Find Your Voice, Speak Your Truth

Bret Shuford grew up as a gay kid in southeast Texas who knew he wanted to be on Broadway. Suffice it to say, he didn’t have a lot of local examples of adults living the lifestyle he imagined for himself. But now today as a successful Broadway actor and one half of the popular Instagram account Broadway Husbands, Bret is the example he always wished he’d had. And a huge part of his work is also as the Broadway Life Coach, teaching fellow creatives how to market themselves effectively. In this episode you’ll learn how to overcome imposter syndrome and be a true influencer - and also what Disneyland can teach you about how to share your magic!

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

When I was 18 years old I was a freshman at the University of Southern California and I went to get my very first STD test. The doctor I saw was George Tyndall, and I had an interaction with him that I never forgot. In 2018, news broke that Dr. Tyndall was accused of a decades-long string of misconduct. I tentatively entered the legal case against him, unsure if my story was worthy of being included. The lawyers assured me they wanted every story and every voice. The case has now reached a settlement, and USC will pay $1.1 billion in total to the thousands of people whom Dr. Tyndall harassed and abused during his tenure at the USC Health Center. Through this all, I’ve learned an enormous lesson about worthiness. Society transforms when we share our stories and speak our truth.

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

The spring equinox has arrived once again, and our resident astrologer Virginia Rosenberg is back to help us interpret this moment in time. If you feel like you’ve been underwater or like you’re coming out of a long hibernation, these feelings make sense according to the cosmos. But now energy is picking up. So Virginia encourages us to ask ourselves: Where is my pulse quickening? Where do I feel excitement? We also discuss how 2021 is going to be a year of major transition. As the year unfolds before us, we’ll need to toggle between honoring the structures we’ve built that have gotten us to this moment, but also making way for what’s new that wants to be birthed into life. 

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

Spring is springing, and a feeling of rebirth is in the air. And yet at the same time, we’re at the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic. So as we pick back up with the Find Your Voice, Speak Your Truth podcast, I want to discuss the portal we’ve been moving through for the past year and consider what it’s going to feel like to emerge into a new world. It’s uncomfortable to be in the waiting process before we know what that new world is really going to look like. And it’s uncomfortable to feel as exhausted and depleted as so many of us do right now (me!). So, can we actually rest? Can we wait and trust that the rebound will come that allows us to take action without pushing? After all, remember: flowers don’t push.

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

There’s a change of age happening, y’all. The current movements of celestial bodies in the sky are of epic proportions. As in, never-before-seen-and-will-never-be-seen-again-in-our-lifetimes proportions. And after the 2020 we’ve had, I think you get that this is all a very big deal. So, in this last episode of the season, our resident astrologer Virginia Rosenberg is back to help us make sense of it all. Join us to put a cap on this wild year and vision how we’ll find our voice and speak our truth in the future.    

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

In this last solo episode of 2020, grab a piece of paper and a pen because it’s time to reflect. In what ways have you expanded in 2020? What did you think your life was going to look like at the end of this year? What does it look like in reality? Expansion means growing beyond the limits of what we can currently imagine. And in 2020 we’ve learned more than ever what it means to expand. 

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

There are tons of effective communication models out there. Keven Brahim Kaddi has studied and facilitates many of them. As a longtime friend and collaborator of mine (we produced a new musical together in Los Angeles in 2010), I was thrilled when Keven reached out after reading my Conversation Culture article. He affirmed how much the model I created converges with other models. In this episode, Keven will talk us through some of the shared wisdom of effective communication, and how we can put it into action in our lives.

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

I met Jim St. Germain on a bus in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Immediately I realized I had a lot to learn from his inspiring story and his knowledge of American history. This episode is a history lesson, indeed. I relish the way Jim challenges me and calls my thinking to task in this conversation. So often we choose to talk to people with whom we can simply go back and forth in a “bubble of agreement.” This episode is not that. It’s a real conversation about the real America. We talk about race and class and America’s true history. We expound about Amy Cooper and Harvey Weinstein. We interrupt each other and our nervous systems get charged. Real conversation is messy my friends, but that’s no reason not to dive in. Join us.

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

It’s 2020 and we are polarized. If it wasn’t already obvious, this election has made it completely evident that we are split in two in the so-called United States of America. “Cancel Culture” is a prime example of our polarization, and it’s reinforcing our divisions. What can we replace it with? I suggest: Conversation Culture. In this solo episode I’ll share the four steps that I believe can help us come back together in conversation: 1) Start with your own body, 2) Get curious and listen, 3) Picture you’re on the same team, and 4) When all else fails, be kind. Join me in promoting #ConversationCulture… let’s go viral with a message of love.

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

This past summer I was supposed to have been in Sydney, Australia at the Voice and Speech Trainers Association conference, presenting a workshop called “Coaching the Voice of Our Times” with my colleague Thea May. Suffice it to say, that didn’t happen. Good news though: Thea and I have put the content in today’s podcast episode! This conversation blew my mind and I think it will blow yours too. Thea and I agree: in our modern era, the pathway to liberation is through our voice. Join us as we discuss how to get there. You’ll learn about the three layers of truth, why safety is so important for effective conversation, and how connecting to your gut can allow your voice and power to flow.

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

RaRa 4 Reform was leading an outdoor, socially-distanced political town hall at Ft. Greene Park in Brooklyn a few weeks ago. I stumbled upon it while on a walk and paused to listen, and my ears perked up when I heard her say “You know I speak my truth.” And so now she’s here with me on the podcast! Listen as RaRa shares about the current landscape of injustice in New York City and the need for reform in this metropolis and through the USA and the globe. We’re living in silos where people in the same city can be immersed in vastly different realities, and receive extremely different treatment - especially by the police. It’s time to stand up for the next level of justice and reform.

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

How do we show up bravely and compassionately for conversations about race? In this episode, leadership and storytelling coach Christina Blacken returns to the podcast to dive into this extremely important topic. A few recommendations for white allies: Listen. Remember you don’t have to take up space. Ask open-ended questions that don’t make assumptions, and do your research before you show up. It makes sense that we’ve been nervous to have multi-racial conversations about racism, and anxious to call Grandma out for her unacceptable comments. But it’s time to sharpen our vocabulary and to have these conversations. This is true freedom of speech, and the future of our human race depends on it.

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

What does freedom mean to you? This month on the podcast, our theme is Freedom. And as an American I should know something about that, right? After all, the United States of America purports to be a country founded on this ideal. What I’ve come to realize is that in practice, the brand of freedom we tout in the USA is basically “I do what I want.” That’s not a freedom that uplifts others. We must step out of this zero-sum game and into the reality that true individual freedom elevates the collective. We’ll explore these ideas in this episode and throughout the month with our guests. 

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

Anu Bhardwaj has completed undergraduate, masters, and MBA degrees on three continents. She has trekked across Asia studying indiginous remedies for HIV. Her expertise ranges from medicine to business to cryptocurrency, and her network is extensive. And when all is said and done - after all this life experience - the work she deems most important is to promote investing in women. As the CEO of Women Investing in Women, Anu is developing a platform to reach women and girls in developing countries with education and inspiration. How? By making podcasts accessible on their “dumb phones.” Tune in to hear what’s possible when you think big...

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

The world has shifted and suddenly we're all constantly on camera - presenting in meetings, teaching online, and even just having ‘parties’ with our friends. If you’re finding all this camera time nerve wracking - or if you’re avoiding these situations as much as possible - you are not alone. Today’s special podcast episode is the audio of my free masterclass “Why We Freak Out On Camera, and How To Solve It.” You’ll learn why it's totally natural for your nervous system to go into fight or flight mode when you're staring at a camera lens (or a blinking red dot, or yourself...), and I’ll share how you can re-train your psyche, body, and soul to speak with confidence so you can share your message with the world.

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

Astrology knew it before we did: 2020 is wild. And as we round out towards the end of the year, we are facing some of the most mythic-level, stressful astrological movements we’ve ever seen in modern times. So our resident astrologer Virginia Rosenberg is back with her guidance and wisdom. The big takeaways? To re-connect to each other, co-regulate, and work as a team. To practice listening and real dialogue. And to remember that our spiritual practice right now is to use our voice and to un-censor ourselves. If you are here on the planet right now, you’re part of the transition team for this changing of the ages. And you’re here for a reason… your voice matters.

Listen now, and for show notes and access to the free mini-course, visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

Who is in your network? What is a network anyway? We humans have needs for closeness, intimacy, connection, communication, expression, touch, love... And so many of us on the planet have been living in a way that does not help us meet those needs. Maybe this crazy pandemic time, painful as it is, is also a gift that’s helping us evaluate what’s most important. A network is like a circuit… when it’s complete, it lights us up. In this solo episode, we’ll explore how we can build a sustainable, thriving, abundant network that provides us with everything we need.

Listen now, and for show notes and to join the Voice Body Connection Membership Community visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

One day in 2014, Kaitlin June got summoned to the bedside of a friend recovering from surgery in order to give an impromptu singing lesson. Now, Kaitlin had never given a singing lesson before and didn’t feel super confident about doing so… after a childhood of traditional voice lessons, they had spent years as a birth doula and an expressive arts healer. But give the lesson they did, and at the end this friend said: “Kaitlin, this is what you were born to do.” And now Kaitlin June is known as the Voice Doula, helping individuals give birth to their voice and their truth. In this super special episode with one of my favorite fellow voice coaches, Kaitlin shares why our voice is our most powerful tool for action. And they also lead me through a throat chakra clearing (get ready to hear me make some really strange sounds!) and share a song of their own called “To The Unborn.”

Listen now, and for show notes and to join the Voice Body Connection Membership Community visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

Have you heard of Human Design? It’s a system for self-understanding that combines the chakras, astrology, the Chinese I Ching, the tree of life in Kabbalah, and metaphysics. Meet Elyse Preston, a Human Design expert and the founder of Be More Connected. As we’re exploring our theme of action this month, Elyse will share why there’s no single right way for human beings to act. In fact, according to Human Design each unique energy type has a different blueprint for how to take action and when to pause. And when you’re familiar with your individual pattern, you can know yourself, love yourself, trust yourself, and be yourself better. Get ready for an amazing crash course with a powerful and loving healer!

Listen now, and for show notes and to join the Voice Body Connection Membership Community visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.

The week after George Floyd was killed, Griffin Matthews posted a video on his instagram feed speaking up about his personal experience with Broadway being racist. The video went viral and the conversation about racism in the American theatre exploded. See, though you may recognize Griffin as D’Unte on the television show Dear White People, he’s also the creator of an auto-biographical documentary musical called Witness Uganda. And my friends, I can tell you that Witness Uganda is an astonishing piece of art. I know because, starting in 2010, I was Griffin’s assistant on the show. What’s been heartbreaking is that over its years of development, Witness Uganda got derailed due to what can only really be called white-washing. In this episode, Griffin Matthews tells the story of his experience developing Witness Uganda and shares why art can be the most powerful form of activism.

Listen now, and for show notes and to join the Voice Body Connection Membership Community visit www.voicebodyconnection.com/podcast.