Shining Spirit

12 years ago, Cindy Light emigrated from her native China to America not knowing a single person or how to speak a word of English. All she had were four simple things: one small suitcase, two hard working hands and a heart filled with American dreams. Today, she is a successful entrepreneur, a certified image consultant, a professional speaker, and the author of an upcoming book about Chinese culture and its business impact.

Chinese background

Cindy graduated at age 19 from Beijing University. She started her career as an assistant professor of philosophy in Hangzhou Business University. Then she become a marketing and PR director for a big company in Hong Kong. Later, she was hand-picked by the Chinese Government to be a policy consultant helping foreigners set up their business in China.

Life in the United States

Despite her impressive accomplishments in China, setting out in the U.S. not knowing a word of English was not easy. However, while growing up with her grandmother, a master-tailor in Shanghai, she learned how to sew and design clothes when she was only five years old.

In 1999, she started her first business “Cindy’s Sewing and Design Studio” at her home in Atlanta. She designed and hand-crafted suits, dresses, home decor and even matching outfits for people and their dogs! Her work quickly attracted discerning people in the South-East.

Next, with improving English skills, she started to teach sewing, design and dress-making classes in local fabric stores. Soon, she was invited by clubs, corporations, and organizations to teach people how to dress right for their business and personal life. She had a flair for suggesting how to put together a powerful, beautiful and professionally appropriate wardrobe without spending a fortune.

In 2007, Cindy was hired as a speaker for the Association of Image Consultants International Conference on the topic of Chinese culture and it’s business impact. She now plans a book on this topic.

Pro-Track Profile

Following her success as a speaker, Cindy found the National Speakers Association website.

In early 2008, she flew to San Francisco and attended an NSA/NC chapter meeting. She signed up for the Pro-Track program and commuted to the next three meetings from her home in Atlanta before relocating to Sausalito.

To here what she told me about her image consulting business and her three tips for Professional Speakers on how to dress for maximum impact, click on the podcast icon below.

(Cindy Light is a certified image consultant, professional speaker, and author of an upcoming book about Chinese culture and it’s business impact. She can be reached at 415-889-9399 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              415-889-9399      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or via email at LittleBigSmile@aol.com)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:54 — 1.6MB)

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Following a presentation on podcasting to the Saturday morning CPC Job Connections meeting I held a drawing for the name of a lucky job seeker who would like to be profiled in a podcast interview. Aaron was the name that was pulled out of the hat.

Coincidentally, he’s a writer as well as a blogger. Aaron currently blogs for AOL on personal finance while he continues to look for a full-time position as a writer or editor. He also writes his own blog Tales of an Unemployed Dad.

This podcast interview with Aaron is an example of publicizing your skills and background with a different vehicle than the written word (resumes, cover letters, websites, blogs). That’s soooo last century, right?

As the economy tanks, job seekers need to think differently to brand and market themselves. Podcasting is a low-cost, viable alternative.

Listen to Aaron describe his background and experience by clicking on the podcast icon below. If you are looking for a writer or editor (or know someone who is) and like what you hear, you can contact Aaron at aaron.crowe.consulting@gmail.com or by calling his cell phone: 925.482.5934.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:06 — 7.8MB)

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Doug is one of the leaders of a networking group in Danville, California called Job Connections. The purpose of the group is to support and encourage people as they search for employment. The group has over 2,100 members and requires new members to attend one meeting in person.

Job Connections meets at the Community Presbyterian Church in Danville, from 9AM – 11:30AM every Saturday. Attendees are treated to a free selection of breakfast pastries and coffee and guest speakers provide guidance regarding some aspect of a job search.

I first visited Job Connections in 2004 and on Saturday November 15th at 10:30am I’m presenting a class on podcasting as a branding and career tool to the 150+ attendees. To prepare for the class, I asked Doug about the history of Job Connections and what changes he’s seen so far this year.

To hear what he had to tell me, click on the podcast icon below.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:54 — 1.6MB)

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National Speakers Association member and writing maven, Linda Vanderwold, CSP impressed the audience at a recent chapter meeting with her high-impact presentation set-up. She made extensive use of PowerPoint to illustrate both her mind-mapping templates and the complexities of Sentence Aerobics and Target Editing.

Many presenters spend time with their back to the audience. They either write on a flip-chart or, more commonly, gesture at the screen, often resorting to those ghastly, geeky, red-dot laser pointers beloved of the pocket-protector crowd.

Not our Linda.

Advantages of stand-mounted Tablet PC’s

She used the combination of a Tablet PC mounted on a stand with pen-based digital ink technology to illustrate her training material – all while facing the audience.

Tablet PC’s fold the screen onto the keypad, display-side out. This allowed Linda to look down at the display on mounted at shoulder-height. She avoided having to look at the screen behind her. The robust tripod stand is similar to those court reporters use. But that’s not all. In addition, she had a wireless connection to a custom-configured projector able to handle what would otherwise be upside-down images.

But wait, there’s more!

The really cool part was the way she added handwritten notes onto slides to illustrate her talk. Think of the the old style foils instructors used to write on back in the 1990’s. This gave way to PowerPoint with endless ‘builds’ no-one could really manage or follow. Mindless automation – glitz for no reason. That’s so last century. Linda showcased the 21st Century alternative.

Overlaying the touch-screen with the PowerPoint slide is an electronic transparency and a pen that uses different colors and weights of ‘digital ink’.

Linda used the digital pen to highlight anything on the slide that she wanted to emphasize. She also used the pen and ink to take notes, record questions, or add comments. This is ideal for many instruction and training situations. PowerPoint is the foundation of the content but not the star of the show. The presenter is the active agent, in control, adding value. It’s hip, it’s seamless and it really wow’d the audience.

Kudos to Linda for being at the cutting-edge of technology.

Resources for Tablet PCs

References I’ve found include a report of a Lawrence University of Wisconsin professor using an HP Tablet to enhance learning. I also found this list of useful software that takes advantage of ink-based features.

Finally, these four slides from Microsoft on digital ink best practices are worth downloading.

Author Larina Kase’s latest book The Confident Leader: How the Most Successful People Go From Effective to Exceptional was published in August. Larina is currently conducting a ‘virtual book tour’ – instead of crossing the country in person she is appearing in a number of blogs. I’m pleased to report that today her tour brings her to Professionally Speaking.

I asked Larina to comment on the importance of confidence for today’s leaders and what it takes to be effective. We also focused in on the relevance of this for speakers and presenters.

Can we build confidence from career achievement?

We know from recent research that self-esteem and confidence are some of the most important predictors of career success and income, and that it doesn’t go the other way around—we can’t wait until we having a thriving career and hope that it increases our confidence. Instead, if we develop confidence, we’re more likely to have a thriving career.

Confidence does NOT necessarily come from achievement. It comes from how you interpret your actions. Two people can achieve the same level, and one feels great and proud of her process of getting there, and the other feels that they could have done better or worries if they’ll do as well the next time. (Guess who’s more confident?)

How can we stay effective in today’s economy?

As you know, the current economy is a challenging one and it will separate the true leaders from the simply effective people. The cream will rise to the top and they will be the ones who will be most competitive for the best jobs, clients, and other opportunities.

Ironically, in tough times, most people become LESS exceptional. They get scared. They retreat into their comfort zones. They seek security and play it safe. They want to blend in and fly under the radar. They are afraid to accept responsibility for things that don’t go well. They do not step up as leaders.

You must avoid this temptation! These things will keep you in the average zone (or worse) and keep you from being exceptional and presenting your best.

What are 5 ways to make yourself exceptional to stand out in a tough market?

• Become an expert. Pick one aspect of your work and make yourself an expert in it, such as “the woman who gracefully handles difficult customers”. This makes you invaluable.
• Speak in specifics. Market the results of your work by highlighting outcomes and data. This type of self-marketing delivers value without coming across as self-promotional.
• Tell stories. Stories engage others and make you memorable. Show your value by telling the success stories of your clients or customers.
• Step up as the leader. During fearful times you’re tempted to fly under the radar, but this makes you dispensable. Instead, pick a project you are qualified to lead and take charge.
• Take ownership. When you’re anxious, fear of failure increases and you don’t want to be blamed for problems. Unfortunately responsibility-shirking undermines your confidence in yourself and others’ trust in you.

Why do we know what we need (and even want to do) but we don’t do it?

