Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson: Recent Episodes
Cat Matson
Get nervous and lose your words in meetings? Think aloud or ramble? Tune in for practical tips on how you can speak with confidence, authority, authenticity and impact.
Your host is Cat Matson of Impactful Presenters. Companion Facebook group where you can have your questions answered is at https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence
In this week’s episode I talk with Dr Anneline Padayachee, a nutritional food scientist who bridges the gap between food science and nutrition.
This is a rich and delicious conversation about food science, nutrition and how to educate and inform all stakeholders in the supply chain.
Listen in to hear:
- Anneline’s unique journey into science;
- How she found herself an ‘accidental speaker’
- her insights on the importance of effective communication in science, and
- how she focuses on her audience to make the most complex of technical knowledge understood and practical
The conversation emphasizes the significance of making complex scientific concepts relatable and accessible to the general public, as well as the role of speaking in advancing knowledge and understanding in the field of nutrition.
In this episode, Cat talks to James about how to be the dissenting voice; in this case go against a
movement of AI enthusiasts.
And, because it is such a hot topic, Cat and James talk about AI and its potential to automate
prediction, decision-making, and content generation, as well as the need to align AI with human
values.
Listen in to hear about how:
AI presents opportunities for automation in prediction, decision-making, and content
generation.
Aligning AI with human values is crucial for responsible and ethical AI governance.
Defining what is meaningful in AI requires subjective judgement and consensus on shared
values.
Ethics and values play a central role in AI influence and how implementing them can be
challenging.
Understanding ourselves better is essential for injecting AI systems with human objectives
and values.
Cat and James discuss the value of having differing opinions and authentic leadership,
emphasising the importance of staying true to our values and being comfortable with uncertainty.
Learn more about James here https://www.ethe.ai/ and here https://cadent.au/
Connect with James on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrgauci/
Melanie Campbell is a holistic women's business guide who helps soul-inspired women 40+, grow their soul-aligned business by shining their unique light and working in flow with their energy.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of discovering and embracing our individual gifts and superpowers, the need to recognise and appreciate our own abilities, as well as the blocks and resistance that can prevent us from seeing our own potential.
Melanie also shares her approach to authentic copywriting, which involves using the client's own words and speaking from the heart to create a genuine connection with the audience.
Listen in as to hear how to:
- Recognise and embrace your unique gifts and superpowers.
- Overcome blocks and resistance to see your own potential.
- Use authentic copywriting to create a genuine connection with your audience.
- Approach speaking and writing as interconnected forms of communication.
- Focus on your soul-inspired messages and be of service to your audience.
This awesome discussion, Melanie encourages individuals to focus on their soul-inspired messages and to approach speaking and writing as interconnected forms of communication.
Connect with Melanie via her website here https://www.melaniecampbell.com.au/
Mel Lathouras, a singer and performer, shares her journey of helping others sing fearlessly and overcome the narratives that hold them back. She emphasises the importance of embracing fear as empowering and using it as data to uncover limiting beliefs.
Mel discusses the process of helping her clients move through fear, which involves having compassionate conversations with ourselves, exploring past experiences, and practical steps like setting performance opportunities.
She also talks about the transition from a ‘safe’ corporate job to pursuing a creative and entrepreneurial career, and the importance of authenticity in both speaking and singing.
Listen in to hear how:
- Fear can be empowering when we view it as data and use it to uncover limiting beliefs.
- Compassionate conversations and exploring past experiences can help individuals move through fear.
- Setting performance opportunities and taking practical steps can build confidence in singing and speaking.
- Authenticity is key in both singing and speaking, and it's important to be aware of any masks or personas we may put on.
- Approaching speaking as a conversation rather than a performance can help alleviate nervousness and create a more authentic connection with the audience.
Mel's top speaking tip is to approach it as a conversation rather than a performance.
To connect with Mel on Instagram, head to https://www.instagram.com/mellathouras/
To get my weekly Speakers’ Notes, head to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling
To ask a question or simply let me know what you thought of this episode go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence or
Take a photo of this episode and tag me on Instagram
Mel Daniels is a content strategist and podcast host and joins me to discuss the importance of authenticity and content in social media marketing.
In this awesome chat with Mel, we talk about how social media engagement does not necessarily equal sales and that engagement rates have dropped significantly in recent years. She encourages entrepreneurs, leaders, and business owners to focus on their core beliefs and values when creating content and to take their ideal client on a journey through the client journey stages of connect, subscribe, nurture, and convert.
Listen in to hear how:
- Social media engagement does not equal sales; focus on your core beliefs and values instead.
- The different stages of the client journey and how to craft content for each.
- Her top tip for speaking with confidence and authenticity.
- Why short form video is currently the most powerful form of social media content.
This is a fabulous discussion for anyone wanting to build confidence and authenticity, particularly in the online space.
To connect with Mel on Instagram, head to https://www.instagram.com/meldbusiness
To get my weekly Speakers’ Notes, head to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling
To ask a question or simply let me know what you thought of this episode go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence or
Take a photo of this episode and tag me on Instagram @catmatson
Georgie Smith is an expert in getting things done in the public sector, is the Founder of Upsides Training and the author of the book, The Formula for Impact, the young public servant’s guide to doing well while doing good.
In this juicy and fun conversation, Georgie and I share our respective experiences in the public sector and how influencing decisions and getting things done can be done, without losing heart.
Listen in to hear:
- The importance of effective communication and influence in the public sector
- The incredible power of storytelling in communication and influence
- why it takes so long to influence conversations, decisions, and change in the government and public sector.
- How to remove friction and providing compelling stories and evidence to convince decision-makers.
- The most important traits a public servant can have – being present, humility and curiousity
This is an awesome conversation for any public servant who is tired, frustrated and wondering if they can really make an impact. It’s also an incredibly powerful conversation for anyone on the ‘outside’ of the public sector, wondering how to be heard.
To connect with Georgie on LinkedIn head to https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiesmithupsidestraining/ or visit her website at www.upsides.com.au
To download my free How To Stop Rambling ebook, head to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling
And to ask a question about this episode, head over to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence
Learning to speak with confidence to establish authority in your industry is a journey – one that requires showing up, speaking up, being authentic and seeking help from mentors.
And it’s just that journey that I’m discussing in this episode with Michelle Pritchard, founder of Aligned Business Consulting, who helps dental professionals who are wearing multiple hats to get back to practicing dentistry.
In this episode, Michelle and I chat about her journey of transitioning from a practice manager to an advisor and establishing her authority in her industry, particularly by building her speaking confidence and creating her own speaking opportunities.
Listen in to hear:
- How establishing authority in a new industry requires showing up, speaking up, and being authentic.
- How sharing real-life examples and stories helps build credibility and resonates with the audience.
- How Michelle invested time in confidence and speaking programs, like Toastmasters, to build her speaking skills
- How Michelle has moved from speaking spontaneously for only 27 seconds to delivering 2hour and 4 hour workshops
Connect with Michelle at alignedbusinessconsulting.com.au
Head over to Speaking with Confidence on Facebook to share your thoughts or ask further questions.
Visit https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/ for details of upcoming workshops and programs and to get my FREE ebook, How To Stop Rambling!
Leave a review, like or follow this podcast so other people can enjoy it and help me reach more people.
As an accountant and an engineer earning “good money”, Jodi and her husband thought they were doing well with traditional models of household budgeting and saving. of what we were told worked in relation to household budgeting. It turned out, they could be doing a whole lot better.
Jodi Porteous is a Money Management Coach who works with couples working in FIFO and remote mining towns to show them how to optimise their finances so that they don't have to live pay to pay.
In this episode you’ll hear Jodi’s top tips for money management and saving for the things you want, as well as how she went from overwhelming her webinar audiences with all.the.things to delivering powerful, fun and meaningful webinars … with only minutes of preparation!
Listen in to hear:
- Why traditional budgeting doesn’t work for most of us
- How to effectively save for those short, medium and long-term goals … without going without today!
- How Jodi changed from dry, data-heavy overwhelming webinars to enjoyable, powerful and easy-to prepare webinars. And saved herself HOURS in the process
To connect with Jodi join her ‘FIFO Family Finances’ group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/445666642748609 or visit her website, www.intentionalmoney.com.au
To find out more about the Impactful Presenters Program, visit https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/courses/impactful-presenters-signature-program
Rebecca Taylor is a leading personal branding photographer and visibility mentor, renowned for her ability to capture the authentic essence of top-tier executives, industry experts and entrepreneurs. She is also the creator of the Leadership Visibility Breakthrough coaching program, empowering trailblazing women to confidently command the spotlight with unapologetic authenticity and impact … you can probably see now why I had to chat with her on the show.
Listen in to hear our thoughts on:
- Why being visible is SO important in making a bigger impact and connecting with the people who need you most
- How to overcome imposter syndrome by showing up authentically and building trust with you audience
- Why and how articulating who you are and what you do is essential in creating a strong personal brand.
- How Rebecca has used speaking engagements can increase her visibility and make a difference in people's lives.
You can find Rebecca at www.rebeccataylor.com.au, and https://www.instagram.com/rebeccataylorofficial/
You can let ask a question about authentic self expression in the Speaking with Confidence facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence
If you’d like to stop rambling and talking in circles, download my free ebook, How To Stop Rambling at https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/
Leave a review or rate this podcast on your preferred listening app to share this story and the confidence to speak up and be seen with others so we can have more diverse voices being heard in the world.
Chenae Carey is an Intuitive Business Mentor bridging the gap between practical strategy and intuitive guidance for her clients. In this episode we have a frank and honest conversation about being authentic, the perils and ‘ick-factor’ of ‘bro-marketing’ and how to use intuition and practical strategy to create a business (or career) you love.
Listen in to hear Chenae’s thoughts on:
- How to discern what is intuition and what is not
- How our subconscious beliefs can lead to self-sabotage, and how we can change our patterns
- Why it’s so important to combine practical strategy with intuition
- How stepping out of your comfort zone is so important to creating magic in your life
To connect with Chenae find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/chenaecareycoaching or visit her website at www.chenaecarey.com.
