David Horsager: Welcome to the trusted leader show it’s David Horsager and I have a special friend and guest with welcome allison shapira how are you.

Allison Shapira: hi David what a treat to be with you.

David Horsager: Oh, it is my treat so we got to dive right in but she is a former opera singer turned entrepreneur author speaker educator she teaches at the Harvard Kennedy.

David Horsager: school and she recently became a real authentic best seller of speak with impact, how to command the room and influence others we’re going to talk about all of that.

David Horsager: Before we do just give us what’s it what are a couple other thoughts I mean I know you speak like you can you can speak in 10 languages and you’re fluent in about four So what are a couple of things we should know about allison.

Allison Shapira: Everything that you said is is is so helpful, thank you, David and I really wouldn’t add anything to that, although I could give you a laundry list of other random facts such as I am a new sailboat racer so that’s something that i’m doing.

Allison Shapira: On the side is crewing on people’s sailboats and Annapolis Maryland so that’s a fun fact that we can share.

David Horsager: Well, you know what my brother was just out of the boat show the big boat show was it last week were you there.

Allison Shapira: There were two there was the sailboat show and the power boat show, I went to both of them.

David Horsager: Okay, she he is a sailboat guy, in fact, I have a guy gave on the team here who sails many, many, many weekends here until the ice freezes in.

David Horsager: in Minnesota but that’s that’s very interesting well there’s a lot a lot there around trust and leadership and working together and everything else so.

David Horsager: Well we’ve become friends and i’m so grateful for it, I think you’re brilliant, I think.

David Horsager: You know so much of what you do is just it’s so it just the way you do it also is engaging and cool and fun and so.

David Horsager: We are hoping i’m telling this out loud to everybody listening we’re hoping to find out by tomorrow if allison is able to be one of our keynote speakers at.

David Horsager: The trusted leader summit April 12 through the 14th we believe she’ll be on the main stage we’re going to find out within 24 hours so.

David Horsager: By the time this drops people will know if she’s on the on the agenda or not, but let’s get going on some of what we’re going to be talking about there.

David Horsager: we’re going to come back to personal leadership in a moment, but I want to just start with this book speak with impact would tell us about you know what can people expect if they haven’t read it, and why did you write it.

Allison Shapira: I wrote the book, because everyone kept asking me what book do I recommend, on teaching public speaking or learning public speaking, and I said well there’s this book there’s that book but there’s no one book.

Allison Shapira: That walks you through the process of writing delivering practicing improving on your public speaking skills so that’s why I set out to write the book and it was less of.

Allison Shapira: less of a book about public speaking and more of a handbook for the busy professional moving up in their career who wants to speak with impact using their voice at work or in their community.

David Horsager: If i’m not mistaken Warren Buffett said, if you want to double your riches if you want to double your your wealth, he said, the one thing you should do not investment advice, not all these other things, he said, the one thing you need to do is learn how to communicate better right.

Allison Shapira: He said, is exactly true that’s right your wealth.

David Horsager: Those that can communicate whether it’s in the boardroom or on the platform so you’re helping people do it, and what I love and, of course, as you know, the way we we think around here around trust.

David Horsager: everything’s about building trust you and I have had a funny fun little banter about something I say from the stage and that how that is you know, I was an undergrad I was a communication major.

David Horsager: So, but, but one of the fun things I say trying to get people’s attention, but I believe it is.

David Horsager: Communication is never a core issue it’s always a trust issue just like I say leadership is never a core issue that.

David Horsager: The reason you follow leader, not as trust the reason you buy from someone or not is is trust, not a sales issue, not an innovation issue, not even a diversity equity inclusion issue, I talked about how it’s actually the core Oh, is a trust issue.

David Horsager: But, on the communication front, I often then we get into the pillars of trust and save see it’s.

David Horsager: it’s clear clear communication is stress it unclear isn’t compassion is trusted hateful isn’t and we go through the they pose of trust, but in the midst of that tell us your perspective.

