By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta Bottom line? Communication starts from within. So much of how we react and interact with people comes from the “old tapes” we’re playing in our heads. Old negative connotations being attached to what’s happening in the right here and right now. Sometimes that’s healthy. Our intuition is there to help protect us from harm’s way. Sometimes, though, it’s not. It’s stemmed from old truths or limited beliefs that don’t serve us. You see this a lot in second marriages or new relationships. Many of us are dragging the ghosts of relationships past into Read More
Quit Allowing People to Sabotage You
Quit Allowing People to Sabotage You
By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta Nothing throws a wrench in a meeting like the sneers of passive-aggressive people. Sitting there, arms folded, huffing and puffing. But they never really say what’s bugging them. Ugh! The next move is yours, and it’s pretty clear-cut. If you don’t shut down that sabotaging behavior now, you’re basically giving them a free pass to be rude. They are getting away with it, and you’re letting them. The only solution is to take a stand—and take action. I know what you’re thinking now: “But Connie, I don’t like conflict.” I get it. Most people don’t. 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
Quit Talking So Much
Quit Talking So Much
By Communication Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Raise your hand if you’re a “talker”. I know I’ve been guilty of it. I remember as a kid, a teacher saying to me that I wouldn’t amount to much because I talked too much! Fortunately for me, I grew up to be a keynote speaker, so I learned to leverage that particular skill! As a former therapist and human relationship expert, I’ve also learned a whole lot since those school days about what connects us and what divides us as human beings. As leaders, spouses, partners, parents, friends – all of those roles require communication skills. In Read More
Quit SELLING from a Place of Desperation Rather Than Success
Quit SELLING from a Place of Desperation Rather Than Success
By Sales Keynote Speaker and Human Behavior Expert Connie Podesta Bottom line? People want to buy from salespeople who project confidence, not desperation. In the video below, I share two personal stories of my experience as a new speaker. The first, an occasion where I acted completely out of desperation and literally ended up spending more to get myself to the multi-day event than I made. The other was when I ignored the completely blank you’ve-got-no-bookings calendar in front of me and answered an event manager’s question to whether I was available in July with two very strong Read More
Quit Leading Everyone the Same
Quit Leading Everyone the Same
Avoiding the Leadership “Golden Rule” Trap by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Even those who appear to be remarkably humble and self-aware can fall for this one. As children, most of us were taught “the golden rule”: we should treat others the way we want to be treated. Definitely, a great mantra for life. The world needs more kindness and consideration. No arguments there. But as leaders, this deeply ingrained belief could be inadvertently reducing our effectiveness. Think about that for a moment. If we treat all of our team members the way we want to be treated, we Read More
Taking Care of Yourself is Smart Business
Taking Care of Yourself is Smart Business
A Leader-to-Leader Thought for the Day By Business Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta As leaders, we are aware that our employees will produce more. Sell more. Lead better. Collaborate easier. Increase production. And attract more customers when they are being positively supported, engaged, respected and encouraged. In other words, the better we are at creating and sustaining a healthy environment for our team, the healthier, happier, and more productive they will be. What we often forget, however, is that a healthy work/home environment always starts with a healthy Read More
CHANGE: It’s In Your DNA
CHANGE: It’s In Your DNA
Especially in Today’s World By Motivational Keynote Speaker and Human Behavior Expert Connie Podesta In my best-selling book 10 Ways to Stand Out From the Crowd, the first topic I tackle is CHANGE. That’s because it’s such a pivotal part of creating the life you really want. Change is scary, I get it. Our volatile world today is changing seemingly at the speed of light and we, as human beings, are desperately trying to do one of two things: embrace change and learn to adapt, or fight it with all that we have and stay stuck in the past. Since time most certainly will march on with or Read More
How to Get Out of Your Own Way
How to Get Out of Your Own Way
Life Totally Changes When You Do By Motivational Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta I recently made a Facebook post that went something like this: “So what's REALLY stopping you? From going for your dreams? Taking that trip? Taking care of yourself? Living life to the fullest? I can tell you what it is not - it's not someone else, something else, time or even money. We make happen what we make a priority. Isn't it time you moved yourself up the list of things that are IMPORTANT?” It was immediately followed by a volley of questions, messages, and emails from readers who wanted to know Read More
What I Discovered in the Nothingness…
What I Discovered in the Nothingness…
And How it’s Changed Everything By Motivational Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta This vacation was my best ever. I did nothing. We didn't sightsee. I didn't learn anything new. I didn't read anything non-fiction. I literally -- did nothing productive! I read a romance novel. Drank mint and cucumber water. Watched Netflix. Had a crunchy salad. Walked along the ocean. Meditated. Had a watermelon salad. Snuggled. Snacked. Watched the sunset. Had a great white wine. Walked some more. Ate wonderful seafood. Slept. And slept some more. Floated in the ocean. Had a fresh fruit smoothie. Got a Read More