not quite clear who said this first, but we all need to know our role, right? If you ever play the role of LEADER, this blog is for you. … Read More
On OPTIMISM and communicating POSITIVITY – There’s a lot to be gloomy about these days, isn’t there? As one of my kids announced this week, “2020 is the worst year ever. There’s Kobe, COVID-19, murder hornets, police brutality, looting….” (This comes from a kid who hasn’t even seen that many years!) There’s no question that our collective … Read More
This week we’re moving on from EMOTIONS and NEGOTIATIONS to COMPETITION and Open Source Strategy! Read on to learn about: Podcast #51 – COMPETITION with open source strategy expert Dr. Mekki MacAulay (Un)Healthy Competition – and what to do about it! Open Source Strategy 101 – your primer! You can skim this blog or click … Read More
Negotiation. It’s something we all do, be it negotiating our salaries, a sales price, or our childrens’ bedtimes! Read on for: 5 little-known negotiation tips 3 master negotiators negotiating quotes from familiar names Let’s do this! 5 LITTLE-KNOWN NEGOTIATION TIPS 1️⃣ Don’t Be Selfish! It’s certainly advisable to come prepared to a negotiation knowing what you want and … Read More
Recently I had the privilege of interviewing an academic researcher about an important communication-related topic: EMOTIONAL EXPRESSIONS. So I’ve got your head ? and your heart ?covered this week. Unfortunately for some people, expressing certain emotions may be taboo. But have you noticed that people (including political leaders) are slowly starting to express their emotions … Read More
“Now more than ever.” Now more than ever. Is it just me, or do you too keep hearing those words? This week I’m sharing 5 UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES that we have during this pandemic to focus on our COMMUNICATION SKILLS. Now more than ever, we have a great opportunity. And I’m not just talking our Zoom skills. … Read More
This podcast ?episode is focused on ONLINE LEARNING and COMMUNICATING WITH OUR CHILDREN and specifically our role as parents or guardians in our children’s education. We are very fortunate to have learning strategist & parenting coach Kimberley Acres with us for this episode. Kimberley is a career educator who has worked with students around the globe, be it in the … Read More
You’ll be inspired after reading this blog! Read on to learn: How to rock it in ZOOM meetings Inspired COVID-19 projects undertaken by past Talk About Talk podcast guests ROCKING THE ZOOM A few of you asked me to share some ZOOM tips. Here are 5 Zoom pointers that stand out for me: 1️⃣ Use the MUTE Button … Read More
This week, we focus on CONFIDENCE ONSTAGE. I wonder if Brené Brown still feels nervous when she goes onstage? I’m guessing she would say YES… Did you watch any TED Talks over the past week? There is one TED Talk in particular that Talk About Talk podcast guest experts frequently reference. Do you know which one … Read More
PRESENTATION SKILLS and TED Talks Based on your positive feedback, I know many of you have already listened to last week’s ? podcast on COMPELLING PRESENTATIONS with Andrew Musselman and you’re looking forward to next week’s episode on PRESENTING WITH CONFIDENCE. In case you haven’t listened to it yet, here’s the link again. In last week’s … Read More
Do you know how to create and deliver COMPELLING PRESENTATIONS? This week we move on from NETWORKING and BIOHACKS to another communication skill, but this time where YOU are centre stage! (Unsplash | @ miguel_photo) Let’s do this! First – ?The PODCAST This ?episode is focused on the skill of preparing and delivering COMPELLING PRESENTATIONS or speech. As in – you standing in … Read More
How to be SOCIAL While Physically Distant Humans need social interaction. You’ve probably heard that social support is correlated with longevity, right? Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, we all need to be social. Here are 5 ways you can be SOCIAL while physically distant: 1️⃣ Track your daily connections Every morning, update your list of the … Read More
This week, I have a highly relevant ?podcast that I’m excited to share with you: BIOHACKING TIPS TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY with Biohacker Oksana Andreiuk. I met Oksana Andreiuk a few weeks ago at a networking event. Yes, a networking event. I took the advice that Sharon Mah-Gin shared with us in the NETWORKING episode ?and amongst other … Read More
This week, let’s focus on SOCIALLY DISTANT COMMUNICATION. We’re working at home, school’s being taught online, and events are postponed until further notice. As in: working from home effective video-conferencing thriving in a socially distant world being POSITIVE… (think Lori Ryerson, Italian balcony singers, and Zion Williamson!) We could use some POSITIVE, yes? Let’s do this! WORKING FROM … Read More
Do you know how to be a good networker? I remember when I was in business school, I kept hearing how we all need to become a “good networker.“ What exactly does that mean? Coincidentally, my personal New Years resolution for 2020 is to “get out there with real people in real life.” Apparently, that … Read More
This week’s podcast episode ?is focused on INTERVIEWING – as in conducting a job interview, an information-seeking interview, a journalistic interview, or a podcast interview! In the future we will also cover how to rock-it in a job interview. But this week it’s all about when you are in the driver’s seat, INTERVIEWING, as in conducting the interview. As … Read More
This week we focus on the Introvert/Extravert scale. When I asked Dr. Nadine Kelly, the guest expert from last week’s podcast, “Are you an Introvert or an Extravert?”, she said, “I think a good solid mix of both. I used to think I wasn’t extraverted but I don’t think you can be a podcaster and … Read More
Hello Talkers! This week, we focus on POSTURE and BREATHING, things that affect our nervous, circulatory, muscle and other systems, our stress levels, and our communication skills! Let’s do this! First – The PODCAST For this episode ?on posture and breathing, I interviewed Dr. Nadine Kelly. Dr. Kelly, or Nadine, as she likes to be called, is a … Read More
