Explore every episode of the podcast Shortcuts to Communication Success

What separates people who keep improving from those who plateau? It is rarely natural talent.

I have seen naturally confident speakers stop getting better, while people who once struggled became some of the most capable communicators I know.

The difference often comes down to five practices. They are not personality traits, and you do not need to be naturally confident to develop them.

In this final episode of the Never Lost for Words miniseries, I bring the series together and share the practices that can help you continue improving long after the episode ends.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

How many useful ideas have you read, agreed with and then never used?

I have lost count of the books that felt valuable at the time, only for their advice to disappear as I moved on to the next one.

Learning something is one thing. Using it when the pressure is real is quite another.

In this episode of *Never Lost for Words*, we move from knowing to doing. If you have been following the series and wondering what comes next, this is where the practice begins.

Go to [www.sholakaye.com/everything](https://www.sholakaye.com/everything) for resources, downloads and more information.

While writing Never Lost for Words, I wanted to look beyond my own experience and hear from people whose work approaches communication from very different directions.

So I asked three experts how we can do our best when speaking under pressure. Each gave me a different answer, and each made me stop and think.

Hear what they had to say in this episode of Never Lost for Words.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever been asked a difficult question and felt you had to answer immediately?

I once found myself in that exact position. I answered, regretted it almost at once and left feeling so embarrassed that I never went back.

Looking back, there was one simple thing I had forgotten in the moment.

I’ll share it in this episode of Never Lost for Words.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

What do you actually remember from the last presentation you sat through?

Chances are, it was not the slides or the data. It was a story.

In this episode of Never Lost for Words, we’re looking at how your own experiences can help you communicate in a way that people remember.

But how do you find the right stories to share, especially when you feel as though you have none ready?

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever known what you wanted to say, but struggled to organise your thoughts when the pressure was on?

In this episode of Never Lost for Words, we’re looking at how a simple structure can help you turn scattered thoughts into a clear, confident response.

What can you rely on when your mind feels crowded and everyone is waiting for you to speak?

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Being able to communicate under pressure does not always mean thinking faster. Sometimes, it means preparing better.

In this episode of Never Lost for Words, we’re looking at how to make important conversations feel less daunting, even when you cannot predict exactly what will be asked.

How can you prepare without scripting every word? And what can you do now to make the right ideas easier to find when you need them?

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever left a meeting thinking, “Why didn’t I say that when I had the chance?”

Welcome to Never Lost for Words, a new eight-part series designed to help you speak with greater confidence when the pressure is on.

In this first episode, we’re starting with a question that feels especially important in the age of AI: when you cannot plan every word in advance, how do you trust yourself to respond in the moment?

Let’s begin.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

What does it really take to build confidence, embrace change and lead with empathy?

In this special episode, I join Mark Francis on the Who’s Your Captain? podcast for a conversation about some of the choices, challenges and unexpected turns that have shaped my career.

How can curiosity help us navigate change? Where does courage come in? And what becomes possible when we step beyond what feels familiar?

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever been given advice that sounded sensible, but completely fell apart when you tried to use it under pressure?

In this episode, we’re looking at the difference between advice that sounds good and guidance that genuinely helps when the words will not come.

What makes some teachers better able to understand the struggle? And why does that understanding matter when you are learning to communicate with greater confidence?

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever found yourself in a high-pressure conversation, knowing what you wanted to say but struggling to find the words?

In this episode, we’re looking at what happens when pressure makes it harder to organise your thoughts and express yourself clearly.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever shared a story and noticed halfway through that the person listening had already gone somewhere else?

Most of us would never place ourselves in the category of people who dominate conversations. But the gap between how we think we're coming across and how others are actually experiencing us can be wider than we realise.

In this episode, Shola shares a personal story from her school days, and why she still sees versions of that same behaviour in professional settings today. She also shares five practical ways to check yourself before you take over the room without meaning to.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Did you know that Shola is an introvert who spent over 10 years as a professional singer and now speaks in front of audiences of up to 3,000 people?

In this episode, she challenges some of the assumptions we carry about what introverts can and can't do, and why so much of the friction introverts experience at work isn't really about introversion at all.

Because the gap for most introverts isn't confidence. It's tools.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever walked into an interview feeling reasonably prepared, and then the very first question throws you completely?

"Tell me about yourself" sounds simple. But without preparation, it's easy to say too much, too little, or nothing useful at all. In this episode, Shola breaks down what interviewers are actually asking when they pose that question, and shares practical ways to answer it with clarity and confidence.

Because this isn't an invitation to improvise. It's one of the first opportunities you get to shape how someone sees you.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever done something at work that felt helpful at the time, only to find out later it was working against you?

Shola shares two stories from early in her career, one as a note-taker who avoided speaking up, the other as a manager who focused on her team while her client work suffered. Both jobs ended the same way: being called out for underperformance, for the same underlying reason.

In this episode, she looks at why staying quiet often feels considerate from the inside, what it actually costs over time, and why speaking up under pressure is a skill you build, not a personality trait you're born with.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever been in a meeting where something questionable gets said, and you spend the next few minutes debating with yourself whether to say anything at all?