Chenae is a member of the Speaking with Confidence Facebook group, so if you’d like to ask us a follow-up question from this discussion, head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence
And to download your own copy of How To Stop Rambling and get my weekly Speakers’ Notes emails, head to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/
Finally, if you’ve enjoyed this episode, a rating or a review of the podcast, on your favourite platform, means the world to me!
Rosie Shilo is the Virtual Assistant Advocate. She coaches, teaches and supports Australian Virtual Assistants while teaching other business owners about the reality of outsourcing. Rosie owns and runs ‘Virtually Yours’, a network which has supported thousands of Australian Virtual Assistants since in 2004. She is Australia's loudest VA advocate bringing her no-filter approach to business. Recently Rosie launched a new podcast with biz buddy Amber Field, called The Un-Business Podcast.
In this episode Rosie and I have an absolute HOOT discussing all things self-sabotage, authenticity, and the power of speaking up for ourselves.
Listen in to hear:
- Why authenticity is linked to boundaries and how we protect them
- How Rosie has used speaking engagements to establish her authority
- Why Rosie has created a new podcast, The Un-Business podcast, with her co-host, Amber Field, to challenge mainstream approaches
How do you impact 100,000 small business owners from a farm in regional NSW? That’s the question that drove Jenn Donovan of Social Media & Marketing to start speaking, first through her podcast and then from stages.
Now she’s working towards impacting one million small business owners through her no-nonsense, fluff-free marketing advice.
In this conversation Jenn and I discuss:
- The importance of NOT underestimating your ability to make a massive impact, even if you’re ‘just’ working from home
- Why marketing should be a priority for small business owners
- How speaking can be a POWERFUL marketing tool and how it can help you reach a larger audience
- Why, as a speaker, you only need to be a couple of steps ahead of your audience, and not the THE expert in your field
- Comparisonitis, and how Jenn has learned to focus on her own journey instead of comparing herself to others
Jenn’s podcast, Small Business Made Simple, is ranked in the top 1.5% of that genre, globally! You’ll find all her episodes on her website at https://socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/podcast/
Visit https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/ for details of upcoming workshops and programs and to get my FREE ebook, How To Stop Rambling!
Leave a review, like or follow this podcast so other people can enjoy it and help me reach more people.
Would you like to successfully secure grant funding for your business or community group?
Have you ever wondered what makes for a successful grant application?
Liz Fleming, from The Grants Club is a grant expert and is so passionate about supporting people to access money to help them make a bigger impact.
Listen in to hear
- How to get ‘grant ready’ (it’s easier than you think)
- Why aligning your business objectives with the government’s objectives increases your chances of success (and how to do that authentically)
- How to find grant opportunities that match your business objectives
- Why storytelling is such a powerful skill in grant applications, and how to do it
- Liz’s top tip for linking storytelling and the financial elements of the grant you’re applying for
Contact Liz at www.grantsclub.com.au or https://www.instagram.com/grantsclub_lizfleming/
Head over to Speaking with Confidence on Facebook to share your thoughts or ask further questions.
Ensure you’re on my email list to get the invitation to my next Speaking with Impact workshop by downloading my How To Stop Rambling ebook
Leave a review, like or follow this podcast so other people can enjoy it and help me reach more people.
Do you have a fear of being ‘seen’? Are you tired of ‘playing small?’
This has been a common theme across many conversations I’ve been having lately … and when I realised I was bumping into myself I wanted to share with you my process for understanding and then managing my fear of being seen.
Listen in to hear
- How the fear of being seen is closely linked to ‘playing small’
- My process for uncovering what is REALLY behind the fears
- How to recognise misappropriated fears and take a logical process to overcome them
- How you might embrace the fullest expression of yourself so you can make your desired impact
Head over to Speaking with Confidence on Facebook to share your thoughts
Ensure you’re on my email list to get the invitation to my next Speaking with Impact workshop by downloading my How To Stop Rambling ebook
Leave a review, like or follow this podcast so other people can enjoy it and help me reach more people.
Are you making this speaking mistake?
In this special episode where I share part 1 of my recent 3-part Speaking with Impact workshop, I share one of the biggest mistakes people make when speaking.
Chances are you, you’re making it too!
Listen in to hear:
- Why speaking powerfully is a key to professional success
- The number one mistake people make when speaking …
- A simple way to STOP making this mistake … TODAY
- Why authenticity matters
If you’d like to watch the other 2 parts of the workshop, along with other bonus content, simply head to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/live-webinar/speaking-with-impact-workshop-february-2024/register
Where does confidence come from?
Confidence generally comes from experience, training, results … but when you’re a service-based professional, our results are ephemeral. It’s not like we can see our work hanging on the walls like art, or a beautiful, bountiful garden.
In the absence of ‘tangible evidence’, confidence comes from the stories we tell ourselves. And, let’s face it, most of the stories we tell ourselves aren’t confidence-inducing.
In this episode I share the insights from the Speaking with Impact workshop series about finding your brag bag stories and using them not just in your presentations, but using them to create confidence.
Listen in to hear how
- Effective communication is far more powerful in building confidence than we realise
- How service-based professionals, who don’t have physical evidence of their work, can create tangibility through stories
- You can watch a replay of the Speaking with Impact workshop series
Links mentioned:
Speaking with Impact workshop series – watch the replays
Impactful Presenters Program – now open for enrolments
Tracy Harris, aka Mums with Hustle on Instagram, has created a multi-million dollar business using Instagram as her primary audience building tool.
In this episode, we explore the power of short-form video content to build an audience of your soulmate customers and HOW to speak impactfully in 30, 60 and 90 second reels.
Listen in to hear:
- Tracy’s motivation for helping others create a life by design
- How Tracy overcame her fear of showing up online to now leading a MASSIVELY successful business
- How Tracy prepares for reels and live videos
- Why using Instagram as a conversation tool, rather than a broadcast tool is a game-changer
- How Tracy brings emotion and connection to move her audience to take action
It’s an AWESOME episode!
You can find Tracy on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mumswithhustle/ and at https://tracyharris.co/
You can sign up for my weekly newsletter, Speakers’ Notes, and get a copy of my FREE How To Stop Rambling ebook, at https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling
In this episode I chat with sales expert Frances Pratt, about overcoming the discomfort associated sales. We explore the importance of mindset and understanding the process of selling. Frances encourages me, and listeners to be ourselves and how to get over our fear of rejection and we discuss how authentic selling is a selfless act, focused on providing value to customers. I love Frances’s concept of the minimum lovable product and the importance of understanding customer needs. She provides tips on starting a cold call, asking for the sale, and recapping and closing the sale. Frances concludes by highlighting the power of honesty and authenticity in speaking.
Listen in to hear:
- The keys to successful selling, and how to overcome the fear of rejection
- Frances’ concept of Minimum Loveable Product (which I LOVE) and how it can help you in ‘selfless selling’
- How to develop the right mindset and combine that with customer needs to fall in love with selling
You can connect with Frances at https://www.metisan.com.au/ or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/franpratt/
In this episode, I chat with Erica Webb, a registered counsellor and somatic exercise coach, about the importance of self-kindness and nervous system regulation. We chat about the importance of finding a safe home in our own skin and how learning to be kind and compassionate towards ourselves can change our speaking … and our life. We chat about nervous system regulation and how our bodies respond to perceived threats AND we discuss using Instagram, easily and imperfectly to build our business and profile.
Listen in to discover:
- The power of being kind and compassionate towards ourselves and why it’s is essential for speaking with greater confidence
- Why nervous system regulation is key to living a happier life .. and how it affects our professional lives too
- How to use Instagram as a tool for building professional profile with authenticity, embracing our imperfections, and engaging in a constant dialogue with our audience.
You can follow Erica on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ericawebb_selfkind/ and at her website at https://www.ericawebbyoga.com.au/
You can sign up for my weekly newsletter, Speakers’ Notes, and get a copy of my FREE How To Stop Rambling ebook, at https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling
In corporate environments, why do we speak in ‘stiff, robotic, corporate speak’ in our workplaces?
That’s the very conversation I’m having with Louise Davis, Creator of the Speaking Human Strategy, in this episode.
Louise specialises in building leadership capability in frontline managers and is a master facilitator. In this episode we explore:
- How to speak ‘human’ instead of corporate-speak
- The HUMAN acronym that Louise uses to remind us of the point of communication
- How to have difficult conversations … and how to perhaps not see them as difficult to start with; and
- How to calibrate your audience’s needs so you can meet them where they’re at
It’s a juicy, juicy conversation that I’m sure you’re going to love.
I’d love to hear your examples of ‘corporate speak’ in the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group
And download your copy of How To Stop Rambling here and sign up for my weekly Speakers’ Notes while you’re there.
Connect with Louise on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/louiseadavis/ and download her guide to difficult conversations here
Season Finale! This is an ‘out-of-character’ episode to finish up the year with a reflection on the year that’s been. No speaking tips as such, instead though a casual reflection and some questions for you to wrap up your year with presence and satisfaction.
Listen in to hear:
- The most popular 3 episodes of the year
- My biggest highlights of the year
- My biggest lessons of the year (I’m quite sure you can’t guess what they are!)
- An invitation for you to let me know your highlights and lessons
- Why I think celebrating our wins is sooooooo important
Please pop over to the Speaking with Confidence facebook group to share your wins and highlights!
How do you effectively introduce yourself when you wear many professional hats?
That’s the question I asked Laura Elkaslassy, owner of FOUR different business and mum of two!
We also discussed how to find that common thread through all those hats and roles.
Listen in to hear:
- How Laura introduces herself even when her approach doesn’t ‘fit’ the box that people are expecting
- Why Laura is such a passionate advocate for creating a business that works for YOU, not the other way around
- The questions to ask yourself to design a business that serves you
- An awesome approach to planning your goals for 2024
- Why pinpointing ‘tweaks’ rather than large scale overhauls are possibly the best way to achieve your goals
I would LOVE to know what you’re planning for yourself for 2024 – head to Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson on Facebook and let me know.
