Last year, I was invited to present to

3,000 business owners from around the world.

And then this happened.

Events don’t always go

according to plan,

so having a Plan B—

and a Plan C—is a must.

In my Rock The Room® Performance System,

PREPARATION is the least sexy module.

But it’s absolutely essential.

My clients often message me:

“Thank GOODNESS you told me

about X and had me plan for Y.”

When you’re a professional, you show up.

And you never regret

the time invested in preparing—

especially when the situation

you most dreaded…

actually happens.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post A virtual event nightmare appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

And the stories we hear affect

how we see the world around us.

Whether it’s with your family, team,

organization, clients or company—

what stories are you sharing?

Do they express the values

with which you most want to align?

Stories have the power to communicate

our beliefs, observations, experiences and warnings.

They can generate humor,

instill empathy

and create greater understanding.

They can also shape culture.

This has been top of mind for me

since visiting the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art,

an experience that had a huge influence on my thinking

and one that I wrote about last week.

Storytelling is also central to my work

with keynote and coaching clients—

whether I’m the one on stage

or whether I’m helping my clients

craft and deliver their presentations.

No doubt, stories are one of the most effective ways

to communicate a message people will remember.

But they do something more.

The stories you tell create the culture you have.

So, what stories are you telling?

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post The Stories You Tell Influence the Culture You Have appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

STUNNING.

INSPIRING.

GENEROUS.

and VISIONARY.

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

It’s taken me some time

to process what I witnessed

last week on Sept 19, 2026 in Los Angeles.

As a few of you know,

I was fortunate to attend

the opening party for this new

jaw-dropping landmark museum experience

which George Lucas & Mellody Hobson conceived and created.

My eyes welled up with tears

again and again that evening

(and even as I write this now)

at the generosity of what

these two visionaries have given the world.

Sept 19 was a historical, reality-bending night.

You can see videos

from the evening below, including clips

from a drone show that left us all in awe.

George & Mellody broke the bounds

of what has been done before,

through George’s visionary approach

to focus on and feature the work of narrative artists

who, until now, were overlooked by most museums

and yet who have been integral to cultures…

to the stories we tell and to the myths we share

which collectively shape who we are.

The building by the extraordinary architect,

Ma Yansong, is worth experiencing

and the art inside (and outside in the landscaped gardens)

gives us more insight

into humanity than any other museum

I have visited in my entire life.

I guarantee that the Lucas Museum

will leave you inspired,

and with a better sense for what is possible.

George & Mellody came up against

innumerable obstacles along the way

but they Risked Forward…and persisted,

and the world is already better for it.

Risk Forward & Shine On,

P.S. I can’t say enough positive words about the Lucas Museum, sooooo:

• If you can get there, go…and make a day of it.
• If you can’t, take some time to study the images and videos online.
• And if you are in the position of having extra cash, consider buying (or gifting) an annual Museum membership.

The post Being a Visionary: Breaking the Bounds of What’s been Done Before appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

I recently listened to

an early interview with Howard Schultz,

(Founder & Chairman Emeritus of Starbucks)

in which he said,

“Growth covers up mistakes”

and “success breeds hubris.”

This really struck me.

No doubt, it’s normal to be on high alert

when the going gets tough…

and less so when the sailing is smooth.

How might this apply to you right now

in your personal or professional life?

Wherever you are along the curve,

it’s worth questioning what’s working,

why, what might be worth reexamining,

what might change,

and how best to be prepared.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

P.S. As some of you know, I’m a big fan of the Starbucks brand, having worked with them on over a dozen projects–leading communication workshops + helping executive leadership team members craft high stakes presentations.

The post What Leaders Should Ask When They’re Succeeding appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

One of the most common topics

coming up for my 1:1 coaching clients

and my keynote clients is, of course, AI…

and specifically, how to manage work environments

that are changing at warp speed.

Many of my clients are at the leading edge,

and it’s head-spinning to hear their predictions.

But while AI systems and tools

will continue to evolve at an exponential pace,

what’s critical (and helpful to remember)

is the mindset we bring to it:

our AQ, or “Adaptability Quotient.”

So for anyone who is feeling a bit lost,

in this 60-second video,

I share a few questions to consider asking

when you’re around someone

who is particularly knowledgeable about AI.

Rather than retreat, get curious.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post AI & Adaptability: 5 Questions to Ask appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

an executive client recently asked me.

We were sitting in a conference room

for our initial strategy planning session

at the start of a 1:1 Rock The Room® VIP coaching series.

He was curious how not to get in his own way.

It was an excellent question.

My answer:

those clients who don’t do as well as others

…lack humility;

…have a “too cool for school” attitude;

…don’t recognize what’s at stake;

…don’t trust the process or try to short cut it

…are half invested in learning but still go rogue

…or rely too heavily on AI to do some of the key strategic thinking.

(More on that here in another post: 3 RISKS OF AI.)

I was impressed with his attitude.

His question itself signaled that

he was committed to learning.

(By the way, we are now a few sessions

into the process and he is CRUSHING it,

accelerating so rapidly in his growth

that it’s thrilling for us both.)

His question, though, has stayed with me

and has led me to wonder about myself.

“Are there places where I ask for expert input

and then get in the way of my own growth?”

And what about you?

Are you hiring someone for top tier support

…and then going rogue?

And how instead can you accelerate the process?

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post Hiring An Expert Coach? Mistakes to Avoid So You Can Accelerate Your Growth appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

I’m sure you know them—

those people who “pounce”

on you while you’re talking.

Here’s how it works:

the moment you’re done speaking

(or even the moment you pause),

they “pounce” in with whatever

it is they want to say (or ask), often unrelated

to the topic you were just addressing.

