Last month, I delivered a keynote

from a beautiful virtual venue.

Festive 30-second reel from tech check

the day before I presented is here.

Below, I’ve outlined 3 tips

for virtual presentations which apply

even if you’re delivering

from your office or home.

1. Practice in the space
Arrange for advance tech rehearsal time so you’re familiar with the set up: cameras, monitors, screens, chat roll…and how far left or right you can move before you’re out of frame or lights. Test the mic. Figure out where you’ll set the items you need. (Water, support materials, etc.)

2. Look through the lens
As I teach in Rock The Room®, there’s a difference between looking at the lens and looking through the lens. Looking at the lens creates a more distant feel. Looking through the lens brings you into people’s hearts and homes/offices.

3. Vary your focus
It’s tempting to study attendees’ faces, reactions, and even backgrounds. And that matters—people feel seen, and it reinforces that you’re live, not pre-recorded. But whenever you’re looking at the people on screen, you’re not looking into their eyes. And looking through the lens into people’s eyes is one of the most powerful ways to create connection in a virtual environment.

Remember: the tech is simply a tool.

Learn how best to use it

to enhance your message and

—as my tagline has been for years—

COMMUNICATE > CONNECT > COME ALIVE.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post TECH CHECK BEHIND THE SCENES (…AND 3 TIPS) appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

When it comes to crafting your message,

it’s tempting to lean heavily into AI,

the new shiny tool that is here to stay.

No doubt, AI offers tremendous opportunities,

but with these come significant pitfalls

which a few recent Rock The Room® clients

have fallen into, and which I recognize

are important now to address.

Here are three to avoid:

1. Outsourcing your POV / Point of View. Your core perspective — the central message behind your communication — must come from you. AI can absolutely help you sharpen your thinking and hone your ideas. But ultimately, the perspective must be yours. You were asked to speak, present, write, or lead for a reason. Make sure you own the angle. If you don’t, it will show in your delivery. And the moment someone challenges your thinking, you may collapse quickly. Don’t build your communication on quicksand.
2. Having AI “write the script” before you’ve done the original thinking. One of the biggest mistakes I’m seeing is people turning to AI too early in the process.Not only will you end up with a slew of soundbites and statements that seem pithy but are actually often meaningless…but on top of this, you’ll be swimming in a flood of language and logic. Last fall, the Chief of Staff to one of my VIP clients tried to shortcut the coaching process by heavily relying on AI-generated scripting. What he sent in our group thread initially impressed the CEO, but in reality, it was a tangled mess of words, ideas, and disconnected messaging. More importantly, it completely missed the CEO’s unique insights, those that established him as a thought-leader. The CEO then got caught between a reliable time-tested Rock The Room® approach and AI “slop”…leading him into a swirl of confusion, overwhelm, and wasted time. Since then, I’ve implemented a process with clients around how and when to use AI effectively.
3. Flawed logic disguised as intelligence. Tools like ChatGPT and Claude are seductive and remarkably skilled at producing statements that seem smart, but I’ve often had to stop a client and ask, “Is that actually what you’re trying to say?” Once they reread the AI-generated line, they pause and ultimately admit, “Hmmm. Not really.”

Be discerning.

Be judicious.

Don’t outsource your vision…or your voice.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post 3 Risks of AI appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

If you want people

to show up at their best,

this part of the equation is essential.

Whether it’s with your team members,

vendors, consultants, or outside experts,

never underestimate the significant

effects of a few small actions.

This 1-minute video shows, too, that

it doesn’t even take a lot of time,

or even a lot of money.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post How You Treat Others appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

Is your communication style

that of a Sharpie or Pencil?

Which is better?

Hint: it all depends on the circumstance and topic.

A few years ago, I came up

with this Sharpie/Pencil analogy,

and it has been resonating with

leadership audiences around the world.

This 1-minute video provides more insight.

Risk Forward & Lead On,

The post Are you a Sharpie or Pencil in your Leadership Style? appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

“By embracing the future

and being unafraid of the unknown,

I was able to tell the kind of stories

I wanted to tell.”

Last weekend,

I was in San Francisco to watch

an interview of my husband, Frank Oz,

about his directing career.

Bear with me while I share

some facts below, because they all relate.

Our good friend, Pete Docter,

Chief Creative Officer of Pixar,

conducted the interview; it was

hosted by the Walt Disney Family Museum;

and it took place at ILM

(Industrial Light & Magic), created by George Lucas.

Here is where it all comes together.

Not only did Frank and Pete share

a variety of anecdotes & insights about

how much they face the unknown

in their work creating & directing,

often starting a project or film from a

single idea…that then evolves & changes,

but on the wall outside the theater,

I saw this quote from George Lucas.

After, when we toured the Walt Disney Family Museum,

I was struck by how much Walt, too, faced the unknown.

(BTW, if you have not been to the museum,

it is absolutely amazing – filled with fascinating artifacts:

original drawings & sketches,

audio recordings, letters, photographs,

film clips, interactive displays &

miniatures including a mindblowing

14-foot miniature of Disneyland.)

Walt Disney went where others

had not been before, “risking forward”

at an awesome scale…

and look what he created as a result.

So the next time you think you have

to have it all figured out

before you begin, think again.

What these artists have done

is an inspiration for us all.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

P.S. additional photos here with dear friends: Lynne Hale (red jacket) – former head of Publicity & Communications for Lucasfilm; and at dinner after with (left to right) Jenny Oz, Pete Docter, Amanda Docter, Frank Oz, Deb Goelz, Lynne Hale, Dave Goelz

The post Walt Disney, George Lucas, & You – Embracing the Unknown appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

for a leadership conference

and spoke about The Art of Showing Up.

Our lives, like movies and plays,

are comprised of scenes;

and regardless of your role,

how you show up on the stage

of your life

on any given day,

in any given setting,

makes a difference—

to you, to the people you work with and serve

…and to your life, career, business & bottom line.

How are you showing up today?

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post The Art of Showing Up appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

Would you stand on stage

at a business conference

in front of 3,000 people

wearing a white oversized

David-Byrne-style-Talking Heads-suit?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Should you include a revealing personal story?

A comedic bit on AI?

A series of financial data points?

It all depends on the WWWWW.

Whether you’re an executive

speaking to your team;

an expert at an industry event;

a founder raising funds;

an outside speaker inspiring a group,

this video offers insight

into a core element I teach

in Rock The Room®.

It will give you one key step

in considering how to effectively

approach your upcoming opportunities.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post The 5 Ws to Consider When You’re Speaking & Presenting appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

*It’s not just any mug*

When communicating with your team,

clients/prospects, key stakeholders,

investors, and even your family…

if you share the landscape

of your decision-making process

—what I call “Narrative Behind the Decision”

(aka “The Decision Narrative”)—

the connection as well as the level of

appreciation and/or understanding

advances significantly.

People may not agree with you,

but they will know how you got there.

In this video, I explain a bit more.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post The Narrative Behind The Decision appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

If the message you’re communicating

isn’t landing,

it’s easy to make an excuse.

But where are we responsible?

In this video,

I share a few questions to consider

that can help improve how you approach

your communications.

I also share one of

my favorite quotes from the writer

Isaac Bashevis Singer.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post Confusion vs. Clarity in Your Communication appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

“But will they really do it?”

This is the question

I asked a 1:1 coaching client

about her expectations

of an audience’s behavior.

Whenever you’re communicating,

it’s essential to consider the experience

people are having,

and the reality of what

they will (…and will not) do.

This brief video offers a bit more insight.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post Being realistic in your communication appeared first on Victoria Labalme.