And if you don’t yet have my How To Stop Rambling ebook, you can download that here.
Connect with Laura at https://www.lauraelkaslassy.com/
What would you tell your 20-something self about life and business?
Somehow that’s the question that Jen Jeavons and I ended up answering in this discussion.
Jen is a storyteller and a story-crafter … creating brands and stories for her clients that connect, drive recognition and growth.
Her early career though was as a pop star. A true pop star!
In this episode we explored:
- Why storytelling in business is so important
- Why we struggle with storytelling in a professional setting
- How to establish the foundations of good business storytelling
- Jen’s life lessons as a professional pop star and how that influences her work now
- Why authenticity is the key success factor for speaking, for brand, for storytelling … for everything!
To share your ‘a-has’ from this episode and to have a trip down memory lane listening to Jen’s hit single, head to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group
And if you don’t have it already, download my free ebook, How To Stop Rambling, here
You can connect with Jen at https://jenjeavons.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenjeavons/
When we think of highly impactful speakers the image we conjure in our minds is often the most rarefied of all speakers – the keynote speaker or performer. A good keynote ‘performer’ is amazing … and that’s not where most of us mere mortals ‘sit’.
In this episode I talk about the distinctions between a keynote performer, a ‘presenter’, a ‘pitcher’ or a conversationalist.
Which one do you want to be ‘more’ of? Let me know in the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group
And if you don’t have it already, download my free ebook, How To Stop Rambling, here
Have you ever had to negotiate a pay rise? Or are you like me … and just cross your fingers and hope you’ll get one?
Alex Hanlon from Fair Pay Negotiations is determined to bridge the gender pay gap by teaching women how to negotiate for themselves … authentically.
Even if you’re not about to negotiate a pay rise you’re going to love this episode. You’ll learn:
- Why women find negotiating so much harder than men (spoiler alert, it’s how we’re made)
- How to work with our natural style to negotiate anyway
- Why your own stories are SO powerful in preparing to negotiate
- How to hear a ‘no’ for what it really is
- How to prepare for a powerful close in a negotiation … even if you don’t know how it’s going to end
Negotiating is such a powerful, and scary, ‘speaking’ environment … and this conversation is such an important one.
To connect with Alex Hanlon visit https://fairpaynegotiations.com/
To listen to past episodes about brag bag stories, listen to episode 4. Imposter Syndrome and How I Overcome It and 7. Why Me? Overcoming ‘I’m Not Good Enough’
One of the biggest barriers to speaking confidence is thinking we’re not good enough, not interesting enough or not ‘smart/experienced/focused/specialised’ enough 😊
To overcome this barrier I talk A LOT about the Earn The Right Framework (listen to episodes 4 and 7 for more on this) … and finding the gold in your own professional and personal history.
In this episode I talk about how to find that gold in your stories … how to go past your history and your ‘skills’ and uncover your magic.
Listen in to hear:
- How we underestimate our value because to us, ‘it’s just what I do’
- Why our own stories are so powerful in establishing our credibility and overcoming nerves
- My 3 tactics for mining for gold in your own personal and professional history
To ask me a question about this episode, join https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and ask away.
As an industry expert, Julia found herself frustrated that people with less experience and less knowledge were speaking at industry events. She also recognised that, as an industry expert with extensive knowledge, she often drowned her listeners in ALL THE THINGS, leaving them more confused.
Julia Van Der Sommen runs The Pattern Room, Australia’s first end-to-end development and production house for the fashion industry. She is passionate about supporting new fashion designers to be sustainably successful and navigate the myths and realities of fashion production.
In this episode, Julia explains how discovering how to speak with structure, with key messages, has led her to speak at industry events in Australia and Europe … and the impact that’s made on her business.
Listen in to hear:
- How Julia stepped into a thought leadership role in her industry
- How she answered the question, ‘what am I standing for?’
- The powerful impact on the business of speaking with less information and more intention
The doors are NOW OPEN for the Impactful Presenters Program – all the information can be found at https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/
In personal relationships there’s a massive focus on effective communication.
But what about in workplace relationships … especially when you’re leading a team?
In this episode of Speaking with Confidence I chat with Kristy-Lee Billet of People Powered HR, about the speaking challenges that are all too familiar to anyone leading a team, and especially small business owners.
Listen in to hear:
- How not to run team meetings that suck
- Why job interviews are a challenge for the interviewer AND the candidate
- Why even most well-intentioned leaders can sound like a demanding parent
- The types of questions you should be avoiding in job interviews
- How building her speaking confidence has helped Kristy-Lee as a business owner as well as a team leader
To ask me a question, join https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and ask away.
To join the Speaking with Impact workshop, click here: https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/live-webinar/speaking-with-impact-workshopseptember-2023/register
One of THE BEST ways you can build your professional profile is to speak at industry events and conferences.
But how do you get those opportunities?
This week I talk to Nadine Zrinzo, Co-Founder and chief content curator at Bright Humans, who has been bringing conference experiences to life for over 20 years across Australia, Asia, Europe and the US. Nadine’s superpower is curating the most outstanding speakers on the planet to produce events like QLD’s grass-roots innovation festival, Something Digital, and Something Fest.
This conversation offers guidance and insight to ANYONE looking to boost their professional profile by speaking at conferences.
Listen in to hear:
- Nadine’s unique approach to speaker selection (trust me, it’s NOT what you think)
- The importance of aspiring conference speakers to build their online profile through social media videos
- How Keynote speakers are selected (and again, it’s NOT what you think)
- Why it’s not necessarily the best speakers that a conference producer is looking for
- How you can build your speaking skills WHILE speaking on conference stages
To learn more about Nadine and Bright Humans visit https://brighthumans.com.au/
To boost your own speaking confidence visit impactfulpresenters.com.
To ask me a question, join https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and ask away
Valerie Khoo - keynote speaker, author, visual artist & CEO of the Australian Writers’ Centre – is my guest today.
As a woman who wears many hats and ‘falls’ down many rabbit holes of curiosity, Valerie has some striking perspectives on the power of speaking, storytelling and authenticity. We talked about:
- the similarities in the creative processes of writing and painting,
- the stories all business owners and leaders need to be able to tell,
- the mistakes people make when telling stories
- the life-changing speaking tip Valerie received from her speaking coach
- the number one investment you should make if you want to increase your influence and authority
- how to build your profile as a multi-talented, multi-passionate personality
- why rabbit holes SHOULD be followed, and not ignored
To see Valerie’s art of large scale flowers, captured in their vibrant full bloom, visit valeriekhoo.com.
To buy the audible version of Power Stories: The 8 Stories you Must Tell To Build an Epic Business, visit https://www.audible.com.au/pd/Power-Stories-Audiobook/1663702136
To learn more about the Australian Writer’s Centre visit https://www.writerscentre.com.au/
How does one woman build a name for herself on a global stage?
Yep, you guessed it. Speaking.
In this episode I talk with Danielle Lewis, co-founder and CEO of Scrunch, a global analytics platform for influencer marketing and CEO of Spark, an online education and mentoring community for women in business.
Listen in to hear:
- How Danielle still feels fear EVERY TIME she speaks on stage
- Her POWERFUL strategy for overcoming that fear and slaying her stage despite her fear
- How speaking is Danielle’s number one skill for building her successful businesses
- The tip that Danielle shared that gave me goosbumps
- Why Danielle is such a big advocate of women creating their own speaking opportunities
- Danielle’s predictions of the impact of AI on influencer (and all) marketing
- Why authenticity will still win in a crowded landscape
- Danielle’s top tips for speaking in any context, though particularly sales conversations
It’s an awesome conversation that left me so inspired and pumped … I’m sure it will do the same for you.
You can learn more about Spark at https://sparkbusiness.global/ and Scrunch at https://scrunch.com/
Ask me a question, tell me about the opportunities you’re going to create for yourself or what you think of Danielle’s ‘talk to the fear’ strategy at Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson on Facebook
What have I learned in recording 100 podcast episodes? Both about podcasting itself and the mistakes people make when it comes to speaking confidence? That’s what I discuss in this episode.
Also, as this was recorded ‘in front of a live studio audience’ I answered questions about how to stop overwhelming your audience, how to use your podcast as newsletter content and how determine where you went wrong when you miss your mark in a presentation.
Listen in to hear:
- Why discipline, planning and consistency is key to podcasting
- How I plan my podcast content
- About the Firehoses Anonymous support group we’re setting up
- How to connect with authenticity to move your audience
- Why I’ll be introducing regular interviews for episode 102 onwards
To continue the conversation about authenticity, connecting and to join the Firehoses Anonymous group, head to Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson on Facebook
To celebrate the 100th episode of Speaking with Confidence (100!!!!) I have a very special conversation with two inspirational community leaders.
Dr Cath Cosgrave and Gayle Reynolds are both ‘Community Connectors’, working in their own ways to strengthen community connections in regional towns. Their personal missions and work are inspirational … and what I love MOST about this conversation is how they’ve both overcome their speaking nerves to be leading MASSIVE impact.
Listen in to hear:
- How Cath went from TERRIFIED to now being paid to deliver Keynotes at major events
- How Gayle discovered the power in her own stories
- How Cath uses her Acknowledgement of Country to ground herself, connect to her audience and calm her nerves
- The game-changing opportunities that have opened up for both Cath and Gayle with greater speaking confidence
As we celebrate 100 episodes of the podcast, I would LOVE to know your favourite episode, or favourite tip – please head to Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group and let me know
To get your free ‘How To Stop Rambling’ ebook today - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling
To connect with Dr Cath Cosgrave and her work, head to https://attractconnectstay.com.au/
To connect with Gayle Reynolds and Wide Bay Kids, head to https://widebaykids.com.au/
In this week’s episode I am answering listener questions … two listeners in the course of a week asked me ‘can you give me some tips to MC an event?’ … so here is that episode!
