Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

Laura Camacho

🏆 Ranked #1 Business Communication Podcast by Million Podcasts Do you often feel sidelined in discussions, wanting to speak up and have more influence? Ever experience that you say something in a meeting and then it seems like people maybe are still not getting what you’re saying? Do you need more executive presence in high stakes meetings? Discover tactics to confidently assert yourself and make your ideas count on Speak Up, the podcast for high-performing introverts and ambiverts. You'll learn: 1. Visibility Strategies from the art of persuasion, ensuring your voice is heard and respected in meetings and sought after for key projects 2. How to expand your influence, to reclaim your recognition, get green lights, and avoid your ideas being taken credit for by others 3. How to develop your confidence, to participate actively in senior leadership and executive meetings and beyond Host Laura Camacho, with 20 years of coaching experience, guides high-performing professionals to express their ideas clearly and build executive presence. Tune in every Monday for a 10-minute executive communication skill, Wednesdays for a half-hour industry leader interview, and Fridays for a 8 to 10-minute charisma or leadership tip from leading personalities like JK Rowling and Elon Musk. If you're ready to move forward in your career, listen to Speak Up episode 390: These 12 Science-Backed Charisma Tactics Skyrocket Executive Presence & Leadership Impact: https://pod.fo/e/2c2b5e

  1. 17 hrs ago

    587: Why Your Identity as the Skilled Problem Solver Is Preventing Your Next Leadership Promotion and Masking Your Executive Presence

    Want Faster Promotions, More Influence, and Stronger Executive Presence? Book a confidential Executive Presence Strategy Call to discover the communication patterns that help high performers get seen as senior leaders. 👉 Book Your Call here If everyone in your company knows you as the person who solves problems, there's a good chance you've accidentally disqualified yourself from becoming a VP or even Sr Director. If you've built your reputation as the reliable expert who always has the answers, you may unknowingly be reinforcing the very perception that's limiting your advancement. While technical expertise and execution drive early career success, senior leaders evaluate something entirely different when considering Director, Senior Director, and VP promotions. In this episode, you'll learn why the skills that made you successful may now be preventing leadership from seeing you as an executive. By the end of this short episode you'll know: 🔎Why being the best problem solver on your team can actually stall your career 🔑The uncomfortable difference between how Directors create value and how VPs create value 🚀The shift required to become viewed as an executive instead of an expert Listen now to learn the leadership mindset and communication shifts that help high performers earn greater influence, stronger executive presence, and faster advancement into senior leadership roles. If you've spent years becoming the go-to problem solver in your organization... And you're starting to hear feedback like: "Think more strategically." "Communicate at a higher level." "Develop more executive presence." I want you to understand something: Your company doesn't need more proof that you're capable. They already know that. What they're looking for now is evidence that you can think, communicate, and influence at the next level. If you're ready to make that shift, book a strategy call here and let's identify exactly what's keeping leadership from seeing you as an executive—and create a plan to change it. To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities. By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring. Topics Covered in This Episode Executive PresenceLeadership PromotionVP Promotion ReadinessSenior Director PromotionStrategic LeadershipLeadership CommunicationExecutive CommunicationLeadership DevelopmentHigh Performer Career GrowthProblem Solver MindsetStrategic ThinkingExecutive MindsetLeadership InfluenceLeadership VisibilityExecutive-Level ThinkingMoving from Tactical to Strategic LeadershipDirector vs VP Leadership DifferencesBuilding Executive PresenceLeadership PerceptionBusiness Impact CommunicationLeadership AlignmentStakeholder InfluenceStrategic Decision MakingCreating Organizational ClarityInfluencing Senior ExecutivesLeadership TrustExecutive CredibilityExecutive Leadership SkillsLeadership Career PlateauWhy High Performers Get Passed Over for PromotionLeadership Skills for VP RolesTransitioning from Expert to ExecutiveExecutive VisibilityStrategic CommunicationLeadership Growth StrategyExecutive Influence

    8 min

  2. 3 days ago

    586: Why This New Status Symbol Provides the Executive Presence Advantage Nobody Talks About

