Category: Productions

What to do when You Face Massive Change, High Stakes—and a 70% Failure Rate

When (ret. Lt. Col.) Richard Santiago stepped into the role of CFO at the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command ...

Your Leadership Style in One Word—What Is It

DISC. Strength finders. Enneagram. We’ve all taken leadership assessments of one sort of other, and gotten our defining labels. But ...

How to Create the Perfect Sound Bite

Years ago, when I was still a student, I attended the grand opening of a gourmet cheese and charcuterie shop ...

What If it’s All in Your Head?

Sometimes change happens so quickly it seems like magic. Last week I went for a 4-day NLP (neurolinguistic programming) certification ...

How Much is One Minute of Silence Worth?

“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” — Mark ...

The Most Important Step You’re Scared to Take

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky Whether you're trying to climb the ladder in ...

Can You Change Your Voice? And Should You?

One of the most common complaints I hear is, “I hate the sound of my own voice on recordings! Can ...

Why Did It Take 3x Longer Than Expected?

This past weekend, I finally tackled something I’ve been procrastinating for far too long: I bought a standing desk. It’s ...

Angelo J. Valletta: Concise Communication, Empathy and Servant Leadership

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Angelo J Valletta, CEO of Ben Franklin Technology Partners, about leadership communication and ...

Dr. Sarah Combs – Univ Area Communi Dev. Corp.: Getting Community Buy-In

Dr. Sarah Combs, CEO of University Area Community Development Corporation, shares her insights on the importance of active listening and ...

Misty Davis, CMO Circana: The Power of Authentic Communication

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Misty Davis, the Chief Marketing Officer of Circana. They discuss the importance of ...

Liz Ross, Shift Paradigm: The Power of Having a Point of View

In this conversation, Liz Ross, CEO of Shift Paradigm, discusses the importance of transparency within a framework in leadership communication. ...

Kate McQuade – VP Marketing at P360: Effective Team Collaboration and Dynamics

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Kate McQuade, the Vice President of Marketing at P360, a life sciences SaaS ...

Blessed with a Do-Over? How to Make it Count

Sometimes the universe blesses us with a second chance—even a second chance to make a stronger first impression. If that ...

Do You Inspire or Just Inform?

The role of an executive in any organization, especially the chief executive, is to have a vision and be able ...

Reed Phillips – Oaklins DeSilva + Phillips: Mastering the Art of Win-Win Negotiations

Reed Phillips, CEO of Oaklins De Silva and Phillips, shares insights on leadership communication and lessons learned from his career ...

Richard Blank – CRCC – Building Rapport: Getting to Know Your Team

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Richard Blank, the CEO of Costa Rica's Call Center, about the importance of ...

Ekaterina (Katie) Curry, Millennial Specialty Insurance: Precision, Timing, and Advocacy

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Ekaterina (Katie) Curry, the Managing Director of Millennial Specialty Insurance. They discuss various ...

How to Clearly State Your Own Value

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola discusses the importance of crafting a clear and compelling elevator pitch. She deconstructs several ...

Patrick Lencioni, The Table Group: Unleashing the Six Types of Working Genius

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Six ...

Jeffrey Orlando, Bristol Myers Squibb: Simplifying Messages – The Rule of Three

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Jeff Orlando, the Chief Learning Officer for Bristol Myers Squibb, about leadership communication. ...

Martha Sharkey: Letting Go as a Sign of Strength

Martha Sharkey, founder and CEO of Today Is a Good Day, shares her experience in nonprofit leadership and the mission ...

Dr. Laura Sicola: What’s Your Executive Communication IQ?

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola discusses the importance of measuring and improving executive presence and leadership communication. She introduces ...

STI 208 – Jane Boulware – Author of “Worthy” and retired Microsoft Exec: Worthy

In this episode, Jane Boulware, author of Worthy: From Cornfields to Corner Office of Microsoft, shares her journey from rural ...

Jeff Wetzler, Transcend: Curiosity and Reinventing School

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Jeff Wetzler, co-founder and co-CEO of Transcend, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming ...