If you have the opportunity to MC an event your job is so much more than just ‘traffic cop’, introducing the speakers and letting people know where the bathrooms are. Your job as MC is to wrap all the disparate (and sometimes boring) pieces of an event together and help the audience leave with a really positive and enjoyable experience.
Listen in to discover:
- What are the different ‘jobs’ you have as MC, and how to be brilliant at them
- How to make even the most nervous of speakers feel and look awesome on stage
- How to ensure that all the other speakers keep to time, so your audience isn’t bored or looking at their watches
- The steps I take to mentally prepare for an event that leaves the audience feeling like they got value
- And how to design your MC run sheet to meet all your stakeholders’ needs
If you’ve got an MC gig coming up and you’d like to ask me more questions, head over to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group and ask away.
And if you’d like to stop waffling, talking in circles or drowning your audience in all the things, get my FREE How To Stop Rambling ebook NOW
Want to be an impactful, powerful and authentic expression of yourself?
That’s exactly what I teach inside the Impactful Presenters Program.
And this notion of authenticity came up in a recent conversation on Threads where someone said to me they’d love to know how to use a structure for speaking with impact without sounding ‘cookie-cutter’.
In other words, how to be authentic? But still impactful.
So that’s EXACTLY what this episode is about … how to use structures, frameworks, ‘recipes’ but still be uniquely YOU.
Listen in to discover:
- Whose business recipes I LOVE and subscribe to so I can ‘imitate before I innovate’
- Why I dislike TED talks
- How you can use Structures for Impact and STILL be authentically you
- What you need to do to ‘show up’ and ‘stand out’ in your market
If you’d like to talk with me about how to be more authentic in YOUR way, come have a chat with me in the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group.
And if you’d like to stop waffling, talking in circles or drowning your audience in all the things, get my FREE How To Stop Rambling ebook NOW
Also mentioned in this episode:
HerBusiness Marketing Success Mastermind
Stu McLaren’s The Membership Experience & TME+
Jame’s Wedmore’s Business By Design
The fear of public speaking is often cited as a fear greater than death.
But when you peel back the layers on what that’s REALLY about … it’s not being scared of public speaking. It’s being scared of being rejected. Of being thought stupid. Of being disliked.
Kate Toon is my guest this week and with 15 years of business experience sitting snugly in her gym tights, 40 speaking events in just one year, and a resident expert on Kochie’s Business Builders, she has confronted this fear over and over again. And, as she explains in our chat, while she’s not necessarily ‘confident’ in being disliked, she’s got some great strategies to get herself on stages, on TV and on billboards anyway.
Listen in to hear Kate’s thoughts on :
- Getting comfortable with being disliked
- Dealing with random, rude emails that are explicit in their dislike
- Being contrarian and authentic to stand out in the crowd
- The value of the mundane in building a business
- The role of hormones in fear, and how to manage them
And a whole lot of other GOLD!
To ask me or Kate a question about this episode, head to Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson and ask away.
To Stop Rambling, download my free eBook at https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling
To find out more about the awesomeness that is Kate, visit www.katetoon.com
Kate Toon is an award-winning entrepreneur and parent to one human and one fur baby. From her humble backyard shed on the Central Coast of NSW she masterminds an ambitious business universe, helping thousands of other humans to build their own version of success through digital marketing and business know-how. Kate is a renowned speaker, mentor, educator and podcaster. She’s been named Australia’s Most Influential Small Business Woman (2022), one of Australia’s Top 50 Small Business Leaders (2022), and Businesswoman of the Year and Training & Education Provider of the Year at the national My Business Awards (2020). She’s also the founder of CopyCon and The Digital Marketing Collective Conference, and a resident expert on Kochie’s Business Builders.
Are you finding it difficult in our new online world, of hybrid or video meetings, to connect with your audience like you used to in real life (IRL)?
Well, that’s the topic of this week’s Speaking with Confidence episode.
Community member Sonia responded to my call out a while ago saying “I see a lot of experienced speakers struggle when it comes to talking to their web camera. It's a really different dynamic to being in person.”
Just because you’re not in the same physical room anymore doesn’t mean you can’t be as engaging, interactive or as impactful as you are when you’re in the same space.
In this episode you’ll discover:
- How to emulate the small talk and casual banter of an in-person meeting, online
- How to still get the ‘ancillary’ but highly important ‘cross-talk’ that happens when you’re in person – when people interject or get excited when they’re in the same room – in a virtual meetings
- How to engage a virtual audience so powerfully they WON’T be tempted to multi-task while they’re listening to you … because you get and KEEP their attention!
To have your own question addressed in an upcoming episode, join the Speaking with Confidence facebook group and ask away.
If you’d like to stop waffling, talking in circles or drowning your audience in all the things, download my FREE ebook, How To Stop Rambling today
Have you ever had the experience in a job interview, performance review or sales meeting where you’ve been asked to ‘demonstrate your capability’ and you can’t think of the right scenario or story to tell?
In this episode of Speaking with Confidence I share how to avoid these uncomfortable silences where you feel like a goldfish, buy yourself the time you need to collect your thoughts and how to prepare your stories to start with.
Listen to this this episode to learn:
- How to prepare the right Brag Bag Stories for your job interview, or any other meeting where you need to ‘prove yourself’
- How to intelligently ‘stall and buy time while you collect your thoughts
- Why a few moments of silence is not as bad as you think
Also mentioned in this episode:
Speaking with Confidence episode 10 – lessons for and from Job Interviews, an episode which landed listener Kris his next job! - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/blog/10-lessons-for-and-from-job-interviews
Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group – where you can ask your own question to be answered on the podcast
Get your free ‘How To Stop Rambling’ ebook today - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling
Have you ever had the experience in a job interview, performance review or sales meeting where you’ve been asked to ‘demonstrate your capability’ and you can’t think of the right scenario or story to tell?
In this episode of Speaking with Confidence I share how to avoid these uncomfortable silences where you feel like a goldfish, buy yourself the time you need to collect your thoughts and how to prepare your stories to start with.
Listen to this this episode to learn:
- How to prepare the right Brag Bag Stories for your job interview, or any other meeting where you need to ‘prove yourself’
- How to intelligently ‘stall and buy time while you collect your thoughts
- Why a few moments of silence is not as bad as you think
Also mentioned in this episode:
Speaking with Confidence episode 10 – lessons for and from Job Interviews, an episode which landed listener Kris his next job! - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/blog/10-lessons-for-and-from-job-interviews
Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group – where you can ask your own question to be answered on the podcast
Get your free ‘How To Stop Rambling’ ebook today - https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling
Do you ever (often, perhaps) find yourself in the ‘speaking weeds’, talking through a dense range of details, data, statistics or just circling round and round through background context … and losing your audience in the process?
It’s ok … it’s a common speaking challenge.
In today’s Speaking with Confidence episode I’m diving into why we end up in the weeds, how to get out of them and, what to do if you MUST deliver a detail-heavy, dense or technical presentation … and how to keep your audience engaged and able to hear your key messages and not drown in the detail.
Do you need to deliver technically detailed presentations? Do you find yourself with slide decks with more than 3 bullet points on them with full sentences, rather than key reminder phrases? Chances are you’re in ‘the weeds’ and this episode will help you talk to the fruits and flowers … instead 😉 Head over to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook group and let me know if you’re often presenting ‘technical’ info and would like to get out of the weeks
I am convinced that the ability to speak in a way that connects with your audience, be it an audience of 1 or an audience of thousands, is THE number one skill you can have in your professional toolkit. In fact, I believe it's the 'secret sauce' to professional influence and therefore success.
In this special episode I’m sharing the distillation, the highlights, of my recent Speaking with Impact workshop (part 1), where I talk about how I reached this conclusion from lived, personal experience. I also share my own journey from being comfortable on a stage to realizing I wasn’t making headway in one-on-one conversations and how that led me to my ‘Lily Pad’ framework … which I also explain … to effectively inform and influence people.
If you’d like to see more discussions that arose from the Speaking with Impact workshop, head over to the Speaking with Confidence group on Facebook, click on the media and then video tab.
During the last month over 500 people have told me what their biggest challenges and fears are when it comes to speaking … you’d be surprised just how similar they are all.
However, 3 fears rose to the top as the most common and the most debilitating … these are the fears that are stopping people from showing up and sharing their knowledge and ideas
- Imposter Syndrome and fearing I don’t know everything
- Forgetting what you’re going to say and
- Rambling, not being concise and giving too much background
In this Speaking with Confidence episode I’m going to discuss each of these three fears and provide the antidote to overcome each and every one of them
What’s your biggest speaking fear? Head over to the companion Facebook group, Speaking with Confidence, and let me know (anonymously if you wish!) and I’ll give you the antidote!
In this week’s episode I’m changing pace a bit, and sharing with you one of my favourite questions to ask myself and Impactful Presenters’ clients: "What would become possible if...?"
It's a simple yet powerful question that can open your mind to new possibilities and opportunities. We often tell ourselves that we can't do things, but if it's possible in the world, chances are it's possible for us too. It's just a matter of changing the conversation we have with ourselves.
In this episode, I'm going to explore what would become possible if you weren't a nervous public speaker. Imagine all the things you could do in your job or your business if you had the confidence to speak in public without fear. I'll also discuss what would become possible if you had a way of clearly demonstrating your message and moving your audience to where you want them to be.
We'll dive into some practical tips and strategies to help you overcome these barriers to success. So, join me as we explore the power of "What would become possible if...?" and discover new ways to unlock your potential.
What would become possible for YOU, in your business, in your career, in your life, if you could land your message EVERY SINGLE TIME? Let us know in the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group
In this episode, I'm talking to the introverts who don’t want to have ‘be extroverted’ to be an effective speaker. As someone who works with a lot of introverts, I help my clients embrace their authenticity to make a big impact as a speaker.
I share some valuable tips for recognising and articulating your value and expertise, crafting your Earn The Right, and focusing on being of service to your audience. These approaches can help you worry less about your content and feel more comfortable speaking in front of others.
