With a Master's in Health Science, Verla Fortier is a former Director of Surgery at The Toronto Hospitals in Toronto, Ontario and a retired Associate Professor of Nursing at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.  She is also a returning guest to The Speaking Club, and she is back because she has written a new book that I believe will save lives. In episode 88, her first interview with me, she shared her own story of what happened when she was diagnosed with systemic lupus just a few days before she was due to retire to her hometown of Manitoba.  That led to her writing her first book, ‘Take Back Your Outside Mindset’, creating a podcast, and becoming a speaker and expert about green space. If you haven’t heard that interview then do have a listen. At around the same time she received her lupus diagnosis, Verla’s lifelong friend Lesley, died of a sudden cardiac arrest on a three day road trip. Verla couldn’t understand why it happened, because Lesley had been a healthy woman.  The mystery surrounding Lesley’s passing stopped Verla from being able to accept and grieve the passing of her best friend. It haunted her so much that as soon as she was strong enough, she set out to solve it. Her latest book is the result of that investigation, and what Verla discovered about what happened to her friend on that road trip is shocking. Enjoy!   What you’ll discover: Why Verla felt compelled to write this book. How Verla unraveled the mystery of her best friend’s death.  Verla’s thoughts on why conventional medicine so far behind in relation to this research. What your heart variability measurement is and how it can act as an early warning system for ill health and save lives. Some of the myths and mistakes around managing your heart health that are putting people at risk. How to look after your heart if you live in a city Why you need to take more responsibility for protecting your heart. How going outside for just three minutes a day can make you more sexy. How Verla is planning to use speaking to get the message out there. All things Verla: Website - Treesmendus.com Take Back Your Outside Mindset by Verla Fortier Take Back Your Outside Mindset Workbook by Verla Fortier Optimise Your Heart Rate by Verla Fortier   Resources: Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge Practice your speaking & test your content in a safe space in The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership Want to create a signature talk that sells, then check out our Nail Your Signature Talk in 60 Days programme.  Want to find out about working with me 121 then book a call here. https://www.saraharcher.co.uk Thanks for listening!   To share your thoughts:   leave a comment below.   Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out:   Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.    Subscribe on iTunes. *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

So many organisations struggle to implement change effectively. Certainly in my many years of being involved in projects and big change programmes, I rarely saw one that didn’t overrun, exceed the budget and lose employee goodwill along the way. It wasn’t until I left the corporate world and trained in marketing, sales and influencing that I understood why it happened so often, and how to proactively dismantle the barriers and obstacles that get in the way. So … in this show I want to answer two questions for you: Why are most organisations crap at effecting change? How can stories help leaders to make change happen successfully? And just so that we’re on the same page … to me successful change means minimal deviation from plan and budget, minimal disruption and minimal loss of employee goodwill. Enjoy!   What you’ll learn: Why most organisations struggle to implement change successfully  The Star Trek story that illustrates why change is hard. Why I fell out of love with the 80’s Highlander film and how that can help you win hearts and minds. The map for a story led change talk How to use that map to create your talk Why you should pay extra attention to the questions you get asked by your audience The three different groups you will find in every change scenario. Why you don’t need to be creative to use stories in your talks And more!!   Leave a rating or review for The Speaking Club (Take a photo of your review and get a free e-copy of my book Cracking Speech Mate - How to Use Humour to Make You an Amazing Speaker!)   Books: Grab your copy of Straight to the Top - How to Create and Deliver a Killer Elevator Pitch Grab your copy of Cracking Speech Mate - How to Add Humour to Make You An Amazing Speaker   Resources: UNICEF UKRAINE AID RED CROSS UKRAINE AID Nail Your Signature Talk Programme Take the Snackable Story Challenge The Speaking Club Facebook Group The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership https://www.saraharcher.co.uk https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc www.lemon-squeeze.co.uk/crunch Thanks for listening!   To share your thoughts:   leave a comment below.   Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out:   Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.    Subscribe on iTunes. *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

