Dec 3 - 5
Improve Your Speaking Skills For:
The
Boardroom
The
Stage
Online
Media
Virtual
Events
"I Speak like a Natural."
" Before I spoke about my book I was searching the internet for words like 'voice' and 'speaking more loudly', because people were always saying "Yeah, I can't hear you, you need to speak up." And I would say "I can't that's my voice. I can't speak up."
Now people come up to be and say "You are such a natural speaker. I wish I could do what you do."
Well let me tell you! It took time and practice. It was nerve wracking at times, but working with Danielle is fun and supportive and exciting to do. "
~ Lea Elliott, Author, Biologist, Sustainability Catalyst
"I learned to embrace my Raw, Vulnerable, Quirky Energy."
" I think what caused me anxiety is that I thought I was too quiet or calm or boring. Learning that the raw, vulnerable energy is the best part of you; that's what people are really drawn to, that calm and the sort of quiet mystique and then to embody that onstage and mix all that with your quirkiness and your style. That's just really embracing who you are.
And then learning about how to channel your charisma. You don’t expect it, but there's a lot of speakers I've loved; that are the quietest ones. But you're so drawn to them because they're just so interesting and they're so charismatic; just because they are who they are. And that's what I got out of it, that I really wasn't even expecting to, but I really loved. "
~ Stacy Peterson, Author
It can be challenging starting out as a new speaker.
Even when you know exactly what you want to say, getting up there and actually DOING it (and doing it well) is another thing entirely.
There are many levels to speaking mastery, but nerves
(Stage Fright, Performance Anxiety, Jitters, whatever you want to call them)
are typically the first hurdle that every speaker must overcome.
That's why we created the Speaker Super Power event!
We get it. We understand nerves.
It takes guts to be heard. And we’re here to help you overcome that first big hurdle - turning your nerves into confidence!
So many aspiring speakers never take the leap.
They never get their message out into the world. And that dream gathers dust because the fear got in the way.
Maybe they told themselves they weren’t ready.
They didn’t look professional enough yet or they were waiting to write their book first or they wanted to get their message super clear and just never felt ready.
Stage Fright can wear many disguises, many of them so completely logical and reasonable, that it can convince us not to take action
Sometimes you need a little extra to help you take that first step; in order to turn that Stage Fright into your Speaker Super Power!
At the Ignite Your Speaker Super Power event we tackle Stage Fright on three levels simultaneously:
the physical, emotional, and intellectual - so those doubts and fears have nowhere to hide!
This event is for you if…
You know that you want to speak; in order to build your business, but your nerves are holding you back
You miss speaking opportunities because you’re waiting to get your script “perfect”
You’re excited to improve your speaking skills; you know that there’s more, but you don’t know where to start
You are speaking but so-far; it feels awkward or inauthentic
You’re not getting the results you want from speaking; you’re following all the steps but you’re not attracting or converting the right people
Join this Virtual Event Hosted by the Inspired Speaker Academy for Inspiration, Education, and Practice.
What You'll Get
A measurement system to evaluate yourself and other speakers; so you can continue to grow
Tools to eradicate stage fright and turn that adrenaline into your performance-edge superpower
A proven formula for speaking confidently off the cuff
(that also works for scripts)
7 secrets to build consistent and cohesive speaking confidence
The key to unlocking the power of your voice; so you can speak with strength, clarity and authority
A mini warm-up routine to make sure your voice and body are performance ready
Clarity on your next steps to speaking success
(from stage fright to superstar speaker)
"I'm more playful onstage."
" I was a teacher and I'd done the conference circuit down in South America. So it wasn't like I didn't have any experience, but I was one of the very few English speakers on those stages, so it wasn’t hard to be good. I felt that I'd happened upon it rather than prepared for it. Like I was lucky. When I moved back to Canada I wanted more confidence, more style, more ownership of being able to stand up and speak. I don't like walking into a room where I'm one of many.
After working with Danielle, I'm way more playful and far more comfortable on stage. I still get nervous sometimes but I'm not letting it get in the way. I'm honouring the nerves. I'm more thoughtful. I have a lot more confidence. I'm more organised. I have a better physical presence on stage.