Amy Bernstein, Harvard Business Review: Motivate, Don’t Micromanage

In this compelling episode, Amy Bernstein, esteemed editor at Harvard Business Review, delves into the nuances of leadership communication and ...

What if it Really IS Life or Death?

A pet peeve of mine is that there are far too many things marked “urgent” in life, (especially email,) whether labeled ...

Dr. Robert Cavagnol, St. Luke’s Hospital: Listening, Advocating, and Admitting Mistakes

In this episode, Dr. Robert Cavagnol, President of St. Luke's Clinic, shares insights on communication and leadership. He emphasizes the ...

Marian Baldini – Kencrest: Leading a 90-Day Miracle

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Marian Baldini, the CEO and president of Kencrest, a human services and early ...

Jason Scott – 120VC: Winning Teams and Effective Leadership

In this episode of Speaking To Influence, Dr. Laura Sicola engages in a captivating conversation with Jason Scott, CEO of ...

Eric Watkins – Abstrakt Marketing: Effective Communication

In this episode of Speaking To Influence, Dr. Laura Sicola engages in a captivating conversation with Eric Watkins, President at ...

Ian Wendt of Jaguar Health: Being Coachable

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Ian Wendt, the Chief Commercial Officer at Jaguar Health. They discuss various topics ...

What Podcasting Taught Me about Leadership, Communication and Influence

In this 200th episode of “Speaking to Influence”, Dr. Laura Sicola reflects on the lessons she has learned from podcasting ...

Ashley Sardjoe: Presence, Risk, and Results: Communication Secrets for the Modern Leader

Ashley Sardjoe shares his journey, emphasizing the importance of being present, embracing mistakes, and clear communication during change. He highlights ...

Ngozi Okeh – Driving Business Success through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Ngozi Okeh, the global head of DEI at NextRoll, a marketing tech company. ...

Dan Bradbury: The Three Commandments for Success: Connect, Understand, and Know Your Numbers

Laura welcomes Dan Bradbury to the show where he shares his three commandments for success and enhancing confidence, presence, and ...

Katie Bussing of Springfield Clinic: Pulse Check – A Tool for Organizational Strategy, Communication to Stakeholders, and Receiving Feedback from Your Team

Katie Bussing, Chief Human Resources officer of Springfield Clinic, is Laura’s guest this week on Speaking to Influence. Katie shares ...

When is it Time to Burn the Ships?

Ten years ago, I had a decision to make that would have major professional and personal repercussions. While building my ...

Skip Howard of Spacee: Transparency, Triumph, and Taking Risks

Laura welcomes Skip Howard, Founder of Spacee, to this episode of Speaking to Influence. Skip talks about a time when ...

Glenn Hofmann of New York Life Insurance: Busting A.I. Myths

Glenn Hofmann, Chief Analytics Officer of New York Life Insurance, is our guest on the newest episode of Speaking to ...

Luke Billeri of Member’s Choice Credit Union: The Art of Adaptive Communication

On this week’s episode of ‘Speaking to Influence,’ Luke Billeri, president and CEO of Member’s Choice Credit Union tells Laura ...

Scott Miller of YESLY Water: Cultivating a ‘We’ Culture

Scott Miller is the guest on this week’s episode of Speaking to Influence. The Co-Founder and CEO of YESLY Water ...

Vivian Wesson of The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church: The Power of Small Gestures

In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola and guest Vivian Wesson explore the importance of curiosity over judgment in inclusive conversations, ...

Johann Wrede of Emburse: The Power of Experience

Joining Laura on this week’s episode of ‘Speaking to Influence’ is Johann Wrede, Chief Experience Officer at Emburse. Johann shares ...

Dr. Laura Sicola: The Big Reveal

Happy New Year! Dr. Laura Sicola is back with Part II: The Big Reveal. In this episode, she unveils her ...

Sneak Peek – What’s Even Better than VIP?