Most people treat speaking up as a confidence problem. But often it's a decision problem. Before you even think about the words, you need to work out whether it actually makes sense to say something in that moment.

In this episode, Shola shares three questions worth asking before you speak up in high-stakes situations, and why the risk of staying silent is just as worth considering as the risk of saying something.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever tried really hard to persuade someone, only to feel them pulling further and further away the more you pushed?

In this episode, Shola shares three practical ways to become more persuasive that have nothing to do with stronger arguments or repeating yourself. Because often, the real barrier isn't your message. It's the resistance you're creating without realising it.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever been mid-sentence in a meeting when someone cuts across you, and then spent the rest of the conversation wondering whether you should've said something?

In this episode, Shola shares three practical ways to handle interruptions, and how to work out whether it's worth addressing at all. Because not every interruption deserves a response, but some absolutely do.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever walked away from a heated moment and wondered whether you should've just said something there and then?

In this episode, Shola explores why stepping back isn't weakness, and how knowing when not to respond can actually be the more powerful choice. Using the Emotional Audacity framework, she shares a simple way to check in with yourself before you act, so you're choosing your response rather than just reacting.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever watched someone build up to a big idea, only for time to run out before they got there?

In this episode, Shola shares a simple but powerful framework called BLUF, Bottom Line Up Front, and why leading with your conclusion isn't lazy, it's one of the most respectful things you can do for your audience.

Because your listeners shouldn't have to wait until the end to find out why any of it matters.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever sensed you've lost the room, but kept going anyway?

Most of us treat presenting as a one-way thing. Get the words right, hold your nerve, get to the end. But when we're in that mode, we miss what's happening right in front of us.

In this episode, Shola shares why asking questions during your presentation isn't a weakness, it's one of the most powerful things you can do. And why being flexible in the moment says a lot more about your confidence than a perfectly rehearsed delivery ever will.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

If you've ever asked for input in a meeting, only to be met with silence and then discovered afterwards that everyone had plenty to say, you're not alone.

In this episode, Shola explores why listening is one of the most courageous skills in leadership, and why the usual advice about it so often falls short.

Learn three practical ways to listen more bravely from Shola's Emotional Audacity framework, even when it feels uncomfortable or risky.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

In this episode, Shola explores why listening is one of the most courageous skills in leadership, and why the usual advice about it so often falls short.

Using the emotional audacity framework, learn three practical ways to listen more bravely, even when it feels uncomfortable or risky.

Whether you lead a team, contribute to one, or simply want to have more honest conversations at work, this episode will give you something concrete to take into your next interaction.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Have you ever explained your point brilliantly, had all the facts at your fingertips, and still felt the other person pulling further away? You're not alone.

In this episode, learn three practical and unexpected strategies to help you become more persuasive. 

Whether you're trying to win over a colleague, influence a decision at work, or simply get your ideas heard, these strategies will help you connect more effectively and get a better result for everyone involved.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Welcome!

This podcast is returning with a new name and a broader focus. If you used to listen to Shortcuts to Public Speaking Success, you're in the right place. And if you're brand new here, this is a brilliant place to start.

In this episode, Shola shares the story behind the podcast's evolution from public speaking into the wider world of communication and what that means for you as a listener.

Whether you're a quieter, more thoughtful person who wants to make more of an impact, a leader who wants to communicate with greater confidence, or simply someone who knows they have something valuable to say, this podcast is for you.

Go to www.sholakaye.com/everything for resources, downloads and more information.

Billie Shepard has been an actor and an acting coach for forty years. Twenty years ago she recognized business speakers have the same performance anxieties that actors deal with and so she founded the Billie Shepard and Associates Acting Academy.

She uses acting techniques to transform all types of business speakers into powerful presenters. Now Billie is what with some amazing and super well-known clients like Facebook... READ MORE

Find out more about Billie's work at billieshepard.com 

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Baljit Kaur is an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant. Listen to learn about how to foster inclusiveness in the workplace, applying transactional analysis principles for effective communication, the importance of understanding individuality and personal experiences in organisations to build a good culture... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Olivia James is a Harley Street Therapist who works with people suffering from fear of speaking and who have experienced trauma.

Watch this interview to learn a simple technique Olivia has used to help her clients overcome speaking anxiety.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW HERE

Find out more about Olivia's work https://harleystreetcoach.com

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

I am so excited today because I have a wonderful guest here with me on today’s show, who has helped me no end to bring the message of How to be a D.I.V.A. at Public Speaking to the masses. 

A little while ago, I decided that I would find a wonderful voiceover or voice recording artists to help me to get the book... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Are you ready to be connected under any circumstances? If you are going to make a presentation, do you have what it takes to connect up your presentation with the AV at the venue under any circumstances?

I’m sorry if you are listening to this on my podcast you cannot see this bunch of cables I have in my hand. I urge you to jump onto my website www.sholakaye.com/blog and check out this episode there because you will be able to watch it all in video format... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Do you ever feel that your voice doesn’t cut through? Perhaps because it’s too breathy? 

