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The People Gardener Podcast with Rhonda Delaney
The People Gardener Podcast with Rhonda Delaney
Freeing Your Voice from Hidden Masks
Ever wondered how your voice might be sabotaging your connection with your audience? This week on the People Gardener podcast, I share my transformative experience with a voice audit conducted by Tracy Goodwin, a leading voice psychology expert with nearly three decades of research under her belt. Tracy's insights revealed how the "masks" we wear—often shaped by our life experiences and traumas—can alter our communication, sometimes with unintended negative effects. Whether you're a small business owner, an aspiring leader, or simply someone who wants to communicate more effectively, you'll find invaluable lessons on how to harness the true power of your voice.
During my audit, Tracy pinpointed how a tone of desperation could make my passion for helping small business owners come across as off-putting. She likened our voices to an orchestra, where not inviting all instruments to play can result in a one-dimensional or unappealing sound. This episode is packed with Tracy's eye-opening advice and actionable steps to help you reflect your true self through your voice. Tune in to discover how to connect more authentically with your audience and become a more effective leader by refining the symphony of sounds that is your voice.
Follow Tracy on IG @captivatetheroom
Well, hey there, welcome to the People Gardener podcast. I'm Rhonda Delaney, your host, also known as the People Gardener, thrilled to put this podcast together to help small business owners, new business owners, frustrated business owners and aspiring leaders, whether they're inside business or outside. Each week, we bring you some actionable steps so that you can actually improve your skill as a leader. That's what we're about. We're here to help you become a better leader by giving you access to lots of different perspectives. By giving you access to lots of different perspectives, the guests are varied. We're thrilled to have them. Get out your pen, get out your paper and be ready to learn Every single episode. You're going to be able to take something away that you can implement. Are you ready? Let's get to work. Well, hey there. Welcome back to the People Gardener podcast. Happy to have you here this week.
Speaker 1:I had a voice audit last week and I just I so wanted to talk about this because it was a bit scary. It was a bit mind-blowing and super educational. So those of you that have been listening for a while know that I have a coach, james Wedmore, and at the event I was at in April down in Arizona, this woman spoke. Her name is Tracy Goodwin Really encourage you to follow her on Instagram and it's Captivate the Room. She's been researching voice psychology for years, decades I think she said three decades, so the better part of 30 years and she has discovered that we tend to have masks and she's identified I think it was six or seven masks that we put on and it's related to trauma in our life. It's related to life experience. It's related to so many things about who we are inside and how we are feeling at that particular moment inside. You've heard me say on the podcast before that words matter. What you say and how you say it matters, and in my head, the how you say yes, there's tone, there's inflection, there's intention, there's all sorts of things that are part of that, but I never took that as like what was deep inside me.
Speaker 1:She says that your voice is the expression of your soul and that it's an orchestra of sounds, many, many, many sounds, not inviting all of the instruments to participate in the sound. Then you get a one-dimensional sound or you get a sound that's a little bit off. People aren't quite sure what they're hearing or what they're listening to, and she said it's really, really easy for us those of us especially that are in business, who we're continually talking to our audience, talking to potential clients. We could be repelling them with these notes that they're hearing and it's coming from the mask that we maybe are wearing, or the masks in plural. So I mean, it was a fascinating session in April when I was there and she put out a call to anybody that wanted to have a voice audit to just hit her up. So last week we did that and I have to say there's certain parts of that audit that keep coming back to me and one of them is that she was hearing she used the word desperation and then she pulled back and said well, it's not really that, but it is and it's in the same family.
Speaker 1:And she said what happens with that desperation mask let's call it is that you tend to push things out and you tell people, you're trying to convince them. It's forced, and I got thinking of all of the years that I've a tendency to tell, not to share, but to tell people. I'm very passionate in my position, in what it is that I'm trying to say, and what she said is what's happening is you're repelling people because they don't feel that they're enough, that they're good enough that they should have known this. And so, oh, man, and here I am, I'm a bit, I'm a bit uptight doing this episode because, okay, so am I telling people? Am I coming off as desperate? And there's no question, there's a. There is a desperation in me to help small business owners create teams of raving fans and create an environment in their business that makes it easy for them to enjoy it, easy for it to be a part of their life. So, yeah, there's a desperation. Yes, there's probably a desperation in wanting to bring people into my membership, the Raving Fan Society of coaching people one-on-one, speaking on stages and impacting lives.
Speaker 1:As far as how to communicate and what you can say, the other thing that she mentioned is one of the things that we, as business owners, need is for people to trust us, and she asked me at the end of the conversation what is it that you want people to take away after they've listened to what you have to say? It was immediate and it was. I want them to trust me that I can help them get to a place, increased freedom and increased profit in their business, that it can happen. The way To trust is ease. It has to be easy for people. We only have two and a half seconds when somebody starts to listen to us, for them to connect and say, okay, yes, I want to stay engaged, or no, I'm out of here. That's not very long.
Speaker 1:So when you're talking to your employees, when you're talking to your vendors, when you're talking to your customers, what you're saying and how you're saying it and, yes, what's down inside it, all matters. And she talks about 30 to 90%, about 30 to 90 percent of business being missed. So for you leading a team, that's 30 to 90 percent of people being disconnected from what you are teaching them, what you're encouraging them in, how you're wanting to help them. So this a big deal, a big learning curve. I haven't quite figured out exactly. I did sign up for her master class that's coming up on the 12th of June, so if you're interested, go over to her. Captivate the room on Instagram I think there's a link in her profile because I want to learn more, because I have not been attracting enough small business owners that need help, so maybe it is my voice.
Speaker 1:I know I can help them Absolutely, 100%. There is zero concern there. I know that I can do that, but my delivery of my message and what it is that I'm saying. Okay, so I need to figure that out. Another thing that she talked about was space. Give people space, and I'm not quite sure exactly what she means, but I think it's stop fire hosing, giving them all of this information, stop telling them all the things. Help them get to know you as a person.
Speaker 1:So you as the small business owner, you as a person, so you as the small business owner chat with your people, have and build a relationship with them that is relaxed, it's conversational, and they feel like they belong and that they're part of it and they trust. This has been a really interesting ride and I'm going to report back sometime in the next oh, I don't know month or so and let you know how this is all going. But be aware of your voice and not just the words that you're saying, not just the tone that you're saying it in, but what is coming from inside you. That is part of all that, so that people actually are receiving your message. The people that need it are getting it. So for you as the small business owner, when you're having that meeting, you know you got three, five, 10 people in that meeting and you are speaking, you want everybody to be bought in and get it and feel like they're part of it all. So that's it for this week. We'll talk to you again next week.
Speaker 1:Well, thanks for joining me today. Just a quick reminder if you are not on my email list, go to my website, rondadelaneycom, and there's a place there that you can subscribe, keep you up to date on all things people, gardening and leadership. And also a reminder that the Raving Fans Society app is available on the Apple Store and the Google Store. I do have a free membership in there that you'll be able to access some of my material, and then there's also a paid membership, and right now it's $49 a month and you will receive access to all of my material, all of the teaching content, including a resource library that will really help you along, as well as group coaching every month and then quarterly bringing in guests that will talk on topics that pertain to small business owners and leadership. Thanks again for listening and we'll see you again next week.