I have always understood how to storytell, but I've always been the writer-storyteller, and not the oral storyteller. Danielle helps me bring my presentations to life. "
~ Melody Owen, Nutritious Truth Publishing, Author Nation
It’s time to become the powerful speaker you know you can be!
It’s time to take charge of your speaking career.
Public Speaking is undergoing a revolution!
Gone are the days of cheesy gimmicks and one-size-fits-all formulas. There is a real shift happening; towards imperfection, honesty, authenticity!
This is your time to embrace the wonderful passionate weirdo that you are and let your light shine strong.
Speaking is the fastest, most efficient, most HUMAN way to reach your ideal clients.
By embodying and representing your values, you can build almost instant Know Like and Trust, converting leads into enthusiastic, long lasting client relationships.
What You'll Experience
Real-time practice
in break-out groups
Physical techniques
to ground your nerves
Gentle, USEFUL & personalized feedback on how to improve your speaking
Laser Coaching
“Hot Seats”
The giddy joy of being Authentic AND powerful when you speak
What You'll Learn
Tools to Eradicate Stage Fright
Make friends with your nerves! Understand where they come from, what they do to you, and how you can use their energy to your advantage!
“Fake it till you make it” might make you appear more confident, but it will widen the gap between your inner and outer world and can make you feel even more insecure. Forcing improvement from the outside-in, will take you FURTHER away from authentic confidence. Eventually your belief in yourself and your product / service will erode.
Meet yourself where you’re at so that you can improve from the inside-out. Learn the language of embodied competence so that you can ground your nervous energy and set up a positive feedback loop between your body and brain; banishing imposter syndrome and reinforcing inner calm, courage, and confidence.
The reason Stage Fright is so hard to combat is that it takes place in your mind and body. It’s not enough just to change the way you think about your fears. You have to know how to ground that energy so that it becomes a well of presence and performance edge; instead of erupting into distracting fidgets and other undesirable behaviours.
Nerves are a sign of us fighting something powerful within us that ready to come out and play. When you learn to embrace and step into your power; instead of trying to put a lid on those beautiful butterflies, you will experience a new level of authenticity and freedom and fierce joy on the other side.
In the event, we will go through several physical, emotional, and mental processes that you can learn and practice; to address stage fright on every level, so that you never feel out of control again.
Identify the deeper truth that will transform your Stage Fright into a Superpower; that motivates and energises you to be extra joyful, present, fun and charismatic in your presentations.
"Danielle creates such a safe space."
" I knew if I was going to do coaching of any kind, even one on one, I’d have to improve my speaking skills and not look so nervous. I didn’t want to and I knew I was going to hate it but I also knew I had to do it.
When I was a teenager I developed this childlike voice. I tried to make it deeper, I was so self conscious about it. On the phone or at work, just to be taken seriously. To feel like grown up as well. So learning about resonance and pitch meant a lot to me. It’s tied to a lot of deeper stuff of course. This kind of work also impacts other areas of your life that have nothing to do with public speaking, even just socialising. They way you view yourself. Everything.
Danielle creates such a safe space. There’s a lot of empathy going on. You can tell she cares about every person in the class. I was really out of my comfort zone but I’m proud of myself that I did it and I can hear the difference in my voice."
~ Monique Hastings, Entrepreneur
" I really like how this terrifying scary monster (public speaking) is actually built up of fundamental building blocks. It's really about focusing on the steps: the framing and all those aspects, which then places it within our control and not something that's just going to end up like a pie in the face. "
~ Paula Kent, Author
How to Unlock the Power of Your Voice
It seems almost too obvious to say, but your voice is the instrument you use to speak. You need to know how to look after it, keep it in good condition and use it effectively.
Your vocal tone transmits so much more information than just the words you choose. If you are unaware of what you’re broadcasting, you can have the perfect script and say ALL the right things to the right people; and STILL not make any sales.
