Speak with Passion!

Deborah Blohm: Jewelry Designer, Gem Healer, Miracle Worker!

2011-11-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

Before Deborah Blohm, a former public speaking student, gave me her gem healing, I was stressed and ready to chuck commitments and relationships that felt dead. After the two-hour healing process, in which she placed specific gems on different parts of my body, and asked me questions about my experience, I slept for 12 hours. When I awoke, life had shifted 180 degrees and, instead of being at the end of a cycle, I felt in the middle of life itself - fully here and now, totally renewed, facing a 360 degree future!

So who is Deborah Blohm? In her brochure and website, Deborah shares "My passion for gems began at age 5, in the back yard, breaking open rocks to find the hidden gems inside." Today, Deborah opens people up and their inner essense shines through. Since childhood, she pursued the family business of gemstones and jewelry - receiving advanced degrees in Gemology and Design; traveling the world to explore gem mines, cultures and ancient sites; and eventually developing her healing arts. As Deborah learned more about the hidden power of gems, she became a certified Advanced Crystal Healer and Jikiden Reiki practitioner. Along the way, she immersed herself in NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP), Tony Robbins, T Harv Eker and Landmark Education - In other words, completing the past, clearing limiting beliefs and developing her generative and healing powers.

As you can imagine, her intention. sustained over her lifetime, generates a powerful presence. When Deborah took my public speaking class, it was this presence and tall, flaxen-haired beauty that first amazed me. Yet when she spoke about the children's book she had written for her daughter, "The Adventures of Julia, the Generosity Genie," it was her gentleness.

What is a Gem Healing? Before we began, Deborah explained how the gem healing works. Gems emit vibrations that are related to their colors (which is why sapphires are used to move the gears of watches). Then she asked me questions about my health and history to determine which gems to use and where to direct their healing energies. She prepared the space with burning sage, calming meditational music and laid out several trays of gemstones. I lay on a massage table and wore a kimono. Everything about her actions and voice was gentle as she tied gems beneath my feet and lay them over my body. Deborah worked with 12 chakras instead of only the 7 that I'm familiar with. These 12 included 3 chakras above my crown. This makes sense when I consider that we only use 10% of our brain. The healing she brings about is related to generating a shift in the brain and the body.

As she moved through the process, she asked me specific questions that prompted me to visualize and share what I was seeing. Sometimes my responses were related to events and turning points in my life; sometimes they were related to colors I was seeing. Occasionally she would exchange one gem for another. If a gem rolled off me, she said it was because that chakra didn't require healing. Throughout, her arms were circulating the energy above me. I felt deeply relaxed and apparently, my cat, Louie, did too, because he fell asleep next to my head.

Afterwards, Deborah and I discussed her prescriptions for my well-being, based on our session. I also asked her what 2012 holds in store for us. She was very clear and confident in her response." Together with continued natural disasters and societal upheavals, there's going to be a new begining, as we open up and become aware of what we didn't know that we didn't know." Later, well before bedtime, Louie and I were sound asleep.

A new beginning? Powerful presence, breath-taking beauty and serene gentleness - what an unforgettable combination and how perfect for generating healing. Deborah shared that, years ago in New York City, Tony Robbins brought her up on stage in front of thousands who were at his seminar, at the same time that her brochure was being shown on multiple screens. This image, together with her childhood treasure digs and my experience of her potent gem healing, say to me that Deborah Blohm is destined to present mass healings - in which the inner essence of thousands of participants shines forth. Perhaps this is the new beginning in 2012 that she speaks of?

Take advantage of Deborah's holiday discounts -

Deborah@deborahblohm.com

917-861-8433

http://www.deborahblohm.com/

By Pamela Kelly Communications

http://www.pkelly.com/

The Butterfly Effect and My Best Student EVER!

2011-02-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

The January 8 shootings in Tucson sparked a national debate about the relationship between words and actions. This debate has inspired me to share about my Best Speaker EVER!

It was Fall Quarter 2010, I was teaching Public Speaking for Professionals and, after 25 years of teaching, my syllabus was moving along smoothly. There were over 20 students in the course and it was time for Firouzeh (fih-roo-say) Banki to give her first speech.

"In quantum physics, there's a phenomenon called 'the butterfly effect.' When a butterfly flaps its wings in Tokyo, it may cause a hurricane in Brazil a month later. A single small change in one part of the world can be the trigger for huge alterations in another place and time. "

Her opening words snapped me to attention.

"Last year at this time, I was going through a very rough time in my life... and my heart was broken."

I hadn't expected to hear such a personal revelation and her words struck a chord. Firouzeh began weaving a story about the miraculous healing of her broken heart. She spoke slowly and with feeling - describing the entrance of an orange and black butterfly into her life, its injured wing and their growing relationship.

"I get the courage to put my finger underneath her body. Amazingly, she wraps her little legs (like hairs) around it. I start talking to her and she starts shaking... I bring her close to my face and start whispering. I notice her big eyes and we have eye contact. I tell her I am not here to hurt her. I will help her as long as she trusts me. Believe it or not, in that moment, she stopped shaking!"

Then Firouzeh's observations shift into a question, with startling revelations.

"How did this butterfly end up in my house? All of a sudden, it dawns on me, she is a reflection of me! Her wing is broken and so is my heart. She is afraid of not being able to fly and I am afraid of not being able to love again."

In that moment, Firouzeh vows to keep the butterfly alive and learns - if it is to survive - she must get it to fly. After 48 hours of feeding nectar to her multi-colored guest and throwing it into the air, Firouzeh's butterfly is strong enough to fly away.

"I don't know if the flapping of her wings caused a hurricane in Brazil, but I know she changed my life. She made me look at Mother Nature from a different perspective - to see how we take this planet and its beauty for granted. That butterfly was not just an insect; she came into my life for a reason... She gave me courage... If she can fly with a broken wing, then I can do anything! She made me believe in love again. Love comes from the most unexpected places and when it does, it conquers everything, including broken wings and broken hearts."

When Firouzeh ended, I was practically speechless - the deep unison of word, thought and feeling, as if her soul was speaking - had shaken me loose from my comfortabale expectations of the familiar, taken us through a metamorphosis and raised the bar for everyone.

After that first speech, each time she stood before us, Firouzeh astonished. During our final session, when everyone receives an award that has been voted on by the class, she of course received a Best Speaker award. But I also created a Best Speaker EVER! award for her, which had never before occurred to me to do. This was a new moment.

Later, I wanted to learn more - what was there in Firouzeh's process and background that I could pass on to others? When I interviewed her, she revealed how she prepared for class and some of the mystery began to clear.

FIROUZEH'S PREPARATION PROCESS

To overcome her "heart in the throat, knees shaking, voice trembling" fear of English and of public speaking, here are the steps she took -

First, she only speaks on what she feels passionate about
Then, she writes out every word and tapes herself reading it 10 to 20 times
Each time she tapes, she listens and makes changes in her writing
She also practices in the mirror
Next, she comes early to class and does 3 or 4 runthroughs in the empty room
Then she sits silently and focuses on her breathing, until the other students begin arriving
Finally, during the class, she practices with other students

After I shared this process with my current class, a student copied it and had immediate results. Also, this rigorous process reminds me of the heroine of my SPEAK WITH PASSION, SPEAK WITH POWER!, Anne Reeves, who also developed herself into an award-winning speaker by transforming her acute anxiety through hard work into mastery.

I wanted to know more. What were the connections between the little girl who was born in Iran and the Best Speaker EVER! in my classroom? Firouzeh's background offers some insights. Until she was 15, she lived with her family in Iran. Although surrounded by religious extremism, there was religious freedom in her home. She and her 2 sisters were expected to excel in school and in life. When revolution erupted, her family escaped to Spain and eventually Firouzeh relocated to Montreal, where she became fluent in French and completed university, then dental school. She shared that her education in Iran and in dental school involved much memorization - which, together with her lack of confidence in her self-taught English - explained why she wrote out her speeches first and then, through drilling, became one with her words (By the way, her English pronunciation and grammar are almost perfect and completely unobtrusive).

Other events - marriage, motherhood, divorce - brought her to Los Angeles and a path of deepening self-discovery and greater self-expression. As the black and orange butterfly had been led to Firouzeh, so she was led to my classroom and into a new future. Unpredictably, she is now taking a creative writing course and has volunteered to speak to my classes, which I intend to take her up on.

Shakespeare wrote, "Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature." Speaking IS action... which brings me back to the Tucson debate and points to another question:

When Firouzeh flapped her wings in Los Angeles, did it cause a hurricane in Egypt?

