Brenne

How to stop using filler words

Picture this: you just nailed a presentation, and you even answered a full round of impromptu questions on-the-fly!  You’re riding high on positive feedback, but your manager also offers a constructive critique: you use a lot of filler words, and they’re distracting us from hearing some of your main points.  Suddenly, you start replaying the…

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From Anxious Over-Preparing to Trusting Her Expertise & Presentation Skills: A Presence Under Pressure Case Study

Do you ever feel nervous or insecure speaking up in meetings with clients and execs, even though you’ve had plenty of opportunities to practice your communication skills? Ever spend what feels like HOURS of time preparing your presentations or talking points in order to feel confident about landing your message?  If so, you’re not alone!…

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Ditching the Pressure to Prove: A Presence Under Pressure Case Study

Imagine: you walk into a boardroom full of colleagues and executives who are waiting for you to present on a given topic. You’re the subject matter expert in this scenario, but when the pre-meeting small-talk dies down and all eyes are suddenly on you—does the pressure to *prove* that you belong there (and know what…

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How to show up with authentic confidence and ease in any interaction

Picture this real quick… You’re heading into your next presentation, meeting, or interview and you notice that, instead of feeling a familiar rush of anxiety, you actually feel grounded and excited to speak up. You trust your ability to bring the best of who you are to this interaction… even though you didn’t have as…

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Is your humor serving you or undercutting you? Here’s how to tell

“I’m such an idiot.“It’s like I’ve lost my brain today.”“Ugh—I’m all over the place.” Real talk… did reading these “self-digs” make you go 😂 or 😬? Whether you forgot to ‘unmute’ yourself as you began talking on a Zoom call, or you tripped over your words mid-sentence… Taking a stab at yourself might *feel* like…

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How to project authority in an authentic way

Have you ever thought (or been told?) that you should speak with more authority, so that others “take you more seriously?” Do you sometimes feel like you need to prove that you know what you’re talking about? 🙄 You’re not alone.  While I don’t believe in “should”s… … that you “should” do anything or be…

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