Most speakers “project” by pushing from the throat. This is essentially shouting. It hurts your voice. You may be heard at the back of the room or sound “confident” for a short while, but you will also blow out your voice and likely sound aggressive or like you are speaking “at” your audience instead of engaging with them.
If you have a soft, shaky, gravelly, breathy, or inconsistent vocal tone when you get nervous, overcompensating by pushing is not the answer. Instead, learn an effortless way to access the powerful, clear, confident voice that has lived within you all along.
Learn the #1 most effective way to bring your voice and breath together to Relax into a strong, clear, impactful voice. When you are no longer fighting yourself, you can instil instant trust and transparency with your audience so they can become loyal clients and followers.
"I got everything I wanted plus more."
" I came in wanting to articulate better and to be able to speak loudly without losing my voice. I knew that I needed some kind of coaching. Before I worked with Danielle I practised a talk in our quiet dining room. I got 20 minutes into it and lost my voice.
Now my voice does project better. I never get any strain. I think that I can articulate more clearly. And I got a lot more in terms of confidence and to get in touch with the emotion of speech. That was a big surprise to me, how powerful that was. So I got everything I wanted out of the training plus more. "
~ Pierre Zakarauskas Ph.D. Scientist and Entrepreneur
" My highlight was the feedback and coaching each person received. It's very practical and down to earth. It's never superficial, it's never surface-level or cookie cutter textbook. It's practical. Danielle's advice comes from genuine experience. There's always a lot of context and depth to it. "
~ Fatima Zaidi, Project Instigate
My Formula for Speaking Confidently "Off the Cuff"
Have you ever been put on the spot and asked to speak?
Perhaps the scheduled speaker cancelled or someone just asked you to stand up, to say a few words about what you do.
What if you knew you could make the most out of those opportunities?
What if you KNEW that you could deliver an eloquent, organised speech with less than 3 minutes preparation?
I have a proven fast formula to help you organise your thoughts and stay on track when speaking off the cuff. This formula works for prepared presentations too; so you can use it with any speech you have going. It helps you to stay on track and focused while also staying fresh, dynamic, and flexible.
When your brain and your mouth are used to working together, you’re way more likely to find your way back to your content if you get lost or go on a tangent; instead of getting flustered and scrambling for your notes.
If you’re avoiding taking the spotlight because you’re scared of sounding foolish, or fumbling, or not making sense; this formula is for you!
You don’t become a better speaker by spending hours honing the perfect script; You become a better speaker by speaking.
Experience empowered spontaneous speaking!
From paralyzed by fear to being a powerful speaker.
" Before I met Danielle, every time someone asked “What’s your biggest challenge?” my answer would always be: “Speaking one to many.”
I had a desire, a vision to get my message out but I was so scared of saying the wrong thing. I was editing myself so much I was almost paralyzed.
Danielle made me feel safe. She was vulnerable, and shared her own struggles. I could tell she saw my potential. She believed in me. She had my back every step of the way.
Now I speak at least every two weeks. I don’t hide from my power. I trust myself more. I’m not so concerned about each word I say. I’m a much better speaker now. I tell stories and facilitate workshops. I run my own You Tube show. I’m getting my message out there and it feels great! "
~ Diane Hume, Dream Receiver Coaching
Repeatable Readiness Routines
Confidence is about energy.
And being able to repeat that wonderful energetic state every time you need it. That’s where physical technique comes in.
Positive affirmations aren’t enough to combat nerves. The physical symptoms of nerves change your centre of gravity, increase fidgets, impact your breathing and heart-rate... When the adrenaline is in control; it feels like it might fly away with you! We need to transform that adrenaline on a physical level.
We’ll go through physical techniques to ground the energy in your body so that you can use it to show up with extra stage presence and charisma. The right warm up means you can be fully present and warmed-up at your physical best every time you speak.
"I now have concrete steps to accomplish authenticity as a speaker."
" I think the biggest issue for many of us, including myself, is wanting to come across as fluent and competent and a skillful speaker. But that depth of connectivity with the audience is sometimes missing. We hear so much about being Authentic. It’s wonderful to have it. What it actually involves is something that’s always rather abstract.