    Want Faster Promotions, More Influence, and Stronger Executive Presence? Book a confidential Executive Presence Strategy Call to discover the communication patterns that help high performers get seen as senior leaders. 👉 Book Your Call here Today we’re talking about one of the biggest invisible signals in modern leadership. Have you noticed the vibe change around you? Because of that, there’s a status symbol that has quietly become incredibly rare. And how you can use it to be the leader who is respected, grounded, influential, and hard to ignore in our rather chaotic culture. In today’s workplace, talent alone is no longer enough to stand out. With constant distractions, information overload, endless meetings, and nonstop communication, professionals who can think clearly and communicate with calm precision are becoming incredibly rare—and incredibly valuable. This episode explores why clear thinking has quietly become one of the most powerful status symbols in leadership and how it directly impacts executive presence, influence, and career growth. By the end of this episode, you’ll know: 🚀How the new status symbol creates instant executive presence and builds trust with senior leaders 😩Why overexplaining, rambling, and emotional processing weaken leadership perception 4️⃣ Four practical communication strategies to sound more strategic, confident, and influential in executive meetings Press play to learn how to communicate with clarity, authority, and calm confidence so you can stop sounding overlooked and start sounding undeniable. Speak Up Summer Camp (July 6 – Aug 1) A private podcast with 24 short daily leadership reps to help you build the communication habits senior leaders actually notice. → Enroll here To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities. By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.

    9 min

  3. 5 days ago

    585: Functional Leaders Exude Strong Executive Presence and Influence When Staying Connected To THIS Indispensable Conversation

    Speak Up Summer Camp (July 6 – Aug 1) A private podcast with 24 short daily leadership reps to help you build the communication habits senior leaders actually notice. → Enroll here Do you feel overlooked in those executive leadership or board meetings even though you’re highly capable and prepared? Many high-performing professionals believe executive presence comes naturally with promotions, expertise, or confidence. But this episode reveals why influence is actually built through business fluency, strategic communication, emotional resilience, and meaningful contribution in the room — especially for introverts, technical experts, and thoughtful leaders. By the end of this deep conversation with Janice Kapner you’ll know: 🚀How to build executive presence when you don’t have major P&L responsibility 🎯The kind of strategic questions that create more influence than perfect answers 🏆How senior leaders evaluate credibility, business thinking, and leadership readiness Press play to learn the practical communication shifts that help respected professionals become trusted executive-level contributors. Want Faster Promotions, More Influence, and Stronger Executive Presence? Book a confidential Executive Presence Strategy Call to discover the communication patterns that help high performers get seen as senior leaders. 👉 Book Your Call here To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. About our guest: Janice Kapner is the former Chief Communications & Corporate Responsibility Officer at T-Mobile, where she spent more than a decade working closely with CEOs, boards, and senior leadership teams during periods of rapid growth, transformation, and high-stakes decision-making, including the largest telecom merger in U.S. history. Throughout her career, Janice has operated in roles where influence mattered more than formal authority, advising leaders, shaping strategy, and helping organizations move forward without owning revenue or operations. That perspective gives her a practical, behind-the-scenes view of how leadership actually works inside large, complex enterprises. In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities. By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring. This episode provides insight on the following: Executive leadership and influence at the CEO and board levelHow leaders drive alignment and accountability across matrixed organizationsNavigating transformation, M&A, and change without losing trust or credibilityThe role of communication in leadership, governance, and decision-makingWhat it means to lead through uncertainty when stakes are high, and outcomes matter

    27 min

  4. 8 June

    584: The Executive Positioning Mistake That Makes Smart Leaders Sound Junior

    Want Faster Promotions, More Influence, and Stronger Executive Presence? Book a confidential Executive Presence Strategy Call to discover the communication patterns that help high performers get seen as senior leaders. 👉 Book Your Call here Have you ever walked out of a leadership meeting feeling like people underestimated your intelligence or overlooked your value? Many highly capable professionals assume promotions and executive influence come purely from competence. But in high-level environments, people quickly judge whether you sound strategic, leadership-oriented, and trustworthy based on how you communicate — often within the first minute. This episode breaks down the hidden communication patterns that make smart professionals sound tactical instead of executive-ready. By the end of this episode you’ll know: 🔬Why over-explaining and excessive detail can quietly damage your executive presence 🚀How senior leaders communicate in ways that reduce uncertainty and create confidence 🏆The subtle positioning shifts that make people perceive you as strategic, composed, and leadership-ready Play this episode to learn how to transform the way leadership perceives you and finally communicate at the executive level you’re truly capable of operating at. Speak Up Summer Camp (July 6 – Aug 1) A private podcast with 24 short daily leadership reps to help you build the communication habits senior leaders actually notice. → Enroll here So if you’re someone who knows you’re highly capable… …but you’re tired of feeling underestimated in executive environments… You may have an executive positioning problem. And that’s exactly why I created the Executive Presence Mastery System. The goal is not simply to “communicate better.” The goal is to position yourself at the level you’re truly capable of operating at. Go to the top of these show notes, click the link, and book a call with me. To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities. By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring. Topics covered in this episode: Executive presenceLeadership communication skillsStrategic communicationExecutive positioningHow to sound more executiveLeadership presence in meetingsExecutive leadership perceptionExecutive mindsetExecutive influenceHigh-level communication strategiesExecutive presence coachingProfessional visibility in leadershipBoardroom communication skillsLeadership perception and influenceHow to communicate with executivesExecutive speaking skillsLeadership developmentCommunication patterns of successful leadersExecutive communication trainingLeadership positioning strategiesStrategic executive thinking

