The Big Talk with Tricia Brouk

Today's show is another in a series of bonus episodes each featuring one of the phenomenal talks given by the participants in The Big Talk Academy as a part of our Virtual Showcase. This showcase is the culmination of their hard work as they cross the finish line to becoming certified speakers. These episodes give you a peek behind the curtain to witness the amazing Big Talks presented, and also give you exclusive access to my live feedback and direction I give to each speaker immediately following their performances. This week's episode features Dona Edwards and her talk, Reimagining Business School Can Bring Humanity Back to Corporate America. Dona has worked in the legal field for over 20 years, most recently in-house at corporations as an Executive and Senior Counsel. She was responsible for driving the global intellectual property strategy including protecting and monetizing innovations, developing a legal department, managing litigations and providing general legal advice and counsel. In her compelling and thought-provoking Big Talk, Dona discusses how there is a unique opportunity for business schools to make bold moves and step up to teach greater compassion to our future leaders. She shares how empathy facilitates inclusion, connection, belonging, and ultimately, humanity.

Today, I'm opening up my life again and giving you a glimpse inside my finely-tuned morning routine. This is a ritual I have perfected for myself and I know that it serves me well as I prepare to show up fully for myself, my family, my work, and our community each day. This routine is consistent. I do it religiously every single morning because I know it works — and when I find something that works and allows me to show up as my best self, I put it into continual practice. I'm taking you step by step through the beginning of my day and sharing what fuels my creativity, my energy, and my gratitude for this life. I hope this episode inspires you to also establish a morning routine that does the same for you. Because while I recognize everyone's life and family looks different, I hope you see the value in taking some amount of time for yourself at the start of each day. When you make time for yourself in the morning it means you're going to be a better version of yourself for everybody else the rest of the day, and this world needs that version of you. Also, as a bonus in this episode, I'm sharing with you the podcasts, books, and leaders that inspire me, motivate me, and continually teach me more as I help us all fully use our unique voices and tell our powerful stories.

Today's show is the second in a series of bonus episodes each featuring one of the powerful talks given by the participants in The Big Talk Academy as a part of our Virtual Showcase. This showcase is the culmination of their hard work as they cross the finish line to becoming certified speakers. These episodes give you a peek behind the curtain to witness the amazing Big Talks presented, and also give you exclusive access to my live feedback and direction I give to each speaker immediately following their performances. This week's episode features Caterina Kostoula and her talk, The Lonely Genius Is a Myth. Caterina coaches leaders and teams for impact and fulfilment. She is the founder of coaching company, The Leaderpath® and an ex-Googler. Her book, Hold Successful Meetings will be published by Penguin in 2021. Caterina also writes on Forbes and coaches for INSEAD business school. In her powerful and informative Big Talk, she shares how research shows we need each other to spark and challenge our thinking. Humans thrive on collaboration. However, our current methods of meetings in business fall incredibly short. In response, she proposes a new meeting framework.

Today's show features an incredible guest, Marie-Elizabeth Mali. She is a Relationship Alchemist, a published poet with an MFA from Sarah Lawrence, and an underwater photographer with a bit of a thing for sharks. While Marie-Elizabeth grew up in New York, she was raised in three different cultures — American, Venezuelan, and Swedish — speaking three languages, and feeling like an outsider in all of them. Now, as a Relationship Alchemist, Marie-Elizabeth helps people deepen love and connection in their relationships. Drawing on her Master's in Chinese Medicine, her experience in being raised between three cultures, and 30 years of personal development work, Marie-Elizabeth brings a unique perspective to being your full, authentic self in a relationship. If you're ready to dive deep into uncovering your true self and learning how to live wholly as that person — on and off of the stage — you're going to love this conversation.

Today's show is the first in a series of bonus episodes each featuring one of the incredible talks given by the participants in The Big Talk Academy as a part of our Virtual Showcase. This showcase is the culmination of their hard work as they cross the finish line to becoming certified speakers. These episodes give you a peek behind the curtain to witness the amazing Big Talks presented, and also give you exclusive access to my live feedback and direction I give to each speaker immediately following their performances. This week's episode features Dr. Sharon Spano and her talk, Our Hope for Systemic Change Starts with Our Sense of Belonging. Sharon is a business strategist, executive coach, and speaker who strengthens business leaders to develop healthier family relationships in support of business growth and sustainability. Sharon is the author of The Pursuit of Time and Money and the host of the weekly podcast, The Other Side of Potential. In her insightful and inspiring Big Talk, she shows us that our hope for systemic change truly lies in our children. Because when children know where they belong in their own family system, they mature into adults who have the power to change the world.

In this first episode of 2021, I am breathing new life into The Big Talk podcast. This year, we're going deeper for even greater impact. Beyond the big stages you are taking, everything you do has the power to influence, and even save, a life. Today, I'm sharing what I learned in 2020 and what I'm carrying with me into 2021. We'll start our journey in March of last year — a month none of us will soon forget. I was in the midst of preparing for a live speaker event in New York City, soon to be the epicenter of COVID-19. And when Broadway shut down on March 12th, I knew I had some intense decisions to make. The one thing I knew for certain was that my ego could not be a factor. My sole goal became how to get these powerfully important big talks out into the world — a world that desperately needed them — while setting everyone's health and safety as the highest priority. And while my speakers weren't able to share their stories with the audience of 150 people in New York as we had planned, they were able to share them virtually across 150 countries. Talk about global impact. 2020 was undoubtedly one of the hardest years we've collectively experienced and losses were immense. However, what we gained and what we can carry with us are possibility, hope, innovation, resilience and so much more.

Unleashing our story unleashes our life. We often hold on to our story, wounds, and trauma to keep others from hurting for us—especially our family. Taking power over our story and giving access to your story gives people permission to tell their stories. Intimacy, the full sharing of our full self, is closely tied with story. Kimberly Rose Pendelton has experienced the freedom of fully telling her story and helping other women find freedom and truth in their own stories. Her drop in with Tricia Brouk reveals ways all of us can find healing by owning and rewriting our personal narrative.

Tell a story and get your life back...and start a career...and have journeyed to healing sparked by public speaking. Keiya Rayne did all of that and more when she took the stage for the first time with Tricia Brouk. Telling your story, even once, can change the trajectory of your life. Telling it well to others can help them change their lives and join you on a journey into healing and wholeness.

What holds you back from telling your story? For many of us, our fear of failure results in a list of reasons (or excuses) which keep us on the sidelines of our own life. So how do we overcome fear and get our story out of us and into others? "The only shortcut in life is to start now." Those words from Jake Kelfer's dad have stayed with him and center him on taking action on the ideas and stories the make his life.

Building your story comes from understanding and unfolding your life—not comparing. Speakers can get their unique story trapped inside themselves when they compare their story and themselves to other people. A few keys steps, such as giving ourselves permission to tell our story, appreciating the obstacles we have overcome, and focusing on our first simple steps to create change, can unlock our story.