They don’t quite interrupt,

so they might imagine it’s okay.

However, in surveying tens of thousands

of audience members during my 20+ years

teaching listening skills through keynotes and workshops,

people consistently report experiencing

being pounced upon as worse than being interrupted.

The reason: it immediately indicates

that the person wasn’t at all paying attention

to what you were saying.

Interrupters most often stay

on the same topic; they just cut you off.

In debrief sessions, words used to describe

the feeling of being “pounced upon” include:

rude, disorienting, jarring, disrespectful.

This 1-minute excerpt from a keynote

I delivered to leaders in the hospitality industry

shows how pouncing occurs in a variety of settings,

—even in a remote team meeting.

The issue is this: pouncing, like interrupting,

erodes trust and damages those key relationships

you so want (and need) to build.

There are ways to solve it,

but that’s for another post.

For now, regardless of your role

at work or in life, be mindful of your behavior.

Risk Forward & Listen Up,

P.S. Often after a keynote or workshop, audience members will approach me, chuckling at themselves and confessing, “I’m such a pouncer!” More often than not, though, they say, “My boss is SUCH a pouncer. I wish they’d been here today.” Is that YOU? Please forward this post 🙂

The post Are you a pouncer? appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

For over 20 years,

I’ve been teaching this

3-Part Framework

to help my clients improve and influence

the outcome of any interaction.

I shared it last week with

three top executives

at a leading investment firm

who communicate internally with their teams

and externally to investors;

I shared it yesterday with a family member

who has a difficult conversation

she needs to prepare for;

and I shared it recently

on stage in front of

5,000 nurse practitioners.

The technique—which I call KDF—

can be applied to communications

in both your personal and professional life…

and to any format, from written to spoken.

This 2-minute video clip from the keynote

I crafted for the nurse practitioners

goes into a bit more detail.

I hope you find value in the framework, too.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post KDF: A 3-Part Framework to Influence the Outcome of Any Interaction appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

and felt compelled to share it again,

as the message is timeless.

It’s a story about one of the most influential people

in my performing life… and what it means for you—

as a leader, manager, mentor or parent.

It’s about the Art of Showing Up.

Risk Forward & Rise On,

***

Feeling anxious as my blood sugar

was dropping off a cliff

from a non-stop schedule

at the Aspen Comedy Festival,

I made my way up to the hotel bar

and asked the bartender for a small snack–

olives, nuts…anything?

Seated nearby,

looking like a backstage crew member,

was a guy wearing jeans and a sweatshirt.

He studied me, then the bartender,

and then with the force of a panther

protecting a cub said,

“Get her some orange slices.”

The bartender moved into high gear.

It turned out this guy wasn’t a crew member;

he was in fact the manager for

Robin Williams & Billy Crystal:

David Steinberg of MBST Entertainment.

And he was at that bar because

he’d just missed a ride to a party.

Lucky me. Lucky blood sugar drop.

Lucky missed ride.

Between orange slices,

David asked about my work

and after listening intently,

said he’d like to see my material.

True to his word, months later

when the HBO Workspace Theater

in LA produced my one-woman show,

David showed up.

All the other managers and agents arrived in suits;

David came in a brightly colored print shirt

and worn out leather shoes with no socks.

He was iconic, a rascal,

vastly connected and deeply loyal

…and I later learned,

one of the few people in Hollywood

who kept his word.

In the years following,

David submitted me for auditions

for Saturday Night Live and MadTV;

he landed me a spot in NYC’s Toyota Comedy Festival;

he invited me to the taping of

Robin’s show “Live on Broadway”

and out to dinner

afterwards with his wife, Brynn Thayer,

and the creative team.

He took my calls,

he offered me perspective,

and held me to high standards.

David & I crossed paths again in 2019

at the Chautauqua Institution during a

National Comedy Center event.

It had been years and

we were so happy to reconnect.

On August 16, 2025

he left this earth,

and while my eyes well up with tears

to write this post,

I am so profoundly grateful

for the kindness he showed me

over so many years, even into

my speaking & coaching career.

David believed in me,

and his belief in me

helped me believe in myself.

The words of encouragement you offer

someone who is just starting out,

and how you show up for them,

include them in special invitations,

and honor your word

mean more than you may ever know.

Godspeed David.

The post One of the most influential people in my life and How You Show Up For Others appeared first on Victoria Labalme.

“high performance experts” overlook…

and one I’ve found to be present

in almost every top performer I know.

While you’ll often hear (or read) about the importance of…

• purpose & clarity;
• grit, discipline & persistence;
• vision & communication;
• EQ, resilience & adaptability

…one trait that’s rarely identified:

enjoyment and a true love of the work.

Whether it’s leading a top tier company;

pursuing a groundbreaking scientific discovery;

growing an entrepreneurial venture;

or working on a TV series, film or Broadway show…

top tier performers love the field

and are also inspired by others

who excel at the craft.

A few months ago,

my husband and I met up with

Mark Hamill, Marilou Hamill, Chelsea Hamill, Kristen-Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez.

It was a festive dinner,

and I listened intently

to a fast-moving conversation electric

with tales of creative projects,

struggles they each overcame,

and a true appreciation for the process.

Throughout it all: a distinct love for the work itself.

I’ve witnessed this trait in recent weeks in talking

with a top orthopedic surgeon;

with a business leader who closed a multi-billion dollar deal earlier this year;

with a trial lawyer client who

is visibly lit up by a deep love

for the honor of the law.

When we’re up against everything else,

this intense love,

this enjoyment of the work itself (rewards aside)

is often what will carry us through.

Risk Forward & Rock On,

The post An Essential Trait “High Performance” Experts Miss appeared first on Victoria Labalme.