Lisa Gates

Don’t you want to build credibility instantly with potential clients? Your coaching or business have helped dozens of clients reach their goals. You’ve delivered real results and changed lives. But when potential clients visit your website or social profiles, do they see proof of those transformations, or just promises of what you could help them achieve? I just saw a great Linkedin post from Avital Eusgeld who shared a glowing testimonial. (Check it out!) Avigal helps founders post-exit, creators, industry experts, and thought leaders discover the essence of who they are and share it with the world in the most powerful way possible. Avital posted that she loved reading client testimonials.  Not because she was ”looking for an ego-boost”, rather “To show me whether my personal brand is landing the way I want it to.” We got to see the testimonial. We got to see Avital’s success first hand!! Many coaches and businesses miss the opportunity to turn client success into compelling evidence that attracts new business. Without concrete examples of your impact, prospects struggle to justify your fees and hesitate to commit. Meanwhile, coaches who effectively showcase client wins find their services in high demand, their sales conversations shorter, and their prices questioned less. One of my clients shared with me that after seeing my concrete outcomes that others have achieved,  that my fee was considered by him an INVESTMENT rather than an expense. Client testimonials and case studies work harder than any other marketing tool in your arsenal. They provide authentic validation of your coaching approach and demonstrate real outcomes, not just theoretical benefits. Of course the client has to agree to you publicsizing your work together. Sometimes I have a client who wants our work together to be private and as much as I would love to share their success- I can't. Third-party validation carries significantly more weight than self-promotion. When you claim you’re an excellent coach, prospects may be skeptical. When a client says the same thing, people believe it. Testimonials reveal how you actually work with clients, beyond general descriptions on your website. They highlight your methods, communication style, and the experience of working with you. When prospects see themselves reflected in your client stories, they form powerful emotional connections. They think, “That person was where I am now, and they got where I want to go.” In the end they serve as trust signals that tell potential clients they’re making a safe choice by working with you. What are your thoughts about client testimonials? #presentationskills #publicspeakingcoaching

29

12 Comments

Storytelling is the most powerful tool to persuade people and win them over. Nancy Duarte, presentation design guru, explains the science behind storytelling in this excerpt from our recent conversation. #storytelling #presentationskills

18

1 Comment

The noisiest silent killer of trust and productivity: unclear communication. And miscommunication costs you far more than money. In this episode of the Joyosity Podcast, I show you how to move beyond noise and cultivate real clarity so your team doesn’t simply hear you—you've created shared meaning. A story about a high-heeled shoe and packed with data, you’ll learn how to stop assumptions from derailing progress and turn conversations into engines of trust, alignment, and joy. 🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!

21

11 Comments

What does it mean to respect yourself & others? Listen as social entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author Marcy Syms shares insights from her latest book Leading with Respect. Marcy believes respect is a missing ingredient in today’s workplace (and in many of our relationships) and what we can do about it. Listen on: 🎙️YouTube: https://lnkd.in/g7sXX8JF 🎙️Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gjVY9Xgz 🎙️Apple: https://lnkd.in/gSwgWDya 🎙️Website: https://lnkd.in/gS8Y4CX4 Marcy Syms #Respect #thoughtechoes

3

Most book launches fail before the book is even written Not because the content is bad. Not because the author isn’t smart. But because the strategy is backwards. Here’s what I mean 👇 Most people treat the book like the finish line. Write it. Publish it. Promote it. And then… hope it works. That’s where things break. Here are the 6 shifts that actually turn a book into revenue: 1] Start with the destination What should the reader do AFTER the book? If that’s unclear, the book won’t convert 2] Write with a decision in mind Every chapter should lead somewhere Not just inform, but move the reader forward 3] Build the bridge before the traffic Your offer is the bridge Without it, readers have nowhere to go 4] Stop trying to “add value” everywhere Too much information creates overwhelm Direction creates action 5] Think in terms of journey, not content The book is step one Not the whole experience 6] Design for trust, not applause You don’t need people impressed You need them certain you can help I had to learn this the hard way. I thought finishing the book meant I was done. But the truth is… Finishing the book is when the real work begins. Because a book by itself doesn’t build a business. A book with a clear path does. This is why most “reluctant experts” stay stuck They create something valuable… but not directional So it gets read… But nothing happens next If your book doesn’t lead somewhere Your readers won’t either. If you don’t want to rely on posting every day to get clients… This is the system I’d start with. Get my setup here 📖 AskJeremyJones.com