Plus, I share a bonus hack for being proactive in meetings and making sure your voice is heard. Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, these tips can help you make a powerful impact as a speaker.
Come over to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group and let us know what it is you want to share with your colleagues, your clients, your community. It’s a fabulous place to practice and fine-tune your message.
Today, we're talking about making an impact in a silly-short amount of time. Whether it's a 60-90 second reel, a 2-minute vote of thanks, or a 3-minute start-up pitch, it can be tough to get your message across in such a short amount of time.
The key to success is identifying the core message you want your audience to get and the action you want them to take. This means getting crystal clear on what you want to achieve and using simple language and short sentences to get your point across. Now isn’t the time to get clever with fancy jargon or complicated sentences. Listen in to this super short episode for using the smallest amounts of time to land massive impact!
For more the links to Rachel Pedersen and some fun radio ads to inspire short messaging, jump into the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group
Do you ever find yourself over-explaining yourself or hyper fixating on minor mistakes after a presentation? Yep. Me too and it’s a more and more frequent conversation I’m having with neurodiverse people in my Impactful Presenters Program.
In this episode, I explore some neurodiverse traits and how they affect your speaking confidence. I share valuable insights on overcoming the challenges of over-explaining, accepting and managing your tendency to ramble, as well as addressing hyper-fixation and embracing your unique traits to land your message and make a positive impact.
Head over to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group for the CBT resources mentioned in this episode, and powerful questions you can ask to reframe un-useful thoughts.
Are you looking for ways to position yourself as an expert, generate sales, or advance your career? Well, speaking is your answer. Keynotes, conference presentations, even social media videos are all ways to share your knowledge and connect with your customers or peers at scale.
It's so powerful and MUCH easier than you think.
In this episode, I share tips on finding opportunities to speak, hosting your own event, and positioning yourself in your industry through panels. I also discuss how to develop a presentation that rocks and how to pitch it to industry associations or event hosts.
Speaking is an incredibly powerful tool for boosting your career and growing your business.
So start today! If you'd like to improve your speaking skills, check out my How To Stop Rambling ebook or contact me for one-on-one coaching at cat.matson[@]impactfulpresenters.com.
In this episode, we discuss a 5-step process for preparing a presentation that delivers impact. Instead of immediately opening your slide deck program, step one involves getting present to the who, what, where, why, and how of your presentation using a blank piece of paper and a pen. Step two is identifying your three key messages, and step three is designing the chunks of your presentation using a clear structure. Step four involves thinking about what visuals will support your message, and step five recommends pulling together your speaker notes using post-it notes for a flexible, engaged, and authentic presentation. Join the Speaking with Confidence Facebook community for more tips and to share your experience with this process.
In this episode, I'm talking about something that almost everyone struggles with in their communication: being succinct. Have you ever felt like you're using too many words to get to your point? Well, you're not alone! But being concise doesn't mean your whole conversation has to be 'tweetable'. I'll share how to recognise when to 'think out loud', 'take people on a journey', and 'land your message'. Plus, learn how being succinct is a function of knowing your message and understanding your audience. Tune in to Speaking with Confidence for more insights on this essential communication skill!
Other episodes mentioned:
Episode 74 – The Powerful Frame Your Thinking Method
Episode 64 – On viral messages, sound bites and how to create them
Episode 46 – How To Stop Drowning Your Audience in Information
Did you know this podcast has a companion FB group? You can ask questions and get help with your speaking, you get a whole host of additional tips, tricks and ideas for impact from me and you get to hang out with a cool group of people, just like you, who are striving to make a bigger impact in their communities. Head to Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence/
In this episode, I'm talking about something that almost everyone struggles with in their communication: being succinct. Have you ever felt like you're using too many words to get to your point? Well, you're not alone! But being concise doesn't mean your whole conversation has to be 'tweetable'. I'll share how to recognise when to 'think out loud', 'take people on a journey', and 'land your message'. Plus, learn how being succinct is a function of knowing your message and understanding your audience. Tune in to Speaking with Confidence for more insights on this essential communication skill!
Other episodes mentioned:
Episode 74 – The Powerful Frame Your Thinking Method
Episode 64 – On viral messages, sound bites and how to create them
Episode 46 – How To Stop Drowning Your Audience in Information
Did you know this podcast has a companion FB group? You can ask questions and get help with your speaking, you get a whole host of additional tips, tricks and ideas for impact from me and you get to hang out with a cool group of people, just like you, who are striving to make a bigger impact in their communities. Head to Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence/
Do you ever feel like an impostor? Like you're not good enough, smart enough, or experienced enough to be doing what you're doing? Yep, you’re not alone! In this episode of Speaking with Confidence podcast, I share three sure fire ways to overcome it so you can get on with being awesome, fabulous and brilliant (because, you are. Oh yes you are!)
Head over to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook group – let me know YOUR tips for overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Other Speaking with Confidence episodes mentioned (links are spotify links, you can also search for the episodes in your favourite podcast app.
Speaking with Confidence Episode 4 – Imposter Syndrome and How I Overcome It
Speaking with Confidence Episode 7 - Why Me? Overcoming 'I'm not good enough'
Speaking with Confidence Episode 33 – SPECIAL Speaking with Impact Workshop Series | Workshop 2
Do you ever feel like an impostor? Like you're not good enough, smart enough, or experienced enough to be doing what you're doing? Yep, you’re not alone! In this episode of Speaking with Confidence podcast, I share three sure fire ways to overcome it so you can get on with being awesome, fabulous and brilliant (because, you are. Oh yes you are!)
Head over to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook group – let me know YOUR tips for overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Other Speaking with Confidence episodes mentioned (links are spotify links, you can also search for the episodes in your favourite podcast app.
Speaking with Confidence Episode 4 – Imposter Syndrome and How I Overcome It
Speaking with Confidence Episode 7 - Why Me? Overcoming 'I'm not good enough'
Speaking with Confidence Episode 33 – SPECIAL Speaking with Impact Workshop Series | Workshop 2
Have you ever had trouble communicating with someone and felt like you were speaking in tongues? You’re usually smart, intelligent and an effective communicator but with this person you just can’t land your message?
It could be because the other person has a different learning or processing style than you.
In this week’s podcast I talk about just that … and how understanding the learning style of your audience is a POWERFUL way to increase your speaking impact.
To learn more about the VAK Learning Styles Model, just google it … though I particularly like this description - https://www.mindtools.com/ak6cyjn/vak-learning-styles
And, head over to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group and let me know – what kind of learner are you? And how does that show up in your speaking?
In this episode I talk about the importance of storytelling in to build credibility and interest in your topic, AND I share the three types of stories you should have in your kit bag: origin stories, brag bag stories, and social proof stories. The origin story explains why you do what you do and what impact you want to make in the world. Brag bag stories demonstrate your credibility, and social proof stories are client testimonials that show the results of your work. These stories help build a body of evidence that you can use to establish trust with your audience.
Other Speaking with Confidence episodes mentioned (links are spotify links, you can also search for the episodes in your favourite podcast app.
Speaking with Confidence Episode 4 – Imposter Syndrome and How I Overcome It
Speaking with Confidence Episode 7 - Why Me? Overcoming 'I'm not good enough'
Speaking with Confidence Episode 33 – SPECIAL Speaking with Impact Workshop Series | Workshop 2
Why do you do what you do? Why does it matter? Why do you care if people 'hear' your message?
In the Speaking with Confidence facebook group the community spent a lot of time workshopping and brainstorming each other's Earn-The-Rights - a key platform to calm your nerves, overcome imposter syndrome and claim credibility.
One part of that framework is what you do and why …
And I was struck when workshopping everyone's that the 'why' is important. And when you articulate your why it builds rapport and has your listener 'get' what you're about.
Listen in to hear more about my ‘why’ and how articulating yours can help you connect with your audience and generate greater impact.
I would LOVE to know your ‘why’ … why do you listen to this podcast to improve your speaking confidence … WHY is it important that you speak with confidence, authenticity, authority and impact? Head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and let me know.
Hosting a powerful, interactive webinar can be a really impactful way of generating new sales, building profile or credibility or establishing thought leadership in your field.
I recently ran a 4-day workshop webinar series, where each workshop built on each other, and I wanted to share my tips. Listen in to learn about:
- How to keep your messages, SIMPLE
- How to generate visual engagement but stop that background noise
- How to ask questions that get the RIGHT conversation going
- How to keep the conversation going AFTER the webinar has finished
What techniques have you seen that make a webinar AWESOME? Or, have you attended webinars that SUCKED? Head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and let me know!
Let me guess … sales pitches aren’t your favourite thing to do.
Me either! However, they’re an important part of growing your business, getting new clients and even pitching your ideas to other stakeholders (like the board, investors or even your team).
In this episode I share how I’ve moved past the ‘ugh, I hate selling’ feeling and instead have found a way to deliver authentic, conversational and impactful sales offers. Listen to hear how I just had the most fun AND obtained a great sales result from my latest sales webinar.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about sales pitches – love them? Hate them? What do you struggle with most? Head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and let’s talk
Speaking with confidence is one of those skills that we think ‘oh, wouldn’t it be nice’ to be a better speaker … but in talking with participants in the Impactful Presenters program I became VERY aware of the costs of not being a confident speaker.
There are real financial costs, as well as emotional and mental costs.
Listen to this episode to learn more AND how to avoid them.
To boost your speaking skills visit ImpactfulPresenters.com to enroll in the next Impactful Presenters program.
Everybody talks, right? So why is it so hard to SPEAK with clarity, authenticity and impact?
Inspired by Anne Handley’s book, Everybody Writes, in this episode I explore how to take a an ability we all have (well, almost all), talking, and have it become a skill – speaking with confidence, clarity, authenticity and ultimately, impact. You’ll learn why your genuine, authentic voice really does matter in a world of information and influence, how to shape your message with clarity and how the craft of speaking doesn’t require years of oratorial training, rather, just simple frameworks to help bring YOUR voice forward.
I’m working on my writing this year, supported by Anne Handley’s book. If you’d like to work on your SPEAKING this year, visit ImpactfulPresenters.com to see when the next program intake is.
One of the things that trips most people up in their speaking is how they think about the WORDS they want to say instead of the MESSAGE they want to convey. In this episode I share my game-changing Frame Your Thinking method (the Impactful Presenters participants call it Post-It-Note-Magic) that helps you stay on message, calm your nerves and avoid falling into all the traps of memorizing or reading from a script.
I’d love to hear what you think about the Frame Your Thinking process – head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and let me know … and I’ll give you even more tips
For many of us, when we’re prepared, we can speak confidently. We have our slide deck, we’ve rehearsed, or we’ve mentally had the conversation with ourselves a few times.
But when we’re put on the spot we’re struck dumb. Our mind goes blank.
In this episode I share my life hack for collecting my thoughts quickly. And the awesome news is, this hack builds on something you’re doing unconsciously anyway … so once you learn it, you’ll find it EASY to collect your thoughts quickly.
For more tips to stop you rambling, waffling or losing your words, head to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling to download the FREE How To Stop Rambling ebook
From what I’ve seen over the years, there are 6 different kinds of speakers in professional environments. And each speaker persona has its own challenges … but also their own solutions.
Listen to this episode to find out which one YOU are and how can become a better speaker, instantly.
Once you’ve listened, I’d love to know which kind of speaker you are. Head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and let me know … and I’ll give you even more ideas on how you can be a better speaker.
Are you making these speaking mistakes?
There are 'lots' of mistakes that people feel they make when speaking ... and there's generally always room for improvement ;-)
But these 3 mistakes I think are the most common ones I see … and they’re not that obvious until you know what they are.
Listen to find out what these 3 mistakes how, whether you’re making them (you probably are) and how to stop making them!
Do you make any of these mistakes? Head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence let me know which one you make and I’ll give you some more tips on how to stop making it!
It doesn’t matter what you’re trying to achieve in life, there are only two types of barriers to success. And, once you know what those barriers are, you can overcome them.
In this episode I share what the two barriers are, how to overcome them, how they’re intertwined and how, over the years, I’ve moved through those barriers to achieve success.
If you want this new year to be more successful while also being easier, you’re going to love this episode!
And, once you’ve listened, I’d love to help you achieve your impact goals this year. Head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence, share your goals, the barriers you’re up against, and I’ll help you move through them.
It’s that time of year where we get caught up in new year’s resolutions and big goals for the year ahead. I love this time of year for just that reason … that notion of a fresh start and to build on the momentum or groundwork of the year before.
But how do you align your goals with the impact you want to make? How do you keep impact front of mind and not simply overwhelm yourself with a new list of virtuous tasks?
In this episode I talk about aligning goals to impact and impact to goals, how to stay motivated and connected even when things feel tough and how to set yourself up for success, rather than disappointment, as you establish your goals for the new year.
I’d love to support you with your impact goals this year! Head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence, let me know your goals and how we can help. You’ll find encouragement, support, resources and introductions. It’s all free, you’ve just got to pop over and ask!
No one wants to be that person who runs meetings that are boring, a waste of time or just plain ‘blergh’. Well, after the last two weeks of talking about panel discussions, it occurred to me that we could take what we know about moderating a panel discussion that your audience loves to run a meeting that not only doesn’t suck, but is fun, inspiring, engaging and effective.
In this episode I look at how you can use the lessons from moderating panels to pop real solutions to challenges, generate momentum and enthusiasm and run meetings that really don’t suck.
Once you’ve listened, head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and let me know what you think. How do you make your meetings interesting? Can you use some of the techniques from moderating panels to make your meetings more interesting? I’d love to know!
Noone wants to be that person who runs meetings that are boring, a waste of time or just plain ‘blergh’. Well, after the last two weeks of talking about panel discussions, it occurred to me that we could take what we know about moderating a panel discussion that your audience loves to run a meeting that not only doesn’t suck, but is fun, inspiring, engaging and effective.
In this episode I look at how you can use the lessons from moderating panels to pop real solutions to challenges, generate momentum and enthusiasm and run meetings that really don’t suck.
Once you’ve listened, head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and let me know what you think. How do you make your meetings interesting? Can you use some of the techniques from moderating panels to make your meetings more interesting? I’d love to know!
Last episode we explored why panel discussions are such a powerful platform to increase your authority, reputation and profile in your field.
In this episode I’ll show you how to host your own panel event that positions you as an industry leader, influences change AND is a lot of fun as well.
As you think about your profile and influence goals for the year ahead, this episode will show you how to accelerate those goals with your own panel event.
To brainstorm your panel event, or ask for tips on how to make yours a success, head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence
Panel discussions are such a powerful and EASY way to increase your credibility, establish your authority and build your profile in your field. I’ve been a participant in or moderated more panel discussions than I can count … they are hands down my favourite speaking format because they’re so fun, enjoyable, easy to prepare and such a great way to build your reputation. Listen to learn why I think they’re so powerful and how easy they really are.
We spend an entire module in the Impactful Presenters program learning how to participate in and moderate panels. To ensure you know when the next program is open for enrollments, ensure you’re getting my weekly Speakers’ Notes emails by visiting https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling and get my free ebook at the same time.
Want to brainstorm ideas on how you can use a panel discussion to build your profile? Head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence
Frustrated that it feels like people aren't heeding your advice, or aren't jumping on board your cause?
Ever wondered how effective influencers make their influence?
Well, in this episode I explore the importance of investing in the long game of influence and how consistent ‘micro conversations’ are a key to making an impact. I also share a couple of great examples of how others have been banging on for what feels like forever to make their impact … and how they're now creating momentum.
If you feel people aren't hearing your message because it's a bit rambling, a bit data-dumpy, then you want a copy of my ebook, How To Stop Rambling. Packed with my structure on how to stop rambling and speak with impact EVERY SINGLE TIME it will help you be consistent, and persistent, with your micro-conversations. Head to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling to get your copy.
Ever wondered how messages become sticky? How to have your messages repeated back to you?
Well that's exactly what I discuss in this episode and how I now have people 'giving back’ my key messages to me, or citing them in their own presentations and discussions. It's like the speaking version of a viral meme on social media … and it's powerful evidence of a message that's landed.
Do you have a copy of my How To Stop Rambling ebook? Like the podcast, it's a short, pithy, tip-packed resource that will do what it says on the label - show you how to stop rambling and speak with impact, every single time. Visit impactfulpresenters.com to download your copy
Social media videos – we know they’re important for getting our message out there, we know they’re important to the social media algorithm … but gosh, for so many people, they really SUCK. Or at least, that’s how we feel about them.
In this episode, I share my top tips for delivering short format social media videos that are natural, authentic, effective and, most importantly, don’t suck!
To ask questions about recording social media vidoes or any other question about speaking with confidence, head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and ask away.
To download the free How To Stop Rambling ebook head to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com
Making the complex simple DOES NOT mean dumbing things down. In fact, I remember the theoretical physicist, Dr Brian Greene (who specializes in string theory) say something to the effect of, you do your audience, and humanity, a disservice, when you dumb your information down. Make your information understandable … but not dumb. Invite people ‘up’ to another level of knowledge.
This episode explores the difference between distilling complexity into understandable messages vs dumbing things down and how you can empower your audience by doing so.
To discuss this more head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and ask me all the questions, and to download the free How To Stop Rambling ebook, head to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com
Making magic is the ultimate outcome, for me, when talking about making an impact and it’s presented as the pinnacle of The Speakers’ Journey in the Impactful Presenters Program, where people move from Knowledgeable but Nervous, to Cautiously Confident; to Capable AND Confident then Spontaneously Confident, to Moderating and Facilitating Impact and ultimately, Making Magic.
However, as with all good model of growth, this journey isn’t necessarily linear … and you can start making magic now with simply the ‘right’ intention.
To ask me about this episode, or any other question about speaking with confidence, head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and ask away.
To download the free How To Stop Rambling ebook head to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com
The world seems to be a miserable place sometimes, doesn’t it? And sometimes, when I look at the ‘entertainment’ industry (TV, movies, books), I feel like people are competing for the ‘misery porn’ … how bad can we make people feel?
Well, I don’t like feeling miserable … and I’ve personally never found it a motivating force for change. So in this episode I ponder whether perhaps stories of happiness, joy and light are perhaps more motivating and more powerful when it comes to making an impact.
I would LOVE to know who you’re listening to or what your watching that makes you feel happy. Head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and let me know.
If you’d like to stop rambling, then download my FREE ebook, How To Stop Rambling, at https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/
It’s awards season! Well, business awards season anyway! And I was asked by a member of the Impactful Presenters community for my tips on preparing for an acceptance speech as she’s a finalist (woot!) … so I thought I’d share my tips here too.
Even if you’re not a finalist right now, listening may well encourage you to enter those next awards … because you won’t be nervous if you need to make an acceptance speech 😉 To learn more about some of the key frameworks mentioned in this episode, download the free How To Stop Rambling ebook at impactfulpresenters.com
There are SO MANY things to be upset, angry and frustrated about these days. Outraged, even. And in fact that white hot anger is often what drives us to lead change. To speak up. To listen to podcasts like this so we can make a difference.
But moral outrage and righteous indignation are NOT ingredients for making effective impact. Especially when it comes to speaking and presenting.
In this episode I explain why I think the adage of attracting more flies with honey than vinegar rings true and how the outrage we feel is best kept as a fueling mechanism, not a communication tool.
If you are outraged at something, and you want to participate in conversations where change can happen, Beginning with the End In Mind is a powerful tip to make your message heard. It’s also the first tip in my FREE eBook, How To Stop Rambling, which you can download at https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/
Swearing when presenting? Can we? Should we?
If you’ve seen me present in person you’ll know I’ve been known to swear a bit on stage. If you’ve had a conversation with me, you’ll know I can swear like a trooper!
But when it comes to presenting with impact, does swearing help your hinder your cause?
In this episode I talk about swearing when presenting, how to do it and how to tell if you shouldn’t. And, if it’s not appropriate to go the full hog, how to still be authentic without using any of those ‘rude words’.
I would LOVE to know your thoughts on swearing in professional settings … particularly when presenting. Head over to the Speaking with Confidence group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and let me know … are you a swearer? Do you like it or loathe it when you hear a speaker swear?
Rambling is DEFINITELY not what we want when we’re aiming to speak with confidence and impact. But riffing, well, that’s a completely different story.
But often times people think when they’re talking conversationally they’re rambling and therefore they’re not effective. But riffing is quite different to rambling and is a really powerful technique for engaging your audience, building rapport and making your point.
In this episode I talk about the difference between rambling and riffing and how you can riff, verbally, like a fabulous musician does in a good piece of music, and use gestures and your stage to keep your audience and emphasise your points.
If you’d like to stop rambling, then download my FREE ebook, How To Stop Rambling, at https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/
To ask a question, or share your favourite guitar riff with me 😉 head over to the Speaking with Confidence group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence
Mentioned in this episode: Steven Burgess at Complete Streets. Learn more about Steven and his work here: http://completestreets.net.au/
As experts, leaders, business owners and change makers, we often fall into the trap of thinking with need to tell our audience EVERYTHING we know in order to convince them of our credibility.
The problem is, that has the complete opposite effect of our outcome …. and we instead bore or overwhelm our listener.
In this episode I talk about how to MOVE your audience to take action … perhaps just the next step … but how to fundamentally think DIFFERENTLY about your presentation, and move away from the need to dump all the data or distil all the complexity and instead simply change how your audience thinks, feels, acts or behaves about your topic.
If you'd like a copy of the Storytelling Canvas I mention in this episode, head along to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and ask :-)
We've all been there! Yawning through a presentation that could have been delivered by email because the slide deck is saying what the speaker is. Sooooo boring. And yet, that's often the very thing we do ourselves when given the opportunity to present.
In this episode you'll hear about a data-heavy, speaker-heavy event I recently MC'd where it could have been an absolute PowerPoint snooze-fest … but instead, it was AWESOME! I share with you the techniques the speakers used to make their decks interesting, exciting and engaging and I'll show you how you can do the same!
If you've got a deck that you'd love some feedback on, upload it to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and I'll give you some feedback and tips on how to make it engaging, interesting and impactful!
There's a fine line we walk when we're trying to convince people to take action. And when we get so passionate, enthusiastic and even earnest about helping people, we can come across as 'telling', instead of ‘inviting'. And, as anyone who's ever tried 'telling’ anyone anything, you know it's not the most effective way to get people to take action.
In this episode I'll talk through some simple techniques to help you temper your enthusiasm so you can ‘invite’ rather than tell; how to use stories to do the inviting for you and how to use silence and space to give space for your audience to 'step in’ to your offer.
If you'd like to ask a question about this episode, or any other part of speaking with confidence, then head over to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and ask away!
Have you ever had to pitch? Pitch your start-up idea, pitch for investment or grant funding or just pitch an idea at work? There's no doubt it can be daunting! Especially if you have a restrictive format you need to use and a tight time limit!
In this episode I talk about how you can still bring authenticity and emotional connection into a restrictive pitch format … and how to use the tight time constraints to your advantage, rather than a restriction. You'll learn how to slow down instead of speeding up, how to move your audience AND how to pitch with impact.
Do you have a question about this episode? Visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence and ask away!
So, how do you find opportunities to speak? That is, if you're looking to build your business or professional profile through speaking engagements, how do you find and secure those opportunities?
That was the question that was asked in the Speaking with Confidence Facebook group ... and here is the answer.
Do you have a question you'd like answered? Ask away in the group and I'll answer in an upcoming episode.
In our desire to establish authority and credibility, we can overload our presentations or conversations with information, data, story and details. Or our nerves or imposter syndrome can have us over-share, ramble and drown our audience in information
But that over-sharing can come at a cost.
In this episode I explore why we say too much, the professional cost of that data dumping and, how to stop it ... how to instead make your point, establish credibility and set yourself up for the next conversation.
Got a question about this episode, or have a question you'd like me to ask in a future one? Head over to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group.
Want to increase your professional influence and success? Register NOW for the FREE Speaking with Impact workshop; it starts 26 July.
In this special Impact Makers episode I talk to Emma Rhoades on why she left her corporate gig to set up Her Leadership Journey, why she's on a mission to fix our workplaces and how speaking with impact has changed the game for her.
Meetings are one of the many ways that we become unconscious professionally. They're dreary, they feel like a waste of time and so we show up and not contributing, waiting for them to be over so we can get back to our task lists.
But, chances are you spend a lot of time in meetings ... and if you're not proactive in all these professional conversations that take place, well, not only are you missing opportunities to influence, but you're also dulling your own spirit as a change maker and leader.
In this episode I talk about the value of being intentional and using every meeting as an opportunity to influence.
Want to ask a question about this episode, or ask a question for me to answer in a future episode? Ask away in the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group.
The ability to speak with clarity, confidence, authenticity and authority is the secret sauce to professional influence and success. It's not another degree, years more experience or waiting until you're in a position of authority.
Which is awesome ... because it's SO MUCH easier to boost your speaking skills than investing years in those other things.
In this episode I explore why those who can speak, well, are so much more effectively and influential than those who can't and the wonderful news that speaking is a skill that can be learned!
To ask a question either about this episode or you'd like me to answer in a future episode, head to https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence
For more information about the upcoming Speaking with Impact workshop, head to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/live-webinar/speaking-with-impact-workshop/register
Do you ever find yourself getting SO excited about all.the.things. you want to say to someone ... that you end up drowning them in information? They look shellshocked and you scramble to make them understand what it was you were trying to say?
Well, that's what this episode is all about; how to convey your enthusiasm and excitement for a topic in a way that's contagious, not overwhelming.
Want to learn more? The FREE, online, Speaking with Impact workshop starts Tuesday July 26. All the information can be found at https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/.
Have questions about this episode? Ask away at https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence
People often think that confidence is all you need to be an impactful speaker. Well, you can be confident, but still not be impactful (ask me how I know!).
In this episode I talk about how I went from confident but not effective, to confident AND impactful.
To ask me a question about how you can become more impactful when you speak, head over to the Speaking with Confidence Group on Facebook and ask away!
Want more tips on speaking confidence? Download the How To Stop Rambling ebook, for free
Now that we've emerged from the pandemic into a new normal, hybrid meetings, ones where we have people in person AND online, are becoming pretty normal.
But they can really suck for the online attendees as they get forgotten ... because, after all, it's easier to engage with the people in the room than the ones online, right?
That's what we're talking about in this episode ... how to effectively run engaging hybrid meetings.
Got a question about today's show, or questions about speaking in general? Head over to the Speaking with Confidence group on facebook and have those questions answered.
Want a copy of my free ebook, How To Stop Rambling? Head over to https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling.
Ever felt like you 'fluff it' when it comes to introducing yourself at a networking event? In this episode I explain how to use the Earn-The-Right technique to introduce yourself in a way that your audience 'gets' you AND remembers you, so they mentally file you in their mind.
For more on the Earn The Right framework I talk about, listen to episode 4. Imposter Syndrome and How I Overcome It. https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/blog/4-imposter-syndrome-and-how-i-overcome-it
To ask questions or get feedback on your Earn-The-Right, join the Speaking with Confidence group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/speakingconfidence
To download my free How To Stop Rambling ebook, visit: https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/f/how-to-stop-rambling
When Breanna Barnes took a secondment role to support entrepreneurs go on overseas trade missions, she didn't realise just how important speaking with impact was going to be. In this special 'Impact Makers' episode of Speaking with Confidence, we talk about the value of exposing ourselves to new environments, the extraordinary startup talent we have in Australia and how Breanna has developed her leadership from what she considers a 'background' role.
To learn more about Startup Catalyst visit https://startupcatalyst.acs.org.au/
To ask a question about how to make a greater impact in your role, head to the Facebook Group for Speaking with Confidence
Meetings: for most of us are the the most regular and frequent place where we get to make an impact. Or not.
So how do you get a meeting back on track when it's lost direction? That's the topic of this episode.
Do you have a speaking question you'd like answered? Ask away in the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group
"How do I present in a way that is relevant to a diverse audience, particularly an audience who are more 'senior' or more experienced than me?" was a question I was recently asked by one of the students in the Impactful Presenters Program. So I've shared my thoughts on this question in this episode so you can feel more confident when speaking to audiences who are either at different stages of their journey, so you need to keep both 'beginners' and 'experts' engaged, or when you need to effectively speak 'up' to a group more senior than you.
Do YOU have a speaking or presenting question you'd like answered? Join the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group and ask away!
I have certain rituals and systems I follow EVERY time I speak to help me focus and stay on point. I share the ONE Think I do every time that makes all the difference.
Ask me your speaking questions in the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group
Ever had that awful feeling that you've lost your audience? And wondered how to get things back on track?
Join the club! Been there, done that! So in this episode I talk about how to recover it and turn a presentation around. And I share how to recover a presentation AFTER you've left the room.
This episode was inspired by a question asked by a participant in the Impactful Presenters Program ... you can ask YOUR speaking questions in the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group ... join now and ask away.
The Impact Makers podcast episodes feature interviews with leaders and change makers making their dent in the universe. In this episode you'll learn how Gayle Dallaston's disdain for mowing her lawn and a career in IT has led to a movement that is beautifying suburban streets while improving soil quality, minimising water useage ... all while leaving the lawn mower in the garage! You'll also hear how Gayle uses a 'step-by-step' approach to taking people on the journey, breaking down a complex idea into simple, bite-size chunks.
Are you a waffler? A rambler? In this episode I explain why even the most experienced of professionals waffle, and my top tips for stopping it.
Want more tips? Get my FREE eBook, How To Stop Rambling
Have a question from today's episode? Join the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group
In the final workshop of the series I answer a couple of corker participant questions about getting your complex messages across in a limited amount of time AND how to keep audience members at different stages of the journey, engaged.