Allison Shapira: Well, I remember hearing you say that the first time, a number of years ago and I wrote it down, and I even wrote and highlighted quote this, because it really impacted me and I I I believe it’s true and.

Allison Shapira: I don’t like this.

Allison Shapira: Well it’s because it it’s based on on bad communication is not the issue, so I believe good communication at it’s very core is about building trust with your audience and so, if you don’t have the trust.

Allison Shapira: The communication will fall flat, but when you have the trust of your audience and you use your communication skills to to not only establish but to reinforce and continue building that trust, then it can be a very powerful part of the issue, so it really depends on how we view communication.

David Horsager: So we agree, basically, and this is a this has been a fun.

David Horsager: that’s right conversation you’ve got a few ways that you believe you can use communication to build trust.

Allison Shapira: would give us give us a few.

David Horsager: Of those tips right off we love to start right in punchy and I want to, I want to you know suck the marrow of life out of your brilliant brain as fast as we can, this is my.

David Horsager: This is my free consulting that you would normally get 10s of thousands of dollars for right, so no I appreciate you being here.

David Horsager: and sharing with our trusted leader audience, but what.

David Horsager: What are some ways that we can you know use communication to actually you know build trust.

Allison Shapira: And there are three specific ways, I believe, at least three ways i’m sure you and I could come up with many more, and our listeners and viewers can come up with many more, but the first way in which we use communication skills to build trust is by speaking the truth.

Allison Shapira: And I know that sounds obvious like something we should do already, but when we say speak the truth, I mean use your own words when communicating.

Allison Shapira: Not company jargon or or bureaucratic language but use words that resonate with you.

Allison Shapira: And so that then they can resonate with others, so the first, the first step is to speak the truth, the second step is to make sure every part of you is communicating the same thing.

Allison Shapira: So when I speak my words are saying one thing my eyebrows my smile is saying something else, and my tone of voice is also communicating So the idea is if there’s a disconnect between what we say and how we say it.

Allison Shapira: That that lack of clarity and consistency as you talk about in our communication reduces the audience’s trust in us because they don’t know what to believe, and so what I want people to do is recognize every part of them should be communicating the same message.

David Horsager: This before we jumped to number three this gets to something you say that I love and you talk about this and I think you’re right about it in your book, and that is authenticity over perfection.

Allison Shapira: that’s like.

David Horsager: This I mean we trust those that are authentic over perfect, in fact, some people almost seem to perfect I don’t trust them.

Allison Shapira: that’s right that’s right we see somebody on stage and when they’re perfect and we do this with people in all industries, whether it’s politics or business when we see someone and they appear to be perfect.

Allison Shapira: We deep down, know that perfection is impossible, so we start to miss trust that person, we wonder what are they hiding what isn’t going right for them, and so that that second guessing of.

Allison Shapira: That person speaking, is it is, it can be really destructive to our trust in them, so when we’re imperfect now.

Allison Shapira: It doesn’t mean unprepared, we still need to prepare be prepared, and we need to be accurate, but a lot of people, especially in public speaking spend way too much.

Allison Shapira: time trying to create the perfect the perfect meeting opener the perfect question at an event the perfect speech and what they’re what they’re striving for is impossible and.

Allison Shapira: counterproductive, so the authenticity comes out when when we let ourselves make little mistakes in our communication, but recognizing that we’re still being authentic to our message.

David Horsager: This reminds me.

David Horsager: I might have shared this before on this show, but you know, I was it was 20 some years ago is always.

David Horsager: kind of a mentor of mine, he was the head of imagineering at Disney said if you’re going to be speaking, you need to go to the national storytelling festival.

David Horsager: You just need to go, so it was a 19 I think 99 maybe seven or something that I went to the national storytelling festival jonesboro Tennessee.