1

You don’t need a BIG publishing deal to write a GREAT book. What you do need is: 💭 A clear idea 📦 A message that fits into your offers 📆 And a deadline that scares you just enough to finish it This week, I’m wrapping up my Book Writing Series with a Q&A: ❓How long should your book really be? ❓What if you’re not a “good writer”? ❓Should it be a how-to, a personal story… or both? ❓And of course to self-publish or go traditional? I’ve done this 2X and helped many of my clients do the same. And here’s a fun side benefit, it’s often the act of writing that helps them refine their signature framework. 🎙️ You can listen to Ep 344 of Be In Demand. Just for fun: What would the first chspter of your book be? _________________ 🎤Need help writing the right book, so it aligns with your offers and keynotes? Or need a fresh set on eyes to help you get started on your next book, DM me “BOOK” and we’ll talk

11

1 Comment

As a top performer, you already know how to train hard. But there is a way to train smarter that you're likely missing out on. This week on the Tales from The Lane podcast, we explore one of the most overlooked accelerators of mastery: ✅ Sit on audition/interview panels ✅ Teach what you're learning (Protégé Effect!) ✅ Experience your own service as a client ✅ Watch performances from the audience's seat This meta-learning re-wires your brain in a way that blows past your usual preparation. Research shows perspective-taking increases retention, empathy, emotional intelligence, and real-world performance. If you're pursuing excellence while building a life that feels fulfilling and sustainable, you’ll love this one. Episode 87: How to Think Like the Panel, Lead Like the Boss, and Grow Like the Elite 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

9

1 Comment

In this clip from my conversation with Barbara Kaplan, we dig into how tools like ChatGPT can actually help us find clarity, especially when we don’t know what to say or how to solve a problem. Instead of just prompting the AI, ask it to ask you questions before answering. That one move can take your result from generic to spot-on. 🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube to get the full context and more actionable insights: https://lnkd.in/gVc8KAd8

4

👉 What is one practice you do to lead consciously? 📢 In this powerful episode, Annette Gregg, CMM MBA CIS shares that when the pressure is high and the external noise is loud - what keeps her grounded is this beautiful practice of creating more AWE consciously. 👀 In this clip, she talks about how she creates more space in her day to day life for more AWE to enter her life and be in the present moment. 🎧 Listen to this real conversation with a CEO herself whom I absolutely admire. You rock Annette Gregg, CMM MBA CIS! #presence #consciousleadership #selfleadership #leadfromwithin

2

1 Comment

365 V-O Tips for 2026. #24. Navigating through copy requires subtle shifts in tone, pace and texture. I call this transitioning “vocal pivoting” or “vocal choreography.” Find more tips like this in “V-Oh! Tips, Tricks, Tools and Techniques to Start and Sustain Your Voiceover Career.” https://lnkd.in/eupnWBt. Want coaching info/not on my mailing list? Want to be eligible for upcoming auditions? Email me: marc@cashmancommercials.com. #voiceovercoach #voiceovertraining #voiceacting #voiceactingcoach #voiceoverartist #voicetalent #voicetraining #voicetechnique #voiceoverclass #voicemastery #voiceoverclasses Follow me on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/dHvvJ54V  

6

Unless you are an author conducting a book reading, your audience is not there to be read to. Learn your presentation and engage in a “dialogue” with your audience. Practice until you can deliver key points from brief bullet points, not full scripts. Make frequent eye contact, use conversational language like "you" and "we," ask questions throughout, and respond to audience cues. Speak as if having a coffee conversation with friends—natural, engaging, and responsive rather than robotic script-reading. #publicspeakingbooks #publicspeakingtips #publicspeakingtraining #thecaptivatingpublicspeaker

1

Many respected vocal methodologies (Bel Canto, Estill, SLS, etc) offer powerful tools for specific outcomes. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 (𝗔𝗩𝗙) provides the structure that makes sense of all of them. AVF is a system-level framework that explains how the voice organizes itself across technique, style, context, and expressive demand. It allows singers and speakers to understand 𝘩𝘰𝘸 and 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 different approaches serve the voice, and how to adapt them without losing reliability or identity. By understanding the underlying system, methods become intelligible, transferable, and flexible. Choices are made with clarity. Adjustments remain grounded. The voice stays coordinated as demands change. AVF gives the voice a common language and a stable reference point, so growth remains coherent over time rather than fragmented by approach. If you want a framework that helps every vocal tool you use make sense and work together, 𝘈𝘝𝘍: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘝𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 is available now on Amazon. Lean more here: https://avf-book.web.app/

1

Great conversation with Julia McCoy She escaped a religious cult at 21 with nothing but a writing gig she found on Google. By 2021, Julia McCoy had built that into a 100-person content agency doing a million dollars a year, and then she sold it, right when it was running almost on autopilot. People thought she was crazy. She saw AI coming and knew the agency was living on borrowed time. What came next was even more wild. She built one of the world's first AI clone YouTube channels, where her digital avatar delivers the content, and her real self never has to film a single video. Then a health crisis hit and nearly took everything. Her nervous system stopped functioning, she couldn't sit at a computer, and her new business had barely launched. The clone had to take over completely, or there was no business. And here's the twist. That forced experiment became her biggest breakthrough. The clone is now at 250,000 subscribers and 2 million monthly views. It appeared on Dr. Phil. It presented at a conference in Switzerland. All without Julia ever stepping on a stage or in front of a camera. She says the content the clone produces is actually better than if she filmed it herself. We also got into something she doesn't say out loud often. She's no longer an AGI utopian. The person who was known for championing AI is now asking harder questions, like whether the health risks of the infrastructure powering AI are something we're dangerously ignoring. And she dropped a prediction that's going to sting for a lot of marketers. You can't compete with a $20 a month tool on a full-time salary, and the jobs that don't adapt are going away faster than people think. This one is raw, honest, and kind of hard to put in a box. Coming soon to The Headsmack Podcast.

1

Most growth problems aren’t actually growth problems. They’re friction problems. The broken workflow. The clunky onboarding process. The unresolved task quietly draining your focus and energy every single day. In this episode of The Gutsy Podcast, I break down how small disruptions create bigger mental and operational weight over time—and why fixing them is one of the most strategic things you can do. Because momentum isn’t just about doing more. It’s about removing what’s slowing you down. 🎧 Listen to Powerback® 568: Fix The Little Thing That’s Causing a Big Issue https://lnkd.in/egaduQNe

5

4 Comments

Thanks to Keith Sawyer, creativity researcher and professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for interviewing me on his podcast The Science of Creativity. In this episode we talk about how can you succeed creatively in an age of generative artificial intelligence. 💡🤖 Listen at https://lnkd.in/ezSv9wJu Key Takeaways Creativity happens backstage. Much of the creativity we see, consume, and love, is dependent on invisible collaborators. People like editors, coaches, producers, and managers. Creativity is a social system, not a solo act. Creative pairs matter more than lone geniuses. From musicians and editors to CEOs and CFOs, sustained creative excellence often emerges from trusted partnerships where ideas are challenged, refined, and strengthened. Psychological safety fuels innovation. The best creative teams encourage dissent, questioning, and constructive pushback—not polite agreement or deference to authority. Constraints don’t limit creativity—they enable it. Whether in jazz improvisation or organizational innovation, well-designed constraints create the structure that allows originality to flourish. Creative flow requires protected time. Deep creative work can’t happen in 15-minute calendar fragments. Leaders and individuals need to intentionally carve out longer blocks of “maker time” to enter flow states. Creativity and wellbeing are deeply connected. Engaging in creative activities enhances mental health and personal growth. AI works best as a creative collaborator, not a creator. Don’t ask AI to do the creative work for you. You’re still the creative agent, but use AI as a thoughtful peer. Use it to come up with new questions, to offer alternative viewpoints, and to help get you out of cognitive ruts. Humans still rule at taste, judgment, and imagination. Listen to the episode now: https://lnkd.in/ezSv9wJu #creativity #SuperCreativity #innovation #AI

4

1 Comment