Women in Theater Present!

2010-04-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

For their monthly Let's Do Lunch monthly meeting, Los Angeles' Women in Theatre features Pamela Kelly, a former New York stage actress, and now an author, corporate consultant and UCLA Extension Master Teacher. The event is Saturday Apr 17, 11:30 to 1 pm, at the famed Farmers Market in Los Angeles, at 3rd and Fairfax in the Hollywood Community Room, Second Floor

Pamela Kelly will be talking about "Being the Right Person in the Right Place at the Right Time" and presenting the stagecraft techniques she uses in her trainings to make public speaking fun and easy.

A former stage actress and voice-speech coach for actors, Pamela has trained thousands of business professionals in the US and abroad and has based her numerous public speaking and accent reduction courses and corporate trainings on her stage experience in Chicago and New York City.

“When I was acting, I did 33 productions in stock, repertory, Off-Broadway and on tour. Between jobs, I studied acting, voice and speech, singing and dance. In Los Angeles, I fell into teaching, loved it and haven’t looked back. The acting, voice and performance skills became the foundation of my courses. This WIT workshop will showcase several of these techniques, presented as simple steps that will have you replacing the fear of public speaking with fun, freedom and ease!”

Drawings will be held for copies of Pamela's workbook, "Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!" and other of her publications. All will also be available for purchase.

WIT’s Let’s DO Lunch series is held on the 3rd Saturday of every month (except Oct and Dec) in the Community Room, 2nd Floor. Enter by the clock and the room is just up the stairs. The workshop, free for members, will start promptly at 11:30am and wrap by 1pm. Non-members may apply the $5 fee to membership if they join within a week.

Networking and a wide choice of wonderful food await.Convenient public transportation and tons of parking either at Farmers Market or Grove. Two Hours free parking at Farmers Market with vendor validation.
http://www.womenintheater.com/

Overcoming Death by PowerPoint!

2010-02-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

What is the number one PowerPoint sin? The unanimous response I hear is - reading the slides! Reading PowerPoint, like hiding behind the lectern, feels safer than standing out there naked and in the spotlight. This must be why so many speakers and organizations do it!

To free ourselves from the spell, we have to (1) Intervene and establish our intention to take control, then (2) Practice explaining the ideas behind the slides until our “story-line” flows easily and (3) Rehearse staying connected to our listeners.

Here are some tips to shift your focus from reading slides to connecting with your audience:

ROLE-PLAY: Act AS IF you are…
• The Leader, in charge of the PowerPoint; it’s there to support and follow you – not the other way around.
• A Story Teller - illuminate your PowerPoint bullets with colorful pictures and flesh them out with stories, humor, anecdotes and your personality.
• A Dance Partner - connect from moment to moment with your audience, through your whole self, including eye contact, facial expression, body language, voice tone and tempo, inner commitment and conviction.

STRUCTURE: Build a solid container for your ideas with…
• “Books Ends” - Present a big picture idea at the beginning and at the end, such as “Breathe Life into Your Project Reviews!”; then have everything in between support that big picture idea.
• “Main Ideas and Transitions” – Think of each slide as a bead on a necklace. What is the most important idea about each slide and what is the idea that connects one slide with the next? Speak to these. The string that ties your beads together is your big picture idea.
• If you want to speak to several bullets on a slide, then – instead of just reading bullets (Zzzzz) – 1) Introduce the framing point that the bullets relate to (e.g. “So what are the 4 languages of public speaking?”, then 2) Tie the bullets together with simple word cues: “First, we have the verbal; Next, is the visual; Then, there’s the vocal; and Finally, we come to the visceral!” and 3) Conclude or transition – (Conclusion) “And here we have the 4 languages of public speaking!” (Add transition) “Now let’s move on! Let’s get you on your feet using those 4 languages!”

PRACTICE: Rehearse on your feet, out loud and...
• Drill your Intro and Conclusion (bookends) over and over, to make them attention-getting, confident, clear, concise and memorable.
• Rehearse your slides to iron out the frames, word cues, summaries, transitions and get comfortable with your story-line.
• Run through the entire presentation several times, from beginning to end, locking in your flow and timing.
• Now be ten times louder and more excited – to unleash all your energy and self-expression (this is a rehearsal technique only).
• Finally, let it all go and be yourself, but on purpose.

Now, at this point, not only will you have avoided death by PowerPoint, you will be a force of nature!

Hiroko Tatebe and GOLD's 3rd Annual Leadership Conference

2009-12-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

Hiroko Tatebe has the kind of character needed to build bridges. We met some 20 years ago in my course at UCLA Extension – “Speaking Up! Effective Communication Skills for Women.” Hiroko had enrolled to better prepare herself as the upcoming President of a professional women’s organization. She would spend years leading business groups and garnering awards for her contributions. At the same time, as Director, Executive Vice President and Treasurer of Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank of California in Los Angeles, and the only woman on the Board of Directors, Hiroko was learning to navigate between the two business cultures of Japan and the United States. Her finance, management, networking and diplomatic skills would serve her well when she decided to start her own company.

When Hiroko was a little girl growing up in Japan, she was known in her family as “Daughter Number Six.” For someone with her pioneering spirit, this was just the kick in the pants she needed to make her way to the United States to discover who she really was and what she really was all about. Years later, after leaving Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, as Hiroko gazed into an unknown future, she knew it was time to give words to her vision, express her passion and formulate her mission. In the process, Hiroko realized that she was a bridge between America and Japan, was passionate about developing global leaders and GOLD was born - the Global Organization for Leadership and Diversity – dedicated to developing global women leaders and building bridges across the Pacific!
On March 22, 2010, GOLD will have it’s 3rd annual leadership conference, “Leading and Navigating Tsunami Culture Across the Pacific,”in Los Angeles. Hiroko’s dream expands with each conference – from focusing on women’s leadership in the first conference in Los Angeles, bringing men into the fold for the second in Tokyo and now for the third, reaching out to both the U.S. and Japan.

Since she was a little girl asking “Who is Daughter Number Six?,” Hiroko’s vision continues to expand - she dreams of engaging other nations, walks the talk and teaches by example: Be true to yourself. Follow your instincts. Develop your talents. Think big. Take risks. Never give up. Keep growing.

Learn more about Hiroko, GOLD and the 2010 GOLD Leadership Conference at www.goldleaders.org.

UCLA Extension Instructor Development Recognized

2009-10-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

UCLA Extension doesn’t just provide professionals with the skills to succeed in their careers – it also provides its employees with opportunities to excel in their professions. From publications to professional recognition, UCLA Extension employees are active, contributing members of their fields.

This month, the contributions of many dedicated UCLA Extension employees and instructors were recognized with the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA) Outstanding Administrative Process or Service Award, presented at the UCEA Region West annual conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Extension earned the award for its long-running Instructor Development Program, administered through the dean’s office. The unique program, which includes a quarterly New Instructors Orientation and a series of 10 weekend seminars, “is not about teaching instructor policies and procedures; it’s about demonstrating behavior in the classroom and showing how to teach adults across different learning styles,” said Extension Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Karim Cherif. “We’re one of the few institutions with a program this comprehensive.”

Taught by UCLA Extension “master instructors” (including Pamela Kelly, who teaches Classroom Presentation Skills) who have earned consistently high student evaluations and are capable of teaching across disciplines, the program’s value is attested to by its popularity: not only have professors from other institutions requested to take it, but also professionals from other fields.

Why Passion?

2009-10-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

Can you imagine the Berlin Wall coming down if President Reagan’s words had lacked passion? No way. It was Reagan’s burning desire and sense of expectancy that brought down the Berlin Wall.

Passion is the juice that drives powerful result-producing communication. When we combine a burning desire to contribute with the expectation of success, we become unstoppable. Passion keeps us in the game, withstanding failures and sharpening our skills until we succeed - like Canada’s first hockey superstar, Maurice Richard, who returned to the sport after each injury better than ever. This steely perseverance sustains us over time and separates the wanna-bees and fly-by-nights from the greats.

I’m reminded of Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi. They endured many failures throughout their lifetimes, but their inner fires were not diminished. Each held his vision steadily before him and persisted in communicating, leading and taking bold actions that eventually would change the course of history.

With passion in your belly, you can change history too. Whether you’re leading a nation, a company, a team, a family or just yourself, the same principle holds true.

TIP: To Be a Powerful, Result-Producing Leader and Communicator, Tap into Your Passion.