David Horsager: This tiny little town beautiful quaint little village in Tennessee that Alston expands to 100 200,000 people for this, you know this, four days or five days or whatever they come from around the world.

David Horsager: And you’d have these events with you know few hundred people here 50 people there and then in the evening or at the big tent you’d have you know 2000 people watching.

David Horsager: Some people, you might have to pay extra for the ticket and I remember the first night I was just blown away i’d seen amazing you know storytelling from Africa from you know the appalachian whatever and and I watched this lady.

David Horsager: And she was 90 some years old, and she stood at an old fashioned straight microphone kind of like what I have here, people are watching, but a straight Mike with a cord, you know no hand gestures just standing there telling her story, and if I look at an audience that.

David Horsager: rapt attention, not a movement, not a sound from anybody, they were hanging on every word I wish I wish I could remember the lady’s name, and it was hanging there watching and I in that moment, what is it what is it.

David Horsager: Mostly she’s just plain authentic.

David Horsager: that’s, why does she not this big i’m not saying don’t use um you know gestures or do use them.

David Horsager: i’m not saying use voice they’re not using i’m saying, she was just what it was, for her was just the authenticity people were just hanging on every word.

David Horsager: And so I learned it’s not all this necessarily a toastmaster Armor on it’s not this or that and move around the stage it’s just being her was just so powerful authentically.

Allison Shapira: it’s so true and and that’s what’s so important as people recognize everyone has different communication styles different personality styles.

Allison Shapira: So if you’re introverted it’s not about becoming extroverted so that you can be a powerful speaker or communicator it’s it’s owning your own style and then bringing the best version of yourself on stage into the meeting room into the zoom room, just as you would offstage.

David Horsager: Absolutely, and I can’t be her I can’t do it without moving my hands.

Allison Shapira: I can’t not even know, can I mute mute it moving my hands but that’s part of my communication style, this is authentic to me.

David Horsager: Yes, undeniably let’s jump to number three.

David Horsager: Great way I.

Allison Shapira: was ready to jump in with that third way of using our communication skills to build trust now and it’s two parts it’s it’s about using active verbs.

Allison Shapira: And following our words with actions and that gets back to when you say communication is never the issue, trust is so often, we can speak in a way that either addresses an issue directly.

Allison Shapira: or or or tries to take a lack of responsibility in the way that we communicate so use direct verbs that address an issue head on and then, when you’re done speaking.

Allison Shapira: follow those words with action and that’s what continues to build trust, because if you simply speak and then don’t take action that action is a form of communicating you’re communicating with your feet with your hands and both are critical in the act of leadership.

David Horsager: The only way to rebuild trust we say is to make and keep a commitment it’s not the apology i’m sorry i’m late no you’re not you’re late every time right i’m sorry i’m late i’m sorry i’m sorry.

David Horsager: doesn’t mean we don’t apologize use the words but they have to be followed by action.

David Horsager: Tell me an example on that first half give us a little clarity on using action or active verbs.

David Horsager: Like How would i’ve got a senior leader dealing with a terrible i’ve got a couple consultant calls the day, where we had senior leaders they’ve got their.

David Horsager: Their people are throwing darts at that senior leader for all the things they’re doing wrong, but how would I then go communicate to my team using active verbs and then follow up, can you give me a scenario.

Allison Shapira: i’ll give you an example, so very often you’ll hear a leader communicate and use passive verbs mistakes were made um vs I dropped the ball.

Allison Shapira: I failed my team we failed you so it’s that’s what I mean when I say active.

Allison Shapira: Active verbs active tense, as opposed to passive tense so i’m taking responsibility and and exactly as you said, it’s not i’m not just apologizing i’m taking responsibility, which means things will be different moving forward so that’s what I mean in terms of the message.

David Horsager: So this is great now you’re jumping all over the place here because I have so many questions for you, but you I mean you were a concert cellist right or a.

David Horsager: voice.

Allison Shapira: vocal vocalist.

