I Got My Voice a Personal Trainer
I’ve never thought about getting vocal coaching for my work as a speaker and presenter….until I decided to narrate my own audiobook. As I prepared for the task, I realized that transitioning from storytelling as a writer to one as a speaker is a completely different game and would require developing new skill and, quite literally, new muscle.
As an entrepreneur, I believe it’s important to “keep in shape” for the work I’m called to do. For me, over the years this has included professional development in the form of leadership courses, assessment certifications, and coach training. When my audience began requesting that I produce an audiobook of my published print book, I thought, hmmm, I’m gonna need to work out for this one! So, I hired a vocal coach, and we got started!
Here’s what I learned:
- How to prepare to read out loud for a long duration
- How I say what I say is really important—like being intentional with tone, pacing, inflection, volume and varying all of that for interest and aligning mood and emotion of the content
- Speaking well is a full-body experience
- Proper mic etiquette
- How critical it is to master my content so I can fully relax into my material with joy and ease, to give my listener the best experience
It was a hugely impactful experience! It made all the difference, both in being able to produce an audiobook product I’m proud of, as well as presenting speaking engagements that are compelling and effective.
And speaking of my audiobook, “Choosing Me: The Journey Home to My True Self,” you can grab your copy here on Audible or Amazon (paperback and Kindle versions also available).
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Jeanie Duncan is an edge walking transformation partner helping individuals and organizations align with their values, discover their core purpose, and create meaningful impact in the world. Her avenues for doing this work are executive coaching, team coaching, keynote speaking, program facilitation, and organizational consulting. For more information, contact Jeanie here.