I call this passion the “juice” and it’s natural to communicate with juice when we’re talking about something we love – getting engaged to be married, a pet hobby or project, a breakthrough in productivity, bringing a job in early and under budget. But sometimes in life and in business, the juice isn’t there and we feel like we’re just going through the motions. What can we do? Here are some approaches for tapping into your passion. Try them out and see what works best for you.

TIP: Discover Your Big Purpose.

It’s easy to be passionate when we’re fully invested in a purpose larger than ourselves. A big purpose engages and inspires us, whether it’s having a career that we love, providing for our family or solving climate change.

To assist you in clarifying your big purpose, look for a theme as you ask yourself, “What do I want to BE, DO and HAVE in each of these areas?”
Personal Life
Professional Life
Friends and Family
Organization
Community
Nation
Planet
Universe

Put your theme into words that inspire you, write it down and read it often. Abraham Lincoln would have written, under “Nation”, “Having the states united and everyone free!” Under “Professional Life,” Maurice Richard might have written, “Be Canada’s first hockey superstar!”
Your big purpose becomes your personal pipeline to passion and the context for all your communications and actions.

Remember a time when you were going through the motions. Feel the deadness.

Next re-play that experience AS IF you have a big purpose, such as “Being all that you can be!” Feel the vitality.

Now fan the flames and actually play your life full out, being all you can be.

To add rocket fuel to your passion, visualize your purpose as if it’s occurring right here, right now!

TIP: Visualize and Stand In Your Purpose – Right Here, Right Now.

Visualizing yourself standing inside your big purpose – right here, right now - makes it real and turns up the heat. I recommend making a vision poster or dream board of your big purpose. Paste pictures and words that mirror your big purpose on a board. This is a powerful creative process that combines passion, vision and action to program you for success.

When John F. Kennedy boldly affirmed that the United States would put a man on the moon within 6 years, his clear vision and white-hot passion kicked off powerful communications and actions that successfully launched human beings to the moon and back!

Remember the protagonist in “Slum Dog Millionaire?” He visualized winning and took bold actions, fueled by passion. This led him to communicate brilliantly, which changed the course of his history. Follow his lead and you can do it too.

TIP: Clarify Your Contribution to the Quality of Life.

Another way to tap into your passion is to ask yourself, “How does my communication contribute to the quality of life? Of my listeners’ lives?” Find the words that inspire and fully engage you and focus on them.
When I teach a class or coach a client, I intend to have my students leave with more than what they came for. I want to see, hear and feel them blossoming into better, more powerful communicators, leaders and teachers than I am. This takes the focus off me, opens up my creativity and floods me with passion.

Think of Sister Helen Prejean in “Dead Man Walking.” She did whatever was necessary to bring a state of inner peace to a murderer facing execution. As his life ebbed, she sat near him, holding his gaze, calming his spirit, communicating love and forgiveness.

Our communications may not be as lofty as Sister Prejean’s, but by fully engaging yourself in how they contribute to the quality of your listeners’ lives, you too can pipe into your authentic passion.

TIP: Prepare, Practice and Act AS IF You’re 10 Times More Passionate.

Whenever possible, prepare and practice your communication out loud. To access your passion, you may need to break out of your comfort zone by acting 10 times louder and more excited. This rehearsal technique is liberating and fun, gets your voice and body moving, your breath and energy flowing and your inner fire burning. It blasts you out of your caution, engages your whole personality, expands your self-expression and connects you to your passion. Try it with these exercises to express enthusiasm, confidence and sincerity:

I’m glad to be here!

I know what I’m talking about!

I care about what I’m saying!

When you have a presentation or important communication, practice being 10 times louder and more excited, until you feel freed up and on fire. Then put this rehearsal technique aside and be yourself. Notice the difference.

These are some approaches to connect you to your passion. What they all have in common is your full engagement – in your big purpose, your contribution to the quality of life and to being 10 times louder and more excited. Passion is the full-strength juice that drives powerful result-producing communication and bold action. When we combine a burning desire to contribute with the expectation of success, we become unstoppable. Whoever we are and whatever our title, we can change the course of history by harnessing the power of passion.

Dorothy Breininger Sweeps Up in "Hoarders!"

2009-08-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

Have you caught “Hoarders” yet? My former student and client, Dorothy Breininger, appeared on the August 24 episode as the organizational consultant for one of 2 hoarders featured on the show (You can see her again this Monday, Aug 31). These hoarders are not just people with clutter who need help getting organized – like many of us. The two hoarders (whom I’ll call Greg and Mary) on this hour-long show have domiciles filled almost from floor to ceiling with mountains of stuff, making easy navigation, sitting, sleeping or going to the bathroom impossible. Dorothy’s task is to prevent Greg from being evicted by eliminating all the crap (figuratively and literally) from his apartment. She does much more.

Dorothy understands that the layers of detritus stuffed into Greg's apartment are a reflection of the unconscious and unexpressed experiences, decisions, memories and recordings that have piled up in his mind since early childhood. Unless he deals with it, he'll end up on the street. Her mission is not just to clean up the physical mess, but to help him see what the mess represents (sadness about his parents’ divorce, depression and slow suicide), get complete with it and let it go; then to get in touch with his desires and vision for the future (to be a writer, to have friends and nature in his home) and to be in action about it. She takes Greg on an inner transformational journey.

Rather than have Greg physically clean up the tons of junk himself, Dorothy does the dirty work and he gets to experience the process vicariously. As she labors, she describes what's there and asks probing questions, triggering Greg to share his emotional responses and flashes of insight, which are many. There's no shame or blame and their on-going dialogue is punctuated by Dorothy's trademark bear hugs and words of appreciation and encouragement.

When the apartment is finally emptied and scrubbed, a writing space is created to support Greg’s vision, with a new bookcase, desk and chair; river rocks are placed on the back of his toilet to remind him of nature; and a friend is brought in to complete the celebration. At the end of the show, it's stated that Greg is writing everyday and keeping his home clean.

I note this final result because it contrasts with the other featured hoarder, Mary, who abandons her home before completing the cleaning. Her consultant’s style is very different from Dorothy’s - conceptual, detached and hands-off - where Dorothy’s style is engaged, caring and hands-on. I question the omission of the caring kinesthetic vibe when working with someone who’s addiction is all about stuffing their homes and burying themselves under physical objects.

Additionally, Dorothy focuses on helping Greg create a big purpose for himself, based on his own desires and vision. Mary’s coach, on the other hand, focuses on Mary's physically sorting through and discarding the mountains of clutter herself, an exhausting process, with the end goal being to sell the house, per a divorce agreement. No wonder Mary weeps when she discovers her grown children’s baby clothes, gets cranky with her son, when he tries to help, and eventually abandons the house altogether. I'm left worrying about Mary's future.

"Hoarders" is mesmerizing; it powerfully juxtaposes real people who have real addictions with the possibility for transforming their lives. Will they or won't they? With Dorothy Breininger's powerful coaching, Greg is off to a fortuitous start.

Be sure to catch Dorothy on the Aug 31 and Sept 21 episodes of "Hoarders!"

PUBLIC SPEAKING FOR PROFESSIONALS – WORKSHOP SUMMARY

2009-06-12T17:18:00.000-07:00

Access Services hosted the “Public Speaking Workshop” on May 28 and 29, 2009. The workshop was presented by UCLA Extension and was attended by 20 representatives from public transit agencies, regional centers and non-profit organizations. Access Services staff Evie Palicz, Luis Garcia, Steve Chang, Geetu Banerjee, Jeff Mora and Charace Thompson also participated.

The two day workshop provided each participant with a solid foundation in public speaking. The course covered several aspects in improving presentation delivery such as connecting with an audience, responding to questions and interruptions, body language and the dynamics of voice and pacing. As part of class exercises, participants gave several presentations that were video-taped. Coaching was given in a supportive and positive environment.

Some feedback received from attendees:

“This class was the best public speaking training that I ever received. I'm definitely going to use the technical tools that we learned in the class for my future presentations.” Art Ida, Culver City

"Public speaking is one of the most feared things. As professionals we sometimes have to give reports and present information in front of an Executive Board, City Council Members and the General Public. The structure and methodology of delivering a precise message is the key. Through this course, I learnt several methods and exercise that will assist me in delivering an effective presentation. I feel more confident in giving presentations and thank you Access Services for facilitating this course!” Dietter Aragon, Foothill Transit

“This was an excellent workshop. The instructor kept us motivated and engaged.” Wayne Wassell, Metro

For Teachers: Make a Plan, Then Improvise - On Purpose!

