421: 100x Your Speaking in a Day: Insights from Our Recent In-Person Workshop

Have you ever wondered how you can improve your speaking skills and truly connect with your audience?

I’m joined by Wendy McManus and Tara Lassiter, who recently attended our 1-day in-person speaking workshop in Orlando, Florida.

They share their stories, lessons learned, and the transformations they experienced, all within a single day.

We talk about:

• Why in-person workshops provide a unique opportunity to grow as a speaker.

• The power of immediate feedback and how it helps you identify habits you didn’t realize you had.

• How improv exercises can help you loosen up, step out of your comfort zone, and have fun while learning.

• Why storytelling is the heart of impactful presentations—and how to use “active storytelling” with your voice and body.

• The surprising stories we’re most reluctant to share—and why they often resonate the most with audiences.

• Personal anecdotes from Wendy and Tara about the challenges and breakthroughs they had during the workshop.

 

Key Takeaways:

1. Practice Makes Progress: Speaking more frequently and getting feedback in the moment accelerates your growth.

2. Own Your Story: The stories you might hesitate to share can create the deepest connections.

3. Be Intentional: From movement on stage to vocal variety, deliberate choices make your delivery more impactful.

4. Play and Learn: Don’t underestimate the value of play, from improv to dancing—because growth can be fun too!

 

About My Guests:

• Wendy McManus is a leadership coach specializing in helping newer people managers build their confidence and skills as leaders. She’s passionate about storytelling as a tool for connection and growth.

• Tara Lassiter is a brand strategist and ghostwriter with a background in on-air modeling at QVC. Her mission is to help others break through barriers and create representation in the business world.

Our next 1-day Speaking Workshop is on February 27, 2025, in Downtown Orlando, Florida! If you’re ready to accelerate your growth as a speaker, gain hands-on feedback, and have a lot of fun, this is your chance. Learn more and grab your spot at https://www.SpeakingYourBrand.com/workshop. 

 

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/421/ 

Video from the live show: https://youtube.com/live/HMhIr041IOg

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Attend our 1-day speaking workshop in Orlando: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/workshop/ 

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ 

Join us in London for our B.O.L.D. Brand Intensive Retreat in Summer 2025: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/london/ 

 

Connect on LinkedIn:

• Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox

• Tara Lassiter (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/taralassiter/ 

• Wendy McManus (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-mcmanus/ 

 

Become Bookable Live Online Workshop - April 15, 2026
If you want to speak more but you’re not sure where to start or your efforts haven’t produced the results you want, I’m hosting a live online workshop called “Become Bookable: How to Get Speaking Invitations” on Wednesday, April 15th.

A lot of brilliant women assume they just need to pitch themselves more. But the real reason speakers get invited isn’t because they pitch harder — it’s because they’re positioned as bookable.

In this 3-hour interactive workshop live on Zoom, I’ll show you how speakers actually get invited — and help you clarify the positioning that makes event organizers say yes.

As a podcast listener, use the coupon code “Podcast100” to save $100 on your registration.

Learn more and register at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/bookable