David Horsager: yeah concert vocalist.

Allison Shapira: Yes, and I had I had I was a cellist but I wasn’t.

David Horsager: I feel like you’re you’ve got all these capabilities, but I know.

David Horsager: You know you have that level of preparation, there you are a prepared tell me a little bit about preparing now for let’s say whether you’re teaching at Harvard or you’re speaking to a an executive team or doing a keynote, how do you prepare.

Allison Shapira: I always ask three questions before I craft a presentation, or even prepare for this podcast or prepare for my class at the Kennedy school and I, and I teach.

Allison Shapira: The people we work with to ask these three questions as well, they seem very simple very simple but they’re actually quite complex and those questions are who’s your audience what’s your goal and why you and by why you I don’t mean, why are you qualified, I mean, why do you care.

Allison Shapira: Because we asked these three questions the audience, we asked about so that we understand what will resonate with them, where are they where do we need to get them to go.

Allison Shapira: So how do we connect with them on their level using language that will inspire or connect with them.

Allison Shapira: what’s our goal means, what do I want to happen as a result of what i’m about to say what outcome, do I want to see, and then why you why do you care means Why am I inspired by this topic, or why am I simply proud.

Allison Shapira: Of this work, because then the language that you choose is authentic and as a result is more powerful so nobody answers why you with to increase shareholder value.

Allison Shapira: The answer, why you with because when I was a child, I saw my parents get taken advantage of by their financial advisor and now.

Allison Shapira: As a financial advisor my goal is to make sure nobody has the experience that I had growing up.

Allison Shapira: So it’s it’s getting them to tap into that authentic connection.

Allison Shapira: To the message and then that authenticity, as you know, brings out, it makes it more more readily possible for someone to trust them because, in order for us to trust someone, we have to feel like we know them and that why you brings out a way that others can relate to you.

David Horsager: I think if people ask these three questions, we would not just have less boring presentations we’d actually have.

David Horsager: Much more importantly relevant presentations relevant to us what if we made it about the audience were serving What if we made it about the goal taking them from here.

David Horsager: If people would instead of just presenting thinking i’ve got to do this presentation if they valuable, what is the goal we actually have a chance, because we have a target right, I think a lot of people.

Allison Shapira: it’s true it’s true and and it goes even deeper than a presentation, because so many people will work with will say.

Allison Shapira: Well, I I give presentations from time to time, but every day i’m running meetings i’m meeting clients i’m running small group meetings, one on one meetings.

Allison Shapira: And those three questions I actually recommend you ask yourself before every meeting or in the negative two minutes that you have in between zoom or webex calls.

Allison Shapira: pause and breathe ask these three questions and then they help you refocus and reset so that when you log into that call you bring your best most strategic mindset to that call, which I think is invaluable from a leadership perspective.

David Horsager: let’s go let’s get to you, I want to follow up later on in a couple moments here with the book a little bit more, but before we get there, we go back there allison shapira you’re an advisor to many are speaking on these stages, you know, like trusted leader summit and even bigger.

David Horsager: But what you know how do you what we’ve at least found is people that are great leaders with.

David Horsager: Those they’re educating it, you know Kennedy Harvard.

David Horsager: or senior leaders that you advise or companies you advisor they’re leading themselves somehow.

David Horsager: Personally, how are you leading yourself what do you have daily routines do you have whether it’s physical spiritual social relational, let us inside a little bit, what do you, what do you do it.

Allison Shapira: I do have several routines and and this process became even more important during the pandemic when so many of the things that we normally do.

Allison Shapira: Who are for sustenance such as spending time with family and friends or traveling to new destinations.

Allison Shapira: Was was taken away, and so I asked myself what do I need to do to provide for my own happiness and inspiration that’s within my power.

Allison Shapira: And, and what i’ve started doing is first and foremost meditation starting my day with 20 minutes for me of transcendental meditation.