2009-06-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

After teaching for 30 years, I know it works to have a lesson plan for where you're going. It doesn't work, however, to be too attached to how you get there. You have to stay open and improvise (when isn't it that way?).
I shared an extraordinary session with my "Public Speaking for Professionals" class at UCLA Extension a while back. There are nearly 30 enrolled and, at this particular session, only 3 were prepared. I fought a shotgun impulse to make the others wrong and remembered my objective of having them all know how to prepare, rehearse and deliver effective presentations. This particular night was vital to that process, so I sent the 3 prepared students into a second room to rehearse together while the remaining students stayed in our classroom putting the assignment together. One by one, as they completed this ground work, they joined the prepared group in the other room to rehearse. Meanwhile, I circulated, answering questions, coaching, managing both groups and the time. Eventually the majority of the students had trickled into the second room to rehearse. At this point, I put everyone to work in small groups with each other, integrating some new instructions from me, coaching each other and polishing up their presentations. As I continued to circulate, I could see, hear and feel that they were benefiting from all the coaching they were giving and receiving - they were in great shape and we were on track! This process took up almost all our time and only four speakers got to deliver their presentaitons to the whole class, with the remaining scheduled for the following week. But now they were all prepared and the challenge would be to keep it fresh. This evening has been experiential, exhilerating and fun. We arrived at our destination because we went with the flow and improvised - on purpose.

Beauty before me, Beauty behind me,

Beauty to the right of me, Beauty to the left of me,

Beauty above me, Beauty below me,

Beauty all around me... I am on the perfect path.

Know Yourself, Then Give it Away! Synchronicity, Story and Psychic Coaching

2009-06-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

"If you have built castles in the air,

your work need not be lost;

that is where they should be.

Now put the foundations under them."

- Henry David Thoreau -

There are no accidents. Wherever you are can lead you to where you want to be. Recently I had an extraordinary psychic experience with a client.

This client is a lobbyist with a huge, well-known corporation. As we discussed his upcoming presentation and the effect he wanted to have on his audience, an image emerged in which he appeared to me as an early American scout, leading a group of settlers through the wilderness, clearing a path in the thick undergrowth and looking out for danger. As their lobbyist, he was clearly a path into the future for his company. This metaphor spoke to him and he loved it; it became the unifying idea for his presentation. He had been concerned that his audience would think he was expendable, but instead, they came up afterwards, congratulating him and expressing their appreciation.

This "psychic coaching" is really the sensory acuity that has resulted from my years of both working on myself and training and coaching students and clients. As I asked the lobbyist questions about his presentation and purpose, my mind connected the dots and the visual appeared. Then we did the work. Castles in the air and foundations on the ground came together.

Are you visualizing your intended outcomes and then taking the actions to get you there? And are you loving it? These are the 3 essential aspects of a result: a visual, the passion and action.

Join Queen of Hearts Sheryl Roush and her Court of Contributing Authors to Celebrate Mother's Day in San Diego!

2009-05-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

Corporate consultant and UCLA Extension Master Teacher, Pamela Kelly, is joining Sparkle Presentations’ Sheryl Roush and other contributing authors of Roush’s Heart Book Series for book signings in San Diego on Saturday, May 9. Roush’s Heart Book collection of inspirational books for women, mothers and women in business also includes CDs with readings and music.
Kelly contributed “Being the Right Person in the Right Place at the Right Time” to Roush’s Heart of a Woman in Business and will also be signing Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!, her workbook based on 20 years of teaching professionals from all walks of life how to replace the fear of public speaking with energy, know-how and results.
Other authors who have contributed to Heart of a Woman, Heart of a Mother, and Corazon de Mujer (in Spanish) will also be joining Roush and Kelly. They will be signing their own books and the Heart Book Series from 11am to 2pm at The EarthblendTea and Coffee Bookstore, located at 6020 Santo Road, Suite A, San Diego, CA 92124, Phone 858-571-6000.
From here, the party will move on to Borders Eastlake, where they will be signing only the Heart Book Series, from 3pm to 6pm. This location is 878 Eastlake Parkway, Suite 710, Chula Vista, CA 91914, Phone 619-482-9883.
Come ready to have fun, be inspired and find the perfect Mother’s Day gifts as the authors read from their books, speak, answer questions and share the beautiful Heart Book music.

Browse for Mother's Day at the LA Times Festival of Books!

2009-04-05T09:51:00.000-07:00

Press Release/April 4, 2009 – Join UCLA Extension’s popular Master Teacher, Pamela Kelly, and UCLA Extension's Writers' Program teacher, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, who are signing their award-winning books for speakers and writers in the Authors’ Co-op Booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday, April 26, from 3-4pm.

Pamela Kelly's Speak with Passion, Speak with Power! offers you the same reliable system she uses in the classroom for overcoming your fear of public speaking and stepping into your power - in job interviews, business presentations (including PowerPoint presentations), teleconference meetings, webinars and wherever you need to speak up, be heard and be persuasive.

She also is presenting, as a contributing author, the Heart Book Series for Women, perfect for Mother’s Day. This unique jewel-toned collection of inspirational true stories and lessons learned, is published by Sparkle Presentations’ Sheryl Roush, and perfect for the mothers, women in business and Spanish-speaking women in your life.

Sharing this booth with Pamela is the prolific author and book award winner, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, of the How To Do It Frugally Book Series fame. Carolyn is a sponsor for the Authors’ Co-op and will be signing The Frugal Editor, The Frugal Book Promoter, as well as her fiction and chapbook of poetry (Stay for the poetry reading at 4pm!).

The Authors’ Co-op is also showcasing these other authors during the 2-day Festival: Christine Alexanians, Linda Ballou, Janet Goliger, Lynn B. Goodwin, Anne Megowan, Marilyn Meredith, Linda Overman, Julie Spira and Loren Woodson and featuring Rey Ybarra, Best Selling Author and TV Host.

UCLA Campus, Sat. & Sun, April 25 and 26, FREE Admission/Parking $9.
Easiest Parking at Structure 3 Near Hilgard & Sunset Boulevard, Westwood (Los Angeles Area), CA.
For a map of the on-campus event go to: http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/eventmap.html.
Look for the Authors' Co-op banner in the F section near the food booths

Are Chris Brown and Rihanna Pushing Our Buttons? Communicate to Come Clean

2009-03-17T12:04:00.001-07:00

Have you witnessed or directly experienced violence or spousal abuse? With a daily dose of Chris Brown and Rihanna in the news, the topic of violence towards women seems to be pushing a lot of our buttons and is providing an opportunity for many of us to come clean. It's being discussed on all the talk shows - Oprah warned Rihanna that any man who hits once will hit again. On CNN, a panel of men agreed that this is a man's issue as much as a woman's; that it's not just about being a victim who needs to learn to keep herself safe but also about being a victimizer who needs to learn to control rage. I just read on AOL news that Cover Girl may drop Rihanna as a result of her returning to her relationship with Brown. What does our fascination reveal about us? For me, it says that we CAN have an open conversation about a once forbidden subject. The internet allows us all to participate. Then, because it's pushing so many buttons, it begs the question, "Who experienced violence or abuse growing up in your homes, schools and communities?" Remember when people were coming out of the woodwork to acknowledge they had been molested as children and teens by their priests? This was a cathartic cleansing for the Catholic Church. Now the Chris Brown-Rihanna conversation is bringing up another opportunity for us to acknowledge and release our demons. And to take greater responsibility for our results. I grew up in a household effected by the violence of war. The repurcussions circulated through our lives as emotional, physical and verbal abuse. Since then, there have been discussions, forgiveness and declarations of love - but does the onion ever stop unpeeling? I've been working on myself a long time, but this Chris Brown - Rihanna conversation has brought it all up again. What are your experiences and what is your take on what is happening? Please comment below.

