The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson

For most people, your voice is simply the tool you use to communicate. But for Gina Razón, this week’s guest on the Confident Communications podcast, the voice is much more than that. And when you don’t use your breath properly, your voice (and your credibility) can suffer.A former opera singer and current public speaker and voice coach, Gina shares with us why the voice is a tattletale for your confidence and exactly what speakers do when they’re not as confident or as prepared as they’d like to be. And she passes along tips that any speaker, no matter what kind of room they’re in, can use to be more confident. Even if the ex-boyfriend who broke your heart 10 years ago walks into the room.Probably most fascinating is the connection that the body--even the big toe--has with your voice and how dynamic your speech is. Gina also explores how generational inflection is a part of life today and the superpower that each gender has in their voice.Gina firmly believes that there is one special “birthright to everyone who breathes air.” And the answer comes out loud and clear in this episode.Mentioned in This EpisodeGina Razon’s TEDx Cambridge talkTamsen Webster’s Find Your Red ThreadEpisode 5: Just ListenEpisode 3: How to Ace an Interview and Communicate Your BrandThe Cognitive Neuroscience of MusicThe neural integration of speaker and message About GinaGina Razón has taught voice and speech for over 16 years to individuals, organizations and in academic settings. She is sought after as a teacher of voice and speech, singing, and public presentation. Gina also performs as a classical mezzo-soprano in concert and opera. Gina has a BM and MM in Voice Performance, is a practitioner of Fitzmaurice Voicework and a certified teacher of Somatic Voicework. She has served as voice coach for TEDxCambridge, and speaks at National and local events oWant More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

Did you watch the 2019 Oscar telecast? I did - that's why I’m looking at how the stars’ publicists did on the most important night in Hollywood. It was the first time in the history of the broadcast that the program went hostless. Join me and my long-term friend and fellow pop culture enthusiast Mary Mitschow as we each chose our top three hits and misses by both stars and publicists on Oscar night and riffed on our take. We’re digging into whether the stars’ publicists did a good job of promoting their clients’ brands in a way that kept them on-brand and on message. Or did they leave something to be desired, causing more work for themselves on the back-end of the show?   Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler Oscar Introduction Spike Lee Storms Out of Oscars After 'Green Book' Win, Says Academy Made Bad Call  Jennifer Hudson Sings 'I'll Fight' Live at Oscars 2019 Melissa McCarthy and Brian Tyree Henry Present the Oscar for Costume Design  Mahershala Ali Accepts the Oscar for Supporting Actor   About Molly Molly McPherson, M.S., APR, combines her knowledge of current communication practices with years of news and PR experience to develop the right plans and messaging for clients to protect and build their reputations. Molly founded the Communicate with Confidence Leadership Training Program and frequently speaks on crisis communications, public relations and social media.   Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to your podcasts.   © Molly McPherson 2019Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

Let’s face it, we all lie. Many of those lies are innocent white lies with the intent of making the other person look or feel better (That jacket looks great on you!) but other lies are much more hurtful and impactful (think: the Fyre Festival).Most people can’t spot a lie because humans are wired to believe one another. In this episode of Confident Communications, I’m sharing the common reasons we lie, which gender is more likely to lie, the lies each gender tell and which gestures can be misconstrued as lying (and which are dead giveaways for lies).Not only that, but I’ll use a simple trick that will tell you whether you’re more prone to telling lies.This episode is for parents, spouses, colleagues, customers, leaders--anyone who wants to become a human lie detector. I’m not going to lie...it will come in handy!Mentioned in this episodeFyre festival documentaries on Hulu and Netflix1:4 people think it’s okay to lie on an insurance formBy age of 4, 90% of children will understand the concept of a lie60% of adults can’t have a 10 min conversation without lying at least onceMen lie twice as much as womenWomen more comfortable with lying than men (Neurs study?)Liespotting: Proven Techniques to Detect Deception by Pamela MeyerChris Watts home searchAlex Rodriguez admits to using steroidsBill Clinton - I did not have sexual relations with that womanAbout MollyMolly McPherson, M.S., APR, combines her knowledge of current communication practices with years of news and PR experience to help people become modern-age communicators in their industry and help build crisis-proof businesses. From her work with the Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

