When headlines have your team on edge, the energy you carry into a room sets the tone for everyone in it. Speaking with confidence in a politically charged environment starts with knowing whether you are steady enough to lead the conversation at all.

Karin Reed welcomes Tinna Jackson to Speaker Dynamics - Own the Room. Tinna is President and CEO of Jackson Consulting Group and author of The Power Play Journal. Born and raised in Washington, DC, she built a career in politics, including work on Capitol Hill and in the U.S. Senate, before moving into executive coaching and leadership development.

Tinna explains how the energy leaders bring into a room shapes the way others respond. She shares why leaders should sometimes postpone a meeting rather than walk in emotionally unprepared. She also discusses three factors she believes influence promotion decisions, including one that often sparks disagreement. Tinna explains why insecurity can follow you into a new leadership role, why learning to delegate is part of the adjustment, and how a lack of self-awareness can undermine even the strongest message.

With politics affecting workplaces in different ways, Tinna offers advice on when leaders should address political issues at work and how to keep personal emotions from driving business decisions.

Press play for practical advice on speaking with confidence, leading difficult conversations, managing your emotions, and communicating clearly under pressure.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Politics Feels Impossible to Avoid at Work

01:18 From Southeast DC to Capitol Hill

05:33 Why Ego Keeps Your Message From Landing

07:34 Speaking with Confidence Starts With Your Energy

08:44 Skip the Meeting When You're Not Regulated

09:45 The Three Real Reasons People Get Promoted

13:43 Why You Don't Outgrow Insecurity

15:58 Should Leaders Address Politics at Work?

21:02 Building a Leadership Program for Women

22:47 Permission to Put Yourself First

Connect with Tinna Jackson:

Visit the Jackson Consulting website

Get your copy of The Power Play Journal

Connect with Tinna on LinkedIn

Connect with Karin Reed:

Visit Speaker Dynamics

Explore Speaker Dynamics University

Follow Speaker Dynamics on Instagram

Connect with Karin Reed on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Your virtual presence can change the second the red light goes on. Sometimes the problem is not what you know, but how you adjust your communication to the space.

Host Karin Reed opens this Speaker Tip Spotlight on Speaker Dynamics - Own The Room with a live interview that took a sharp turn. A warm, engaging professor went into full lecture mode the moment the cameras rolled, and Karin has a theory about why it happened. Her answer explains why experienced speakers sometimes sound stiff or overly formal on camera. Karin is a four-time author, Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, and communication expert who helps people own the room in person and virtually.

You will hear who Karin names as one of her favorite communicators of all time, and he hosted a kids' show. She explains why his approach is a master class in authentic presence on video. Karin also shares how she decides when to turn her energy up or pull it back, plus the mental picture she uses when speaking through a webcam. If speaking on camera and leading virtual meetings are part of your work, her advice offers a simple way to strengthen your virtual presence and communicate authentically. And her unexpected video role model makes the bonus content especially worth seeing.

Press play, try the mindset shift on your next call, and find out how to match your virtual presence to the space you are in.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Karin's Surprising Pick for Favorite Communicator

00:50 The Live Interview Where the Professor Turned Stiff

03:02 Treating Every Presentation Like a Conversation

04:05 Dialing Up Your Energy for a Big Room

05:05 Speaking Through a Webcam Means Dialing Back

06:20 Virtual Presence Starts With Picturing Your Viewer

07:27 Steve From Blue’s Clues as a Video Role Model

09:53 Where to Find the Bonus Content

Connect with Karin Reed:

Visit Speaker Dynamics

Explore Speaker Dynamics University

Follow Speaker Dynamics on Instagram

Connect with Karin Reed on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Your voice can only take so many back-to-back meetings before it starts to give out. If you've ended a day of calls with almost no voice left, this episode explains why and what to do about it.

On Speaker Dynamics – Own the Room, Karin Reed talks with Kimberley Bentley, a professional singer, voice teacher, and vocal health coach, about the habits that protect your voice and the ones that quietly wreck it. Kim has spent years training singers and coaching presenters, educators, and other voice-dependent professionals, giving her a clear perspective on the habits that can put extra strain on your voice.

They get into why vocal fatigue from talking isn't only about how much you speak. Tension, volume, pace, and the way you use your voice can all play a role. Kim shares a quick trick for releasing that tension before a big presentation, and Karin offers a more discreet variation you can use while you're on stage.

Karin and Kim also cover staying hydrated for public speaking, including why Kim personally prefers room-temperature water and how speaking louder during virtual meetings can add to vocal fatigue.Kim breaks down breath support for public speaking and shares a few vocal warm ups for speakers that take less than five minutes.

