It's been a minute, right? I hope you have been happily being the voice of your brand without any missteps while I was gone. Truth is, I've been nurturing a new podcast called Empty Nest Empires and found that trying to do both was biting off more than I could chew. 

...but I do miss you, and I promise there will be new episodes coming soon. Here's a quick update for you. In the meantime, I hope you will hop on over to Empty Nest Empires and check it out. (It's not just for empty nesters.)

See you again soon!

~Tami~

My guest today is Olivia M. Gonzalez - she is the CEO, Copy Curator, and Chief Brand Messaging & Development Strategist of OMG Brand Story, LLC. Olivia has established herself as a Communications Consultant and Copywriting Expert with over 10 years of experience shaping culture and engagement for national organizations. She helps business owners create brand stories that drive engagement, reinforce company culture, and effectively create a positive impact on their bottom line. She does this by working with brands to attain clarity of their brand voice and identity — and she helps businesses communicate their unique brand magic to attract, convert, and retain business while expanding their circle of influence, impact, and income.

You’ll hear in a moment how Olivia and I met - it was one of those God moments that you just can’t plan. She is a dynamo in person, and everyone who works with her gets that fire, along with her ten years of working in this industry, helping big brands tell a better story. 

Olivia says that having a brand story used to be a “nice to have” and now it is a “must have” for your business. 

In this lively conversation, Olivia shares her top three areas to focus on when crafting your brand story:

• Know Your Audience
• Identify What's Universally Unique to Your Brand - there is a need to identify what's unique but that is also a shared value with your audience to drive connection
• Don't Make Statements — Tell Stories

If you’d like to work with Olivia, check out the Work With Me section of her website at www.omgbrandstory.com Use this Exclusive Code for 15% Off All Consulting Services: VYB2019 (good through December 31, 2019) AND you should go right now to omgbrandstory.com/brandmagicmap to get on her waitlist for the Brand Magic Map online course launching soon - or, send an email to info@oliviamgonzalez.com  - just be sure to type “Brand Magic Map” in the subject line. 

Her adventures happen on Instagram here: @theoliviamgonzalez

Using filler words is one of the most common ways your speech fluidity is stifled. You’ve heard it in others, but are you aware when you are doing it yourself?

Let’s start with the definition. When you use filler words, it just means you are filling natural pauses in your speech pattern with something other than words that continue your concrete thought. Instead of a pause or a blank space, you fill that with a word, a sound or even a phrase. Some of the more common filler words and phrases are like, ah, um, so, do you know what I mean?, I’m like… some people even fill that space with a smacking noise.

Using filler words is a normal part of speech, but if excessive, it keeps your listener from hearing your message. The first way to find out if you have this habit, you need to do some self-assessment. Listen to a recording you’ve done - or record something new if you don’t have one. Make a list of the things you’d like to work on. If it’s filler words, Tami shares some tips to teach yourself to stop doing this.

The first option is to practice closing your mouth during a pause to remove the ability for any sound to come out during that pause. A second way to break this habit is to enlist the help of a friend who will remind you when you use filler words, Toastmasters actually has someone at the back of the room ringing a bell they call the “ah bell” - some chapters even collect a 25 cent fine for each filler word used during a speech. If you are by yourself, tap your leg or your wrist each time you use a filler word. This will help with awareness and you will retrain your brain and your mouth to stop using filler words.

It takes some conscious work and practice, but in time you will break yourself of this habit and have a voice that is heard!

If you’d like to join Tami’s group coaching program called A Confident Voice, go to aconfidentvoice.com and join the waitlist!