MARY BRANDT

During my Public Speaking & Communication Workshop with the California Water Association Utility Supplier Diversity Program, I asked, “What if public speaking worked like music or sports where we practice, and NOT a quick fix?” Watch 1 video, attend 1 workshop & suddenly feel “confident.” But communication doesn’t work like that. Communication is about practicing, like sports and music. Communication isn't Amazon Prime. Leaders aren’t trying to become keynote speakers. They’re being asked to speak: ✅ In high-stakes meetings ✅ Off the cuff ✅ With executives, boards or clients ✅ Across generations, cultures and power dynamics ✅ During uncertain moments ✅ Communicating from hybrid, virtual and in-person Here’s 3 principles I always coach on when it comes to communication that you can implement: 1️⃣ Create a “Communication Memo” Before every important conversation understand: What is this person’s goals? What’s their motivations? How do they prefer to receive information? 2️⃣ Practice like an athlete As a Muay Thai fighter of 21 years 🥊, I’m never “done” training. Right now, I’m working on being able to read opponents moves better so I can counter with better attacks 😜 When I played violin as a kid, I didn’t just show up and perform. I practiced. I was 21 with my first Director job. So before every stakeholder meeting, I blocked off 1 hour at home to practice how I would communicate. Then reflect and debrief and make small, intentional adjustments (just like an athlete and musician) 3️⃣ Breathe so you can think When nerves hit: Your amygdala acts like a smoke detector letting you know this is "perceived danger." Your hippocampus is a librarian pulling up past memories to validate why this is "perceived danger." Your prefrontal cortex (clear, logical thinking) goes offline. Breathing helps you go back online to access the more logical part of your brain (prefrontal cortex) vs the reactive and emotional (amygdala and hippocampus) What made this workshop powerful wasn’t the teaching, it was the role-play and debriefing. This is core to my Conscious Conversations® work practicing communication the same way we practice sports and music to review what worked, and learn from one another. Now I want you to think about it 👇What sport, instrument or practice taught you how to perform under pressure? Comment below👇 I recently closed another communication workshop for Fortune 500 female leaders in the travel & hospitality industry. This is confirmation that communication matters regardless of what industry you’re in. 🔄 And if you found these 3 tips helpful, reshare

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87% increase in donors ✅ 50% boost in donor interactions ✅ $635K+ raised—with $337K from new/increased giving ✅ How did Boise State University achieve these results? By pairing these two tools together. 👀 Scalable. Sustainable. Super effective. 😍 Dive into how this tool combo is reshaping donor engagement: https://hubs.li/Q03mpzZp0

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The state of California audited telework. They found telework reduces pollution and traffic congestion, stimulates employee productivity while giving them more flexibility and control over their lives, and if CA switches to a hybrid work schedule, it could save $225M per year. #california https://lnkd.in/gA8CUguH

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Every year, I have the privilege of teaching communication, teamwork, and leadership to engineering students at Boise State University. In their final class, I leave them with two powerful questions—questions that can transform the way we lead and collaborate.   In this week's Two-Minute Tip, I'm sharing those same two questions with you—so you can reflect and elevate your leadership. #selfleadership #emotionalintelligence #leadership #reflection #twominutetip

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Are you having trouble accessing Census.gov? We have heard from other grant professionals that they could not access the census data in the way they were used to in the past. We wanted to put together this quick video to help everyone. Data is an important tool in every grant professional's toolbox. #Census #CensusData #Data #GrantWriting #GrantProfessionals #GrantTools #GrantManagement #HowTo

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Small Grants for Non-Profits The Rotary Club of San Jose’s Community Grant program, offering nonprofit organizations tangible funding to support impactful community projects. This grant is geared toward capital purchases, facility improvements, and one‑time program initiatives—all designed to strengthen service delivery and community reach. Key highlights: Award funds are available for eligible expenses incurred December through June 15, with receipts due by June 15 sjrotary.org+1 sjrotary.org+1 Grants are reimbursement‑based, ensuring organizations have already implemented projects. This initiative supports projects in San Jose and the Greater Bay Area, making it especially relevant for local nonprofits building lasting impact. Organizations planning infrastructure upgrades, new equipment purchases, or one‑off community programs should consider applying. The guidelines provide clear direction on eligibility and the reimbursement process. If you represent a nonprofit aligned with this grant’s parameters, I encourage you to review the full Community Grant Guidelines and consider preparing an application. https://lnkd.in/gXVPGDcB #NonProfitGrants #PleaseShare

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❓ How do you design a Leadership and Development program that meets the moment? ❓ Honored to join Dr. Carly Cooper for a fireside chat in her University of Southern California class on Designing Leadership & Development That Match the Moment. We explored what it takes to build learning that drives real behavior change inside fast-moving organizations. Here are the highlights we covered: 🔹 1. L&D is now mission-critical to solving the biggest challenges in today’s workplace As an executive coach and L&D advisor, I help leaders and teams navigate friction, change, and complexity with clarity, courage, and emotional intelligence. My work focuses on turning Healthy Friction into growth, better decisions, and stronger relationships. 🔹 2. Leadership and development investment is a competitive advantage L&D is the foundation for behavior change, AI adoption, change readiness, and transforming culture into a business driver. Organizations that invest early build more adaptive and future-ready leaders. 🔹 3. Contemporary leadership challenges are sharpening Change fatigue, multigenerational tension, rapid tech advancements like AI, and leaders struggling with clarity and alignment are now everyday realities. Employees want transparency, coaching, and workplaces where their contributions matter. Many systems still operate with outdated norms, creating friction and missed opportunities. 🔹 4. Before designing any program, diagnose the real problem When a client says, “We need a leadership program,” you pause and ask: • What is keeping them up at night? • Which behaviors need to shift? • What does success look like six to twelve months from now? Effective L&D must align with outcomes that matter. 🧠 As a leadership coach, advisor, and L&D strategist, I help executives and teams harness Healthy Friction as a force for innovation, resilience, and connection—especially in a high-change world. 💬 Please enter in the comments how are you developing yourself and your team? #Leadership #FutureOfWork #LearningAndDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #HealthyFriction #USC #JennyFernandez #Thinkers50 #MG100

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