If you listened to episode 218 of the show you will have heard me talking to AnnMarie Wyncoll, who helps people write and publish their books. But one thing that AnnMarie was very clear on was that once the book is written whether you’re with a publishing company or self-publishing - the marketing and promotion of that book pretty much rests with you. You probably won’t be surprised to hear that speaking is one of the most effective ways to build an audience and make more book sales. But you don’t often get specific advice about what to put in the talk and how to adapt it for the multiple speaking mediums that you can use to get your message out there. That’s where this episode comes in. Enjoy! What you’ll learn: Why you need to spend time creating a talk about your book The ingredients that need to be in the talk about your book Ideas for creating your book promotion campaign How you can adapt that talk for different platforms Tips for making the pitch to talk And more!! Leave a rating or review for The Speaking Club (Take a photo of your review and get a free e-copy of my book Cracking Speech Mate - How to Use Humour to Make You an Amazing Speaker!) Books: Grab your copy of Straight to the Top - How to Create and Deliver a Killer Elevator Pitch Grab your copy of Cracking Speech Mate - How to Add Humour to Make You An Amazing Speaker Resources: UNICEF UKRAINE AID RED CROSS UKRAINE AID Nail Your Signature Talk Programme Take the Snackable Story Challenge The Speaking Club Facebook Group The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership https://www.saraharcher.co.uk https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc www.lemon-squeeze.co.uk/crunch  Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts:   leave a comment below.   Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out:   Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.    Subscribe on iTunes. *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

Have you got a story to tell? Do you have a big message to share? Perhaps you should consider writing a book. Just like a great talk, a book is a fantastic way to bring that message or story alive for people and in a way that you can scale… as long as it’s done in the right way. But there are many potential traps waiting to slow you down, or stop you from getting the book finished and out into the world, that’s where this show can help. My guest AnnMarie Wyncoll is an author and founder of Begin a Book. Her desire to become an author was born when she had an epiphany about her life with a toilet brush in her hand.  Unfortunately, her journey was fraught with obstacles to overcome, but she didn’t give up and eventually she held her first book in her hands. Today, through her company Begin a Book, she makes the book creation process stress free and easy for other aspiring authors.  In this show, she will be sharing how to avoid the pitfalls of publishing and she’ll also be giving you some brilliant advice to make sure your book has the best chance of reaching the people who need to read it. Enjoy!   What you’ll discover: What a toilet brush moment is and what caused AnnMarie to have hers. What made her switch from being a part-time author to launching a book company. The people who AnnMarie thinks shouldn’t write a book.  The three big traps people can fall into on the book creation journey. The three things AnnMarie had wished she’d known before she wrote and published her first book. What’s better - self-publishing or working with a publishing company. How you should tackle talking about real people. How you should handle quotes in books. The best ways to go about promoting your book once you have it. How AnnMarie uses speaking in her business.   All things AnnMarie: www.beginabook.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/annmariewyncoll/ Resources: Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge Practice your speaking & test your content in a safe space in The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership Want to create a signature talk that sells, then check out our Nail Your Signature Talk in 60 Days programme.  Want to find out about working with me 121 then book a call here. https://www.saraharcher.co.uk   Thanks for listening!   To share your thoughts:   leave a comment below.   Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out:   Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tscYour ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.    Subscribe on iTunes.   *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

