Speaker Dynamics - Own The Room

Karin Reed
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Speaker Dynamics - Own The Room Podcast

Have you ever been captivated by a great speaker and wondered how they make it look so effortless? Trust me, while it may look effortless, it likely took a lot of effort to get there. How do I know? Because I’ve helped thousands of coaching clients take their speaking skills from bland to “bravo!”, and I’m ready to help you too. In this twice monthly podcast, I’ll teach you how to deliver a message with impact – whether you are pitching an idea to investors, charging up your team at sales kickoff, or seeking to influence a decision by your board. In 30 minutes or less, you’ll hear actionable tips from me and my expert guests on how to close that deal, inspire your team to excellence, and own any room.

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    EP18: Pay Attention People!

    “Imagine what it’s like trying to keep people’s attention in a virtual meeting—one they might not be interested in, a meeting they might even feel they don’t belong in. Yet, there they are, and it’s your job to keep them focused and get business done,” begins Karin Reed.   In this episode, Karin addresses the challenges of keeping participants engaged in virtual meetings and offers practical strategies to maintain active involvement. The first step, she suggests, is to assess whether the meeting should even happen in the first place and offers two questions to ask to ensure that it does, based on insights from her co-author, Dr. Joe Allen, from their books Suddenly Virtual, Suddenly Hybrid, and Running Effective Meetings for Dummies. Dr. Allen suggests that in some cases, asynchronous communication may be a more effective option.   Karin emphasizes the importance of setting clear expectations from the start—defining the meeting’s purpose and agenda upfront and encouraging participants to turn on their cameras to enhance communication through non-verbal cues.   What can you do to make virtual meetings more dynamic? Karin suggests breaking content into smaller, manageable segments and incorporating interactive elements like polls, Q&A sessions, and chat participation. She also points out the value of allowing some non-business small talk, mimicking informal in-person interactions, which can help build rapport and lead to more meaningful contributions.   Another key tip? Start the call early and stay until everyone has left. This approach opens up opportunities for one-on-one interactions that might otherwise be missed. Karin stresses the importance of keeping participants engaged throughout the meeting, whether through discussions or interactive tasks.   Quotes “If a virtual meeting does not require input and interaction from your audience, don’t make people sit there and listen to you spout off that information. Send it out in a way they can consume on their own time without disrupting their workflow.” (03:12 | Karin Reed)  “When we have virtual meetings, we’re expecting people to be active participants through a screen. And boy, it’s really hard to get people out of that passive observer position. They just want to show up, put themselves on mute, and sit there. But nobody can pay attention for that long if they’re just sitting there and watching… It’s a big challenge—keeping people tuned in and engaged.” (04:37 | Karin Reed)  “Keeping the camera on allows people to communicate fully. It enables you to use non-verbal cues to deliver your message more effectively. People can read the intent of your message more easily, and when their cameras are on, you can also see the impact of your message on them.” (08:35 | Karin Reed)    Links Connect with Karin Reed: Website: www.speakerdynamics.com Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/ Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/ Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/ Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

