Chapter 2
Honing Your Voice

The warm-up

As we’ve established, our lives are filled with stories. And every day, each and every one of us is using these stories to build and share connections, face-to-face, through email or social media, over the phone, or via FaceTime. We use media outlets to feed stories to each other on an almost incessant basis. Some of us, for the good of many; some, for self-gain; some, unfortunately, for the detriment of others. The motivations are as infinite as the voices.

In this matrix of interconnectedness, it is increasingly necessary for each of us to not just tell a story, but understand and articulate a unique and necessary voice.

In this matrix of interconnectedness, it is increasingly necessary for each of us to not just tell a story, but understand and articulate a unique and necessary voice. Before we get started, let’s gauge where you are as a storyteller and identify the type of communicator you’d like to become.

Impromptu Challenge I

Share • 5 minutes

Using the prompts below, set your timer to 2 minutes and record (audio or video) yourself telling a story about one of the following things:

• The best or worst group meal you’ve ever had,

• A fond childhood memory or defining moment, or,

• Your most memorable concert or travel experience.

Before you record, take 3 minutes to write down a few notes if you need to, but don’t worry about writing out a full script. Just rely on your natural instincts and thoughts to tell the story as candidly and fully as possible.

Reflect • 10 minutes

The beauty of the previously shared memories is that we can easily recall how they made us feel. This is the same authentic approach you want to bring to your personal introductions and stories. Take 5 minutes to review what you recorded, then, using your notebook, take 5 minutes to respond to these reflection questions:

• What did you notice about your delivery, personality, and style?

• What stood out most about how you told your story?

• What was your thought process for pulling the information and story together?

• What was your favorite piece of information you shared?

• What was missing from the story that you might want to include next time?

Impromptu Challenge II

Share • 3 minutes

Pretend that you’re introducing yourself to me. Using the prompts below, take 2 minutes to jot down a few important details about yourself, then set your timer to 1 minute and record yourself sharing:

• A little bit about yourself,

• Why you’re using this guide, and,

• Your top one to three most challenging or frequent introduction scenarios.

• Examples: Elevator pitches, job interviews, informational meetings

Reflect • 10 minutes

Take 5 minutes to review what you recorded, then set your timer to 5 minutes and write down your reflections to the following questions:

• What stood out most about how you told your story?

• Did it differ from Impromptu Challenge I? If so, how?

• What was your thought process for pulling the information and story together?

• What picture were you trying to paint about yourself?

• Did that intention create differences between your tone or confidence in comparison to Impromptu Challenge I?

• What was missing from the story you were telling about yourself?

What if you were just as passionate and enthusiastic when making your personal introduction as you were when sharing your personal memory? Imagine the impact you could have if you spoke about your goals and passions with as much zeal as when discussing your favorite actress, musician, or even television show. Consider the kind of first impression you’d make if you lit up when speaking about your life’s work in the same way you do when you hear or recall your favorite song. This is possible.

Revisiting your reflections, let’s begin to think further about the differences between your two challenges. What felt good about recalling your personal memory? Does that feeling translate to any parts of your professional journey? What can you appreciate about how you represented yourself in Impromptu Challenge II? And how can you merge the best from both challenges to create an authentic and passionate framing of you and your unique contributions and desires?

We’ll dive deeper into content development in the next chapter, so now is the time to really think about who you are and how you are portraying who you are through your personality and communication styles. As we move forward, keep your most difficult or frequently experienced introduction scenarios in mind. Reflect intentionally on how you might apply the above insights to frame you as an individual in those moments.