High-achieving types are great consumers of knowledge. We always want to learn more and be our best, but most of the time we struggle with turning our knowledge into action. There are many reasons for this, including:

• The timing isn’t right
• We don’t have the right support or other resources
• We aren’t committed to making the change
• We don’t yet have the skills to successfully take action

These reasons can be legitimate and important to consider and manage, or they can be excuses. The #1 reason that we don’t take action is fear. We doubt ourselves and get paralyzed with indecision. When fear is active, these reasons all feel very legitimate, when in reality they are not important.

The key, then, is to critically evaluate your readiness to take action when you are not feeling particularly anxious about the change. If you need to address these factors, do so, and while you have momentum, start taking action!

What role do public speaking and presentation skills and confidence in front of an audience play in someone being a Confident Leader?

Communication skills are crucial for Confident Leadership. Formal presentation skills (speaking before an audience) are critical, as is the ability to think on your feet and spontaneously answer questions and make decisions, and the ability to have casual conversations where you connect to others.

Without strong communication it is impossible to influence others with your ideas.

The most important aspect of communication for Confident Leadership is your nonverbal skills. It’s not what you say as much as how you say it. Your nonverbal skills include body language (facial expression, posture, eye contact) as well as your voice tone (does it sound warm, powerful?), speed (fast enough to have energy but slow enough to be clear), volume (is it sufficiently loud without being overpowering?), and articulation (do you slur your words together?).

Communication is in the eye of the beholder, so it’s important that your nonverbal communication resonate with those with whom you’re speaking. For example, if your audience is high energy salespeople, you need to mirror this energy level with a louder voice and faster pace.

Leaders’ emotions are contagious to others. If a leader is nervous, others will feel uncomfortable. This is why it is so important that leaders have authentic confidence, while presenting, while having conversations, and in all situations.

What makes some executives ‘Exceptional’ communicators and others not so?

Executives who are exceptional communicators (and are seen as others to be charismatic) have strong empathy and listening skills. Their empathy allows them to take the emotional temperature of their colleagues, employees, and customers, and respond accordingly.

Confident leaders recognize when others are uncomfortable or apprehensive and then ask questions to truly understand the issues. They are able to then help to create real resolutions rather than band-aid solutions.

In order to have and use empathy skills, you must possess an interest and curiosity in others as well as a desire to help them maximize their potential. Without empathy, people feel you don’t “get” them and then they resist your influence. Empathy puts you on the same page, makes others feel understood, and makes others want to listen to you and follow your ideas.

Empathy relates to charisma because we perceive people to be charismatic based on how they make us feel. If we feel that they’re genuinely curious and interested in us, our perception of their charisma goes up. When people lack confidence, it is more difficult for them to be empathic and listen well because they will be in their own heads, thinking of what they are going to say next, and trying to appear confident to make up for how they truly feel.

Is your new book The Confident Leader just for leaders?

It’s really about personal leadership – being the leader in your career, business, community, and life. It’s for the person who wants to take charge, push their own boundaries, surprise themselves with what they are actually capable of, and make a real difference in the world. You can get the book, plus lots of bonuses at http://www.ConfidentLeaderBook.com. If you get the book before November 10th, you can attend a telesummit where I’ll interview business leaders like Dan Pink and Joe Vitale at no charge.

NSA/NC Meeting Report: Saturday November 1, 2008

Over 75 members and guests of the Northern California Chapter of the National Speakers Association attended Saturday’s meeting at the Burlingame Hyatt. The meeting theme was ‘Telling it like it is – selling it like it is’.

Selling it like it is

National President Sam Silverstein, CSP brought his No More Excuses approach to an interactive session.

Sam’s marketing and sales expertise focused a wide-ranging discussion on:

• How to get the most value out of NSA?
• How to pick a niche market?
• How to best invest time and resources in our speaking business?
• What’s the effect of changes in the economy and technology?

Sam used a powerful conceptual framework illustrated with a Venn diagram of three equilateral triangles to show how we can position ourselves for success:

• What are you GOOD at? Avoid the common mistake of not valuing this.
• What do you LOVE?
• How do you make MONEY?

The point where these three overlap is your ‘Power Core’. It’s bounded by knowing WHAT you deliver of value to customers; WHO you deliver to and HOW you deliver products and services.

For NSA members, the #1 thing you deliver is a speech. Simply record this to make an audio file and deliver a CD, then transcribe it and deliver an article or booklet. Multiple streams of income follow.

Sam recommended we read The E-myth Revisted

Telling it like it is

NSA/NC member Linda Vanderwold, CSP delivered two presentations which showed how to develop content that tells it like it is.