Allison Shapira: But anytime I can simply sit in silence and an either turn off my thoughts or let my thoughts run and and be creative about the day that I want to see or about the person, I want to be that quiet time for contemplation is critical.

Allison Shapira: I also need to have some sort of physical exercise whether it’s tennis or running or paddleboard I my my good mood comes from me exercising and so that has to be a daily part.

David Horsager: i’ve never.

David Horsager: seen you in a good mood.

Allison Shapira: we’re.

Allison Shapira: All have our bad days we just.

David Horsager: don’t you must exercise every time I said.

David Horsager: So tell me so what’s your, how do you schedule that, by the way, hey you’re busy you got to teach this class you gotta go meet with that executive you gotta you know how do you schedule in your physical exercise.

Allison Shapira: I woke up at 520 this morning, so that I could make a six o’clock outdoor boot camp and I went to bed at 10.

Allison Shapira: or a little later than 10 but I intended to go to bed at 10 to make that happen, but the idea is.

Allison Shapira: I prioritize it and I wind things down the evening before so that I make sure I do it, and again it’s, not just because I know it’s good for me it’s because I have a physical and chemical reaction.

Allison Shapira: to exercise and the lack there of that for me is is necessary in order to be the best version of myself so i’m lucky in that way that i’m i’m pulled to do this, whereas I know a lot of people just have to force themselves to do it.

David Horsager: almost everybody i’ve ever met that i’ve asked this as far as exercise they either don’t exercise and they don’t know they would have this reaction, or they exercise and they all say I couldn’t do without it.

David Horsager: Like it’s part of my mood is perfect so it’s like if you start exercising this this happens, like it affects the mood it affects your overall health that is affects leadership, quality and all kinds of things.

Allison Shapira: Oh, it does it makes me a better leader of my team because i’m more patient i’m more energetic i’m more optimistic so every it’s in everyone’s best interest to make sure I get my sleep I exercise and I get fresh air those are those are non negotiable for me.

David Horsager: sleep exercise and fresh air that’s it all right anything else on the routine list that we should be thinking about.

Allison Shapira: I also.

Allison Shapira: I also make lists every day in terms of what I want to achieve, and so I make sure that i’m.

Allison Shapira: i’m on track with those lists and i’m also very, very focused with my time so i’m sure you know, when when people know that you.

Allison Shapira: You have your own business, they assume that means you can do Friday brunch or just take Monday off and spend a longer weekend with family and and.

Allison Shapira: And it’s actually the opposite, because we run our own businesses we’re going to work more than the nine to five because we see the direct impact of our work.

Allison Shapira: On our businesses and on others, so that sense of discipline and focus, I actually think of them as my as my superpowers, that the ability to focus on what I need to do to move the business forward.

David Horsager: yeah be an entrepreneur you don’t you don’t have to work camp time right just with 12 hours you work.

Allison Shapira: So insulted if someone asks me for a weekday casual meeting i’m like.

Allison Shapira: don’t don’t you think i’m i’m successful, how do you think I can afford to do that.

David Horsager: What about you know, on this entrepreneurial journey that you, you jumped onto what’s what are what were some of the barriers are things you wish, you would have known you know 20 years ago tipping points.

Allison Shapira: I wish it’s so interesting because there are a number of things that i’m learning that i’ve learned.

Allison Shapira: That i’m glad I didn’t know when I started out, for instance, how long it takes to to to get those first paying clients in the very, very beginning, or how long it will take.

Allison Shapira: To to grow your company, to a certain level that you anticipated it it works, it just works on its own timeline but what I do wish I had known starting out.

Allison Shapira: Is is how important it is to constantly be meeting people and and building those relationships.

Allison Shapira: Because in our industry, it can be, it can be a two to five year sales cycle from when we meet someone to when they actually have the need and the budget.

Allison Shapira: For our help and i’ll meet people at an event.