I also invite you to join me for the Impactful Presenters Program: https://www.impactfulpresenters.com/courses/impactful-presenters-program
In the third part of the Speaking with Impact workshops I answer some questions, specifically about taking your listener on a journey and distilling complex messages. You'll also get the Speaking with Impact Blueprint, the guidebook outlining ALL the elements that enable you to speak with confidence, authority, authenticity and impact.
To watch the videos and access the visual components of this workshop, head over to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group ... you'll find all the videos and slides in the Guides section.
In the second workshop of the Speaking with Impact series you'll learn my all time FAVOURITE framework for establishing your authority and credibility, calming your nerves AND overcoming Imposter Syndrome. It really is a ripper of a framework.
To watch the video replays of this series, head over to the Speaking with Confidence Facebook Group where you'll find all the video replays in the Guides section.
The Speaking With Impact Livestream Workshop Series was hosted in February 2022. Over four days we covered a HEAP of ground about increasing you professional success and influence, and improving your ability to speak with impact.
In this episode, you'll learn how to distill complex concepts into simple, bite-size messages your audience can understand, and digest.
You'll find all the videos of the workshops in the Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson Facebook Group in the Guides section.
How Do I Distil Complex Concepts Into Simple Messages?
That's the topic of this episode ... how to go about making the complex, simple so you can move your audience. I share my example of explaining complex concepts, like economic development, to a variety of stakeholders and show you how to move your audience from where they are now to where you want them to be.
If you'd like more information about the upcoming Impactful Presenters Program, be sure to click here to get onto my email list AND at the same time, download my new eBook, How To Stop Rambling.
We're all familiar with writers block ... and if you've ever stared at a blank page as you start preparing for a speech or presentation then you're familiar with 'Speaker's Block' too. And often our 'fix' for that is to open up our slide deck program and just start creating slides (blergh!)
In this episode I share the Speaking Structure I use EVERY TIME that works to not just overcome Speaker's Block but also ensure I prepare a presentation that has impact!
To get updates about the upcoming Impactful Presenters Program AND my free eBook, How To Stop Rambling, click here
Of all of the successful leaders, business owners and even public personalities I’ve seen over the years, there’s ONE skill they have that makes them more successful than their counterparts. Just ONE. And that’s what I’m talking about in this episode.
And, to ensure you get ALL the information about the upcoming Impactful Presenters Program, and that eBook, How to Stop Rambling, simply click here
It's Christmas time ... which invariably means there's speeches and impromptu toasts.
In this episode, I give you some tips to not only not suck at giving a toast, but to deliver the best toast of the day.
Oh! And I sing ;)
Find more speaking tips in the companion Facebook Group - Speaking with Confidence with Cat Matson
Is your mindset holding you back from being an effective and impactful speaker? Chances are, it is; I estimate about 80% of your effectiveness comes down to your mindset!
In this episode I talk about the 3 most useful 'success mindsets' you can adopt as a speaker (or leader, manager, change maker) and show you how to step into them.
As a change-maker, manager or leader, chances are at some stage you've taken time to develop your personal vision. You may even be clear on your life's purpose. Or not.
In a world where we focus so heavily on 'your purpose' and 'forever vision' I see a lot of inertia where people WAIT for the 'perfect' purpose to occur to them, or to be able to poetically articulate their vision before they start leading the change they want to see in the world.
In this episode I talk about how to overcome that inertia and use your key messages to make change NOW and allow the rest to evolve.
Identifying your key messages and then using them to frame your presentations is one of the most powerful ways to increase your impact. Your key messages will move you from rambling, data-dumping, drowning your audience into clear, concise, memorable discussions, that effectively move your audience to desired action.
In this episode you'll discover HOW to craft your key messages, how many you should have and how to set them up in a way that will have your audience doing exactly what you want them to do.
This might be controversial, but I am NOT fan of practising your presentations. Why? Because I think practising can make you sound rehearsed, disconnected and stale. And that's just a few reasons.
In this episode I talk about all the reasons I don't like practising your speaking presentations AND how to PREPARE for an impactful presentation so you still sound fresh, authentic and connected.
Speaking spontaneously, on the spot and seemingly off-the-cuff, would have to be one of the holy grails of speaking confidence. The good news, for you, is that it's really not that hard. Really.
In this episode I share my top frameworks to help you pull your thoughts and ideas together in the shortest amount of time and present spontaneously with confidence, and impact.
Most people assume that because I come across as confident, intentional and bold that I must have a talent for speaking with impact. Not true! In fact, for the vast majority of my career I have also felt like I'm faking it. But I have learned how to speak with confidence AND intentional impact, so there's substance behind the bold and brazen bluster.
In this episode I share my story of faking it and imposter syndrome to speaking with confidence, impact and intention, and how you can do the same.
Your elevator pitch, or your standard 'intro' has a huge impact on how quickly you can built rapport and interest with your audience. And an elevator pitch is EXTREMELY important when you're speaking. However there's a massive mistake that most people make when they craft their elevator pitch, and it prevents them from making the impact they really want.
In this episode I talk about that mistake and how to craft an Elevator Pitch (or an Earn-the-Right) so you can instantly connect with your audience, build rapport and create the impact you want.
Even the most experienced of speakers get nervous; and when we're nervous, it's that much harder to speak for impact. So, whether you're embarking on your first presentation and nervous as hell, or if you're an old-hand but got the jitters, here's my top 5 tips to boost your confidence in ANY speaking scenario.
Even when you're nervous you can still 'claim your stage' or 'own your room' to both convey a sense of confidence as well as give yourself that confidence you need to speak up and speak with impact. In this episode I focus on all the things you can do to physically, and energetically, claim your space and own your room so you can deliver impact, even if you're shaking on the inside!
As a changemaker looking to make an impact on the world, I'm guessing you're often looking for 'gurus', people who can guide you on your journey. In this episode I chat about the importance of choosing your gurus wisely .... and how I know when I've found 'the right' guru in an often noisy market.
Being authentic is a key ingredient to confidence and impact when it comes to speaking, but there are so many things that knock us off our own authentic selves. In this episode I talk about verbal dress codes; you know, like a physical dress code; and how you can still be your authentic self, and bring your own sense of style, even when respecting the 'dress code' of your environment.
People think my confidence comes naturally to me. My brashness ... that's part of being a Leo and kind of comes naturally .... but my confidence, well that's something I consistently work on.
And I thought I'd let you in on the secret.
Finding your flow when presenting is a great way to get your messages across which in turn boosts your speaking confidence which in turn creates more flow ... see how that works?
In this Lockdown Live episode I show you how to create flow in your presentations and how to prepare for flow, rather than being stilted, stiff or scripted.
So many people struggle with staying 'on message' and on track when they get the opportunity to speak. They lose their words, they get lost in their stories or just struggle to clearly draw out their key messages.
In this special Lockdown Live episode I share my go-to tips that I use every day to stay on track, emphasise my key messages and prepare my notes to support me to stay on track.
Do you ever feel like your audience is bored, or distracted, when you're presenting? Not sure how to get, and keep, their attention?
In this special, extended recording of a Facebook 'lockdown live', I share my 3 tips for engaging your audience and NOT being boring.
They say the fear of public speaking, for some, is greater than the fear of death. But the ability to speak, coherently, confidently, authentically, is a pretty important skill if you're a professional, entrepreneur or change-maker. In this special extended 'lockdown Facebook Live' recording I'll teach you my top 3 tips for calming your nerves; tips that you can use the very next time you need to speak in public (or on video).
Job interviews.
Easily one of the most stressful, daunting and confronting scenarios for anyone who's trying to speak with confidence.
In this episode learn how to calm your nerves, prepare for confidence (no matter the curly questions) and how to shake that imposter syndrome off your back so you can woo your interview panel.
How do you maintain your authentic voice while also trying to sound authoritative? It's really tempting to step into a 'speaker persona' when you're nervous, taking on the mannerisms and speech patterns of those you consider to be 'effective speakers'. But how do you keep your authenticity?
This episode discusses just that; and my top tips for amplifying your authenticity for increased speaking confidence.
Do you find that with the right preparation you can speak confidently to a small group, but when it comes to speaking up in a meeting you lose your 'oomph'? Or perhaps you're effective in meetings but can't translate that confidence to address a small audience? In this episode I'll share how you can use what you know works in one context to speak with confidence and impact in ANY other speaking environment.
You're preparing for an upcoming presentation. You're feeling good. But then you start comparing yourself to other 'experts'. And to that TED talk speaker everyone is raving about. And your colleague who always has something to say. And you start thinking "I'm not good enough to do this presentation."
In this episode I talk about how to overcome those feelings of doubt and not-good-enough with the simplest of techniques, that will not only work for presentations, but will increase your professional confidence for every context.
When you have so much to say how do you determine what to say and what to leave out in any presentation? The 'Begin with the End In Mind' framework helps to get clear on the change you're trying to influence, and what you'll need to say to to facilitate that change.
In this episode I also talk about the Storytelling Canvas from Design a Better Business. You can download it here.
Aspiring speakers often tell me they just want to be 'conversational' in their presentations, and therefore they resist structure. Well, just like the Borg (Star Trek reference), resistance to structure is futile and actually works against you. In this episode I discuss why, and how to still be conversational within structure.
Think you're the only one who experiences 'Imposter Syndrome'? WRONG. Almost every.single.person I've worked with to build speaking confidence experiences Imposter Syndrome regularly. In this episode, I talk about how I overcome it.
The TED Talk format is often thought of as a 'secret formula' for an impactful presentation. However, I'm not so sure. In this episode I discuss the problems I see with the TED Talk format and how to overcome them.
In this episode you'll learn how to distill your entire presentation down to 3, yes THREE, and only 3, key messages.
Do you waffle, think aloud or try to brain dump EVERYTHING you know about a topic when you're presenting? You're not alone! In this episode I share some simple tips to articulate your message and my 3-Key-Message formula for delivering impact.