Episode 577: Leslie Fiorenzo | Insider Tips for Public Speaking: Take Action and be Positively Persistent

Are you ready to take your organization to the next level and become a game changer in your industry? Then look no further. Welcome to your Kai Business Show, where we bring you the world's top business thought leaders to share their secrets to success. From leadership development to finance, marketing, self-development, human resource management, and much, much more.

Our guests reveal the strategies, tactics, and mindsets that have made them so successful. So, let's dive in and learn from the best in the business. Hello and welcome back to another very special episode. Look, I'm so grateful that you're here today and you are taking time out to educate yourself, develop yourself and become better through listening to experts like the expert we have today.

This is remarkable. You and I are kindred in spirit because we want to improve every single day. And I honor you for that. And I can't wait to hear your success story after listening to this episode.

Now, let me ask you a question. Who doesn't want to know the tips, the tricks, and the secrets of the trade when it comes to this area? I don't know anybody. I think everybody wants to know the shortcuts to getting things done, to get into the goals faster without losing your life or losing your mind or even stressed out or even losing your family.

So you stay tuned today and discover exactly what are those tips, the tricks, and the secrets in this area today. Now, before I introduce our guest, I want to remind you of the two trainings we've got ready already for you in the community. Number one, our training on how to start, scale, and monetize your podcast training and consulting aspect of it is already ready for you. So if you want to know how to do these things, how to grow your podcasting, how to monetize your podcast, or even just simply to start, we've got you covered.

And remember, we've been doing this since 2015. So we've got what works right now, not what used to work, what works right now. So I'm super excited about that. And the second thing I'm excited about and want you to check out, it is Trevor Stockworth's leadership training.

And I know that it is going to help you if you want to streamline your leadership or just want to have a strategy call with Trevor. By the way, Trevor is my business partner. I've known the gentleman, you know, again, since 2005, so many years. and we've been working together for a good number of years.

I know the staff that he teaches. I know that he lives and breathes this leadership staff. So we want you to have access to that. And finally, if you're not yet a member of our community, you want to be part of the community because at the end of our episode, the conversation that we are starting here will carry on in those in our community and we want you to be there so you don't miss out.

All right, enough of that. I love telling you what we are doing, but I'm more excited right now to listen in and learn from our guests today. Isn't that great? I know it's brilliant.

Well, there you go. Could you thank you so much, by the way, for joining us here. And for those who haven't yet come across your work and who don't know who you are, would you tell us a little about yourself, introduce yourself, maybe in terms of your background, your education? And your experience.

A lot of people want to know how you got started. What are you doing right now in this area? What sort of people you're helping? If we could cover all these things right now, that would be amazing.

So I began my business as a side hustle to my full-time employment. And the reason I'm doing that is I want to create an opportunity to have something I can do as I enter quote unquote retirement. I want to be able to make a difference in the lives of the people I serve. So I've had some formal education and training in my area of expertise, which is public speaking.

I have a master's in human resource development from Western Michigan University. Was engaged with Toastmasters International for several years. Earned my competent Toastmaster certification. I was a member of the Michigan chapter of the National Speakers Association and attended their ProTrack program.

It's a way to build my speaking business and my speaking skills. Those are the kinds of things I've done. I would say I am not an overnight success. It is working diligently every day.

So little by little. I heard Mel Robbins on a podcast talking about building things brick by brick. So taking one step at a time. What I know to be true is if you are trying to achieve something and you look at the very top, imagine standing on the bottom of a staircase and looking at the top of the staircase, it can seem almost impossible to get to that top But if you take it one step at a time and I believe that was the one of the books I read early in my career my boss gave it to me Zig Ziglar Make It to the Top and he talks about one step at a time Amazing Clearly you are not a new kid on the block really You've been at it for a long time.

So let's dive deep and begin to talk about this subject. So what is a tip you wish someone had shared with you in the areas right when you got started? Maybe expand it in terms of why this tip was so valuable and the best way for business owner to put this tip into action. And if there's any tools or websites or even apps that any first time user may be able to access.

And maybe if they got stuck in implementing this tip, what can they do today to get unstuck? I know there's quite a few questions there, but if we could expand on this as detailed and logical as we possibly can, that would be truly amazing for all those who are taking notes right now. do is to simply take action when it comes to overcoming your fear of public speaking. It's a learned fear.

We are only born with two innate fears, and that's loud noises and falling from heights. So everything we know about our fear of public speaking, we've learned, and we can unlearn it. So taking action. So sign up to speak someplace.

So for example, Rotary International has clubs around the world and most every community. And I believe most clubs are looking for speakers for the meeting. So talking about your area of expertise at a meeting, create a video, just use your smartphone. Most everybody has a smartphone.

It's not hard. And there's a lot of ways you can grow and get better, but just get started. That's what hampers most people is they just fail to get started. So those would be the things I would say.

And yes, you know, the invention of artificial intelligence, AI, I use a insight voice AI as a tool in my business. And it's a great way to get comfortable recording and sharing information because that's what it does. It has you answer questions about your business, your area of expertise and it's super simple and easy to use. When you get stuck, well, phone a friend, if you will.

If you're working with a coach and I'm going to guess every coach has a coach, call them up, right? Hopefully you've got them on quote unquote speed dial. Speed dial isn't necessarily a thing anymore, but you know what I mean. Avoid the rumination of what could go wrong or what did go wrong and take action to move yourself forward.

It's awesome. That is incredible. I certainly wish I knew this tip right before I got started, but then, you know, this is what happens. You discover these things as you go.

Let's dive deep and talk about a trick now. What is a cool trick, Peps, you have figured out or discovered in this area that would really help business owners like me in our audience to get things done. Maybe in this area, we could talk about how to, you know, the best way to implement this trick, really, any tools available right now that people can use and how long the trick can take to implement. And of course, of course, if people are stuck in implementing this, what can they do today to get them out of that dreaded place where they are stuck?

I know we can do that. use this tool is to visit their website. So insightvoice.ai, check it out.

There is a, I believe a five day free trial, but it doesn't take very long. And it's a tool that you can use over and over and over again to help you create content in your business for your business. So You might want a video to put on your website, gives you some ideas. What it helps you do is answer a series of questions about your business in your voice.

So it's your information, not somebody's made up information. And so what is it? A moment to learn, a lifetime to master. But it's a super useful tool that I would recommend to any coach or consultant who struggles with self-promotion and wants to find an easy way to help put themselves out there.

I hope, Bill, you're getting this because I'm finding this very, very useful, and I'm hoping that we are also taking notes on this as well. Let's dive deep into talking about the secret now. We've covered the tips, and we've covered the tricks, and now let's talk about the secret. What is the secret?

Every business owner needs to know when it comes to this area. Why is it so important? And why is it secret? And why don't we, or don't many people know about it, really?

Why don't I know about it? Well, I wouldn't know if it was not a secret. But we want to explore more about this so that a lot of people will be helped. And also talk about the tools.

I always want to talk about tools because I've discovered that for everything that you do, you can do better when you've got the right tools. So would you help us in this area, please? The secret that most every business owner needs to know when it comes to the area of self-promotion is, when I say you need to turn that inner critic into inner champion we all have a little voice in our head and it there to keep us safe It's our brain's job, but it's often operating on mistaken information.

So when we are reluctant to step out and do a presentation in front of an audience, speak at a meeting, talk about our business on camera, attend a networking event and talk about our business, there's a little voice that sometimes in the back of our head says things like, well, you don't want to look foolish. Or you don't want to do that because you're really not the expert. They're going to find you out. Or really, could you look any, you don't want to look stupid.

You don't want to look foolish. You don't want to, those kinds of voices that listening to that voice stops us, prevents us from taking action. So we want to give it a different job because it will always be there. So first of all, letting us, understanding its job is to keep us safe and helping it in a different way.

So I have a conversation with mine and have had to have several, but now it gets a little easier because it just knows that I'm going to do it anyway. I'm going to take action anyway. And it's not going to stop me. And know that it can't because doing things and learning from things is part of the process.

And if we're not willing to risk it, if we're not willing to put ourself out there, then we're not going to get anywhere. Our business isn't going to grow. So we have to take action. We have to promote ourselves.

We have to create those videos, create that content, speak at meetings, speak at presentations, get out and network, all of those things that we know we need to do that sometimes that little voice prevents us. So taking that inner critic and changing it into an inner champion, I believe is the secret. And when you get stuck, again, reaching out to someone, I think it is something that you always have to work. It says, how long does it take?

It's a moment to learn and a lifetime to master. This is great. We are actually coming toward the end of our time here together. But the good news is this conversation doesn't end here.

We'll carry it on in our community, which I'm excited about. And again, if you're not yet a member of our community, you want to go and join the community so you can carry on with the conversation. Coming back to you, are there any other juicy tips, tricks, and secrets at this point that you feel business owners like me can benefit from knowing them? I would say it's important to find a way to make it fun.

Now, personally speaking, I love a live audience. I enjoy being at the front of the room. It is something that gives me great pleasure. I know that is not the case for everyone.

And even if you want to master your fear of public speaking and not let it control you, you might not find it as enjoyable as I do. But find a way. What is it that makes it fun? How could this be enjoyable?

Asking yourself those questions, maybe even journaling about those questions, having the discussion again with your coach or someone whose opinion you value, your best friend. In other words, that could be a really great way to boost your self-confidence and get yourself unstuck. But having fun. Life, we're only here for a limited amount of time.

Life's so short. Why not enjoy it? It doesn't have to be drudgery. We've got to find a way to make things fun.

And asking ourselves those questions, what would make this enjoyable for me? Now, if the answer is not doing it, then I think you need a different answer. Again, you can't be the best kept secret in town and grow your business. You've got to find a way to build your self-promotion in a way that's enjoyable, in an integrity with your values and have fun.

And finally, is there anything I haven't asked you today about this area and that you think, you know what, knowing what I know now and with what is happening out there, this will be a great tip or a great trick or a great secret to share with our knowledge, our community. Would you share that with us today? One of the things I know that sometimes stops people from creating video content or speaking to a group with a live audience is fear of judgment. And just know we're all going to be judged.

people. We are, as humans, judging everything we do. And again, that's part of being part of a tribe, but we don't want to get thrown out of the tribe because if we did, then we died. So that fear is kind of innate within us.

But know that everyone has an opinion. You do not necessarily need to agree with their opinion, but okay, they have an opinion and yours is different from theirs, but you're going to get out and do what you said you were going to do. You going to promote your business in an effective powerful way using video or presentations to groups And yeah you know there the occasional person that going to be nasty Oh well just chalk that up to them It about them not you It their opinion not yours And know that people need to hear from you.

So avoid letting that one dissenter stop you from providing service and providing value to the hundreds of people that need to hear your message. Wow. What do you think, Bill? This has been great.

I absolutely love what we have discovered here today. And I will certainly be listening to this myself over and over and over again, because repetition, it is what is going to get these things cemented in us. So once again, thank you so much for a great interview. And I never want to finish off our conversation without giving you an opportunity to share your website or your social media handles with our community, because I know for a fact there will be people who wants to connect with you directly in that way, or even a book for a strategy session or even for a call with you so that you can start that journey with them.

So could you tell us a little bit about your website or your social media handles so that we can connect you with you in that way? Thanks so much for asking that. Yes, you can find me on my website at lesliefiorento.coach and that website has a free download.

Fearless Speakers Blueprint Unlock Your Confidence with five powerful techniques that is available to anyone in exchange for their email. I do have a YouTube channel aimed at helping people build their Speaking Confidence that contains weekly updates plus a few other tidbits spiced in there that can help people build their speaking confidence. You can find me on YouTube, you can find me on LinkedIn, and you can find me on Facebook and Instagram. So look forward to connecting with your audience.

Thank you so much for having me. Excellent. There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. what a great conversation truly great tips great tricks and secrets in this area we are truly blessed really you know to have an opportunity to discover these things now and that will help us in our business now and in the future now if we as you can tell we did not cover everything we barely create the surface and this conversation is going to carry on in the community like we always do with our other recordings.

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This is going to be great. So click the link below and join the community. And I know my guests, all of my guests, even they're helping people as well beyond our time on the podcast here today. So until next time, as we always say, live well, live with passion, know that the best is truly, truly yet to come.

I truly believe that with all my heart, and that's why I keep saying it, And I know it's the same thing for you to live well, you know, love on your family, love on your relative, love on those that you get the opportunity to live with. And live with passion, not hold back, live to the full. You know, whatever gift you have been given, whatever opportunity you've been given, live fully. And remember, the best is truly yet to come.

Life may be difficult for you perhaps right now, or maybe things are not working out the way you want them to be right now. But believe me, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. And keep coming back. Keep coming back into these areas and figuring out what is working and communicating with other people.

You will get out of it stronger and more powerful, and you're going to help other people do extremely well. I'm very proud of you for taking time to be here. In fact, I know you and I are kindred in spirit. We are truly out there, want to develop ourselves and make something out of ourselves and be great contributors in our way around.

Now, I know I'm going over, but listen, I am rooting for you. I know all my guests are rooting for you. My team is all rooting for you. We want you to succeed.

So live well, live with passion. Know that the best is yet to come. See you in the community today or over the next few weeks from now. But bye for now.

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Until next time, live well, live with passion, know that the best is truly yet to come.