Allison Shapira: Maybe I don’t think they have the budget, maybe I think they’re too junior in their career and then five years later they’ve moved into a new role and and now they get to make recommendations to somebody else so which I wish I had realized early on.

Allison Shapira: How how incredibly important it is to build that network and it’s, not just for entrepreneurs it’s for anyone looking to to bring people together into in terms of working towards a shared goal it’s a constant process.

David Horsager: you’re constantly speaking of constant processes you’re constantly learning you put a lot of output, whether it’s in the classes or everything else, what do you, what do you learn in these days, or what are you curious about.

Allison Shapira: It so funny you mentioned that because I just took a trip to Chicago for a workshop and I came up with two new modules on the plane flying home from Chicago.

Allison Shapira: And, and it was because I had put some questions out on linkedin because i’m getting ready to do linkedin live and I thought, what are people’s.

Allison Shapira: Questions what issues do they have and nearly everyone responded by saying, I want to learn how to be more concise in my communications everyone responded very few people.

Allison Shapira: Overcoming nerves, which is what I thought they would choose it’s all about brevity, and so I thought.

Allison Shapira: I know a lot about brevity there’s also a lot out there, so I started.

Allison Shapira: combing through books that I had and and researching and looking at different different research papers and then on the plane, I came up with a module on the power of brevity.

Allison Shapira: So i’m constantly thinking about what do people need and what are new ways in which I can help their existing needs.

Allison Shapira: Or what ways can I help them in going forward in new ways and that that commitment to learning is actually really exciting that gives me energy, just like just like boot camp does.

David Horsager: Well, you can see why some brevity is important today in this fast paced noisy culture.

David Horsager: How do we.

David Horsager: get that message across the clear the better right and brevity is often a way there I what I like about this to you know we think about learning.

David Horsager: At least three things come to mind for me quickly travel expands the mind reading expands the mind and the people i’m around this I really love Socratic method I love.

David Horsager: Talking.

David Horsager: With smart people like you think well, what do you think about this, what does this work, you know that that discussion based and that can happen in a mastermind or an accountability group or whatever.

David Horsager: Those three things, but I think it’s interesting this idea popped in your head what you said first is not just i’m learning about brevity, but.

David Horsager: I was on a trip to Chicago like I got out of my comfort zone, and you, you kind of thought of this new idea, while you were away, you know, in a way um.

Allison Shapira: Yes, and and what what’s also, I would add a fourth component to what you’re saying that speaks to why it happened.

Allison Shapira: On a flight to Chicago it happened in a place where all the other distractions were turned off, so no notifications it’s usually the time in which we have to put our clothes our devices, but we can’t open our laptop yet, and so the fourth way that I would add, is silence.

Allison Shapira: Where we turn off we stopped moving.

Allison Shapira: We stopped listening to music we stop exercising whatever it is, and we simply sit and and let our mind go and for me and I forgot this during the the 18 plus months of not traveling I forgot how incredibly creative and productive I am on planes.

Allison Shapira: And it’s because i’m so focused and I can let my mind go.

David Horsager: I love it wow anything you’re reading right now on the you like oh I got a great book right now, or something i’m really love to read and that’s inspiring me.

Allison Shapira: I have a couple of books, I have a book about a 16 year old young woman who sailed around the world by herself.

Allison Shapira: that’s like my parents were very upset when they saw me pick up that book I said don’t worry i’m not doing it, but i’m reading about it.

Allison Shapira: And then i’m on a business side i’ve i’m reading a book on applied improvisation techniques beyond theater.

Allison Shapira: And I, as I mentioned i’m always looking for fun new ways for people to learn.

Allison Shapira: Core critical skills and I believe improv is an incredible way to do that I use a lot of improv already, but what i’m doing is i’m reading these business case studies, about how improv helped companies achieve business results and so.

Allison Shapira: They have all these exercises and i’m updating my curriculum plugging these exercises in as i’m reading the book so again it’s so exciting to plug in new ways of learning.