The Power of Presence - Not an Act but a Habit

2009-02-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit." Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Duke Ahn, embodies Aristotle's insight. For my Tip of the Month, I want to share about the Power of Presence, which has everything to do with what we have repeatedly been doing and is either working for us or not. When I met Dr. Ahn, he had come to my hospital room the night before surgery to answer any questions I might have. As he sat next to the bed facing me, I had only a couple of questions. But while he described my injury and his plan for the surgery, my questions began multiplying, tumbling out of me one after the other. His responses were direct and detailed in content, his tone soft and steady. Being in his presence was somehow drawing more and more questions out of me and we were in a living partnership of give and take. Dr. Ahn's years of study and practice didn't just emanate passively and non-verbally from him. They acted like a catalyst and a magnet on me. When he left, I was confident that my leg and I were in the hands of a meticulous, masterful surgeon. The next morning, as I was wheeled into surgery, I looked forward to being in his reliable hands. The proof is that I'm walking now (the injury had been called "devastating") and several other unrelated doctors and therapists have commented on the exceptional appearance of my surgery. The results were planted before my surgery took place, during Dr. Ahn's years of meticulous attention to details, and they gained momentum during that hospital visit. So to wrap up, we can all ask ourselves, what is the nature of our presence? What is the effect we have on others? By weeding out what isn't working and repeating what is working, we, like Dr. Ahn, can have a more powerful presence. Please comment below. http://www.greaterlongbeachortho.com/

The Art of Listening As a Slow Dance

2009-02-18T12:59:00.000-08:00

Breaking my leg in Oct 09 has been a huge pattern interrupt, testing my own and my family's adaptilibity and determination and also exposing me to the medical world. After I was released from the hospital, I began treatment at Dr. Ahn's office, where Steven was his assisting nurse. His manner was gentle, warm and quiet. I instantly felt connected to him. The day arrived when I was ready for the staples that had closed my wound to be removed. There were 20-some of them and as you can imagine, this was not easy or pain-free; but all I can say is that Steven slow-danced with me. His touch was gentle with a soft healing vibration that warmed my skin. He listened when I asked him to stop or said I needed a break and he allowed me to lead him. He didn't resist me and he wasn't in a hurry; he took his time. For me, it was the empowering experience of being heard without judgment and of having perfect rapport. Who Steven was being was the listening and that's why I continue to remember him with deep appreciation. This is a powerful reminder for someone like me to switch from "Ready, Fire, Aim!" to "Stop, Look and Listen" instead. And slow dance. I love this metaphor of listening as slow dancing and can use it. On a scale of 1 to 10, where do you fall in your listening as a slow dance? Please comment below. www.greaterlongbeachortho.com

BookEnds Has Workshop for "Reader-Leaders!"

2009-01-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

I love teaching! It connects me with so many amazing individuals, such as Robin Keefe, the beautiful and vibrant President and Founder of BookEnds, a non-profit organization about "Kids helping kids for Literacy." Robin and I met at UCLA Extension 10 years ago. In this photo, she's standing behind me and we're surrounded by some of BookEnds' "Reader-Leaders." This group ranges in ages 7 to 15 and we've just had a public speaking workshop. I was astounded by their knowledge, sophistication and performances!

Since 1998, BookEnds has donated 1.5 million books to children, libraries and schools. Research on literacy shows that access to books impacts children's ability to read, their comprehension, spelling and vocabulary. So now, Robin, her Board and the Reader-Leaders of BookEnds are committed to bringing Los Angeles up to the national average of books per students. Their goal? 7 million books! If you're a book lover, find out how you can help by going to http://www.bookends.org/.

Where Have I Been? There Are No Accidents!

2009-01-12T13:39:00.000-08:00

This blissed out picture was taken during the last session of "Public Speaking for Professionals" at UCLA Extension in Dec 08. I've got a broken leg inside that big Darth Vader boot and had recently come from a transformational hospital experience, in which I got, at my core, that the universe loves and supports me. I also saw how several inner conversations echoing through my mind - some for decades - had come together to create the accident I had. And there was a note of drama when I thought I might not get to vote for President but- did you know, there is a system in place that allows for hospital patients to vote at the last minute? It was one more occasion for me to count my blessings. All in all, this has been an unforgettable experience of insights, allowing others to serve me (my husband - a gem -drives me to my classes!) and for nature to take it's always dependable course. Now I'm almost ready to walk and drive again and my husband is perhaps even more thrilled than I am!

My Article Selected for Heart of a Woman Book Series

2008-09-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

"Being the Right Person in the Right Place at the Right Time" was selected by Sheryl Roush of Sparkle Presentations to be included in her latest Heart of a Woman in Business. I was first introduced to Sheryl when she gave a presentation in the "Speak Your Way to Wealth" seminar and she really did sparkle. I loved her joy, her generosity and, I guess you could say, my heart went out to her. Her newest Heart of a Woman book is filled with personal stories to empower women in business - stories that other women have written about how creativity, hard work, intuition, inspiration and even a few lucky breaks played roles in their success. Be sure to explore this and Sheryl's entire Heart of a Woman series at www.heartbookseries.com. And find out what it takes to be "the right person in the right place at the right time."

Signing in the Midpoint Booth at the Book Expo America

2008-06-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

It's the huge Book Expo America and this year it was at the Convention Center in Los Angeles. Yeahhhh! My distributor is Midpoint Trade Books and here I am in the Midpoint Booth with Laurie Little, the Executive Assistant who first contacted me about being a client. A graduate of Pepperdine in Malibu and a musical theater afficianada, Laurie now resides in New York City. I did a book-signing here which was great fun because I got to meet a flurry of book-industry people and sign their copies of "Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!" Among these were librarians, other authors, publicists and several young men and women who said they were frightened of public speaking and grateful to get my book!

Thank you, Laurie, Julie, Chad, Kevin, Alex and everyone in the booth who helped me out and at Midpoint for everything you've done for "Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!"

Rubbing Elbows with the Executive Producer of Leimert Park Book Fair, Cynthia Exum

2008-06-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

It's the night before the Leimert Park Village Book Fair and I'm here at the opening ceremonies and awards presentations with the woman who made it happen, Cynthia Exum. Cynthia's vision for the fair was inspired by the 2007 Harlem Book Fair in New York and she did an incredible job of pulling everything together - writers, workshops, entertainment, city officials, celebrities - and an amazing spread of speakers, singers and foods, including chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne. The setting was a lovely Spanish-style patio in the heart of this beautiful and historic neighborhood.

Councilman Bernard Parks Encourages Participation at Leimert Book Fair

2008-06-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Councilman Bernard Parks welcomes

all the speakers, writers, volunteers, entertainers and visitors to the Leimert Park Village Book Fair.

He encouraged visitors to support the local businesses surrounding us in this lovely neighborhood and to buy books. He also shared his vision of combining this book fair with an art fair next year - with the continuing emphasis on African-American writers and artists.

Several acts appeared throughout the day on the stage where the Councilman stands. Although I was at my booth interacting with patrons and zipping around meeting other authors, I did manage to get completely hooked by several wonderful jazz singers and rap groups who were terrific!

Popular Actress and I Share Table at Leimert Book Fair

2008-06-02T14:40:00.001-07:00

You've probably seen this adorable actress many times on your television screen. She's Vernee Watson and not only has she been making commercials and appearing on series for years, but she also gives on-camera commercial workshops based on her two books, Kids in the TV Commercial Biz and Commercials, Just My Speed!

Powerful Author and Speaker Joins My Workshop at Leimert Book Fair

2008-06-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

Derrick O'Neal generated a shock wave in my morning workshop, "The Secret to Great Speaking: Pour in the Juice!", when he shared the story he depicts in his book, The Game is Ova'. Derrick turned his life around and does the same for youth at risk with his powerful, personal story of having it all, losing it all and transforming it all.

Go to www.thegameisova.com, www.myspace.com/thegameisova and www.amazon.com.

Inspiring Community Leader at the Leimert Book Fair

2008-06-02T12:26:00.000-07:00

The halo surrounding Wanda Combs Moore drew me to her table. Wanda is the author of Never, Never Give Up!, which delivers a message of hope and determination that she embodies. She is a coach, inspirational speaker, seminar leader, celebrity and powerful community leader who has received many honors and awards. Wanda began her public service as the Chief Administrative Assistant and Personal Advisor in the 20 year administration of the late Mayor of Los Angeles, Tom Bradley.

Learn more about Wanda at http://www.wandacombsmoore.com/.

Changing African American Attitudes about Health at Leimert Book Fair

2008-06-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

When Lottie Perkins shared her book, Eating to Die, with me and her mission of changing African American attitudes about health and food, her passion and power blew me away. She's a prolific speaker and has a weekly radio show, "Step Up to Wellness!" at innerlightradio.com.

Read about Lottie and her ground-breaking book at LottieshealthNwellness.com.

