“They forget who they’re speaking to.” This type of comment (in one form or another) has come up multiple times recently in conversations I’ve had with leaders who are bringing me on board to help their team members be better presenters. One of the core exercises in MODULE 1 of Rock The Room® is the …
As some of you know, I’ve been teaching presentation skills for a few decades now. 90% the skills apply not just to presentations on stage, but to meetings, 1:1 conversations, pitches, sales/consultations, etc. In short, the strategies apply to almost every communication setting. Regardless of the scenario, there’s one “presentation” mistake I see made again …
“Are they castable?’” The president of a large company shared this question with me. He wasn’t talking about a film or a play; he was talking about his company when it came to deciding who to cut and who to keep. I’d never quite heard this concept with regard to employees vs. actors. And I …
The Concept of Castability: How You Show Up at Work Read More »
How do you bring out the best in others…and in yourself? How can you help people perform at their highest levels? This topic is close to my heart. Based on my client’s particular circumstances and needs, there are a number of ways I’ve approached the subject with skills related to communication, collaboration, innovation and risking …
There are many studies which prove that when people leave their job, most of the time, it’s not for better pay or for better hours, but because they don’t feel appreciated by their leaders and their team. Last week, I delivered a keynote followed by two workshops: The Art of Listening & The Art of …
Over the last two decades, the word “storytelling” has become a big buzzword in business. What I’ve found, having worked with many different teams on their storytelling skills, is that everyone has their own interpretation of what the word “storytelling” actually means–– even within the same organization. This past Tuesday, I attended the World Premiere …
This core concept I teach has come up a few times this week in conversations and so I wanted to share a post that seems to be resonating. In this 90-second clip, I discuss one of my core concepts, a principle I’ve been speaking about for 20 years… one that is foundational in all my …
For each of us, there are certain places that bring peace and perspective. One of those for me: the Pacific Northwest. I took the last week of May off to be back in nature…and celebrate a few people’s birthdays. With hopes that this 1-minute highlight reel brings a smile and inspires you to revisit …
On May 31, Ron Howard’s documentary film, Jim Henson: Idea Man premieres on Disney+. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Back in October 2023, I was fortunate enough to see a cut of the film prior to any final touches at a private screening with my husband, Frank Oz—Jim’s longtime collaborator. Even in its …
INNOVATION, CREATIVITY, LEADERSHIP: INSPIRATION FROM JIM HENSON Read More »
You never know the true influence of your actions and how what you did —for better or worse— might come back to you years later. Between 2009-2014, I worked on about a dozen different projects for Microsoft, helping senior executives craft and deliver high stakes presentations. Among them: Jon Roskill, a Corporate VP who was …