Your voice is one of the most neglected, yet most important tools you have as a public speaker.  Your ability to be heard clearly, to last out the talk energetically, and to connect powerfully with the emotions of your audience are all reliant on your voice. That’s why for the first of the insights episodes, I have pulled together highlights from some of the best voice artists and teachers to help you ensure that you are looking after and fully utilising this incredible instrument.  First up, joining me on the show is Jay Miller. Jay has spent the last 20 years training speakers, actors and business people how to develop a great voice, as well as overcome anxiety around public speaking. He is now one of Canada’s finest voice and speech coaches, appearing across the Canadian media, and his work has had a profound effect, not only on building compelling and engaging voices, but also on the lives of those people that work with him.  Helen Langford is a voice actor, who absolutely loves the sound of her own voice … and so do lots of others. She works for many corporate clients, including household names, and every day she tells stories, explains tricky concepts, promotes brilliant ideas and gets to be somebody new! Kristin Linklater has sadly passed away since recording the original interview, which makes what she shares even more precious. She had a long and distinguished career as a teacher and actor in Europe and America, working with some of the most prestigious theatre companies and dramatic institutions in the world. She also wrote one of the seminal books on voice technique based on hearing ‘the person, not the voice Enjoy! What you’ll discover:  Jay: The distinction between projection and speaking louder.  Why you should treat your voice like a plant you love.  A tip you can use to sound better tomorrow and develop vocal stamina.   Sarah: How you can influence the emotional state of your audience  Things that can affect the pitch of your voice as a public speaker  Tips for getting more pitch variation   Helen: How to avoid the droning voice. Why your voice is never fully dressed without a smile  The difference between pitch and tone Simple vocal warm up exercises you can do at the side of the stage.    Kristin: The connection between mind, body and voice.   Examples of bad voice habits and how they impact the quality of our performance?  How trying to control our voice reduces our vocal stamina. Why public speakers must ‘feel’ the words and not hide behind a presentational tone.   Guest Links: All things Jay: Jay’s Website –http://voiceandspeech.com Jay’s YouTube Channel - Visit Voice & Speech on YouTube Discounted video course Jay Miller: The Back Exercise Video - https://youtu.be/_97RZ7uRuQs   All things Helen: https://www.helenlangfordvoiceovers.co.uk https://www.linkedin.com/in/helensvoice/   All things Kristin: https://www.linklatervoice.com Freeing the Natural Voice by Kristin Linklater  Freeing Shakespeare’s Voice by Kristin Linklater   Full Guest Episode Links: Episode 047 - Raise Your Voice with Jay Miller  Episode 053 - Four Tools to Help Avoid Being a Dull Speaker by Sarah Archer Episode 076 - How to tell a Story with Your Voice with Helen Langford Episode 116 - Setting Your Authentic Voice Free for Great Public Speaking with Kristin Linklater   Resources: The consonant scale warm up: Ba ba ba bee, ba ba ba baa, ba ba ba, bee, bee, bee, baa, baa, baa, boo, boo, boo Ca ca ca cee, ca ca ca caa, ca ca ca cee, cee, cee caa, caa, caa, coo, coo, coo And so on!   Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge Practice your speaking & test your content in a safe space in The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership Want to create a signature talk that sells, then check out our Nail Your Signature Talk in 60 Days programme.  Want to find out about working with me 121 then book a call here. https://www.saraharcher.co.uk   Thanks for listening!   To share your thoughts:                                                   Leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out: Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.  Subscribe on iTunes. *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

There is lots of information out there around how to use slides in the right way, and indeed I covered this in great detail in podcast episode 082 The Seven Deadly Slide Sins and How to Avoid them.  But what there isn’t much on is the answer to the question of whether you should use them in the first place, which is one I’ve been asked a lot recently. So, in this episode I want to give you my definitive answer to the question ‘Should I use Slides’ and explain why I came to that conclusion. I hope it gives you a few ahas and helps you to have more impact when you speak. Enjoy! What you’ll learn: My view on whether speakers should use slides What the ‘Tinder Swindler’ and ‘Inventing Anna’ can teach us about using slides.  What a visual anchor is and how to use them when you talk.  Myths around slide use Alternatives to using slides   And more!! Leave a rating or review for The Speaking Club (Take a photo of your review and get a free e-copy of my book Cracking Speech Mate - How to Use Humour to Make You an Amazing Speaker!)   Books: Grab your copy of Straight to the Top - How to Create and Deliver a Killer Elevator Pitch Grab your copy of Cracking Speech Mate - How to Add Humour to Make You An Amazing Speaker   Resources: Allan Paivio - Mr Canada 1948 The Seven Deadly Slide Sins and How to Avoid Them - 082 UNICEF UKRAINE AID RED CROSS UKRAINE AID Nail Your Signature Talk Programme Take the Snackable Story Challenge The Speaking Club Facebook Group The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership https://www.saraharcher.co.uk https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc   Thanks for listening!   To share your thoughts:   leave a comment below.   Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out:   Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.    Subscribe on iTunes.   *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