Whether you are presenting, running a meeting or simply engaging in a one-on-one call, you need your voice to hold up. Press play and start treating vocal health like part of the job.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Vocal Health Matters for Every Communicator

01:52 Kim Bentley's Background as an Opera Performer

03:32 Classical Training, Jazz, and Finding Your Voice

04:28 Defining Vocal Health: Technique Versus Daily Hygiene

06:50 The Microphone Habit That Protects Your Voice

09:15 Releasing Physical Tension Before You Speak

12:28 Why Virtual Meetings Drain Your Voice Faster

13:10 Hydration, Steam, and Recovering From Vocal Fatigue

16:49 The Truth About Cold Water and Warm Drinks

27:21 Treating Speakers Like Vocal Athletes

Connect with Kimberley Bentley:

Visit Kimberley's website

Follow Kimberley on Instagram

Connect with Karin Reed:

Visit Speaker Dynamics

Explore Speaker Dynamics University

Follow Speaker Dynamics on Instagram

Connect with Karin Reed on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Facts fade. Stories stick. That's the core lesson behind business storytelling, and it's the reason only 5% of listeners in one study could recall a presentation's data points while 63% remembered the story woven through it.

In this conversation, Karin Reed sits down with Andrea Brody, Speaker Dynamics Senior Communication Coach and creator of the Inspiring Through Storytelling workshop. Andrea spent years as a television reporter before she turned her storytelling instincts into a framework that helps professionals communicate with influence in high-stakes rooms.

Andrea breaks down the three-step formula she uses to help even self-described non-storytellers uncover material they didn't know they had. She explains why a “first, last, best, worst” exercise can surface a moment strong enough to move an entire room, and she walks through the different types of stories, from founder stories to customer stories, that build persuasive leadership communication depending on your audience.

You'll also hear the story of an NFL prospect who used one on-field moment to prove he was a leader worth drafting, a real-world example of how memorable messaging and business storytelling work together to earn buy-in for ideas far beyond the boardroom. Listen to hear how inspiring teams through communication starts with a story you already have.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Corporate Case for Storytelling Skills

01:57 Andrea's Journalism Roots and the Workshop Origin

04:02 The Research Behind Business Storytelling and Memory

05:24 The Neuroscience of Why Stories Move Us

08:19 Four Story Types Every Leader Should Know

10:14 What to Say to People Who "Can't" Tell Stories

12:03 Finding Everyday Stories With One Simple Exercise

14:18 A Workshop Breakthrough Moment That Changed the Room

19:54 The NFL Prospect Who Won the Room With One Story

22:27 Using Story to Inspire Teams Through Hard Times

Connect with Karin Reed:

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Explore Speaker Dynamics University

Follow Speaker Dynamics on Instagram

Connect with Karin Reed on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Most professionals never think about how their clothes are already talking for them before a meeting starts. Karin Reed sits down with wardrobe stylist and certified color analyst Claire Roberts to fix that blind spot. What you wear shapes your executive presence before you say a single word, and Claire, owner of Claire Roberts Style, has spent nearly two decades helping people get that right.

Claire works primarily with executive women who are focused on strengthening their executive presence by using their wardrobe as a personal branding tool. She breaks down color analysis, a process for identifying the colors that work best with your natural coloring. She also explains why so many women reach for black assuming it slims them, and why that assumption often works against their specific coloring.

Karin and Claire dig into enclothed cognition, a concept backed by published research examining how what you wear can influence how you think, feel, act and perform. Claire connects this to confidence at work, explaining that when clients feel good in their clothes and stop second-guessing what they’re wearing, they can focus more fully on the job in front of them. She also shares how body language when presenting changes depending on what a person wears, from posture to how they move on stage.

Listen for Claire's take on vibrant color and stage presence, plus her advice for building a wardrobe that supports authentic leadership communication instead of working against it.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Closet Dilemma Every Professional Faces

01:30 Claire Roberts Joins Speaker Dynamics

02:17 From J.Crew Catalogs to Wardrobe Styling

05:26 Who Claire Works With and Why

07:45 How Office Dress Codes Shifted Since COVID

09:17 Connecting Wardrobe to Executive Presence

10:29 What Color Analysis Actually Means

13:05 The Myth That Black Is Always Slimming

15:07 Inside a Color Draping Session

17:01 Vibrant Colors and Executive Presence on Stage

20:52 The Science Behind Enclothed Cognition

22:36 Where to Find Claire's Bonus Content

Connect with Claire Roberts:

Visit Claire's website

Follow Claire on Instagram

Connect with Claire on LinkedIn

Read Claire's interview on Voyage Raleigh

Connect with Karin Reed:

Visit Speaker Dynamics

Explore Speaker Dynamics University

Follow Speaker Dynamics on Instagram

Connect with Karin Reed on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Presenting to senior leaders gets messy fast when someone hijacks your time with a tangent that pulls the room away from what you came to say. You need a way to reclaim control without seeming rude, and this episode delivers exactly that.

Karin Reed, an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist and four-time author, hosts Speaker Dynamics. She built the technique from an unlikely source: a newscast earpiece that once fed her live directions from an impatient producer telling her to cut a guest off mid-answer.

