Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

An accomplished keynote speaker and Managing Partner of Leadership Forum, LLC, Wanda Wallace’s work focuses on improving leadership by improving the quality of conversations. She helps women and men advance, stick and thrive. After 10 years at the helm of Duke's Fuqua School of Business executive education program, her most recent work helps managers break out of being the expert and build truly inclusive cultures. This work is captured in her latest book "You Can’t Know It All: Leading in the Age of Deep Expertise." Laura and Wanda chat up ways leaders add value to their teams WITHOUT knowing all the technical details -> that becomes mission impossible once you reach senior leadership and can actually happen at any time.They chat up a mini-tsunami of practical tips to be a better public speaker and how to get other people on board with your brilliant ideas.Reach your stakeholders in their comfort zone, not yours.Everything that happens in business happens in a conversation.Catch these titanium diamond-studded insights including:🔥Where to find your confidence when you don’t have all the answers💎The point where your domain learning journey slows down✅How to lead people who know more about the content than you do🔑Ways you can add value when you’re not the one who knows the most about the domain (hint: it’s all about conversations)🦏The key difference between a expertise leader and a spanning leader🎯A “rinse and repeat” question you can use to add value at the enterprise level📣Laura’s favorite communication tool that makes you unstoppable with any audience at any level🚀Two proven tools to uplevel your public speaking This episode is brought to you by the FREE Polish Your Pitch training. Winging 🦋 it works well when chatting with your pet chihuahua. Or ranting about your literally insane boss with your BFF.Not a good idea for executive meetings, job interviews, a press conference, television show appearance, meeting the Pope, or ANY sort of pitch.Pitching an idea, a collaboration, or investment is the ultimate communication skill. Invest 30 minutes of your time in this curated training, Polish Your Pitch.Yes, it's on the house. You're welcome. 😎

Today Laura chats with Angela Foster, the person high-achieving women leaders seek to help them put together a closet full of clothes they love to wear. She was an executive in the fashion and beauty industry for 20 years. Today she specializes in ambitious petite executives and this particular conversation will help ALL women dress for the success they want.We go into all the details about how what you wear affects your confidence and shapes how others perceive you. It’s all about small tweaks that can elevate your executive presence. If you have BIG goals you want to accomplish, do not miss this opportunity to get insider insight on looking perfect for the part. Be cautious about Influencers who are pushing sponsored products!There’s more!! Angela is offering an exclusive FREE Fall Fashion gift for YOU here! (www.angelastylecoach.com/laura)Catch these executive style curated insights including:🔥How to think about your body through life changes (like having a bebe)💎The starting point for putting together a wardrobe that propels you forward✅The item most women LACK in their closet🔑A helpful structure that helps you organize your closet🦏Nail your executive look on Zoom, including your background🎯Beware of the downside to virtual backgrounds for video meetings📣Common dressing mistakes women make that sabotage their presence🚀Know the connection between polished presence and compensationThis episode is brought to you by the FREE Polish Your Pitch training. Winging 🦋 it works well when chatting with your pet chihuahua. Or ranting about your literally insane boss with your BFF.Not a good idea for executive meetings, job interviews, a press conference, television show appearance, meeting the Pope, or ANY sort of pitch.Pitching an idea, a collaboration, or investment is the ultimate communication skill. Invest 30 minutes of your time in this curated training, Polish Your Pitch.Yes, Polish Your Pitch on the house (no charge). You're welcome. 😎 Find Angela Foster on LinkedIn and her website.

Catch this bracing conversation with men’s executive style coach, DwayneWilliams, based in Dallas. Dwayne leans on his 20+ years of fashion and style experience (that began when he learned from his father, a tailor) to get men where they want to be with the power of style. He helps ambitious corporate men achieve their signature style by transforming the way they dress. Dwayne’s clients who are new to style enjoy getting more compliments, confidence, and opportunities.Dwayne’s lengthy experience in men's fashion with Fortune 500 companies hasequipped him with the expertise to identify what’s missing in your closet andhelp you find your signature style. He’s managed the wardrobes of hundreds of successful professionals, providing a luxury level of service, helping them get new jobs, promotions, and even married. 💍Catch these MEN’s executive style curated insights including:🔥Exactly where to start leveling up your wardrobe💎What you need to know about men’s clothing labels✅How men’s clothing has adapted to higher expectations for comfort🔑Ways you can incorporate your personality into your look🦏Key details in what to wear to look GREAT in summer heat🎯The skinny on bow tie vs. long tie📣Make sure you dress to represent your industry🚀Steps to develop your Signature Look(Profound apologies for Laura’s poor sound quality; Dwayne sounds fantastic..Technical issues plagued this particular episode.)

Today’s riveting guest on the Speak Up with Laura Camacho podcast is Mike Acker, communication and public speaking coach. Mike had to overcome his own communication challenges growing up such as a speech impediment and moving to Mexico at the age of 10, where he didn’t speak the language.These challenges spurred him to find how he could show up with CONFIDENCE in the workplace, public speaking engagements, and beyond. Mike has divulged his hard-earned wisdom in 17 different books and workbooks including his most recent one: Speak with Confidence: Overcome Self-Doubt, Communicate Clearly, and Inspire Your Audience.If you know you are competent but have a hard time feeling cool, calm and collected, this episode is for you. Mike breaks down confidence so that it becomes attainable to even the most nervous Nancy. Learn how to SPEAK with confidence and navigate self-doubt (aka imposter syndrome!!!) with ease.Some of the wisdom bombs dropped in this episode are: 😅 Why some nervousness is GOOD🤔 Why confidence and competence don’t always travel together🏆 What executive presence really is👎 How low levels of confidence impacts your perceived leadership💡The difference between internal vs external confidence🥸 What is at the heart of imposter syndrom and the right way to respond 💸 Ideas for increasing your perceived value💣 Practical ways to speak with more IMPACT🌟 Why you need to lean into the certainty of what you KNOW about yourselfToday’s episode of the Speak Up with Laura Camacho podcast is brought to you by The Practical Guide to Effective Communication: Get Recognized for the Value You Already Contribute.

This episode of the Speak Up with Laura Camacho podcast features influence expert and positivity PRO Brian Smith, PhD. Brian is Founder of IA Business Advisors, The “I” in TeamSeries and more than FIFTY successful companies. He most recently authored: Positive Influence: Be the I in Team with his daughter, Mary Griffin.Brian began his career in the military where he learned about the importance of structure. He then went to school for accounting, ending up in the tech & computer systems world where he became fascinated with how people influence each other and the role of positive influence in the workplace.If you want to make changes, increase your visibility and be recognized as the invaluable asset that you are, this episode is for you. You will learn to harness the power of positivity to influence others as well as these priceless takeaways:🤝 Ways to build TRUST🤔 Whether influence is learned or born🤍 Why integrity is extra important in any leadership role⚠️ The most common pitfalls to exercising influence💸 How to influence above your paygrade🚀 The power of being a broken record + positive action😤 WHY we overreact and how to avoid itThis episode of the Speak Up with Laura Camacho podcast is brought to you by The Practical Guide to Effective Communication: Get Recognized for the Value You Already Contribute.

Tim Creasey, Chief Innovation Officer at Prosci, shares his expertise on successful change management. He emphasizes the importance of clear communication and employee engagement amidst rapid changes in today’s workplace. Tim distinguishes between change leadership and management, highlighting why many projects fail. He advocates for 'widening your lens' to understand both individual and organizational change dynamics. His insights also touch on how to make in-person work intentional and effective in a hybrid environment.

Today’s guest on the Speak Up with Laura podcast is Gabe Zichermann, and we are talking about ENGAGING your audience. His book, The A-Ha! Method: Communicating Powerfully in aTime of Distraction addresses the challenges that arise with public speaking and communication in general in our high tech era.If you struggle with anxiety about presentations, or wonder if your audience or team is actually paying ANY attention to you, this episode is for you! Gabe and host Laura Camacho cover best practices to be a MASTER communicator in all of your meetings, presentations, andpitches—regardless of how many iPhones are in the room.In this wildly informative and uber helpful episode you will learn: 🗺 Where to start so you can get your point across at your next presentation🤌 Why ALL communication is persuasive communication📣 The importance of finding YOUR voice💡How to use your accent to your advantage in public speaking❤️ Impressing vs CONNECTING in public speaking👏 The three touchstones for reaching your audience🌟 The mindset you need to embody on the day of your big pitch or presentation 👍 The importance of getting high quality FEEDBACK before a presentationThis phenomenal episode of the Speak Up with Laura podcast is brought to you by The Practical Guide to Effective Communication: Get Recognized for the Value You Already Contribute.