    24 min

  2. AUG 27

    EP17: Women in the Workplace: Communicating Your Worth

    “Wouldn’t it be great if you had someone to guide you through writing your next chapter? Marcy Bullock is one of those people,” says Karin Reed in today’s episode of Speaker Dynamics - “Own the Room.” Joining Karin, Marcy emphasizes the importance of viewing life and career as a series of chapters, encouraging us to focus on “what’s next” rather than feeling overwhelmed by planning our entire future at once. How often do we burden ourselves with trying to figure it all out, instead of just concentrating on the next step? Marcy’s approach can help ease the pressure that many high achievers feel when facing major life decisions.   The episode delves into gender disparities in the workforce, with Marcy addressing challenges women face, such as unnecessary apologies, the struggle for equal pay, and the impact of the #MeToo Movement. Drawing from her experience teaching at NC State, she shares strategies for self-advocacy among women and marginalized groups. Despite progress, significant gaps remain in areas like parental leave and salary transparency. Marcy also uses a sports analogy to illustrate how cultural conditioning contributes to the confidence gap, with women often internalizing criticism while men tend to deflect it.   To help listeners overcome self-doubt and assert their worth, Marcy offers practical strategies—such as using data in salary negotiations and avoiding “glue work” that doesn’t align with strategic goals. She also emphasizes the importance of professional development and aligning your actions with your personal values. Marcy’s house analogy vividly illustrates how to prioritize your values, from foundational deal-breakers to minor preferences, urging us to focus on what truly matters.   Marcy leaves us with a powerful message: get out of your own way. She encourages us to treat ourselves with the same compassion we’d offer a best friend and to be intentional in our life choices.    Quotes “I realized that any marginalized group needs role models, needs tools in order to be able to succeed. And so, I decided to design this course and after teaching it for a few years, it was one of the most rewarding things I did because I’m very excited about helping women to advocate for themselves, to get what they are worth.” (06:09 | Marcy Bullock)  “I think one of the biggest factors at play is women going into the workforce often being apologetic. They don’t want to step on anyone’s toes… So I think with gender parity, one of the big issues is, well, let’s just be real—parental leave and women being primary caretakers in a lot of families... Also, I just feel that overall, when women go into the workforce, we know they don’t make as much money as men do.” (07:32 | Marcy Bullock)  “Don’t raise your hand for that unless that’s part of your job description… How does your job match with your boss’s priorities? How are you prioritizing things, and can you tie your accomplishments to impactful action items that have made a big impact on that organization? That’s how you’re going to be able to advocate yourself. But if you’re continually agreeing to do some of these things that women typically do, you’re going to find that when it’s time to advocate, you don’t have as much to pull for.” (18:44 | Marcy Bullock)    Links Connect with Marcy Bullock: Marcy Lee Coaching Consulting - https://sites.google.com/view/marcylee/home?authuser=0 Instagram - @marcyleecoaching The Confidence Code - https://learnconfidencecode.com   Connect with Karin Reed: Website: www.speakerdynamics.com Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/ Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/ Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/ Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

    28 min

  3. AUG 13

    EP16: Five Ways to Build Authentic Executive Presence

    For years, executive presence meant fitting a specific mold, but that’s no longer the case. In this episode, Karin Reed shares how authenticity in communication can bolster your executive presence.   Karin outlines five key strategies for integrating authentic communication into leadership to enhance executive presence. First, she emphasizes being a whole person, not just a job title, sharing anecdotes that provide a window into one’s personal life which can make leaders more relatable. Second, she advises leaders to “listen to learn” rather than “talk to tell,” quoting Wilfred Bion on the purest form of listening without preconceived notions or agendas. The third strategy is to speak in plain, simple language to ensure clear communication and comprehension, rather than trying to impress with an extensive vocabulary. Fourth, Karin encourages leaders to give themselves grace for verbal missteps, sharing humorous personal experiences to illustrate that everyone makes mistakes when they speak. Lastly, she emphasizes the importance of owning one’s expertise while being humble enough to admit when they don't know something, fostering a culture of psychological safety within the team.   Karin leaves listeners with a powerful takeaway: authentic leadership is more valued today than ever before. By speaking from the heart and prioritizing genuine connections, leaders can enhance their executive presence and inspire their teams more effectively.   Quotes “Authenticity is your key to resonating with your audience and that’s what’s going to make you an effective leader.” (02:18 | Karin Reed) “Helping people to understand why you do what you do is a great opportunity for you to help them to understand the decisions that you make, the motivation that you have for your goals that you have for the team and frankly for themselves as well. There’s also an element of being sure that you are seen as a full person that allows you to connect better with others.” (05:26 | Karin Reed)  “One of my favorite quotes is by Wilfred Bion. And he said, ‘The purest form of listening is to listen without memory, or desire.’ What this means is that you are listening without an agenda or any preconceived notions or really any sort of goal for what’s going to happen at the end. Instead, you are just listening to hear what they have to say and taking in the information as it comes to you. If you allow yourself to engage in that pure form of listening… you're going to learn more, but also those you are conversing with will feel seen, and they will feel heard.” (07:19 | Karin Reed)  “The great leaders that I have worked with understand that communication should not be a one-way street, it should be a two-way street with dialogue. And that means spending even more time listening than talking to people and pushing forth what you want to say.” (08:11 | Karin Reed)    Links Connect with Karin Reed: Website: www.speakerdynamics.com Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/ Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/ Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/ Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