I Meet Up with Another Author from Long Beach at Leimert Book Fair

2008-06-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

While buzzing around the fair, I met another author and a book seller from Long Beach, where I live - the dynamic Sunny Nash, Executive Producer of KSUN Inc. and Cindy Patterson, the Community Relations Manager at Barnes and Noble. I'm looking forward to getting to know both of them better, since we're in each other's back yards.

Read about Sunny's book, Bigmama Didn't Shop at Woolworth's, at http://www.amazon.com/ and visit her website at http://www.sunnynash.com/

Carolyn Howard-Johnson Shares "How to Say It Better"

2008-05-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Visiting my public speaking class recently was Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Carolyn knows about being effective and producing results. She's an author who has published novels, poetry, short stories and "how to" books. She has won oodles of awards and honors. She's a speaker, teacher, actress and community leader. And, as the founder of Authors' Coalition, she is a guide and mentor for other authors. In short, Carolyn is a "whirling dervish!" So who better qualified to coach my UCLA Extension public speaking students on "how to say it better?" After each presentation, Carolyn shared her feedback. Some of her tips included (1) to use stories and anecdotes to bring your points to life (2) to replace the impersonal "people" and "they," which are distancing, with the personal and unifying "I" and "we" and (3) to eliminate slang and filler words ("like", "you know"). Little changes like this make the difference in coming across as a professional with credibility. Thank you, Carolyn, for your time and coaching!

Student's Name Selected in Drawing for Book Festival!

2008-05-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

Ali Khosravi dropped by my booth at the Festival of Books and entered his name in my drawings. He was selected to win an hour of coaching. Here we are in my accent reduction course, Speak with Clarity, as Ali receives his prize. Ali, originally from Persia, received his education in one of his passions, photography, and has run a successful photography business for 25 years - a rare feat! You can read about his company at http://goldencolor.com/6-about_us.htm. Ali is also fascinated with the roots of words, a subject he has studied for over 40 years, and enjoys sharing about in our vocabulary and pronunciation-oriented class.

Ali and I must have been on the same wave length. Look at our color coordination!

Book Publicists of So Cal at the LA Times Festival of Books!

2008-05-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

In the red tee, dressed for our 90's heat wave, is the indefatigable Irwin Zucker, the Hollywood publicist who heads Promotion in Motion and founder of the Book Publicists of Southern California. Next to Irwin is Yan Sai, an affiliate with and my sponsor to Hello World. Yan is a natural-born publicist - she was passing out flyers for Authors' Coalition and insisted on carrying the big poster of my book cover for people to see when we were walking to and from the parking structure. Yan is an angel who is focused on helping others fulfill their dreams. Thank you,Yan! On the other side of me is Annette Fix, also with the Authors' Coalition and the fantastic associate editor at Wow-Womenonwriting.com and author of "The Break-Up Diet." What a great title!

Flying High with Rey Ybarra at the LA Times Festival of Books!

2008-05-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here I am with Rey Ybarra, founder and host of Best Selling Author
Television. Rey is passionate and powerful, he asks penetrating questions and then really listens. I felt very comfortable and enlivened by his fantastic interview of me. In fact, it took me a few minutes to come back down to earth afterwards! Please catch us at - http://bestsellingauthortv.blogspot.com/2008/05/all-uclala-times-festival-of-books.html. I must also mention Rey's fabulous videographer and photographer, Randy Detroit. Thank you, Rey and Randy! And thank you, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, for connecting Authors' Coalition with Rey Ybarra!

Celebrating with Authors' Coalition at the LA Times Festival of Books!

2008-05-03T14:18:00.000-07:00

April 27 is a red-letter day!
It's the first anniversary of "Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!" and this year I spent it in the shade of the Authors' Coalition booth at the LA Times Festival of Books, on a very hot day. Last year, I received my book on April 27 and the very next day was getting my first taste as an author at this book festival - the nation's largest fair for book lovers - 135,000 people and hundreds of booths, speakers, panels and events! It was overwhelming and this past year has challenged me to stretch beyond my comfort zone of coaching, teaching and training. I did and went to this year's festival fully loaded and ready for action. Look at all these mugshots of me! I had drawings and gave away CDs, books, my accent reduction workbook and CDs; I greeted students, signed books and gave interviews. It was a fantastic day and I'm glad I got to spend it in the Authors' Coalition booth with founder, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, also a UCLA Extension instructor. See the photo of the lady in the yellow shirt just to the right of my head? That's Carolyn, who has published many award-winning books, including the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers. Carolyn is a terrific mentor for authors and her support helped carry me over the hurdle. She's also going to be sharing her tips for "Saying it better" with my students in "Public Speaking for Professionals" later this month.
If you're an author, check out http://www.authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com/ and http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/.
When you're ready to give interviews and speak up for your book, see me - http://www.pkelly.com/.

The Red Hot Mama's Guide to "Communicating with VaVoom!"

2008-01-18T09:32:00.000-08:00

Lynn Ward, on the right, invited me to partner with her on the "Red Hot Mama!" articles (below), a podcast interview and teleclasses. We met during the October CEO Space trade show (http://www.ceospace.net/) and Lynn is a fabulous life coach who makes the interview and teleclass process easy, gentle and fun, like dancing, which is what she compares her coaching to. Lynn asks the kinds of questions her clients would ask, many of whom are individuals in transition, and has me apply what I teach to different kinds of situations, and not just to business communications. Since teaching is my passion, I love dancing with Lynn, appreciate her invitation and the opportunity to touch more of you! Learn more about Lynn at http://www.theredhotmama.com/ and http://www.thrivingafter50.com/.

Listen to our introductory teleclass, "Communicating with VaVoom!" at http://starship.audioacrobat.com/download/31262c08-c6bc-f663-9ad3-bab97bbc1071.mp3

I discovered my passion for teaching (which hasn't diminished in over 20 years!) when, as a New York stage actress, I flew to Los Angeles on vacation, took one look at the Hollywood Hills and re-located. Through a miraculous moment of serendipity, a teaching job seemed to drop out of the heavens into my lap. From my first day in front of a voice and speech class at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts West, I have been passionately in love with teaching... like zillions of souls before me... (Imagine how Socrates and his student, Plato, inspired each other; or Aristotle and his pupil, Alexander the Great? Picture the delight young Shakespeare's teacher would have taken in his little Bard)... and zillions of souls after me. Teaching may not be the oldest profession, but it has to be the most satisfying!

I'd love to hear from you: When you think of your favorite teachers, what is it about them that makes them your favorite?

Part 3: Express Your Inner Red Hot Mama and Papa!

2008-01-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

Previously, we’ve looked at 4 steps to expressing your inner Red Hot Mama and Papa: Clarify your desires, take action on them, identify limiting beliefs and replace them with inspiring assertions.

5 - Find Your Big Purpose and Devote Yourself to It

The final piece in the process of expressing your inner Red Hot Mama and Papa is to discover your big, important mission in life and, like Joan of Arc, to devote yourself to it. Having a big purpose allows you to shift the focus off yourself and onto something that inspires you. A purpose larger than yourself calls forth your greatness and puts any fear, sadness or anger into perspective. In “Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!”, I present “big purpose” as one of the tools for overcoming the fear of public speaking.

Erin Brockovich demonstrates the power of the big purpose. Most of us have seen the movie about this real-life character, so vividly brought to life by Julia Roberts. At first, Erin was just trying to survive, shunning her bills to buy food for her children. But then her Inner Red Hot Mama guided her into a situation that brought out her greatness and revealed her life’s mission – to restore justice. From inside this bigger context, Erin’s flamboyance and street smarts became focused, courageous and powerful; her family’s survival got handled and her bills were paid.

Then there’s movie star, Katherine Hepburn, who was devoted to Spencer Tracy for many years, until his death. Because of his religious beliefs, he chose not to divorce his wife in order to marry Hepburn. Did Katy struggle and suffer about this? Perhaps, but listen to how she describes the big purpose of their relationship:

Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get — only what you are expecting to give — which is everything. What you will receive in return varies. But it really has no connection with what you give. You give because you love and cannot help giving.
To assist you in finding your big purpose, write down everything you want to be, do and have in each of these areas –
Your personal life
Your professional life
Your friends and family
Your organization
Your community
Your nation
Your planet

Now look for an underlying theme. Perhaps it has to do with continually growing and being more, with challenging yourself and doing more, stretching yourself and having more.

Put your theme into words that inspire you, write them down, speak them out loud and remind yourself often that this is what you’re up to.

6 - Laugh

In love, Hepburn held nothing back. Gazing at life from the pinnacle of her higher purpose gave her a sense of perspective - and a sense of humor too. In a situation where others might feel sorry for themselves, this Red Hot Mama quipped, “If you obey all the rules, you’ll miss all the fun!”