One of the problems with a breathy voice is you don’t get very much volume when you’re speaking. Another problem with having a very breathy voice is that it can become fatiguing to listen to by the audience... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Is it time for you to tone it down a bit for your audience? Interesting question, right? I’m going to explain a little bit more what I mean in just a moment.

Just recently an agency contacted me, they’re based in Miami, and they asked me if I was available to do a professional speaking gig. I was available so I said yes... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

I want to ask you today have you eaten the food of champions before? If you haven’t then you need to stay tuned and watch the entire video.

And I’m not talking about Atkins diet, or whether you’re a vegan, or whether you are… I don’t know there’s so many different diets out there… I’m not talking about dieting. I’m talking about the food of champions which is otherwise known as feedback... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

When you speak and perhaps you forget a couple of words, or it doesn’t go as perfectly as you had hoped, do you beat yourself up?

Do you sometimes find you are judging yourself while you’re speaking and you can’t be 100% present with the audience and focus because that little negative voice is chatting away?

Today I want to share a tip that you can use. A little hack that will help you to stop judging yourself... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Do you need to speak slower when you are in front of an audience? That’s the question that I am sometimes asked so let’s have a chat about it today, shall we?

A few years ago, I was participating in online dating and I went on a date with a guy who spoke really slowly. So slowly that after about five minutes on the date I was desperate to get away... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Are you through a person that continually wants to improve at whatever it is that you do, speaking being one of those things? If so, then I’m going to share a little step by step process you can use to regularly improve your public speaking... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Have you been asked to speak on a panel? I know some people love speaking on panels and they like that group aspect to it. Others, like me, prefer to have a more conventional speaking format and just speak on my own to the entire audience.

There are different reasons why we like one or the other. Typically, if you’re on a panel there are a few different things to look out for... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Do you have a deadline for improving your speaking? I have a few tips for you coming up if you’re under a bit of pressure to improve your communication in your public speaking.

What we’re going to talk about today are some of the areas that you may want to look into if you are under pressure to improve your communication ready for a big moment, a big event, or a high-stakes meeting or high-stakes conference... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Are you adding the human touch to your speeches?

Now, we all know that the robots are here. There’re here and there are going to be more of them coming, but you don’t need to be one. What do I mean by that? Well, one of the things that makes us as speakers different than perhaps using Siri or Alexa is... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Are you the world’s pre-eminent expert on widgets and you have a speaking opportunity coming up and you want to share everything you know? EVERYTHING!

Well in today’s video podcast I want to share why that may not be the best thing for your audience... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

How do you make your talks more engaging and more interactive? That’s what we’re going to look at today.

If you have a formal topic and you're finding it hard to plan in some interactive activities, what’s an easy way that you can use to get people involved throughout?... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Are you struggling a bit with your public speaking?

You are struggling with your public speaking.

What’s the difference between those two? Well, in the first situation, of course, I asked. And in the second situation I told. We’re going to look today at the difference between asking and telling your audience and the impact that this has upon them... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

When you stand up to do a bit of public speaking, do you ever feel like “oh, I don’t have the confidence to do this… I’m not good enough… I shouldn’t be here…”.

Well, today I want to share a tip with you, a little hack if you like, that will hopefully diminish and reduce those feelings of lack of confidence. So if you bear with me for just a moment I’m going to share that hack with you... READ MORE.

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

When you create a speech or write presentation, do you know what the purpose of it is and you know which of the five categories of speech that it falls into? That’s what I get to discuss today... READ MORE.

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Olivia James is a Harley Street Therapist who works with people suffering from fear of speaking and who have experienced trauma.

Listen to learn how she helps her clients overcome speaking anxiety.

Some of the techniques Olivia teaches are visual. You can watch this on video HERE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Just say yes. But make sure you know what you’re saying yes to! In this particular case I think you should just say yes to public speaking opportunities because it’s not only an opportunity to speak but it’s an opportunity to grow... READ MORE.

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Today let’s explore whether you should use bullets to practise your speech or go for learning every word! I’m often asked which approach is better so let’s take a look... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

When you write a speech, presentation or a talk, do you practice it silently in your head? Or do you practice it out loud? Because it can make all the difference!... READ MORE

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Have you ever thought of employing a coach to work with you to help you get to the next level? This is not going to be me selling myself as a coach, no. I want to share with you some considerations that you might want to put into practice before you choose the next coaching professional to work with you because I had an experience recently that I think is useful to share with you... READ MORE 

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.

Today I want to share with you why it’s so important when you’re public speaking to walk tall. When I say walk tall I’m not saying be conceited, be arrogant, be full of yourself, but have that quiet confidence. The kind that comes from knowing you’ve done the prep, you’re ready to speak to the audience and you’re being your authentic self... READ MORE 

Go to www.sholakaye.com for useful freebies, tips and more.

Create a speech stress-free and fast with my free guide 5 frameworks to ace a short speech.