Stories From Women Who Walk

Hear All About It! How Radio Broadcaster Catherine Johns Turned Professional Speaker, Communication Coach and Author. Part 2.

Episode Summary

Do you ever wonder (1) if people listen to what you said; (2) what to say to get the professional connections you seek; or (3) how to show up and speak in public with calm and charisma, then this podcast episode is for you!

Episode Notes

28:18 Minutes

00:00 to 1:47        Intro

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk. You’ll recognize yourself in these true-life stories of adversity, challenge, fear, discovery, adventure, expression, and more from women who are walking their lives while their lives walk them and the lasting difference their journeys have made. I’m your host, Diane Wyzga.  

Welcome back to Part 2 of the podcast interview with my guest, Catherine Johns, professional speaker, communication coach, and author of Show Up and Shine. I asked Catherine what will be the same and different about business following COVID as we continue to meet up virtually and again in-person. Let’s hear what Catherine has to say about what will be key as we navigate next as well as simple steps to boost your confidence and charisma when you communicate in business.

1:47 to 7:00        Pivot and What Will Remain in Business Post-COVID

Question: When you made a change from radio to professional speaker and coach you were on a trajectory that would eventually intersect with COVID. We’ve all been experiencing virtual training, virtual workshops, and more. What will remain the same as we go forward in business with a new hybrid of some online/virtual & some in-person?

• Many people have discovered a preference for virtual work
• Meetings work reasonably well over virtual platforms
• May organizations and such had better attendance online
• Lots of gains in terms of efficiency to be online
• Cost: the energy we feel from a person may not come across on a virtual platform
• Voice becomes even more important online
• Catherine realizes she was doing virtual work before we had a name for it
• If anybody can talk into the ether, it’s Catherine!
• Catherine did not hide from virtual work but embraced it
• Spent much of last half 2020 coaching and supporting others
• Considers herself lucky to contract with corporate client for a national virtual conference
• Financially 2020 was best year for her business!
• Others experience this too: the pivot turned out to be profitable

Question: What would you like to do more of and finding out what worked well?

• More speaking
• Catherine loves speaking in groups
• Professional calendar is filling
• Virtual work will continue but did have an in-person engagement
• Catherine - like the rest of us - already venturing into in-person speaking and it’s welcomed!

7:00 to 12:15       The Book: Show Up and Shine

Question: There’s a place where Catherine has compiled so many of her tips and experiences, in her book “Show Up and Shine: Simple Steps to Boost Your Confidence and Charisma.”  Not only was her gift of a copy a generous gesture from a generous woman but now with my own copy in hand I could underline and write marginal notes to my heart’s content. You wrote this book for and about how professional women communicate in business: how they speak, how they present themselves. Would you tell us what drew you to write this book; what was the need  that you saw?

• Catherine has a message she hopes will be supportive: write a book!
• Almost everybody has a book in them and many won’t release it
• The idea of writing a book felt daunting; but she understood that she needed a book to demonstrate her expertise
• Catherine went home and wrote the book in a few weeks and self-published it
• Taking your own book directly to market is a gift
• What people say about Catherine’s book, “I could hear you  talking to me.”
• Catherine’s book is short, sweet, less than 100 pages, full of stories, practical action steps, and the benefits you’ll receive
• Write a book people will read; people pick up books in airports because they read on the flight
• 100 pages is golden

12:15 to 17:15       Overlooked and Under-Heard No More

Question: Professional woman often feel “overlooked & under-heard;” would you tell us what you mean about that and how to turn it around.

• Women complain that they don’t get credit for their ideas, no one listens to them, they are not acknowledged
• This is a common experience in corporate and organizational life
• Some people still accord more power to men than women
• It’s also our fault if we slouch, perch in a chair, twirl our hair, talk in a tiny voice, looking at the table, hesitating, smiling a lot, perching in a chair, and so on
• When a woman shows up looking like she belongs in 7th grade she won’t get respect
• Practical Tip: Show up, claim your space, speak from your core as if you have something valuable to say - which you do.
• Body positions count: sit up straight, plant feet on floor, eye contact, bring hands apart and so on lend themselves to you being heard with confidence
• The listener hears confidence as well as sees it
• You can learn this
• The premise of Catherine’s book and why she felt so drawn to write it was to show professional woman how to become more magnetic, charismatic by our physical presence and the sound of our voice
• What we say and the way we say it is key
• Learn when to stop - that gives the impact!

17:15 to 22:54       Command a Room

Question: I’ve heard you say that the listeners, the audience want you and this connects with your earlier statement about connection and relationship. At the same time there is the notion that by being confident we can command a room or attention. What would you say to women to be more willing to connect and command the space they stand in?

• If you want to have an impact on people you have to show up
• If you do care and have an interest in how something goes you have to be willing to show up: being willing to be seen
• In the context of virtual meetings turn on your camera
• You have to show up to have an impact
• In real life settings be willing to be seen
• Catherine’s advantage gained in the ensemble radio morning shows: bring your whole self into the studio
• Be willing to tell a story about yourself that is relatable for the audience and connects
• Story: Catherine Johns bought her house as a single women which was unusual then. On her mortgage it said: Catherine Johns - Spinster
• Spin-offs were created from that single story
• Catherine developed a willingness to be embarrassed if the audience will benefit
• If I am going to be seen fully I have to be willing to make a mistake, to be seen as not brilliant, or to be perceived as someone who a lot to learn.
• The more willing we are the more free we become

22:54 to 28:18       Legacy

Question: As we sit here today what else would you like to see happen in the world as a result of both your book and your professional speaking/coaching work? 

• Catherine is happy when people tell her there is something they learned and importantly done something to better their lives as a result of what she said or wrote
• This happens often
• Catherine’s weekly newsletter since September 2014 - no stops - very proud of this record
• Something about the responses Catherine gets: "I did what you said and this happened!"
• Catherine loves that experience

Host observes how gratifying to be about our purpose and making an impact, doing some good, lifting up a person we may never meet or see or encounter.

Catherine replies: It’s the best!  

Before I say thank you to Catherine Johns I want to mention that all social media links and connections to Catherine, her professional speaking and coaching work, her blog, her newsletter, book and even other podcast guest episodes will be posted in the Episode Notes. Inviting all listeners to make sure you drop by her website, sign up for everything you can, and do consider consulting with Catherine.  

Thank you very much, Catherine, for a most delightful morning, walking along and sharing your story about being heard, making the most of communicating what we mean and say to connect and make the most of our personal and business relationships.

Catherine: Thank you for the invite, Diane. It’s been delightful

Here we are, at the end of the road but not the journey. Thank you for listening to Part 2 of this episode of Stories From Women Who Walk with your host Diane Wyzga and my  guest Catherine Johns, professional speaker, communication coach, and author of Show Up and Shine. We hope you’re informed, inspired and illuminated by our conversation.  

You’re also invited to check out close to 450 episodes of this podcast Stories From Women Who Walk found on Simplecast, your favorite podcast platform, including Android, and my website, Quarter Moon Story Arts. This is the place to thrive together. Come for the stories - stay for the magic. Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, follow, share a nice shout out on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! You will have wonderful company as we walk our lives together.

ABOUT Catherine Johns

When it comes to communication, Catherine Johns has plenty to say. How can you command a room and connect with the people listening, whether you’re on a stage or at your computer? How do you have real influence on your audience?

All those years on the radio … Catherine was doing virtual presentations before we had a name for them. She established relationships with people she would never even meet in person. So much so, that many still feel a bond with her today. Now we’re all working on Zoom or Teams or Webex. Catherine shows executives and entrepreneurs … speakers and leaders … how to have make a genuine impact with your virtual presentations.

Catherine has a special interest in women who’ve been overlooked and underheard in their professional lives. She wrote Show Up and Shine: Simple Steps to Boost Your Confidence and Charisma for them.

How to Keep in Touch With Catherine Johns

Website:  www.catherinejohns.com

Blog: www.catherinejohns.com/blog

LI:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinejohns/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherine.johns.chicago

Book:  https://www.amazon.com/Show-Up-Shine-Confidence-Charisma-ebook/dp/B00EKX7I8U/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=show+up+and+shine&qid=1630679282&sr=8-3

Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team

Podcaster: Diane F. Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story Arts

Music: Entering Erdenheim from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music

Sound Editing: Dawin Carlisle & First Class Reels

All content and image © 2019 - Present: for credit and attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts