262. Own the Room: How Voice, Breath, and Body Work Together

Hi. Matt here. Think back to a time when you knew exactly what you wanted to say, but couldn't quite find the right words. Maybe it was a tough conversation, a moment that really mattered, or something you didn't wanna mess up. Wouldn't it have been great to have a helpful communication coach right there with you? That's exactly why we built AI Coach Matt, a tool you can use to help you think through what you wanna say and how to say it. It's as if you were speaking directly to me as your communication coach, and I respond immediately. It's been available inside our learning community for a while, and now we're opening it up so you can try it for free. Go to fastersmarter.io/learning, and click on the AI coach map pop up in the bottom right corner. Give it a try at fastersmarter.io/learning, and let me know what you think in any of our social media platforms. Now a word from one of our sponsors. Their support allows us to bring you quality content free of charge. Hi. Matt here. Career coaching often comes through our workplaces, which can be a great starting point. But sometimes you want space to focus on your priorities, not your organization. That's where strawberry.me comes in. It's career coaching you choose for yourself. You answer a few quick questions, get matched with a vetted coach, and in many cases, you can start within twenty four hours. You choose the coach, you decide the goal, and you get to talk honestly about what actually matters, whether that's a promotion, a pivot, burnout, or even leaving. There's no HR involved, no performance review lens. And if it's not the right fit, you can switch coaches. What I appreciate is the sense of agency. When you're feeling stuck, waiting rarely helps. If you've been thinking something needs to change, you don't need permission to explore that. Go to strawberry.me/tfts. It's coaching focused on you. Think of it as therapy for your career. To fully be present and in the moment, you must awaken your voice. My name is Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast. Today, I am delighted to speak with Patsy Rodenberg. Patsy is a world renowned expert in voice, speech, and presentation with over forty five years of experience coaching across creative and corporate industries, she's the former head of voice at the UK Royal National Theatre and a director for the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has transformed how actors, prime ministers, CEOs, and global leaders communicate. She's written many books, including Presence and Power Presentation. Welcome, Patsy. I've been excited for our conversation for quite a while now. Thanks for being here. I'm so delighted. And, Matt, I think you're doing something so important about communication because I think it's what the world needs now. Thank you so much. Shall we get started? Yes, please. …