David Horsager: what’s your, what do you know, the title of it.

Allison Shapira: Is downstairs I can get you.

David Horsager: Know that’s commonly.

David Horsager: Like i’m reading stuff I don’t remember the title either all the time, but I think this is interesting, what I love and you love is applied research, like we love.

David Horsager: The stuff.

David Horsager: We don’t like just some motivational everybody yell yeah we like that the research but, but only we love to apply it to our like, how can this actually make an impact tomorrow morning in someone’s life or in the team, or in the outcomes.

David Horsager: So I like that you know, for me, when people ask you know how did you get better at speaking on the on the way to whatever you’ve you’ve done and and that kind of thing and and I just I think.

David Horsager: It doesn’t just happen, does it it’s like you’re working i’ve had coaches I paid a whole lot i’ve had.

David Horsager: Two things that came to mind from what you said, I took a stand up comedy class never wanted to be a stand up comedian likes you know eight week course twice a week we had to go do stand up boy, you want to.

David Horsager: You want to have critique happen go to a live comedy club, you know and and with people you know.

David Horsager: Who are newbie rated and have their arms crossed saying make me laugh, you know that’s that is tough environment, you can do that and, and if you can keep middle schoolers attention you know.

Allison Shapira: You finally done something right.

David Horsager: But the other course I took was improv and I just think of how that I don’t even know how that plays itself out now in a boardroom or in an executive session, but it does it does it makes me better, and so I think these are you know just great ideas for becoming better.

Allison Shapira: I know exactly how it helps because it helps you think on your feet.

Allison Shapira: Which means you’re more able to come up with creative solutions and handle any question that’s thrown your way and, in my experience when people are overly nervous before.

Allison Shapira: A speech or presentation it’s because they’re nervous about what’s going to happen when they’re unprepared for a question.

Allison Shapira: And so, knowing that they have the improv techniques to get creative and handle any questions thrown their way makes them more confident, which makes them more effective in the actual in that board meeting.

David Horsager: we’re back to communication I love this tell us a couple more tips from the book everybody needs to go get the book i’ve got to.

David Horsager: speak with impact, how to command the room and influence others, give us a couple more tips, as we start to land the plane.

Allison Shapira: Some of the tips, and this is one of my favorite topics that I address because of my background as an opera singer and even now as a continuously performing singer songwriter as well, is how do you harness the power of your breathing.

Allison Shapira: When you communicate and and there are two main benefits to that the way in which we breathe.

Allison Shapira: Can both calm our nerves and project our voice and I talked earlier about the tone of our voice communicates I would say.

Allison Shapira: The tone of our voice communicates more than the words themselves and so when we study breathing techniques, then we learn how to let our most powerful voice out and let it.

Allison Shapira: command the room or command across the camera lens and into someone’s living room or bedroom and so that’s that’s a topic I go into in depth in the book addressing both.

Allison Shapira: How do you use breathing to calm your nerves and self regulate and then, how do you use breathing to project your voice and make sure that the power of your voice matches the power of your words.

David Horsager: what’s one thing left for allison Shapiro, what do you hope for what’s the biggest hope for the future, maybe even the next few years, if you want to do your whole life, but what what’s it kind of hope ahead for you.

Allison Shapira: The more I so appreciate that question, the more I think about what I do the more I realized that it’s not simply about.

Allison Shapira: Public speaking and it’s not even about leadership communication, which is how I broadly address this topic.

Allison Shapira: it’s really about connection it’s about human connection and the more I travel and i’ve led workshops and given keynotes.

Allison Shapira: All over the world in in all different regions and the more I do that the more I realized how fundamentally similar we are we all are.

Allison Shapira: We all get nervous before a speech or presentation and it’s I it’s crazy i’ll meet someone who is.