Our fabulously creative guest today is Sarah Sofia Knepp, EXPERT content creator and event designer.Sarah pivoted from politics to event design after planning her own wedding. She decided to start her own event-planning business and—starting from scratch in Charlotte, NC—soon learned the value and necessity of having a strong network. Twelve years ago she stretched into content marketing and has been helping people get connected virtually and in-person ever since.If you want to have a STRONG network and ADVANCE in your career, this episode is for you.Sarah drops some serious wisdom about meeting others, building relationships, and making the absolute most of the contacts you make.Some of the PRICELESS takeaways are:🔥Why LinkedIn is a great tool to foster relationships and build your professional network🎤Pro tips to improve your LinkedIn bio🔎How the pandemic made clear the value of staying connected😀The BASICS of networking (don’t forget to SMILE)💡The best types of questions to ask at networking events🌊Maximize your follow-up🎈Ensure a successful offsite team meeting🎯Tips and tricks to increase your creativity in the workplaceFollow Sarah Sofia Knepp on LinkedIn or check out her website.This episode of the Speak Up with Laura Camacho podcast is brought to you by The Practical Guide to Effective Communication: Get Recognized for the Value You Already Contribute.

Dr. Michael Banissy recently wrote the HIGHLY relevant and timely book, Touch Matters: Hugs, Handshakes, and the New Science on How Touch Can Enhance You Well-Being. Dr. Banissy was fascinated with the human person and was a self-professed people-watcher for many years. His interest in the biology behind psychology led him to research physical touch—one of the first senses we develop. If you have struggled with how to use physical touch in a professional setting, this episode will DECODE the language of touch and give you the basics for how to incorporate it. We all know that physical touch seems taboo post-pandemic. But in this captivating episode Dr. Banissy shares with us why physical touch is so ESSENTIAL and how we can use it to our advantage. Some solid gold takeaways include: 🐉 How different customs affect how we approach physical touch 🤗 The surprising health benefits of hugging 😩 How physical touch can reduce anxiety, even before public speaking events 🏆 How positive touch can affect team building and performance 😀 How touch can help convey powerful emotion and why that is helpful in the workplace ❓ Why conversations about touch are needed in the workplace 💎 How tactile communication translates to more success 🐥 The first steps in managing tactical communication in the post-pandemic era This episode of the Speak Up with Laura Camacho podcast is brought to you by The Practical Guide to Effective Communication: Get Recognized for the Value You Already Contribute.

Today’s VIP guest on Speak Up with Laura Camacho is the hyper-successful Atif Rafiq.Atif worked as the global CDO of McDonald’s and Volvo before becoming president of MGM Resorts Intl. Now he advises on the board of Clearcover and Flutter Entertainment. He is author of Decision Sprint: The New Way to Innovate into theUnknown and Move from Strategy to Action.With the rapidly changing working environment due to AI and a plethora of other factors, we must master innovation strategy and perfect the decision-making process. In this episode, Atif gives you the secret know-how he learned to implement a decision-making process that works and strategies that will nurture innovation as much as possible.Here are some of the mind-blowing takeaways you can expect from these 45 minutes:- Fallacies that surround the decision-making process- The importance of an ‘exploration phase’ to come to a high quality decision- What you need to tackle new spaces even when there is a lot of ambiguity- The importance of being inclusive when it comes to getting input about company decisions- How to encourage innovation from all members of an organization- Why asking questions is a form of contribution and brings meeting value- How to come to a decision without the drama and make decision points painless- What workflow is and how it expresses culture- Advice for those who are knocking on the door of the senior leadership suite- How AI is going to affect and is already changing the decision-making process