By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta Let’s talk about fear. As emotions go, it doesn’t have the best reputation. People don’t usually want to be seen as fearful or anxiety-ridden or…well, wimpy. But here are two things you should know. Everybody (and I mean everybody) experiences anxiety about something. Anxiety can be a catalyst for some pretty amazing things. As someone who’s been a speaker for more than 25 years, I know a thing or two about this topic. You’ve probably heard that people are statistically more afraid of public speaking than they are of death. I get Read More
Creating an Incredible Virtual Experience
Creating an Incredible Virtual Experience
By Connie Podesta, CSP, CPAE, Hall of Fame Speaker When a pandemic forced event planners and leaders to cancel all live events almost overnight, it was hard to even imagine what the future would look like. I totally get it. As someone who makes a living speaking to conventions packed with hundreds and thousands of people, often shoulder- to-shoulder, I feel your pain, and your frustration. Social distancing has seriously thrown a big global wrench into all our calendars. The big question for most became – “Now what?” Lockdowns, shelters-in-place, and shuttered stages aside, what hasn’t Read More
Quit Underestimating the Importance of Childhood Messages
Quit Underestimating the Importance of Childhood Messages
By Human Behavior Expert & Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta Straight talk? If you’re 25, 65+ years old or anywhere in between and you’re still blaming your parents for a few (or many) things you believe are responsible for the condition of your life right now – then you’re totally on the wrong path. Now I’m not saying to discount any negative childhood messages or experiences. I’m definitely 100% an advocate for children who’ve been through trauma and I know what that means moving into adulthood. What I am saying is that when you reach the age of adulthood, it’s time to use your Read More
Quit Manipulating the People in Your Life
Quit Manipulating the People in Your Life
By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta “Me? Manipulative?! No way.” Before you assume this article is NOT about you, keep reading. We enter many of our conversations with desired outcomes. We want to get the project approved. Or land the big client. Or convince the rest of the family to choose the movie we want to see. Whatever it is, we infuse emotions as a tool to “manage” the course of our conversations. Many times, passion and enthusiasm can pave the road to positive results. But what happens if those conversation-managing emotions take a darker turn? I’m talking about Read More
Quit Allowing Yourself to Be Manipulated
Quit Allowing Yourself to Be Manipulated
By Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Oh, this topic is a doozy, but it’s universal. Everyone on the planet has come into contact with people who use manipulative emotions like hurt and anger to get their own way. Sometimes it’s obvious. Other times, interactions leave us blindsided by feelings of guilt or fear. No doubt about it, manipulative behavior can be powerful. It’s also a skill that gets tested and perfected from a very young age. I call it the “birth of a jerk” phase. Sounds harsh but stay with me here. Somewhere around three or four years old, kids begin testing Read More
Got Conflict? Start Using Assertive Communications
Got Conflict? Start Using Assertive Communications
by Connie Podesta, Hall of Fame Speaker In many of my keynote messages, I share with my audiences some facts about the psychology of human behavior—insights into why we do what we do, say what we say, and react the way we react. That’s handy information, because very few of us are flying solo through this world. We’re all interconnected. At work. At home. In our communities. If we want to get along and work effectively with other people (loved ones, friends, colleagues or neighbors), we need to learn how to be excellent communicators. Especially when we face conflict. And, quite frankly, Read More
Quit Listening to Employee Complaints
Quit Listening to Employee Complaints
by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Here’s a question for you. What are three words that make managers want to run the other way? Open Door Policy. The original intent of an “Open Door Policy” was to create a communication mechanism to ensure that employees would feel free to honestly discuss key issues without fear of retribution or, even worse, losing their jobs. In other words, not only would a leader’s door be open but, hopefully, so would their mind. However, over time that concept has expanded and become an excuse for some employees to also feel free to complain. About Read More
Quit Accepting Yourself as You Are
Quit Accepting Yourself as You Are
By Motivational Speaker Connie Podesta I know, I know. As a motivational keynote speaker, I can’t tell you how many times I hear the battle cry, “Just be YOU! Don’t change! You’re enough!” And yet, here’s my question: How's that REALLY working for you? Be honest now. Got the house you want? Car you want? Partner you want? Wealth you want? Body you want? Job you want? Happiness you want? Health you want? Peace you want? Confidence you want? Success you want? Then maybe – when it comes to getting what you want – just being YOU isn’t enough after all. Listen, I’m all about being your own Read More
Quit Searching for Happiness…
Quit Searching for Happiness…
That’s right. Cut it out. Too often we spend SO much time LOOKING for something to make us happy. Make us feel BETTER. Make us STRONGER. Make us more WHOLE. Guess what? It’s not OUT THERE. It’s right INSIDE you. Believe it or not you were born with all the key ingredients for happiness, success, strength and wholeness. Sometimes you’ve got to just dig down and find it. I’ve found that for a lot of people – the trick to that is to QUIT. Not give up, mind you, but rather to quit getting in your own way. Quit doubting. Quit over-analyzing. Quit sabotaging yourself. Quit denying Read More