Communication

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Bright Words for a Slammin' Speech

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When you've been given the opportunity to hold an audience's attention for a speech - even if it's just 60-seconds - it's up to you to use every second to your advantage. That means, ENGAGING your audience. Failing to do this, will make you and your message as interesting as bad wallpaper in a cheap hotel bathroom. Get my drift?
 

One of the best ways to engage an audience during your speech (or even in a conversation) is to use metaphors, analogies and other "bright" or descriptive language...

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How I beat my camera shyness

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Despite the fact that I’ve been in hundreds of videos throughout the course of my career, I still don’t love seeing myself on camera. And I know I’m not alone in this. How many times have you shied away from being photographed or interviewed for something simply because you always think you look terrible on camera? We picture ourselves looking our absolute worst and completely recoil from the opportunity to do something really brave and worthy…which is to allow others to see us. Learning how to bravely be on camera has literally brought thousands of dollars of income to my business. Here's what I learned along the way...

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Represent Yourself Well

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“My friends and I have a name for ‘those’ people.” The man with whom I was chatting had just said those words, and as I heard them, I could feel my heart drop. I had just met him and I was really hoping to jive with this dude. He was referring to a specific group of people in the theatre community.

“We call them art-fa@s.”

Boom. My heart fluttered – and not in the good way. He quickly went on to justify his statement through disclaimers of how his friends in the theatre world had come up with the term, so… “it was okay.”

It was not okay...

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Let there be light!

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Light means everything for a high quality business video. The lens on your camera - whether it’s your smartphone camera or a professional-grade camera - is just like the lens of your eye. When it’s bright, you see better; when it’s dark, your eye struggles. Your camera lens will pick up on greater detail and give you a better image if you shoot in an area with great light.

If you don’t have the budget or space for professional lights, there are still some ways you can improve your light quality right now - without spending a single penny.

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The Real Cost of Professional Video for Your Business

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I’m gonna do my dear friends and colleagues who work in the professional video production industry a solid right now and throw down some truth: professionally-produced video is amazing because it’s a damn art form that requires skill, equipment, talent and creativity - which is why...ahem...it ain’t cheap!

There, I said it and here’s why you might be glad I did: shopping around for professionally-produced business videos when you have less than a $5,000 budget is a gross misuse of your time AND most often an insult to the pros you’re soliciting.

How the "Feedback Monster" is Ruining your Conversations

Not long ago – the morning after I’d given a team workshop for a client – I felt a rising anxiety that something was very wrong. As I poured my coffee, I realized that I hadn’t heard from my client about the success of the workshop. It was driving me a bit mad: Did they not like it? Had it not been successful? Were they disappointed with my performance? I couldn’t shake the feeling all morning…and by 8 a.m., I had an entire conversation in my head about how I needed to fix this “problem” and elicit some positive feedback. I was convinced that I needed to do more. I needed to follow up with a phone call, an email, or a thank you gift. It was then that I realized the “feedback monster” was wiggling its intrusive little self into my thought process and that I needed to seriously chill out for a minute or I could destroy a really important relationship with just a few insecure words.  

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What to do when someone “quits” on you

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Sometimes, people give up. They surrender and throw up their white flag in the middle of something (a project, relationship or business). When that something involves you, it can be a damn hard thing to deal with. Whether it’s an actual physical leaving or an emotional one, your friend, ally, team member, significant other just threw in the towel, and you're left feeling sad, frightened or angry. 

When this happens - and if you're reading this, it likely already has in your life - here's how to climb out of your rut. 

Turn These On to Turn Things Up

Turn These On to Turn Things Up

One of my rock-star clients was recently struggling with a bit of a confidence issue. She was getting ready to have one of those nerve-wrecking, I-am-freaked-out-by-how-the-other-person-will-react conversations, and she was feeling less than confident.

I urged her to find a song – a few songs – that pumped her up and made her feel powerful, amped-up and on-fire.

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How to Answer Awkward Holiday Questions

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There is no rule that you need to have your life figured out by every November. If your marital, job, financial or kid status - or your waistline - makes other people uncomfortable, that's their issue, not yours. It seems like every year (as I pour myself another glass of wine), I dread some of the awkward family and friend conversations that always seem to sneak up around the holidays.

Because I know that you - and I - will be dealing with this, we made this little video to help you out on how to respond. So, gather 'round, my friends, and find your place - and voice - at the table.

xoxo

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"I'm So Busy" is Killing Your Conversations

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All of us – at some point - have proclaimed our busy-ness to others. But, this declaration of how busy you are can be a huge conversation killer.

It, essentially, tells others that you have no time for them or anything else for that matter. It brags about how important you are…because you’re so busy and in high-demand. Or, it creates an excuse for why you haven't returned their calls! Either way, try these different responses instead and see how it affects your conversations and relationships.

Show Up and Keep Running. Every. Time.

Life often hands us opportunities. Incredible ones. We just need to recognize them when they appear and then do our part to SHOW UP AND KEEP RUNNING.