More than ever, being President of the United States means you need to be at the top of your game as a communicator. And no matter what you think about current or past presidents, each one had his own challenges and triumphs when it comes to communicating with the American public.In this non-partisan episode of the Confident Communications podcast, I’m sharing how communication by our nation’s leaders has changed over time--from the written State of the Union to fireside chats that worked for one president and flopped for another and from our pop culture president to our social media president.Each president mentioned can teach you something about how to communicate confidently as a leader. And that might be even more so from the non-president who might be considered our nation’s biggest influencer--both of his time and today.Mentioned in this EpisodeBill Clinton’s appearance on the Arsenio Hall ShowFDR Fireside ChatJimmy Carter Fireside ChatListen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts.© Molly McPherson 2019Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

The subject of race is a hot-button topic, one that many people shy away from for fear of offending someone. But in America today, it’s not going away.Part of being an effective communicator means being able to relate to and talk to a range of people, regardless of race, creed, origin, sexual preference, age and more. That’s why I wanted to talk to Jeffrey Blount about the topic.Jeffrey is an accomplished speaker on race and social justice and gives us deep insight into what it means to grow up black in America and why race is truly an American experience and issue.This week’s episode of the Confident Communications podcast explores how African Americans think and talk about themselves, why white people have such a difficult time talking about race and how everyone should relate to one another better.No matter what your race or background, this is an important episode to listen to and one that promises to give you the insight into how you can begin to talk about race in your own life. About Jeffrey BlountJeffrey is an award-winning author of two novels and an Emmy award-winning television director. During a 34-year career at NBC News, Jeffrey directed a decade of Meet the Press, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, The Chris Matthews and other major special events from the Washington, D.C. news bureau. He is an accomplished public speaker, commenting on issues of race, social justice and writing. Visit his website or follow him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.Jeffrey’s newest book, The Emancipation of Evan Walls, is set to be released in Spring 2019. About MollyMolly McPherson, M.S., APR, combines her knowledge of current communication practices with years of news and PR experience to help people become modern-age communicators in their industry and help build crisis-proof businesses. From her work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the cruise line industry in Washington, D.C, Molly develops the right plans and messaging for clients to protect and build their reputations. Molly founded ConfidenWant More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

When a big story hits the news, we all take notice. Many of us dissect the events strictly from a "just the facts" point of view, but plenty more tune in to watch the twists and turns, and eventually, the reputation fallout. The latest - the story of Nick Sandmann. A Covington, Kentucky teen who was caught on video with what looked like a smirk on his face while allegedly staring down a Native American protester. But do we really know the whole story? In this week’s episode of the Confident Communications podcast, I’m sharing the three different angles to this story, why it caused a media firestorm and the dangers of watching something like this unfold from just one point of view. There are many factors in play and not every player reacted favorably in the public eye. But you might not expect who’s communication style was a win and who needed better public relations support. Mentioned in This Episode: Watch the full Today Show interview with Nick Sandmann Read more about Savannah Guthrie under fire About Molly Molly McPherson, M.S., APR, combines her knowledge of current communication practices with years of news and PR experience to help people become modern-age communicators in their industry and help build crisis-proof businesses. From her work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the cruise line industry in Washington, D.C, Molly develops the right plans and messaging for clients to protect and build their reputations. Molly founded Confident Communications executive learning program and frequently speaks on crisis communications, public relations and social media. Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to your podcasts.   © Molly McPherson 2019Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

We’re in a whole new age when it comes to making personal announcements. No matter what the announcement is, the bigger the name, the bigger the story. When Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos announced their divorce on January 9, they chose only one public communication channel - Twitter.Twitter posts for high-profile news announcements have taken the place of the tried and true press release, and Facebook posts have taken the place of phone calls for the general public’s announcements. Both of these have their benefits, as long as it’s done right.On this week’s episode of the Confident Communications podcast, I’m talking about the messaging behind the Bezos announcement, including how the announcement was shared and some of the key phrases and words used in the announcement. I also share how you can use The Bezos Method to craft your own announcement if you have a big event or life change to share with others.Mentioned in this Episode:Jeff Bezos’s tweet about his divorceHow We Apologize by Lindsey Weber (Published in New York Times on Jan. 12, 2019)Lady Gaga’s apology to her followers About MollyMolly McPherson, M.S., APR, combines her knowledge of current communication practices with years of news and PR experience to help people become modern-age communicators in their industry and help build crisis-proof businesses. From her work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the cruise line industry in Washington, D.C, Molly develops the right plans and messaging for clients to protect and build their reputations. Molly founded Confident Communications executive learning program and frequently speaks on crisis communications, public relations and social media.Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to your podcasts. © Molly McPherson 2019Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