Jackie Brennan spent over 30 years building a career in the construction industry. She was dedicated, career focused and ambitious and worked her way up to become a senior leader. But after returning from an overseas contract, she decided to take a rare short break before the next one. Something happened in that time at home that turned her view of her life upside down.  Despite having every intention to return, after her revelation she found that she couldn’t bring herself to do it, and that short pause turned into a permanent break from a corporate job. It also forged a new purpose for her, and a complete change in direction. Today, Jackie uses her experience and her skills in complementary therapies to share a new perspective on mental wellbeing.  Through her speaking and coaching she challenges conventional thinking, and sets out a different approach for individuals and organisations. One that will enable them to avoid the traps of burnout and poor mental health and secure all the benefits of sustainable high performance. Enjoy! What you’ll discover: How Jackie discovered she was burnt out. The unconscious baggage that we carry that can influence our lives and create our biggest regrets.  Why the conventional way of tackling burnout and mental wellbeing is not working.  The obstacles Jackie is having to overcome in sharing her message? The huge benefits for individuals and organisations in tackling burn out differently. Three big tips for creating a sustainable, high performance culture. How Jackie uses speaking and storytelling to get her message out there.   All things Jackie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-brennan https://contactjackie.com https://www.youtube.com/c/InnerFluency   Books*:  Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires by Ester and Jerry Hicks   Play Bigger: How Rebels and Innovators Create New Categories and Dominate Markets by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, Kevin Maney Resources: Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge Practice your speaking & test your content in a safe space in The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership Want to create a signature talk that sells, then check out our Nail Your Signature Talk in 60 Days programme.  Want to find out about working with me 121 then book a call here. https://www.saraharcher.co.uk   Thanks for listening!   To share your thoughts:   leave a comment below.   Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out:   Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.    Subscribe on iTunes.   *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

It’s no secret that telling stories is the single most powerful tool you can have in your speaking and marketing. But not all stories are created equal.  There are some that are simply a series of events pulled together into a narrative arc that certainly meet the definition of a ‘story’.  And then, there are the others …  … the stories that get into your head and your heart and cause you to feel something… maybe anger, hope or laughter. And that makes you want to share them, and then that story becomes your story.  So, what is it that sets these two types of stories apart? Emotion.  Emotional stories win attention, keep your audience GLUED, and take  them on a journey, but the big question is how do you make a story emotional?   That’s what you’ll discover in this episode!   Enjoy! What you’ll learn: The tools of emotion Where you should use them How to turn emotion into a burning platform for action Why you should lead with emotion How you can create emotion even when the subject matter seems very dry. And lots more!! Leave a rating or review for The Speaking Club (Take a photo of your review and get a free e-copy of my book Cracking Speech Mate - How to Use Humour to Make You an Amazing Speaker!) Books: Grab your copy of Straight to the Top - How to Create and Deliver a Killer Elevator Pitch Grab your copy of Cracking Speech Mate - How to Add Humour to Make You An Amazing Speaker   Resources: UNICEF UKRAINE AID RED CROSS UKRAINE AID Nail Your Signature Talk Programme Take the Snackable Story Challenge The Speaking Club Facebook Group The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership https://www.saraharcher.co.uk https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc   Thanks for listening!   To share your thoughts:                                                    leave a comment below.  Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out: Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.

For 20 years Shelley Purchon taught people from all over the world to improve their English. Then she decided to turn the tables. She now helps English speakers to adjust the way that THEY communicate, so that people who didn’t grow up with English as a mother tongue can understand them more easily. Shelley learned the hard way how it feels to try to understand a foreign language when she moved to Spain in her twenties. Seven years later she moved back to the UK and taught refugees. She began to notice that although her students could understand her, they were struggling to understand other English people. She realised that most native English Speakers just didn’t know how to adjust their speech for a person who wasn’t fluent in English.  In 2018 Shelley set up English Unlocked to tackle this problem.  In this episode, she shares some great tips for individuals and organisations, so that you can make your message equally engaging for everyone you’re speaking to, no matter how good their English is. If you have international clients and colleagues, or if English isn’t your first language, you are going to love this episode.    Enjoy!   What you’ll learn: Shelley’s own experience as a non-native living in Spain. The epiphany she had that started her on the journey to starting her company.  Why someone who speaks fluently in your language may still struggle to integrate seamlessly into your business.  Why being a native speaker could be costing you sales and business opportunities.  The challenges that Shelley has faced in getting people to pay attention to this problem and how she overcame them. The three biggest benefits for an individual or organisation of modifying their language.  The biggest mistakes people make when they speak to non-native speakers. Tips that will make all the difference to engaging non-native speakers.  Whether it’s still possible to effectively use metaphors, analogies, stories and humour when you’re speaking to an international audience.  What Shelley has noticed about the way I can communicate better on the podcast.   https://www.englishunlocked.co.uk/post/how-did-english-unlocked-get-started https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-inclusive-your-company-non-native-english-speakers-purchon https://www.englishunlocked.co.uk/post/watch-this-video   All things Shelley: How To Be Understood By Overseas Clients (And Avoid Losing Sales) Code for Discount to Shelley’s Event: ARCHER50 https://www.englishunlocked.co.uk/ https://www.englishunlocked.co.uk/weekly-drop-in https://www.englishunlocked.co.uk/free-downloads https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-purchon-38969b107/ The LinkedIn post relating to international humour   Books: The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and Others in Your Life  by Helen Palmer   Resources: Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge Practice your speaking & test your content in a safe space in The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership Want to create a signature talk that sells, then check out our Nail Your Signature Talk in 60 Days programme.  Want to find out about working with me 121 then book a call here. https://www.saraharcher.co.uk   Thanks for listening!   To share your thoughts:   leave a comment below.   Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.   To help the show out:   Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc. Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.    Subscribe on iTunes. *(please note if you use my link I get a small commission, but this does not affect your payment)

How lucky are you? Does it matter if you are lucky or not when it comes to success in business and speaking? What if you’ve been looking at the matter of luck in completely the wrong way. In this episode, I’m going to show you that you can increase your chances of being lucky, and as a result create more success for yourself.  Lucky people leave breadcrumbs for us to follow and I’m going to be sharing what those are so that you can become the architect, rather than a victim of chance.  Then in relation to speaking and business specifically, I’m going to give you the equivalent of a four leafed clover so that you can confidently grab opportunities and move forward in your mission. Enjoy! What you’ll discover: Why luck isn’t entirely down to chance. How you can influence luck in four different ways. A different way to look at luck that gives you more control over your success. How to create more chance of success in speaking. The four leaf clover of speaking. And lots more!! Leave a rating or review for The Speaking Club (Take a photo of your review and get a free e-copy of my book Cracking Speech Mate - How to Use Humour to Make You an Amazing Speaker!) Books: Grab your copy of Straight to the Top - How to Create and Deliver a Killer Elevator Pitch Grab your copy of Cracking Speech Mate - How to Add Humour to Make You An Amazing Speaker Forbes Article by David Kleinhandler The Luck Factor by Dr Richard Wiseman  Resources: UNICEF UKRAINE AID RED CROSS UKRAINE AID Nail Your Signature Talk Programme Take the Snackable Story Challenge The Speaking Club Facebook Group The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership https://www.saraharcher.co.uk https://www.storyledmarketing.com https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc https://www.hotflushrebels.com Want to get better at finding and sharing your stories then check out our FREE Five Day Snackable Story Challenge Practice your speaking & test your content in a safe space in The Speaking Club ‘Live’ Membership Want to create a signature talk that sells, then check out our Nail Your Signature Talk in 60 Days programme.  Want to find out about working with me 121 then book a call here. https://www.saraharcher.co.uk   Thanks for listening!   To share your thoughts:                                                   Leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out: Leave an honest review at https://www.ratethispodcast.com/tsc Your ratings and reviews really help get the word out and I read each one.  Subscribe on iTunes.