Dr. Laura Sicola: Sneak Peek- What’s Even Better than VIP? This week, join Dr. Laura Sicola for Part I of ...

Clate Mask of Keap: When It’s Time to Stop Trying to Persuade

On this week’s episode of Speaking to Influence, join Clate Mask, CEO of Keap Small Business Automation, as he tells ...

Dr. Shanil Ebrahim of Deloitte: From Clinical Epidemiologist to Consultant: Navigating Impact, Branding, and Leadership

Laura welcomes Dr. Shanil Ebrahim, Partner at Deloitte Canada, where he shares how he learned how to stop using layers ...

Anu Muralidharan of Expensify: A Human ‘Swiss-Army Knife’

This week on ‘Speaking to Influence,’ Dr. Laura is joined by COO of Expensify, Anu Muralidharan, where Anu shares how ...

Paul Comfort of Modaxo & Transit Unplugged: Leadership Triumphs in Transportation: Navigating Crisis, Building Respect, and Fostering Passion

We welcome Paul Comfort of Modaxo and Transit Unplugged to this week’s episode of Speaking to Influence where he shares ...

Melissa Schoger of Avery Dennison: “Navigating Mixed Messages: A Finance VP’s Journey to Clarity and Collaboration”

On this week’s episode, Melissa Schoger, Vice President of Finance for Identification Solutions and Vestcom at Avery Dennison talks with ...

When They Found the Courage to Speak Up

It’s not something I frequently get the chance to do, but this was a rare opportunity to watch a client ...

Do You Have the Courage to Lead Through Uncertain Times?

Do you simply have the courage to lead? In this post: Discover powerful ways to overcome fear and uncertainty when ...

Chantal Capodicasa of TD Bank: Speak Up!

Laura welcomes Senior Vice President of TD Bank, Chantal Capodicasa, to talk about how she found the courage to speak ...

Charlie Saffro of CS Recruiting: Asking the Right Questions

Our newest episode of Speaking to Influence features Charlie Saffro, CEO and Founder of CS Recruiting, who talks about the ...

Communication Challenges: Did You Miss the Big Question?

Communication challenges- did you miss the big question? Key takeaways: Recognizing the cultural differences important to marketing- How assumptions about ...

Ossa Fisher of Aurora Tech: Listen First

Joining Laura on this week’s episode is Ossa Fisher, President of Aurora Innovation, where Ossa shares the multi-faceted pow rapport-building ...

What Happens if You Say ‘No’?

What happens if you say “no?” Do you remember the old Staples television commercial with the “EASY” button? People would ...

Erik Ryan of Iron Mountain: The Power of ‘No’

This week’s episode of Speaking to Influence is with guest Erik Ryan, Senior Vice President and CFO of Iron Mountain, ...

Would You Have Passed the Test?

This is one of those sticky subjects that people (and companies) love to espouse as a core value… until a ...

Mary Ellen Harris of Kreischer Miller: Shifting Paradigms in Corporate Culture Through Respect, Vulnerability, and Integrity

Laura sits down with Mary Ellen Harris, Chief Human Resources Officer at Kreischer Miller, to discuss how she is shifting ...

Laura Liotta of Sam Brown Healthcare and Communications Agency: Unveiling Truths in Healthcare PR: Celebrity Myths, Client Collaboration, and Patient Voices

Laura is joined this week by Laura Liotta, President of Sam Brown Healthcare and Communications Agency, where they discuss misconceptions ...

Chris Hall of Stacuity: Silencing the Skeptics

This week,Chris Hall, Chairman and Co-Founder of Stacuity Ltd. describes thechallenges of being a small startup grappling with geographical bias ...

Matt Kraft of Mosaic Learning: Whether Human or AI – It’s All About Connection

This week, Matt Kraft, COO of Mosaic Learning, discusses how he rallied his team through a 17-hour marathon to overcome ...

Dr. Richard Santiago from the U.S. Army: Being a Change Agent When the Odds are Against You

On this week’s episode we are honored to have Dr. Richard Santiago, CFO of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security ...

Smitha Murthy of Beagle Security: A Leader Who Lifts Up

Joining Laura this week is Smitha Murthy, CEO of Beagle Security. Smitha shares the steps she took to build rapport ...

Chris Hood of CH Digital: Lessons Learned from Google Culture

This week, Chris Hood of CH Digital and former Head of Digital Strategy at Google discusses the lessons he learned ...

Who is Lucky to Have Whom?

Meredith was burned out after nearly a decade in a toxic corporate culture. She wanted out, and she wanted a ...

Nathan Beckord of Founder Suite and Funding Stack: Cracking the Code to Successful Fundraising

Nathan Beckord of Founder Suite and Funding Stack: Cracking the Code to Successful Fundraising This week, Nathan Beckord shares with ...

Jacob Baadsgaard of Disruptive Advertising: What Do You Value The Most?

This week, Jacob Baadsgaard shares with us how he made the change to a values based business. In this episode ...

Dr. Mark Wilkinson, Vocal Expert: Your Voice Matters

This week, Dr. Mark Wilkinson will share with us various ways that preparing our voice can help lead to a ...

Lisa DiPaolo of Karyopharm Therapeutics: Qualities of a Senior Leader

This week, Lisa DiPaolo shares with us the qualities that she looks for when hiring someone for a senior leadership ...

Ellen Gallagher Chief Operating Officer, Wilkes University – Matching Your Message: Adapting Your Style for Maximum Influence

In this episode of the “Speaking to Influence”, Dr. Laura Sicola spends time with Ellen Gallagher, Chief Operations Officer at ...

Jennifer Krippner from the Institute for Healthcare Excellence – Transforming Organizational Culture and Building Strong Relationships

In this episode of the “Speaking to Influence”, Dr. Laura Sicola spends time with Jennifer Krippner, Chief Experience Officer at ...

Aïcha Ly from Opensignal – Effectively Communicating Even in Difficult Conversations

In this episode of the “Speaking to Influence”, Dr. Laura Sicola talks with Aïcha Ly, Head of Consumer Insights at ...

Dr. Bill Auxier, President and CEO of the Center for Rural Health Leadership – Building Effective Leadership

In this episode of the “Speaking to Influence”, Dr. Laura Sicola chats with Dr. Bill Auxier, President and CEO of ...

Chrissy McGarry of Second Front Systems – Leadership and Vulnerability

Description: In this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola interviews Chrissy McGarry, the COO of Second Front Systems, a national security software ...

Kari Schneider of Empowered: Self Mastery for Optimal Performance

This week, Kari Schneider shares with us how as a coach of an Olympic Gold Winning team she has used ...

How to Avoid “Zoom Fatigue”

Are You Suffering from Zoom Fatigue? Now that you're on video conference calls all day, are you suffering from “Zoom ...

Dr. Jennie Byrne, “The Power of Synchrony”

Dr. Jennie Byrne shares with us the neuroscience of virtual platforms and how we can find synchrony as well as ...

Kevin Nolan, CEO of Nolan Painting, Inc. “Living Deliberately”

In this episode Kevin shares his company’s “painting promise” which they have had in place for 25 years. This promise ...

Karen Mangia, President & CSO of the Engineered Innovation Group, “Sustaining Success.”

This week, Karen Mangia shares with us how sustaining success begins with defining what success means to us individually and ...

Can You Be the Best in the World?

To my own surprise, I’ve managed to achieve a number of things I never thought would be possible, most of ...

Chris Krimitsos Chief Creative Officer of Podfest, Chris Krimitsos of Podfest, Two Time Guinness World Record Holder

This week, Chris Krimitsos shares with us how he created a record breaking podcast event and the steps that led ...

Chris Hare CEO of PRTI Inc., “How to Solve a 180 Year Old Problem”

This week, Chris Hare shares with us how he and his team are working to solve a 180 year old ...

Matt Iseman of American Ninja Warrior, “Be Authentic, Be Who You Are”

This week, Matt Iseman shares how he made his journey from an Ivy League education and medical degree to being ...

Do You Have What It Takes to be an Intra-preneur?

One of my favorite TED talks is Angela Lee Duckworth’s Grit: the Power of Passion and Perseverance. Grit, as Duckworth ...

Dina Pokedoff, Senior Vice President of Kuehne + Nagel: Grit and Resilience

This week, Dina Pokedoff shares how as the first SVP of Communications in North America for a company with over ...

Mike Massaro CEO of Flywire: Successfully Setting the Narrative

This week, Mike Massaro shares how important it is to set the narrative. Mike’s quote was, “If you don’t set ...

Damon D’Amore Founder of Legacy Mentor: Storytelling for Stakeholders

This week, Damon D’Amore shares how he went from a successful Hollywood producer to helping C-Suite executives on areas of ...

150th Anniversary of Speaking to Influence with Dr. Nasser Khan of Acadia Healthcare

This week Laura is celebrating the 150th episode of Speaking to Influence. Dr Nasser Khan shares what he and his ...

Kurt Luidhardt, Co-Founder of the Prosper Group. “Be Clear”

This week Kurt Luidhardt shares how critical it is that you know who the decision makers are when you are ...

Dave Scopinich of Audacy: Framing Your Pitch for Success

This week Dave Scopinich shares how radio reaches almost 90 percent of all Americans (he shared that the source was ...

Christine Proffitt, Executive Vice President of Sales at Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc.: Be Prepared

This week, Christine Proffitt shares how it is her mission to provide people with the opportunity to become the best ...

Yesi Morillo, Senior Vice President at Citibank: Stay Ready!

This week, Yesi Morillo shares the importance of staying ready to take advantage of opportunities so that you are prepared ...

Giving Back and Making a Difference

In this week’s episode, Retired FDNY Battalion Chief John LaBarbera of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation board shares with Laura ...

Humor and Executive Presence

This week, Laura discusses the importance of humor and executive presence. Laura shares her tips for adding “fun” to your ...

How to Inspire in Uncertain Times Part 2

This week in the second part of a podcast episode discussing how to deal with uncertain times as both the ...

Honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and His Timeless Communication Expertise Part Two

This is Part Two the first two part podcast by Dr. Laura Sicola and Vocal Impact Productions, Laura is joined ...

Honoring Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and His Timeless Communication Expertise Part One

This week in the first two part podcast by Dr. Laura Sicola and Vocal Impact Productions, Laura is joined by ...

How to Finish Strong in 2022

At the end of every year, we all have an important decision to make. We can look back on ...

Is This Your Theme Song This Week?

The first time I heard it, I cracked up. It was 1986 and dad and I were in the car ...

Peter Joniec of the Jonus Group: Managing Expectations and Trusting Your Team

This week Peter Joniec explores the steps he’s taken to help build a successful company and the communication strategies critical ...

How Do You Create the Greatest Value?

About a mile from my house there’s a big ol’ pothole in the road. The first time I hit it ...

Charles Stiles – President, Mystery Shopper Services: Independent Contractors & Maintaining a Positive Influence

Navigating the needs of a team of independent contractors requires clarity and simplicity. This week Charles Stiles shares how he ...

A Real-Time Case Study on What (Not) to Say

I can tell the holidays are coming by the growing number of catalogs and sales circulars in my mailbox each ...

How to be the Conductor of Your Team’s Orchestra

I’ve always been jealous of my cousin Dana’s voice. She’s a classically trained singer with the Washington Choral Arts Society ...

How to Make People Want to Listen to You

Although I speak regularly in front of audiences from all walks of life, yesterday I found myself uncharacteristically nervous before ...

What to Ask For From a Mentor

Sometimes I wonder what God’s voice would sound like. Fortunately Hollywood has given us countless versions to sample over the ...

Leigh Marz and Justin Zorn: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise

There’s tension in silence, but so much to learn. This week Leigh Marz and Justin Zorn share why we feel ...

How to Make Your Audience Trust You

Before moving to Philadelphia over 20 years ago(!), I spent a few years teaching English (as a “foreign” language) at ...

Milena Lanz, Maternal Child & Health Consortium: Conversations for Long-Term Client Relationships

Creating an impact requires a coordinated effort with many levels of communication and trust. Milena Lanz understands this challenge and ...

How to Make Others See Your Point of View

“Diplomacy is the art of letting others have your way.” – Daniele Vare When my older son (technically my ...

Jeannine Lisitski – Executive Director, Women Against Abuse: Commitment & Long-Term Change

On this episode of Speaking to Influence, Jeannine Lisitski discusses how her organization focuses on fostering personal commitment to create ...

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A Special Thanks for Veterans Day

This week is a special week as I have two exciting things to share. First, in honor of Veterans' Day ...

FAQs for Conferences on Video

In the past few weeks I've been running a series of webinars for different organizations on how to look and ...

The Persuasive Power Tool of Debate Eight

Whereas President Trump’s state of the union address relied on hyperbole and superlatives as I described here, Friday’s Democratic primary ...

It’s NOT About Policy: What does Winning Sound Like?

Last night was Round 3 of the Democratic Primary Debates, with ten qualified candidates in the running. Each candidate had ...

The Two-Letter Word That Destroys Productive Discussion

One thing I’ve learned over the years is how to take critical comments with a grain (or sometimes a pound) ...

3 Key Messaging Lessons Dems Haven’t Learned from 2016

Last night was the kickoff to the 2020 Presidential Election

Why You Should Speak Like a Leader

If someone asked you what you thought were the most important qualities in a leader, what you say? If you’re ...

The 4-Word Secret to Confident Public Speaking

I work with a lot of clients on a wide variety of skill sets. For many, the primary focus is ...

Dodge the conflict… not the issue

Nobody likes conflict, but here's how to resolve conflict without combat.

Listen Different

There are many different communication styles, but if you don't know what to listen for, you might be missing the most important information.

Knowing When to STOP Talking

Usually I work with people to find the best verbal strategy, approach or delivery to get through to their audience ...

Turning a Faux Pas into a Win

The other day I was doing a training on leadership communication for a large client in the communication technology industry. ...

Dads: Raise your daughter to be a CEO

Father’s Day is coming up, so in the spirit of honoring the male role models in our lives, I’d like ...

Giving Back

Sometimes the most powerful messages are communicated not by what you say, but by what you do. Especially when you ...

Featured!

Featured! 8 Public Speaking Tips From The Best TEDx Speakers I don't know about you but I love quick and ...

“A Game of Inches”: Leadership on Any Given Monday

“A Game of Inches”: Leadership on Any Given Monday Recently, my family decided to watch Any Given Sunday, the 1999 ...

Trump-ing the Language of Leadership

Trump-ing the Language of Leadership Nowadays everyone seems to be talking about the bilateral race for nomination as the Republican ...

Giving a “Talk” vs. a “Speech”: Top 5 Talk Tips for 2016

Giving a “Talk” vs. a “Speech”: Top 5 Talk Tips for 2016 Recently I had the opportunity to share some ...

Mules, Tourists and Converts: Know Your Audience!

Mules, Tourists and Converts: Know Your Audience! 11/11/2015 Two years ago, I found myself in very uncommon and uncomfortable territory: ...

Happy Women’s Equality Day!

Happy Women's Equality Day! August 26, 2015, was Women's Equality Day, and this year marks the 95th anniversary of that ...

Podcast on Your Authentic Voice in Business

Podcast on Your Authentic Voice in Business Hi everyone! I’m excited to be the featured guest on J V Crum ...

Milestone: 1 Million Views on my TEDx Talk!

Milestone: 1 Million Views on my TEDx Talk! Today I'm celebrating a milestone I'd like to share with you: My ...

Today, April 16th, is World Voice Day!

Today, April 16th, is World Voice Day! It's an opportunity to celebrate the amazing instrument that connects us to virtually ...