December is one of the most popular times of the year to get engaged, which means that many brides (and their mothers) are planning weddings! There are so many communication dynamics that go into wedding planning--from announcing the big day to booking vendors to managing family relationships and opinions. In this episode, we’re tackling all of these issues, as well as how vendors can help brides feel a little less overwhelmed during this busy time of their lives. Wedding planning requires two-way communication and understanding and we talk about how all parties involved can help--or hinder--the process. Mentioned in this episode Martha Stewart Weddings The Knot   About Lena Hartford Lena is a hair stylist with 20 years of experience, working with brides to create beautiful, unique and long-lasting wedding hairstyles. Visit her website or follow her on Instagram. About Molly Molly McPherson, M.S., APR, combines her knowledge of current communication practices with years of news and PR experience to help people become modern-age communicators in their industry and help build crisis-proof businesses. From her work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the cruise line industry in Washington, D.C, Molly develops the right plans and messaging for clients to protect and build their reputations. Molly founded Confident Communications executive learning program and frequently speaks on crisis communications, public relations and social media. Listen + subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

In this non-traditional Golden Globes recap, I’m looking at how the stars’ publicists did on one of the most important nights in Hollywood.   More than 18 million people tuned in to the 2019 Golden Globes on Sunday night and I was among them, as usual. As a Gen-Xer, I’m a pop culture fan and usually tune into the awards shows for both the entertainment value and to theorize about publicists’ angles.   The show did not disappoint, as I discuss with my long-term friend and fellow pop culture enthusiast Mary Mitschow. We each chose our top three hits and misses by both stars and publicists and riffed on our take.   We’re digging into whether the stars’ publicists did a good job of promoting their clients’ brands in a way that kept them on-brand and on message. Or did they leave something to be desired, causing more work for themselves on the back-end of the show?   Mentioned in this Episode: Glenn Close’s speech of empowerment Beau Bridges watching brother Jeff Bridges receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award Whether Jim Carrey has redeemed himself A national treasure with a new award   Tune in now and let me know your thoughts on the awards ceremony. Are these stars (and, better yet, their publicists) ready for the Oscars?   Are you confused by social media and communicating confidently? Grab my guide on the rookie mistakes many professionals make online. Don’t be "a miss" like some of the stars we’re talking about in this episode!   © Molly McPherson 2019Want More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...

Every business needs a foundation to communicate with its employees, which is why I brought Victoria Dew of Dewpoint Communications to talk about this critical piece of the communication puzzle.Victoria’s unique perspective as a former entertainment industry professional and in-house communication professional both in the U.S. and overseas helps to bring a new voice to the creativity and transparency that goes into communicating with employees.In this episode, we talk human-centric business, changes in work culture over the last 30 years, why a bigger budget doesn’t always mean better results and how internal communications changes in times of crisis.As it becomes increasingly difficult to recruit and retain great employees, perfecting internal communications is vital. Listen in now and learn how you can do more with what you have to move the needle in your business.Mentioned in this Episode:How to Get a Handle on Filler Words in Your Vocabulary About VictoriaAs a consultant, coach and in-house practitioner, both in the US and overseas, Victoria has worked in more than a dozen industries and verticals, and with diverse businesses, ranging from solopreneurs to some of the world’s largest technology companies.Victoria holds a BA from Skidmore College, an MA from King’s College London, a PG Dip in Communications Management from Massey University and a Cert MS in Business Administration from Victoria University of Wellington. Victoria has earned the Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP) designation, and is also a certified business coach.Victoria also serves as 2018-19 Vice Chair of the International Association of Business Communicators' (IABC) International Executive Board.Want more information on Victoria and receive her guide to better writing? Click here to get her guide on writing tips. About MollyMolly McPherson, M.S., APR, combines her knowledge of current communication practices with years of news and PR experience to help people become modern-age communicators in their industry and help build crisis-proof businesses. From her work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the cruise line industry in Washington, D.C, Molly developWant More Behind the Breakdown? Follow The PR Breakdown with Molly McPherson on Substack for early access to podcast episodes, private member chats, weekly live sessions, and monthly workshops that go deeper than the mic. It is the inside hub for communicators who want real strategy, clear judgment, and a little side-eye where it counts.Follow Molly on Substack Subscribe to Molly's Weekly Newsletter  Need a Keynote Speaker? Drawing from real-world PR battles, Molly delivers the same engaging stories and hard-won crisis insights from the podcast to your live audience. Click here to book Molly for your next meeting. Follow & Connect with Molly:https://www.youtube.com/mollymcphersonhttps://mollymcpherson.substack.com/https://www.tiktok.com/@mollybmcphersonhttps://www.instagram.com/molly.mcpherson/...