Public speaking and presentations can be daunting, and with the right approach, anyone can become a great presenter. In this blog, we'll share five valuable tips from the experts that will help you captivate your audience, convey your message effectively, and leave a lasting impression. Whether you're a seasoned speaker or just starting, these tips will elevate your presentation skills to new heights.

Tip #1 - Preparation: Lay the Foundation for Success 

Identify Key Points: 

Begin by planning your communication strategy (try using The Power To Connect). Determine the three key points you want your audience to remember. It can be less than three, and not more. People won’t remember more than three things, so don’t overwhelm them with more. Focus on clarity, simplicity and make it relevant to them to ensure your message is easily understood and remembered.  

Passion and Authenticity:

Speak about a topic you know, understand, and believe in. When...

In this post-pandemic, recessiony (that’s a word), age of hybrid work environments, it has been difficult for some organizations to; A.) Get their employees to come back to work full time, B.) Have them be happy about it, and C.) Achieve a high level of company culture. 

Results and goals do not get accomplished in a vacuum and rarely by one individual. In this blog we will share three ways to boost an organization's culture to improve retention rates and have happier team members which is always at the epicenter of results.

“Company Culture”, what is it?

Yes, it is a buzzy phrase that everyone claims is important to them. Higher ups often think they have a great company culture, where the team members can have differing opinions. In fact, only 28% of executives understand their company’s culture (1). 

Company culture generally refers to the shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that exist within an organization. It represents the...

Let’s face it – work can be stressful sometimes. Whether you're in sales, a managerial role, you’re an entrepreneur, or in any other role that requires you to be at the top of your game every day, protecting your energy is key to maintaining your health, happiness, and productivity.

As a Communication Coach of over 35 years, I’ve worked with dozens of clients and students who have protected their energy effectively, and some who haven’t. Getting burned out is never a position you want to find yourself in, so identifying what drains your energy and what adds to your energy bank is important to recognize as early on in your career as you can.

In this blog post we’ll go over the reasons why energy protection is vital to your career and overall well being, the concept of energy credits and energy debits, how to assess your energy bank, and some practical strategies I recommend to protect your energy so you can be more effective and confident within...

As a coach, I often get asked how to live a happier and healthier life. There are so many approaches and opinions to achieving this goal, and when it comes down to it, I believe that one of the most meaningful things we can do is recognize that we are more than just our human body. 

Our bodies are incredibly important, of course, and a key aspect to feeling more connected within our lives is understanding that we are so much more than what we can physically see in the mirror. 

Ultimately, we are physical, emotional and spiritual beings, and all of these aspects of ourselves need attention and care if we want to live a long, meaningful life. Enter spirituality.

Spirituality can mean many different things depending on the context. For some people it’s tied to religion, and for others it might be more about a sense of purpose or connection to something greater. To me, it’s all about finding something that resonates with your deepest values and beliefs, and using...

Breathing is important. We all know that. And did you know that breathing is especially important before public speaking? Taking deep breaths can help you calm your nerves, focus your thoughts, and deliver a kick-ass presentation.

Let’s face it–public speaking can be nerve-wracking. Even the most seasoned presenters get a case of the jitters from time to time. It has definitely happened to me when I have had high profile speaking engagements.

Instead of letting those nerves get the best of you, learning science-backed breathing techniques that you can use before your presentations will be a game changer.

You might be thinking, I know how to breathe, is there really more to it?

The short answer is yes. And there’s a series of breathing techniques I’ve collected over the years that have helped me tremendously in my public speaking journey and during my career as an entrepreneur.

Why Proper Breathing is So Important Before a Presentation

When you're...

Have you ever stopped to think about how much learning has changed over the years? 

Society has come a long way from the days of needing to sit in a stuffy classroom, scribbling notes while trying to keep your eyes open during a lecture. With the rise of the digital age, learning has become more accessible and more convenient.

One of the biggest advantages of digital learning is the ability to take self-paced courses. As a working professional, there’s no doubt you have a busy schedule and limited free time. With self-paced courses, you can learn at your own pace – meaning there’s no more rushing around to make it to a particular location on time or sacrificing your evenings and weekends to attend a course. You can learn when it's convenient for you, whether that's early in the morning, late at night, or even on your lunch break.

At Connect To The Core, we are big advocates for being able to learn at your own pace and on the go. Fun fact: there was...

Email is one of the most widely used forms of communication today, and it's not always easy to get your message across effectively. Whether you're communicating with colleagues, your customers, clients, or friends and family, it's important to make sure that your emails are clear, concise, and easy to understand. 

If you’re communicating with your customers via an email list, this opens a whole new can of communication worms in terms of the design and flow of your emails. To truly engage with your clients, customers and supporters put the emphasis on both the design and copy of your emails in order to stand out.

In this blog post, I’ll share some email tips that I’ve learned after over 35 years as a communication coach that can be applied to any email conversation, and some design/copy considerations you should make when you’re emailing a list of subscribers to cut through the noise of their inbox.

Tips For More Effective Everyday Email...

Are you tired of feeling nervous and unprepared before giving a presentation at work? Do you want to boost your confidence and skills when delivering important information? Group workshops can be a great place to start. The thing is, convincing your boss to sign you up and pay for a workshop or program can feel like a daunting task, and with the right approach, it can be done. 

Encore Communication Coaching is a six-session live program that helps you deliver more powerful presentations, and is a wildly valuable investment for anyone looking to improve their public speaking and communication skills. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to convince your boss to let you participate in Encore. 

After walking them through the benefits of Encore and following the steps in this post, your manager will be more than happy to invest in your personal development and anyone else on your team looking to elevate their communication skills.

What are some of the benefits of...

After being an entrepreneur for over 35 years and growing an incredible team of like-minded people, I’ve learned a few things along the way about what it takes to run a successful business.

Having a strong mindset is at the top of my list. 

My mindset is something I’ve been developing my entire life and career, and I still find that it’s something I work on every day. And today I will share with you a few tools and perspectives that have helped along the way. 

In this blog post, I’ll cover what a business vision looks like and how to create one, a perspective shift for a more resilient mindset, why tracking your habits is such a powerful tool within entrepreneurship, and more.  

Have a Clear Vision 

This is something common we hear when starting a business – that we should have a ‘vision’ of what our business will look like. And what does having a vision actually mean?  

I’ve coached dozens of...

You know the expression “charity begins at home”? Well, I’m a firm believer that the same thing applies in communication, specifically within romantic partnerships. The people we date often act as our mirrors, showing us parts of ourselves that we wouldn’t be able to see otherwise. Relationships give us key insights into areas of our communication where we’re excelling, and areas that could use some work. 

I’ve always been fascinated by relationship dynamics. Specifically the question of, why do some marriages last while others don't? And, what are some of the qualities and practices that go into fostering a successful, happy marriage that stands the test of time? 

The truth is, so much can be learned about communication through our relationships. In this blog post, we’ll dive into some of the tools spoken about by leading relationship experts that can help foster life-long romantic partnerships, and how the same...