My very first client was a group that unexpectedly asked me during a casual meeting the name of my company, the kinds of services I offered, my rates and availability. At the time, my “company” was simply a budding idea; a desire to help people communicate better in their life and business. It was a concept, a dream. I didn’t have a logo or a fancy website…or even a business card. But, I had passion and excitement and I knew I could help these people with a very real problem.

In that moment, I was terrified. I didn’t have any sure answers, sales talking points or impressive materials to hand out. It seemed all too incredible to even continue the conversation.

I almost stopped myself.

I almost stopped running.

But, I didn't. I mustered up the courage to keep going. I kept “showing up” with my every word, enthusiastically sharing all of the ways I hoped to help them.

Put Away Your Alter Ego

I believe we all have an ambassador – an alter ego, false character we put forth in conversations in an attempt to impress, convince, please or fool others. And, our ambassadors are messing with our relationships.

Instead of working so hard to keep up a fake persona, put your time, effort and trust into showing others who you really are and how you operate.

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I Did a Ted Talk! (And it was the scariest thing I did all year...)

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I did a Ted Talk! And, for the first time ever, I walked out onto a stage wearing the "thing" that freaks me out the most about my physical appearance: my 'Fro. Watch the video link below (or here) and see if you "get" what I'm throwin' down here about how we all need to step out from behind the things that scare us the most. 

 

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Preparing remarks? Remember to be real...

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I love it when I have to eat my own words...that is, follow my own advice.

I'm speaking today about a very difficult topic, and - in preparing my remarks - I remembered two very important lessons for me and for anyone who ever has to give a speech (or have a very important conversation).

Wanna know what it is? Listen below, friend. It's not even four minutes long...and it will change your day! Promise. ;)

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SPEAK in LOVE...to BE in LOVE

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LOVE Oh Valentine’s Day – you sneaky bastard. After 30+ years of living – precisely at the time I have found a wonderful fellow – I no longer care for you as a holiday. In truth, I haven’t liked you since 1991 – the last year they handed out cupcakes and candy hearts in my elementary school.  In those days, every 6th grader got a proper serving of Hallmark affection from their fellow friend.

When I reached high school, every February 14th brought me so much angst as carnations from boyfriends or secret admirers were handed out to the usual suspects. Every year, I hoped I would get one. But I never did. (Wait – save your tears for me.)

In my 20’s, I got hip to singles events for Valentine’s Day – where poor unmatched souls like me would gather at bars or poorly lit hotel ballrooms in search of a mate for life…or even just the day. Scanning the room, I’d look around and think, “Sweet Jesus…this is a sad, sad crew.”  I never thought to place myself amongst the ranks of the dejected.  After fruitless searches at those events, I got hip to the self-soothing joys of cold takeout, single-toast champagne bottles and sappy movies on Valentine’s Day.

Ten or so years and 30 or so pounds later, I figured out that cold pizza wasn’t showing me any love. Damn you, pizza…I thought you cared! (You can cry now.)

When I think back on all the February 14th’s I spent feeling so disappointed, there are two things I wish I had known:

1.  LOVE is also a 4-letter word.  Remember this when you’re cursing the TV gods for playing romantic comedy marathons.

2.  Speak in words of LOVE to yourself and everyone else.  As Maya Angelou so eloquently said, “Words are things. You must be careful…Some day we’ll be able to measure the power of words… They get on the walls. They get in your wallpaper. They get in your rugs, in your upholstery, and your clothes, and finally in to you.”

I won’t wish you a happy Valen….(you know). I’ll just say this: The most important relationship you will ever have is the one with yourself.  Once you figure that one out – all others will fall into place – and in LOVE.  So whether you’re hitched up to a partner today or you’re flying solo with some chocolates and reruns of “You’ve Got Mail”, remember that most awesome thing you can ever own on this day and every other is love and kindness from yourself to yourself.

xoxo

My dirty little secret

It's a hard thing to live with something that you're not so proud of. For the last year, I've been working my way around (read: dodging, hiding, sticking my head in the sand) about something that left me feeling so embarrassed. BUT - TODAY...that's all in the past. Listen in below to find out what I've been hiding.

https://soundcloud.com/andrea_holland/my-little-secret

 

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Reporters will loathe you for NOT doing this...

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In my many years of working in public relations and organizational communications, I learned a very important truth about PR folks: if you can’t or won’t do your job well, don’t expect a reporter to do hers. If you’re going to have any success in pitching, it’s important to THINK like a reporter. This means: your pitch needs to have a hook – a relevance to current news or the larger community. You need to be able to make a case for WHY your story matters. Failing to have a hook will – in short – lead reporters to shut you down, ignore you and rue the day they answered your call. Reporters live and breathe to tell stories. They want to share news, to uncover and report truths (and all the juicy details that lie therein). It’s important to remember this – whether you’re a small business owner trying to pitch a reporter on doing a story about your product or service…or you’re a PR pro trying to magically weave “news gold” from some busted hay. In either role, your job is to sell a story. The reporter’s job (if they choose to accept your pitch) is to share it.

Click on the video link below to learn more about how to develop your hook.

http://vimeo.com/83598041