Danielle gives you specific ways to accomplish that. Something that stood out for me was to take time to think about what you’re going to say and using pauses to process what you just said or the next thing you’d like to say. Also, for preparing a speech or talking on camera, knowing specifically exactly who you are speaking to - an individual with a name. That helped personalise my material.
A big takeaway for me is the concrete steps to accomplishing authenticity, and really having some ways of preparing for each speaking opportunity. It's not a one time thing, it's a process and having the tools for the process is extremely valuable. "
~ Steven Malacek, Geophysicist, Water Pathways
Immediately Improve Your Speaking
Exposure therapy is not enough.
You may become more comfortable on stage if you stand up over and over again, but repetition on its own doesn’t mean improvement.
To improve you need to practise in a mindful way, with an honest guide to give you feedback to help you improve. The way speaking feels internally and the way it comes across; can be very different. You need something to help you calibrate to reality.
Over the course of three days, we'll discuss the 7 most common bad habits that sabotage speakers and you'll identify the #1 habit holding you back. Bring your questions to the coaching Hot-Seats and I'll walk you through how to transform your bad habit into a healthy one and instantly improve your level of speaking skill.
What To Expect
3 Days of FUN, support, and exciting learning
The support and camaraderie of an awesome community of your peers
Insight into where your nervous habits come from; self compassion
Experience the exhilaration of stepping into your courage and transforming your nerves into an exciting Super Power
Personalized feedback and coaching from Speaking and Voice coach Danielle Benzon
Lots of time to practise in break-out groups
Insight into your deeper wish and how to override surface-level nerves when they appear
Optional participation in light stretching and breathing exercises; to warm up you speaking instrument
The opportunity to share your passion with an interested and engaged audience
Now is the time for you to Take the Stage!
If you’ve been held back by nerves, or not knowing what to say, not having your script quite perfect, or feeling unclear as to how best where speaking fits into your business; you can breathe.
Speaking is a system; we build it as we go. Yes, everyone’s journey is different, but the foundational steps are the same. The first step is to start. Start in a safe place where you can build confidence and get clear on what next steps are right for you. You don’t need to know what the final product will look like yet; each stage leads, organically, to clarity on the next.
Join us to take your first step towards Mastering the Art of Speaking: Ignite Your Super Power and Eradicate Stage Fright!
We begin 3 December 2024
The virtual event runs for 3 days; 9am - 5pm PST.
There will be bio breaks and a longer lunch break each day.
The event is LIVE and includes a lot of interaction.
Recordings will be available to VIP ticket holders.
Register now and receive a pre-event training on the 7 most common bad habits that sabotage speakers!
"I Speak much more freely now."
" Danielle has a way of pointing out strengths. And just being able to work with whatever else is appearing. When I would screw up she helped me to not be so hard on myself and not take it so seriously. There's no judgement. There's just moving through. How can we work through this moment.
I really loved the practical part of the training. Because I think the body does need to be trained in order to be used. It’s a vessel. And we don’t get taught that anywhere else.
I speak so much more freely now. I have more confidence. I feel better about what I do because I feel like I have something to bring to the table. "
~ Rev Wendy Yacboki, Inner Source Coaching, Wedding Officiant
Meet Your Host: Danielle Benzon
Leading Speaking, Voice, and Personal Presence Coach
Danielle Benzon has devoted her life to exploring the agility and power of the voice-body instrument. A journey that began in classical theatre and took her around the world before she founded the Inspired Speaker Academy.
Now she draws on that experience to help speakers and business owners to embrace and embody their message in a way that instantly connects with the right audience. Using physical techniques based on the work of Kristin Linklater and Stewart Pierce, Inspired Speakers transform their nerves and doubts into their greatest superpower so that every word vibrates with purpose, truth, and self-celebration.
Danielle has a Masters Degree in Acting from the E15 Conservatory in London, UK, and is certified to teach the Meisner Approach through the True Acting Institute, USA.
Her work empowers individuals who are being held back from their potential by stage fright, fear of speaking in public, or a history of behavioural conditioning that keeps them from a full, authentic expression of themselves.