In this episode, she breaks down the “paraphrase and pivot” technique, a meeting facilitation skill she still uses today. She walks through what happens when an executive derails your presentation with a question you never planned for, and how to answer without losing your place or your time slot.

She also applies the technique to panel moderation, describing the panelist who loves the sound of their own voice and the exact line she uses to hand the floor to someone else. Her example shows how to communicate with influence when time is short and everyone in the room has an opinion worth hearing.

Karin ties it all back to leadership communication that respects the room without letting one voice take it over, whether you're in a boardroom, on a panel, or in a weekly team meeting.

Press play to learn the phrase that keeps you in control the next time you're presenting to senior leaders.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Karin Reed's Live TV Story Behind the Paraphrase and Pivot Technique

01:46 How to Use Paraphrase and Pivot When Presenting to Senior Leaders

04:07 Staying in Control of Your Message During Executive Pushback

05:20 Applying Paraphrase and Pivot to Panel Moderation

08:23 Using Paraphrase and Pivot in Team Meetings and Where to Find the Checklist

Connect with Karin Reed:

Visit Speaker Dynamics

Explore Speaker Dynamics University

Follow Speaker Dynamics on Instagram

Connect with Karin Reed on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

You work hard, deliver results, and still get overlooked. This episode shows you how to build executive presence without changing who you are or pretending to be the loudest voice in the room.

On Speaker Dynamics - Own The Room, host Karin Reed sits down with Lorraine K. Lee, keynote speaker and bestselling author of Unforgettable Presence, to unpack why professional presence grows through small daily moments rather than big stage appearances.

Lorraine was a founding editor at LinkedIn. She was known for being influential and well-liked, yet the promotion she wanted never came. After a colleague received a promotion, they repeated one sentence from their manager that made the reason painfully clear. Lorraine reveals the full story, plus the promotion strategy to put in motion at least six months before review season.

You also get her pre-call checklist for on-camera confidence, a practical framework for leaders who often make their first impressions on screen. Introverts get a roadmap too. Lorraine names three hidden strengths, then explains how preparation can ease imposter syndrome and nerves around communication. Karin and Lorraine close with a lesson on articulating your value so senior leaders grasp your impact in seconds.

Press play to learn the small, intentional steps behind lasting executive presence and a career people finally notice.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why You Feel Like the Best Kept Secret at Work

01:07 The Story Behind Lorraine K. Lee's Book, Unforgettable Presence

04:12 Executive Presence vs Professional Presence

05:36 Common Mistakes That Hold Back Your Presence

06:48 How Introverts Can Stand Out at Work

10:59 Building On-Camera Confidence With the TEA Method

12:53 Why You Have to Explicitly Ask for a Promotion

15:29 Working Smarter Not Harder to Protect Your Reputation

18:14 Quick Wins for Improving Your LinkedIn Presence

23:25 The Power of Video Content on LinkedIn

24:10 One Mindset Shift to Be Seen as a Leader

26:02 The Big Takeaway on Building Lasting Presence

Connect with Lorraine K. Lee:

Connect with Lorraine on LinkedIn

Follow Lorraine on Instagram

Connect with Karin Reed:

Visit Speaker Dynamics

Explore Speaker Dynamics University

Follow Speaker Dynamics on Instagram

Connect with Karin Reed on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The wrong communication training can do more damage than no training at all.

Some coaches yell. Some interrupt every stumble. One even fired a water gun at clients for using filler words. On this episode of Speaker Dynamics: Own The Room - Speaker Tip Spotlight, host Karin Reed makes the case for a different philosophy of communication training, one built on respect for the courage it takes to work on your own voice. Standing up to present already ranks among the most stressful moments in professional life. The person guiding your growth should never add to that fear. Real progress happens when people feel safe enough to be vulnerable, and any trainer who tears your people down is wasting your investment.

Karin shares what to look for and what to run from before you sign with a training firm. A coach who quotes a price before asking about your goals is a red flag. Confident communication grows through practice, application, and honest feedback. The right level of support depends on your goals, from executive presence coaching for leaders hoping to inspire the organization as a whole… to workshops where teams strengthen their presentation skills together.

Whether you are choosing communication training for leaders across your enterprise or seeking a coach for yourself, this episode helps you find a partner who builds people up. Your voice deserves training rooted in respect.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 The Story Behind This Week's Communication Training Topic

02:10 Why Speaker Dynamics Builds Confidence Instead of Fear

04:31 Hyper-Customized Executive Coaching for Presenting to Senior Leaders

06:50 Inside the MVPs of Performance Success in Group Workshops

09:12 Using Video Feedback to Sharpen Presentation Delivery

11:27 Scaling Training Enterprise-Wide Through Speaker Dynamics University

13:49 Red Flags to Watch for When Hiring a Communication Training Firm

Connect with Karin Reed:

Visit Speaker Dynamics

Explore Speaker Dynamics University

Follow Speaker Dynamics on Instagram

Connect with Karin Reed on LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm