Have you ever experienced that familiar feeling of butterflies in your stomach before speaking in public? Even the best speakers have experienced it. The best speakers aren't free of fear; they understand their fears and know how to control them. In this episode, startup advisor, board director, and founding member of Open Water Group, Keith Meyer, joins Melinda Lee to tackle the most common issue holding founders and leaders back: the inability to communicate clearly.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
Why Leaders Get Stuck in the Weeds
“It's very easy to get wrapped up in the weeds and not take a step back and think strategically.”
It's easy to get lost in daily tactical firefighting. Keith explains why taking a step back to think strategically is the key to making a real impact, and how to break free from the day-to-day grind to focus on what actually moves the needle.
The 100+ Pitch Mindset
The raw, unfiltered reality of raising capital is that you have to pitch over 100 times before you get that first "yes". The real breakthrough comes when you learn to simplify your message so that anyone can understand it.
Less Is More
“Sometimes less is more, right? People don't want to know any of the details behind the scenes.”
Keith explains why leaders often overcomplicate their messaging out of pride, and how cutting out 50% of what you're saying can actually make your communication 10x more powerful.
Board-Level Communication
“A board member is just there to kind of gather a very summarized piece of information and make a decision.”
When presenting to a board, it's not possible to share everything. Keith explains how to summarise complex information to create simple updates that enable quick and confident decision-making. He also emphasises why this skill is essential for any leader.
__________________________________________
Learning to communicate in a confident way is good for your career and personal development, AND It's especially useful when you're trying to negotiate a pay rise.
Check out our blog post "Earning What You Deserve." to find out the best way to show off the value of your work.
__________________________________________
About the Guest:
Keith Meyer is a marketing expert who has a lot of experience in growing brands and improving customer experience in fintech, financial services, and digital platforms. He works with the people who start companies and the people in charge of running them to help them grow and understand who their customers are.
He has built some really successful marketing teams, come up with some amazing new products, and grown programs for startups and big companies all over the world, like Prosper Marketplace, Asset-Map, Income&, and Visa.
Keith currently serves as a board director for the amazing Homework Project, a nonprofit tackling homelessness in California, and advises early-stage startups through Series C on go-to-market strategy.
Social Handles:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/keithmeyer
Fun Facts:
🌍 Visited 54 countries and counting.
🗣️ Self-described "extroverted introvert" who learned to lead despite the nerves.
__________________________________________
About Melinda:
Melinda Lee is a Presentation Skills Expert, Speaking Coach, and nationally renowned Motivational Speaker. She holds an M.A. in Organizational Psychology, is an Insights Practitioner, and is a Certified Professional in Talent Development as well as Certified in Conflict Resolution. For over a decade, Melinda has researched and studied the state of “flow” and used it as a proven technique to help corporate leaders and business owners amplify their voices, access flow, and present their mission in a more powerful way to achieve results.
She has been the TEDx Berkeley Speaker Coach and has worked with hundreds of executives and teams from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Caltrans, Bay Area Rapid Transit System, and more. Currently, she lives in San Francisco, California, and is breaking the ancestral lineage of silence.
Website: https://speakinflow.com/
The Legacy Growth System™: https://www.speakinflow.com/legacy-growth-system
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/speakinflow
Instagram: https://instagram.com/speakinflow
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpowerall
Thanks for listening!
Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.
Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!
Subscribe to the podcast
If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.
Leave us an Apple Podcast review.
Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.