    20 min

  4. JUL 30

    EP15: The Meeting Doctor is In - Hybrid Meeting Help

    With vacation season in full swing, the likelihood of hybrid meetings increases. This week, Dr. Joe Allen, co-author of “Suddenly Virtual” and “Suddenly Hybrid,” joins Karin Reed to share expert advice to help you make these hybrid meetings successful and productive.   Dr. Allen introduces his latest research on meeting participation, identifying five types: full participation, non-participation, pretending to participate, token legitimacy, and on-off participation. This typology helps understand the varied ways individuals engage in meetings, especially in hybrid settings. His findings reveal that hybrid meetings can be as satisfying, if not more so, than other formats, thanks to the consistent application of best practices.   Key pre-meeting considerations include ensuring strong connectivity and high-quality audio and video for all participants. Karin highlights the importance of meeting equity, ensuring all participants, whether in-room or remote, can be seen and heard clearly. Dr. Allen recommends using advanced tools like the Owl camera to enhance visibility and interaction.   During meetings, it’s crucial to avoid neglecting remote participants. Dr. Allen suggests assigning in-room allies to include virtual attendees in the conversation. Post-meeting, clear communication of decisions and assignments is essential, along with gathering feedback to improve future meetings. He underscores the significant cost of ineffective meetings, both in direct expenses and opportunity costs.   This episode of Speaker Dynamics offers a key takeaway: don’t fear hybrid meetings. By following best practices and leveraging available resources, hybrid meetings can be highly effective.   Quotes “When we’re in a meeting, participation isn’t necessarily an either-or or an on-off situation, but it could be. That’s when some colleagues and I started looking into different types of participation. We created a typology of meeting participation: the five different types of participating.” (03:02 | Dr. Joe Allen)  “Hybrid meetings were going to be a more complicated communication environment because you have people that are face-to-face, people that are virtual, and audio and visual dynamics that can be complicated. We didn’t find that they were bad. In fact, we found that they were just as good, if not, a little bit better than face-to-face and virtual meetings.” (08:31 | Dr. Joe Allen) “The things you have to think about are the dynamics of the people and how they’re connecting. You need to make sure that your team members have the ability to connect to the meeting and that their connection is strong, with good audio and video quality. You have to make sure the tools and equipment are all there because the two most important factors for the success of a hybrid meeting are being seen and heard.” (12:06 | Dr. Joe Allen)  “One thing I think people forget to calculate is the sum cost of having people in the room rather than doing their other things – what’s the opportunity cost.” (16:49 | Dr. Joe Allen) Links Connect with Dr. Joe Allen: Website: https://www.joeallen.org/   Connect with Karin Reed: Website: www.speakerdynamics.com Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/ Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/ Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/ Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

    24 min

  5. JUL 16

    EP14: It’s Not About the Ring Light

    “It is critical that our digital impression is a good one, reflecting your personal leadership brand and your corporate brand,” says Karin Reed. Is your digital impression a good one? In this episode, Karin delves into the importance of creating a strong digital impression and maintaining a compelling virtual presence. She shares insights from her TV journalism career, illustrating how appearance and presentation impact audience perception.   Karin emphasizes that a good digital impression isn’t about vanity but about respect for the audience and distraction-free communication. She offers practical tips, covering essentials like background setup, lighting, audio quality, and camera positioning. Karin highlights the importance of an uncluttered background, proper lighting to allow the audience to read your facial expressions, clear audio, and eye-level camera placement. Additionally, she addresses the challenges of maintaining a strong digital presence while working from various locations, offering a bonus video on her website for finding the best lighting in any space.   This episode can be a comprehensive guide to improving your digital impression and virtual presence, with actionable tips for professional communication. Tune in to Speaker Dynamics for Karin’s expert advice on making a strong digital impression.   Quotes “First impressions matter. They matter a lot. And oftentimes, that first impression is delivered digitally. With us showing up so often via webcam, it is critical that our digital impression that we are giving off is a good one, that it’s a good reflection of your personal leadership brand and a good reflection of your corporate brand.” (00:00 | Karin Reed) “Be aware that people are more tolerant of poor video quality than they are of poor audio quality. So if there is a place to invest your time and energy in improving, it would be in your audio.” (09:33 | Karin Reed) “We’ve talked about your background, we’ve talked about your lighting, we’ve talked about your audio, we’ve talked about your camera position. All of this is critical for you to ensure that your digital impression that you’re giving across is a good one, because you want to make sure that it is a great reflection of your personal leadership brand and that you have presence in the virtual room.” (18:04 | Karin Reed)    Links Connect with Karin Reed: Website: www.speakerdynamics.com Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/ Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/ Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/ Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

