#251: Cultivating Your Authentic Self as a Speaker – Elizabeth Danziger

The Toastmasters Podcast with Greg Gazin with Ryan Levesque and Bo Bennett

The Toastmasters Podcast is a talkshow designed to amplify the Toastmaster magazine content, featuring interviews with Toastmasters, contributors and those connected with the articles of this monthly publication. ALL 250+ Episodes can be found at ToastmastersPodcast.com.

[28:47] For speakers to be effective, they not only need to be competent communicators and experts in their field, but they also need to be authentic to help build trust and credibility. In today's episode, our guest Elizabeth (Liz) Danziger will enlighten us on, "Cultivating authenticity as a speaker - helping us learn how to let your true self shine while presenting,"  which happens to be the title of her article that appeared in the January 2024 issue of the Toastmaster Magazine.  

Liz will help us understand what it means to be authentic as a speaker and how you can maintain authenticity even in environments that don’t allow you to fully express yourself. She also shares tips on how to build authenticity and avoid the pitfalls of coming across as inauthentic to your audience. Additionally, we learn on how it's ok to be vulnerable on stage yet not overshare, and how to strike a balance between preparation and spontaneity to become more effective on stage.

As wedding season approaches, Liz offers advice to those who may find themselves all dressed up and behind the mic.

Elizabeth (Liz) Danziger is the founder of Worktalk Communications Consulting. Liz is also the author of four books, including Get to the Point!, a text on business writing initially published by Random House. Her writings have also appeared in many magazines and journals, including Harvard Business review and Inc.com where she is a columnist.

For over three decades, Liz has taught business communication to companies throughout the United States, enabling their people to wield the power of words to enhance their credibility and catapult ahead in their careers.

Liz lives in Los Angeles California and can be reached at Worktalk.com, where you can also sign up for her free Writamins monthly writing tips.