    7 min

  5. 5 June

    583: The Executive Presence Habit That Made A-Lister Jensen Huang One of the Most Trusted CEOs Ever

    Speak Up Summer Camp (July 6 – Aug 1) A private podcast with 24 short daily leadership reps to help you build the communication habits senior leaders actually notice. → Enroll here What if executive presence has less to do with charisma and more to do with clarity? Most high-performing professionals believe sounding detailed and complex makes them appear more intelligent. But senior leaders often interpret overexplaining, rambling, and verbal clutter as a lack of clarity and confidence. In this episode, Laura Camacho breaks down the executive presence habit that helped NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang become one of the most trusted leaders in business — and how simplifying your communication can instantly elevate your executive presence. By the end of this episode, you’ll know how to: 🪝Communicate with more clarity and confidence in high-stakes conversations 🧲Sound far more strategic by sharply framing your message 👏🏻Eliminate verbal habits that quietly reduce trust and executive presence Press play now to learn the executive communication habits that help trusted leaders stand out, influence decisions, and create clarity under pressure. And remember: The goal is not to impress people with complexity. The goal is to create clarity that people trust. Want Faster Promotions, More Influence, and Stronger Executive Presence? Book a confidential Executive Presence Strategy Call to discover the communication patterns that help high performers get seen as senior leaders. 👉 Book Your Call here To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities. By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.

    12 min

  6. 3 June

    582: How High-Level Executives Build Presence, Credibility & Influence Under Pressure

    Speak Up Summer Camp (July 6 – Aug 1) A private podcast with 24 short daily leadership reps to help you build the communication habits senior leaders actually notice. → Enroll here Why do some incredibly smart professionals command executive trust instantly… while others struggle to get promoted despite having stronger technical expertise? In this episode, Laura sits down with cyber security executive MK Palmore to unpack one of the most overlooked leadership skills in modern business: communicating with executive presence. From framing risk strategically to owning the room during high-stakes presentations, this conversation reveals why communication—not just competence—is what separates technical experts from influential senior leaders. In this episode with MK Palmore, you’ll discover: How to communicate risk and complex ideas in ways that senior executives immediately understand and trust Practical techniques for owning the room, managing nerves, and building credibility during presentations Why storytelling, strategic framing, and audience engagement are essential for executive-level influence Listen now to learn how to transform your expertise into executive influence and become the kind of leader decision-makers trust under pressure. Speak Up Summer Camp (July 6 – Aug 1) A private podcast with 24 short daily leadership reps to help you build the communication habits senior leaders actually notice. → Enroll here To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. About our guest: MK Palmore is founder and CEO of Apogee Global RMS. His work lives at the intersection of high-stakes risk and high-stakes communication, A few quick pieces of context: 20+ years across the FBI, global CISO and advisory roles, and the U.S. Marine Corps.Executive advisory and board engagement focused on cybersecurity strategy and operational resilience.Leadership development and recruiting for high-trust cyber and IT roles, because the “people part” decides whether strategy survives contact with reality. In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities. By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.

    31 min

  7. 1 June

    581: How Smart, Caring Leaders Accidentally Sabotage Their Executive Presence

    Want Faster Promotions, More Influence, and Stronger Executive Presence? Book a confidential Executive Presence Strategy Call to discover the communication patterns that help high performers get seen as senior leaders. 👉 Book Your Call here Your empathy isn’t making people respect you more at work. It’s making people stop seeing you as executive material. Many high-performing professionals believe empathy and helpfulness are leadership superpowers. And while empathy absolutely matters, constantly rescuing your team, over-explaining, and carrying everyone emotionally may actually be weakening your executive presence. In this episode, Laura Camacho reveals why leaders who care deeply often get overlooked for senior leadership roles — and what strategic leaders do differently to earn trust, authority, and promotion opportunities. By the end of this episode, you’ll know: 😱Why overhelping and emotional over-functioning quietly erode your authority at work 🔬The hidden connection between empathy, burnout, and stalled career growth 🔑3 reflection questions so that you can achieve executive-level influence. Listen now to learn how to lead with empathy without sacrificing your authority, energy, or executive-level influence. Speak Up Summer Camp (July 6 – Aug 1) A private podcast with 24 short daily leadership reps to help you build the communication habits senior leaders actually notice. → Enroll: here To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities. By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring. Research Sources Mentioned in This Episode Gerdes, K. E., et al. “Empathy and Leadership Effectiveness.” Organizational Dynamics. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11301-024-00472-7Zhang, Y., et al. “Emotional Labor, Empathic Concern, and Burnout in Leadership Roles.” Scientific Reports (Nature).https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-11304-3Goleman, Daniel. What Makes a Leader? Harvard Business Review.https://hbr.org/2004/01/what-makes-a-leaderIbarra, Herminia & Hansen, Morten. Are You a Collaborative Leader? Harvard Business Review.https://hbr.org/2011/07/are-you-a-collaborative-leaderCenter for Creative Leadership — “Why Leaders Need Boundaries to Avoid Burnout”https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/boundaries-burnout-and-balance/Harvard Business Review — “The Costs of Being a ‘Too Nice’ Manager”https://hbr.org/2018/11/the-hidden-costs-of-being-a-too-nice-manager

    8 min

  8. 29 May

    580: Why This Hospitality Principle Is the Ultimate Power Move in Executive Presence and Leadership

    Want Faster Promotions, More Influence, and Stronger Executive Presence? Book a confidential Executive Presence Strategy Call to discover the communication patterns that help high performers get seen as senior leaders. Book Your Call here Click here if you’re a senior leader who’s ready to recalibrate how you’re perceived at the executive level — in the next 90–120 days. The Executive Presence Mastery System may be your logical next step. Have you ever entered a conversation feeling confused and then left thinking, “Wow… so and so made everything feel easier”? Most professionals believe executive presence is about confidence, charisma, or commanding attention in meetings. But senior leaders are often looking for something very different: people who reduce confusion, simplify complexity, and create momentum. In this episode, Laura Camacho reveals how the concept of “unreasonable hospitality” can dramatically improve your communication, influence, and leadership presence at work. By the end of this short episode you’ll know: ✅How to make your communication clearer and more strategically valuable. 💰Ways to anticipate concerns to instantly elevate your executive presence with senior leaders. 🪝How to stop overcomplicating your message and start becoming the person people trust faster. Press play to discover the subtle communication shifts that make high-performing professionals unforgettable leaders. Senior leaders don’t trust people who create avoidable surprises. They trust people who think around corners. And if you want to strengthen your own executive presence, grab my free Executive Presence Scorecard. The link is here. This episode was inspired by Unreasonable Hospitality Field Guide by Will Guidara. (not an affiliate link) To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities. By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring. Topics covered in this episode: Executive presence for introvertsExecutive communication skillsHow to build executive presenceStrategic communication at workLeadership communication skillsExecutive presence and influence

    13 min
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🏆 Ranked #1 Business Communication Podcast by Million Podcasts Do you often feel sidelined in discussions, wanting to speak up and have more influence? Ever experience that you say something in a meeting and then it seems like people maybe are still not getting what you’re saying? Do you need more executive presence in high stakes meetings? Discover tactics to confidently assert yourself and make your ideas count on Speak Up, the podcast for high-performing introverts and ambiverts. You'll learn: 1. Visibility Strategies from the art of persuasion, ensuring your voice is heard and respected in meetings and sought after for key projects 2. How to expand your influence, to reclaim your recognition, get green lights, and avoid your ideas being taken credit for by others 3. How to develop your confidence, to participate actively in senior leadership and executive meetings and beyond Host Laura Camacho, with 20 years of coaching experience, guides high-performing professionals to express their ideas clearly and build executive presence. Tune in every Monday for a 10-minute executive communication skill, Wednesdays for a half-hour industry leader interview, and Fridays for a 8 to 10-minute charisma or leadership tip from leading personalities like JK Rowling and Elon Musk. If you're ready to move forward in your career, listen to Speak Up episode 390: These 12 Science-Backed Charisma Tactics Skyrocket Executive Presence & Leadership Impact: https://pod.fo/e/2c2b5e

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