Allison Shapira: From a country i’ve never been to speaking the language that I don’t speak and when they hear what I do they say oh my God i’m so nervous about public speaking.

Allison Shapira: I don’t want to look foolish in front of my peers and and it doesn’t matter where you’re from it’s human and I wish.

Allison Shapira: Everyone could see how similar we are and see that powerful connection that we have in our capable of tapping into, and if we did I know the world would be a better place in every single way.

Allison Shapira: My goal is that I can broaden that message from leadership communication to the power of human connection and come up with the actionable takeaways for that.

David Horsager: I love it that’s what’s next for allison Shapiro I love it.

David Horsager: Well let’s a reminder here everybody can get the show notes and we’re going to have a picture and everything about the book speak with impact at trusted leader show.com you can see, you can even hold it up there, see that I love it speak with impact.

David Horsager: Right it’s our favorite colors with some red and white, we love that we’re on brand with trust so stick with impact we’re going to put.

David Horsager: links to that in the show notes, I would love it also, if you would email us so before this show drops.

David Horsager: The applied improv techniques that sounds fun and aligning and, if you want to share the other book about the lady that is sailing around the world that’d be fun too, but we will will definitely highlight yours, we hope.

David Horsager: To get to have you at the summit coming up have I done enough like inkling about that if.

Allison Shapira: You have and and you’ve made people so interested that regardless they’re going to go to the website just.

Allison Shapira: i’m speaking there or not, because you’ve built it up so much.

Allison Shapira: I think that was brilliant.

David Horsager: brilliant so that’s that’s trusted leaders summit.com you’ll see thousands there when this show drops and then trusted leader show.com.

David Horsager: will be where I get all the show notes books and connections on all of that, where else can we find out about you allison we want to, we want to know you and people listening today.

David Horsager: are saying I need help with my communication I need to present this speak at that i’m a chair of the board, and I know I haven’t done a great job at this, I need some coaching and a CEO.

David Horsager: Or, I want to come in your class at Harvard Kennedy school but you’re you’re a where can people find out more about you.

Allison Shapira: So I would first encourage people to connect with me personally on linkedin because that’s where i’m the most active i’m constantly posting articles.

Allison Shapira: and thoughts and tips on communication skills and so that’s a way for us to have a dialogue.

Allison Shapira: and communicate then i’d recommend that people visit the website of my company global public speaking, which is global public speaking.com.

Allison Shapira: And you can you can find out, not just about me, but also about our team of trainers and coaches, who work all around the world, with some of the biggest companies in the world.

Allison Shapira: And if you sign up there on that homepage we’ve just released a new workbook called everyday public speaking, which gives you some tips for how you can practice and improve your speaking skills every single day in meetings and presentations.

David Horsager: love it what a gift Thank you so much well last question here we are.

David Horsager: it’s the trusted leader show allison, who is a leader you trust and why.

Allison Shapira: There’s a particular woman in Finance, who I really admire her name is katie Knox and she was voted one of the top women in finance just this year and i’ve had the pleasure of working with with her and her team for years.

Allison Shapira: And what I love about her is that when she is on stage communicating.

Allison Shapira: me is the same person on stage as she is offstage and she lives, the values that she communicates so she’s she’s not just about the words she’s also about the action and she does it with a confidence.

Allison Shapira: and authenticity that I know are inspiring to her team and and and are inspiring to me personally.

David Horsager: I love it, we need to share this katie knocks all right, what you just made me think we have seven virtues at trusted leadership institute that’s our inside values, not our values out going out and one of them is be the same on stage and off.

David Horsager: And everybody has a stage for me up our new it might be a literal stage for someone else it might be on the phone, it might be meeting someone in person, I might meet via zoom.

David Horsager: But I love that allison, thank you for sharing your wisdom, today I know there’s a whole lot more in there, but thanks for what you’ve shared today and the way all of us can keep connected with you, I hope to see you soon, for now, that is, the trusted leader show until next time stay trusted.