Red Hot Mamas and Papas have a sense of humor and laugh easily and heartily. In addition to having more endorphins and a stronger immune system, this is part of their irrefutable magnetism – a gusto for life, which comes from living the life of their dreams and fully expressing the fire within - which is why they’re red hot!

Cultivate your sense of humor by paying attention to it, set a goal to grow it, adopt a playful attitude, study humor. Years ago, I used to recommend “What Mona Lisa Knew” by Dr. Barbara Mackoff and “The Healing Power of Humor” by Allen Klein.

The next time you’re suffering, imagine yourself in an episode of "I Love Lucy." How would Lucy respond?

By taking these 6 steps, you’re well on your way. If Oprah, Joan of Arc, Erin Brockovich, Katherine Hepburn, your neighbor down the street and Lucille Ball can express their inner Red Hot Mamas and Papas, so can you!

Tune into my interview with Red Hot Life Coach, Lynn Ward, on http://www.lifestyleyak.com/ and claim your fame when you join us for our free teleclass on Jan 9, "Communicating with Va'Voom!"

Part 2: Express Your Inner Red Hot Mama and Papa!

2007-12-29T10:52:00.000-08:00

In Part One, you looked at zeroing in on your deepest desires and then taking simple but powerful actions consistent with those desires. As you've taken these steps, have you noticed yourself feeling more turned on, alive and passionate about your life? Have you found yourself expressing more of your fire and communicating with more va'voom? This is natural when we're living a life we love.

3 - Transform Limitations
But if not, perhaps you've found yourself shrinking from taking new actions. This is not unusual and it's important to notice the internal conversations that are stopping you, such as "I have a full-time job and a family and don't have the time or energy!" Red Hot Mamas can have full time jobs and families and that's part of their being fully expressed. I know an attorney with two young children who goes to the gym every morning and is the president of her professional organization. She does everything with gusto and is a heckava Red Hot Mama!

But if your fire is languishing and you're frustrated, then who you must be is someone who takes charge of her time; what you must do is claim some minutes to sit quietly with yourself and make the lists; and what you can have are the completed lists and clarity about what floats your boats. These are Red Hot Mama-in-the-making actions.

You also want to be aware of any inner conversations about feeling sad, unworthy, afraid or resentful. These are the very thoughts that throw a wet blanket on your inner Red Hot Mama and Papa. It's time to pack these shabby blankets up and throw them in the trash!

You can do this by journaling about your feelings and noticing the beliefs that are driving them. What's behind your fear, sadness, anger or frustration? Were you taught to be a "good little boy or girl", or told you would "never amount to anything!"; are you "nothing," "lazy," "unlovable," "stupid," "bad"? You can remove these labels from your heart and mind by writing them down. Seeing your words in front of you makes it easier to re-frame them and view them as a made-up script , like "Sex and the City", with you as the leading character. But you're also the script-writer and you can re-write the beliefs and judgments that guide your actions. Instead of being limited to "good little boy or girl" or sentenced to a lifetime of "stupid", what would your inner Red Hot Mama or Papa say? "I'm a force of nature!", "I deserve!," "I am, do and have all that I desire!" Invent the ideas that inspire you; then repeat them like a mantra until they're a part of who you are.

So first, if your emotions are stopping you from taking action, write them out.
Then notice the underlying decisions and beliefs that are driving your emotions.
Next, turn these limiting beliefs into powerful assertions that inspire you.

When Oprah was a young woman, she had to overcome feelings of shame about having been raped. By putting herself in front of the television camera, over and over, she changed her internal guilt conversation into one of worthiness. She created an inner environment that, over time, gave birth to the Oprah we know today - the queen bee of Red Hot Mamas! I bet Oprah would say, "If I can do it, you can do it!"

4 - Break Out of Your Shell
Now let's say that you've made your Be-Do-Have lists, you're setting goals and taking actions on your top priorities, you're journaling about your negative feelings and replacing limiting beliefs with empowering assertions, which creates an inner environment for the emerging Red Hot Mama and Papa. Next, check out your outer expression. Step outside yourself to see and hear yourself as others do. Notice how the prior-scripted limiting beliefs show up in your appearance, posture, gestures and movement, facial expression, eyes and voice tone and tempo. Do you still come across as a "good little boy or girl" in your posture, voice and facial expression? Do you perpetually sound "sweet?" Or is "never amounting to anything" written all over a sloppy appearance, careless body language and mumbled words? Does an inner survivor drive you to be harsh, with furrowed brow, edgy tone and angry words? Record yourself, ask friends and be honest with yourself.

Red Hot Mamas and Papas are not stuck with having to be sweet all the time, or macho, angry or any particular way. They're free from rigid patterns of behavior; they're open and accessible, flexible and expressive; able to be firm or yielding; loud, soft or in between - truly a force of nature. If your inner fire is ready to burst out of the box, there may be immediate opportunities near you to free you up - a roller coaster ride, bungee jumping, zip lining or sky diving. Maybe it's time to shake it up with salsa classes, martial arts or belly dancing; and to release your inner power-house voice through rock singing, a stand-up comedy class or Toastmasters. A technique I use a lot in my book, "Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!" is "Be ten times more excited, louder, faster and funnier!" All these will help you break out of limiting patterns, get you breathing more deeply, give you more energy and free up your body and voice - in other words, release your Red Hot Mama and Papa.

See and hear yourself the way others do, to determine where you hold back and need to let go. Record yourself, ask your best friends, follow your heart.
Begin taking small, out-of-the-box actions to expand your self-expression.
Be ten times more excited, louder, faster and funnier.
Also swing out boldly (e.g. sky diving) to experience the ecstacy of being completely out of control and fully self-expressed. You'll never be the same!

Joan of Arc was a tender young farm girl until she responded to her inner promptings, donned her armor, jumped on her horse and led the French into battle against the British - a Red Hot Mama extraordinaire!

You too are on your way to living an extraordinary life. By replacing limiting beliefs and rigid patterns with powerful thoughts and actions, you'll experience more of the juice of life, express more of your fire and communicate with more va'voom! Tres magnifique!

Express Your Inner Red Hot Mama and Papa!

2007-12-01T15:49:00.000-08:00

Whether you're a Mama or a Papa, this series of 3 articles is designed to have you experiencing more of the juice in life and expressing more of your fire. This is the first article and was inspired by Lynn Ward of http://www.the-red-hot-mama.com/. Information about our Podcast and Free Teleclass is at the bottom of this article.

Red Hot Mamas and Papas live the life of their dreams and fully express the fire within - which is why they're red hot! Think Oprah, Joan of Arc, Katherine Hepburn, Erin Brokovich, and maybe your neighbor down the street.

But what about you? Are you fully expressing your inner fire and living the life of your dreams or at least working your way towards them? If not, if your inner fire is sputtering out or burning you up inside because you're stuffing it down, then it's time to make a change. It's time to get in touch with your dreams and to take action towards making them real.

1 - Get in Touch with Your Dreams

I worked with a young woman, Julie, whose story illustrates the power of getting in touch with your dreams. Julie was dissatisfied with her job in the counseling office of a junior college and her head was filled with all the dreams she had abandoned, such as being a researcher for museums or an art collector. She didn't know what she really wanted to do but she knew it wasn't what she was doing now!
To help Julie calm her mind and gain some clarity, I had her make three lists: One was a list of everything she had ever had a burning desire to be; the next was of everything she had ever wanted to do and the last was of everything she had ever wished to have. After she wrote out these lists, it immediately became obvious which items no longer held any attraction for her and she scratched them out. Then she prioritized the remaining items on each list and started researching them, beginning with her top priorities.
As Julie learned what it would take to become a full-fledged art collector or museum researcher, she made the startling discovery that her commitment was not strong enough to carry her through. Then, to her surprise, she started spontaneously appreciating aspects of her real job and noticing the difference she made. In the face of reality, her dreams proved to be pipedreams and died a natural death. But what emerged after Julie's discovery was a promotional opportunity at her job that stirred her desire. She committed herself 100% to getting the promotion, which would thrust her into a leadership role. She felt vibrantly alive for the first time in years and, when she landed the promotion, she was ecstatic and in her element. By finally acting on her dreams, Julie actually got complete with them and awoke to the possibilities available in the life she had created. Her Red Hot Mama was born!