    21 min

  6. JUL 2

    EP13: Playing the Long Game with Dorie Clark

    “What do you want to be when you grow up?” asks Karin Reed. She argues this question is just as relevant for adults as it is for children, leading to a discussion about balancing immediate productivity with strategic, long-term goals. In this episode, Karin talks with Wall Street Journal bestselling author Dorie Clark about the critical practice of long-term thinking in a society fixated on immediate results.   Dorie, known for her work in the Harvard Business Review and Forbes, shares insights from her book, “The Long Game.” She highlights the struggle of finding time for strategic thinking in our busy lives and emphasizes the importance of structural changes for sustained success.   Dorie provides practical advice for leaders to foster a long-term mindset despite short-term pressures and introduces the concept of “optimizing for interesting”—pursuing meaningful activities that lead to fulfillment and success. Her personal anecdotes illustrate how small, consistent steps yield significant outcomes. She also discusses how to effectively communicate strategic visions, balancing humility with necessary self-promotion. Her straightforward approach helps listeners share achievements without boasting.   Dorie’s advice emphasizes the power of small, consistent steps and pursuing meaningful activities to achieve long-term success. Tune in to gain invaluable insights from Dorie Clark and learn how to develop a strategic mindset and optimize your path to fulfillment and achievement!   Quotes “I’m always interested in questions about how people make meaning in their lives. And it seems like in our modern society, there’s really kind of two pat answers that, in the discourse, are often viewed as diametrically opposed… You optimize for money or for meaning. And I actually think that there’s a useful third way that we can be thinking about, which is optimizing for interesting. (08:29 | Dorie Clark)  “If you’re optimizing for money, a lot of times, we know, culturally, people can be quite unhappy. Money gets you to a certain place, but it doesn’t get you to the finish line. It is necessary but not sufficient. But if you’re optimizing for interesting, you’re choosing things that are genuinely meaningful and cool to you.” (09:18 | Dorie Clark)  “It’s important to remind people: It’s not that whenever you were pursuing whatever goal it was, or career it was, you weren’t just sitting eating bonbons. You actually did things. You met people, you made connections, you learned skills. And many of those skills and many of those connections are probably transferable. It also means that you see the world in a slightly different way, which sometimes can be extremely helpful.” (25:13 | Dorie Clark) “One thing that I want to encourage people to think about—and this is a concept that I share in the long game—is that, ultimately, if we’re all sort of suffering under the yoke of being pulled in too many directions, having too many things to do, we have to recognize that, inevitably, there are going to be times and there are going to be moments when that is necessary. About short term results, sometimes you gotta just make it happen. But it’s also true that if we want to be smart about long-term thinking, we can’t always be doing that.” (27:44 | Dorie Clark)    Links Connect with Dorie Clark: https://www.dorieclark.com/thelonggame   Connect with Karin Reed: Website: www.speakerdynamics.com Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/ Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/ Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/ Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

    31 min

  7. JUN 18

    EP12: Five Lessons Learned from My Time in TV News

    What we say and how we say it matters, whether we are speaking over the airwaves or in front of the boardroom. In this episode, Karin Reed shares how the lessons she learned as an award-winning broadcast journalist shape her approach to her work today in the business world—lessons that you can apply in your role as well. Whether she is pointing out potential pitfalls or highlighting how you can communicate to inspire, this episode offers a series of lightbulb moments that you can put into practice.   Karin’s top five lessons are: Technology is fickle. Always have a backup plan when dealing with technology. Butterflies can be a good thing. Nervous energy can enhance performance. People move people. Focus on personal stories to create strong emotional connections. There can be unexpected blessings. Embrace the unexpected rewards that come from your work. There can be unexpected consequences. Deliver news with empathy, understanding its impact on others.   By applying these lessons, listeners can become more empathetic leaders and communicators, adept at creating meaningful connections in every interaction. Let’s take these lessons to heart, recognizing the influence our words can have in shaping our relationships and environments.   Quotes “There can be unexpected consequences of your message. I share this with you because I think it was valuable for me to learn it in my career as a reporter, and perhaps it’ll be valuable for all of you who are listening in your sphere of influence.” (12:19 | Karin Reed)  “That was a hugely impactful day for me as a reporter because I realized these aren’t just stories. These aren’t just messages that we are delivering in a vacuum. All of the things that we say, whether you’re a reporter, whether you’re a leader delivering a tough message to your team, that has a direct impact on the people you’re delivering it to. And it made me a much more empathetic reporter after that day.” (13:33 | Karin Reed)  “If you are hearing this message, and you are a leader, and you are charged with delivering some difficult news, always keep in mind that what you say impacts people. And you want to keep that in mind so whenever you deliver it, you can deliver it with empathy and you can be that empathetic leader. So, I wanted to share these lessons with you because hopefully you will find that they resonate in your world in some way.” (14:13 | Karin Reed)    Links Connect with Karin Reed: Website: www.speakerdynamics.com Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/ Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/ Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/ Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

    18 min

  8. JUN 4

    EP11: Think Remarkable with Guy Kawasaki

    “If you want to be remarkable, you seek to make a difference,” says renowned author and chief evangelist Guy Kawasaki. In this episode, Karin Reed sits down with one of her professional heroes to delve into the essence of his latest book, “Think Remarkable.”   Kawasaki shares his innovative approach to writing, using AI tools like ChatGPT and Quillbot to enhance his process without compromising quality. His reflections on concise communication and authenticity in leadership offer valuable takeaways for engaging today’s audiences, particularly Gen Z.   The discussion also touches on his time at Apple and the inspiration behind the book’s title, a nod to the iconic “Think Different” campaign. Through themes of growth, grit, and grace, Kawasaki draws from interviews with over 200 remarkable individuals, sharing profound insights and memorable anecdotes from figures like Jane Goodall and Margaret Atwood.   Kawasaki’s career advice emphasizes the importance of reliability and embracing often overlooked tasks to become indispensable. Tune in to gain invaluable insights from Guy Kawasaki and learn how to transform your life and make the world a little (or a lot) better!   Quotes “Some writers are suspicious or maybe they are jealous or maybe they are hostile to AI. That’s not the case for me at all. I believe my responsibility to the reader is to produce the best book I can. And whether that means using LLMs or not, is not the point. The point is to get the best book.” (05:59 | Guy Kawasaki)  “My concept is that if you want to be remarkable, the way you do that is you make a difference. You make the world a better place… When you make a difference, then the natural outcome is people will think you are remarkable.” (17:48 | Guy Kawasaki) “You don’t catch 100% of the waves that you don’t turn and paddle for. So at some point, if you want to make a difference, you just have to turn and burn. In other words, you have to turn and start paddling and you have to actually do something as opposed to thinking about doing something (25:59 | Guy Kawasaki) “We spend too much time making the right decision. What we should do is make the decision right.” (26:19 | Guy Kawasaki)    Links Connect with Guy Kawasaki: Order the book: https://amzn.to/4ckKsQE TR landing page: https://guykawasaki.com/books/think-remarkable/ Guy's podcast: https://guykawasaki.com/remarkable-people/ Connect with Karin Reed: Website: www.speakerdynamics.com Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/ Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/ Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/ Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

    37 min
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About

Have you ever been captivated by a great speaker and wondered how they make it look so effortless? Trust me, while it may look effortless, it likely took a lot of effort to get there. How do I know? Because I’ve helped thousands of coaching clients take their speaking skills from bland to “bravo!”, and I’m ready to help you too. In this twice monthly podcast, I’ll teach you how to deliver a message with impact – whether you are pitching an idea to investors, charging up your team at sales kickoff, or seeking to influence a decision by your board. In 30 minutes or less, you’ll hear actionable tips from me and my expert guests on how to close that deal, inspire your team to excellence, and own any room.

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