As a professional speechwriter, I found her material incredibly useful.

Her first session detailed the value of mind map diagrams. Many people use free-form mind-mapping on a blank sheet of paper. Others invest in high-tech mind-mapping software.

Linda has structured a mid-tech solution. She’s developed a series of templates to use either in hard-copy or an a PowerPoint file. These VanWrite Maps allow us to write less and say more.

This example enables us to set priorities – choose a menu for each day of the week; plan a vacation or list items to pack

There’s a series of maps available for free download.

I’ll make use of Linda’s mind-maps to plan my next writing assignment and FAX the outline in map form to the client for instant verification that the project is on the right track.

As good as Linda’s morning session was, the afternoon session blew me away altogether. It also made it a challenge to write this blog entry! (Checked with the trial version of the Sentence Aerobics software.)

Linda took us through her unique Sentence Aerobics system which is the core of her VanWrite method. This is based on actual business documents, not academic theory. Linda conducted primary research to define “strong” and “weak” business writing. Then she “bottled” her observations in objective, measurable fashion, and formulated a very easy-to-take cure for the business communicator’s headache.

Her presentation, full of humor and sparkling wit, kept those who stayed wanting more.

Oops, I meant to write:

Her humorous and witty presentation kept those who stayed wanting more.

Thanks Linda!

BiztechDay attracted over 500 small business owners and entrepreneurs to the San Francisco Hilton on a sunny October Saturday.

Attendees heard from a wide range of keynote speakers, content experts and panelists about ways to grow their business using the power of the Internet & Web 2.0 tools.

The event opened with Tim Ferriss, lifestyle design author of The 4-Hour Workweek who was interviewed by event organizer Edith Yeung. The afternoon keynote was Blendtec marketing genius George Wright – the guy who invested $50 in a viral marketing campaign that created the Will It Blend? YouTube videos seem by millions. The closing keynote was Scott Helferman, founder of Meetup.com.

Break-out sessions covered everything from social networks to on-demand magazine publishing; viral marketing to email; video to podcasting.

I asked people what business they were in and what brought them to the event. To hear what some of the 500 had to say, click on the podcast icon below to hear the voices of BiztechDay.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:40 — 1.1MB)

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Paul has an excellent post about the lack of coverage of the current economic crisis in many corporate blogs.

Corporate blogs blather while markets tumble shows just how unresponsive many in corporate communications are to the real news in the world. After reviewing a wide range of Fortune 100 company blogs for comments on the current crisis, he concludes:

My point isn’t to ridicule these companies as much as it is to demonstrate how far we still have to go in achieving the culture of openness that new media enables. Here was an opportunity for some of America’s most respected corporations to offer guidance and thought leadership to frightened consumers. Instead, most have chosen to serve up the same old happy-talk mush they’ve delivered for years. That’s their right, but that isn’t leadership.

These are historic times that offer businesses the chance to break through the noise and do something daring and different. So far, corporate America has fumbled the opportunity. Perhaps, as the economic picture becomes clearer, some will start talking with their customers instead of marketing at them.

Has anyone seena Fortune 100 company blog which does cover the crisis?

A nice quick overview of podcasting from Justin Allen at Ragan Communications. Check it out.

Members of the National Speakers Association (NSA) have long admired professional speaking coach Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE – one of the premier executive speech coaches in the world. She has teamed with her equally famous brother, Robert Fripp – the founding and on-going member of rock legends King Crimson. He has collaborated with, and contributed to, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Blonde, and Brian Eno. In fact, Rolling Stone magazine named Robert Fripp 42 among the top 100 guitarists of all time. As much as Robert is internationally-known for his brilliance with the guitar…he is a superb and entertaining speaker. Robert is as eloquent a speaker as he is a master performer.

Patricia and Robert have developed a wonderful program ‘How to Be a Hero on and off the Platform, from Beginner to Mastery in Business, Performance, and Life’ which teaches:

• Differences between the reliable professional and an exceptional professional
• How to learn your instrument and performing simultaneously
• Why Universal Principles beat rules and laws
• Specific steps to accomplish your goals
• Habits to develop for personal and career success
• Communication styles to model for your own conversations and presentations.

The Fripp’s are taking their show on the road, to Seattle on November 8, Los Angeles on November 9 and Phoenix on November 11.

Well worth registering if you are in the area.