2 - Be Powerfully in Action

Now it's your turn to make lists of everything you've had a burning desire to be, to do and to have.
Make your lists
Cross out the items that are dead for you
Identify your top 1-2 desires (If your head doesn't know, your body will. Choose the items that make you tingle with the most delight!)
Focus on each top desire and ask yourself, "What is one simple action I can take that will move me closer to that goal?"
Take that action, and then another and then another.

Let's say you've had a burning desire to have a BMW convertible. You could start with creating a vision poster with cut-out ads featuring BMW convertibles and then paste your photo behind the wheel. This process makes your vision more real to your subconscious mind, which then compels you to take effective actions. Next, you could rent or test drive one, so your body gets the feel of it and you're seeing yourself inside looking out, which deepens your motivation. You could learn about prices, leasing, buying used; check out the classified ads, on-line options, talk to your mechanic, friends and family, to find leads and tips. You could open a savings account just for your BMW convertible. The point it, these are all simple actions that bring you and the object of your desire together!

Red Hot Mamas and Papas live the life of their dreams and fully express the fire within - which is why they're red hot! So make your lists and be powerfully in action. Notice how life heats up and bubbles over for you. Next time, we'll look at how Red Hot Mamas like Oprah turn obstacles into stepping stones leading to their dreams.

Thank you, Mamas and Papas! I invite you to catch Lynn Ward's and my Podcast, available now on http://www.lifestyleyak.com/ and http://www.boomeryak.com/. We discuss letting go of our older, smaller selves to claim our red hot power! Also look for more information about our free telecast, "Expressing Your Inner Red Hot Mama," scheduled for January 9, 2008 at 6pm PST.

I Accept Irwin Book Award for Best Networking Campaign!

2007-11-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

On Oct 18, author, commedienne and former Los Angeles newscaster, Kelly Lange, presented me with the Irwin Award for "Industry Recognition of Writers in the News", named after Irwin Zucker, Founder and President of the Book Publicists of Southern California (see June 1 entry below). Before introducing the winners, both Zucker and Lange had the room of authors, publicists and publishers practically rolling in the aisles. Lange made numerous cracks about her age, one funnier than the last. We especially howled when the sweet-looking senior citizen and former newscaster Lange recalled what Frank Sinatra had said about "the golden years". Apparently Ole Blue Eyes stated, in a tone reminiscent of Tony Soprano "...You can take the golden years and shove them up your ass!..." If Kelly Lange offered a stand-up comedy class, I would take it.

I was really warmed up from all the laughter when my name was called.
Lange introduced me saying, "Pamela will go to almost any extreme to help individuals improve their speaking ways. Recently she returned to her hometown of Clinton, Tennessee for a book signing at the local library, resulting in her book getting into the hands of the Commissioner of Education in Tennessee!"

I opened my acceptance with a quote from "that other Southern belle, Tennessee William's Blanche DuBois, who said, 'I have always depended on the kindness of strangers!' As a teacher, I have found myself in many classrooms, training rooms and conference rooms, surrounded by professionals who started off as strangers, but within a few hours, became soul mates. This is why I am still so passionately in love with teaching."

I closed by sharing my vision of "Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!" being used in education "to nip this number one fear in the bud and prepare students for the real world of job interviews, business presentations and for using communication throughout their lives to solve problems and build bridges among themselves and others."

The Irwin Award has come six months after my book was published and has definitely boosted my confidence in this new career of being an author. When I go into my head, I still get overwhelmed by all the possibilities for self-promotion, the technologies to master, the costs of things ... until I remember Joseph Campbell's "Follow your bliss." Then the dust settles, my breathing relaxes and I focus on my vision... Hmmhhh... release a deep sigh of relief and let go... body in action and spirit resting in the freedom and ease of a future fulfilled.

West Hollywood Book Fair, Sept 30, 2007

2007-10-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

Vivacious Shantelle and I shared a booth for the 6th annual West Hollywood Book Fair and by the afternoon, we were grateful to be on the shady side of the tents! We decorated our tables with flowers, balloons, candy and bundled our books with ribbon to sell 2-for-1. Friends and patrons stopped by throughout the day and just across from our booth were political speakers, including John Dean ... in a previous life, he was connected with Nixon, implicated during the Watergate trial, served some prison time and has now written three books about our current administration, including "Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush." After being an on-line activist in the quiet privacy of my home office for several years, it was refreshing to hear people talking out loud and in person... not just on the Chris Matthews show (Do I need to get out more?)

2007-08-28T18:27:00.000-07:00

August 22, 2007 - With Toast-masters Club 638 in Santa Monica at the IHOP! The gentleman in the brown leather jacket is Robert, the club president. He and Sherry, the VP of Education (not in the photo, unfortunately) enliven the meetings with style and drive. This is only a small fraction of everyone who was there for the meeting, which included my workshop, "Pour in the Juice!" I've presented this workshop to several TMs in the area and it has always created a lot of energy, participation and fun...and gotten the speakers warmed up for their presentations during the second half of the meeting.

http://www.pkelly.com/

http://www.speak-with-passion.com/

2007-08-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

August 17, 2007 - A night out with 2 stars from "Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!", Anne Reeves (l)and Antoinette Byron (r). Anne's true story is woven throughout my book... You first meet her in chapter one, "Dismantle Your Fear", as a VP of Marketing responsible for giving sales presentations and bringing in new clients... and whose intense fear of public speaking drove her to my "Public Speaking for Professionals" course at UCLA Extension. By the end of the book, you learn that Anne progressed way beyond conquering her fear. In fact, her success story represents the power of intention over fear and it's one you can relate to if you've ever experienced this number one fear.

Antoinette is a stage and film actress, as well as a voice coach for actors and a presentations coach for speakers. I interviewed her for my book because of the wonderful, quirky stories she tells, to demonstrate a point, in her voice trainings. In the chapter called, "Pour in the Juice!", she shares about a "Devil-Tongued Angel" her grandmother encountered on a train in Australia. Go to http://www.abpresentations.com/ to learn more about Antoinette.

It's been years since Anne first took my course and she's come a very long way. She has won many Toastmasters' competitions and has created a workshop with Antoinette and 2 other speakers which teaches others how to use presentation skills to come across more effectively - in the classroom, the conference room and the boardroom. Anne's power of intention overtook her fear and she became unstoppable!

To the reader - If fear has been stopping you from taking action on a dream, admit it to yourself and make up your mind to take one action a day to move you towards your heart's desire. See, hear and feel yourself being successful and happy. The actions will add up over time and your life will transform.

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

(Goethe)

http://www.pkelly.com/
http://www.speak-with-passion.com/

2007-08-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

June 1, 2007 - I'm surrounded by books at the New York Book Expo America, with Founder and President of the Book Publicists of Southern California (BPSC), Irwin Zucker. Irwin is a dynamo of energy, inspiration and ideas... Notice we're holding "Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!" upside down...Irwin says that's because it's turning the world upside down! He's always looking for ways to support and promote members, many of whom are self-published authors like me and he suggested my byline,"More Power to You!"

The BPSC meets every other month, presenting guest speakers who educate us about various aspects of writing, publishing and marketing. A newsletter ("Know Thy Shelf!") gets mailed out to members after each meeting. To learn more, visit http://www.bookpublicists.org/.

Irwin will soon be celebrating his 80th birthday... His vitality and deep participation in life obliterate the stereotypes I have in my mind about what it means to be 80. Irwin's got it all and does it all! Plus he has so many people whose lives he has touched and who feel honored to know him.

Irwin embodies the words of George Bernard Shaw -

"I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, because the harder I work the more I live...Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

Here's to you, Irwin. Thank you and L'Chaiim!

http://www.pkelly.com/
http://www.speak-with-passion.com/

2007-08-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

July 28, 2007 - Fashion model and author, Shantelle!, drops by my booth at the Hollywood Book Festival with her "Confessions of an Internet Model." As you can see, Shantelle! radiates charisma and demonstrates the power of body language and the Law of Attraction... in a big way! Shantelle! is more fun than an amusement park,with giggles like windchimes. I'm delighted that she and I are going to be sharing a booth at the West Hollywood Book Fair on Sept 30 and we've been enjoying creating press releases ("Internet Model and Master Teacher Go Hollywood... West Hollywood That Is!") and flyers. We're also planning to make DVDs for viewing and to have drawings for our books, signed photos of Shantelle, tank tops she has designed and free coaching to "Speak with Passion, Speak with Power!" Check out Shantelle's website at http://www.shantelle.net/.

"She walks in beauty, like the night..." (Byron)