Be Truly Heard

Hosted by Anne Leatherland

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Jul 2026

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About the show

Welcome to the Be Truly Heard Podcast with me, Anne Leatherland. I’m a coach and voice expert with over 27 years of experience. I'm also a woman in business who understands the power of communication. In this podcast, I will help you control your nerves, sound more authoritative, speak confidently, and be taken seriously! I will share valuable growth strategies to help you overcome the barriers of communication in your life. Join me on this journey and get ready to be truly heard.

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July 23, 202620 min

Showing Up as You by Integrating Body, Mind and Soul

Episode 80 - Body, Mind and Self: Why Integration Is the Missing Piece in Finding Your Voice In this solo episode of Be Truly Heard, host Anne Leatherland brings her current series to a close by drawing everything together - the guests, the themes and the framework that sits at the heart of all her work. Anne introduces her Vocal Intuition Framework in detail for the first time, walking through the three elements she believes every speaker needs to integrate - body, mind balance and self activation - and explaining what goes wrong when any one of them is missing. Key Takeaways Voice work that focuses on only one thing will always fall short. Technique without self activation produces skilled but hollow delivery. Confidence without vocal skill lacks authority. Inner belief without mind balance sends speakers off on unregulated tangents. The voice in the head speaks around 1,200 times a day - and most of it is negative. Mind balance is not about silencing that voice but about knowing which parts to listen to and which to reframe. The positive messages are there - they are just easily overlooked. Integration is what allows you to stop performing confidence and simply have it. When body, mind and self are working together, you are no longer monitoring yourself constantly. Your voice reflects your capability in a way that people immediately respond to differently. Vocal skills can be learned - and most people do not realise that. There is a significant difference between the voice someone uses every day and the voice of a professional voice user. That gap can be closed with the right technique. Key Moments "Just be yourself isn't enough if you tend to be someone who gets very nervous about speaking." "If you have skills and mind balance but no self activation, it doesn't resonate.” "You're not trying to sound confident anymore. You just are." "Your voice starts working for you in your business - that is when opportunities open." About Be Truly Heard Be Truly Heard is the podcast for women in business who want to speak with authority, warmth and authenticity. Hosted by Anne Leatherland, coach and voice expert, each episode explores vocal skills and personal growth strategies to help listeners overcome confidence barriers and communicate what is inside. Because your voice matters. And it is time to be truly heard. How to Get in Touch To connect with Anne or find out more about the Be Truly Heard programme: Email: anne@anneleatherland.co.uk Website: betrulyheardpodcast.co.uk If this episode landed with you, share it with a friend or leave a review - it helps more women find their voice.

July 9, 202621 min

Showing up as You on Social Media

In this episode of Be Truly Heard, host Anne Leatherland is joined by Karen Cureton, founder of Cureton Consulting and a social media trainer with over 16 years of business experience, for a conversation about what it really means to show up as yourself online. Karen brings a refreshingly straight-talking perspective - no vanity metrics, no scattergun strategies, no pretending to be something you are not. Together she and Anne explore the connection between voice, authenticity and visibility, and why the most effective social media presence is always the one that sounds most like the person behind it. Key Takeaways Finding your voice on social media takes time - and that is completely normal. Karen did not feel naturally confident in a sales or networking context early in her career. That journey is part of what now makes her able to help others find theirs. AI is a useful tool, but only if you train it in your voice first. A custom GPT built on your own tone of voice produces output that sounds like you. Without that groundwork, AI-generated content sounds like everyone else - which defeats the purpose entirely. A scattergun approach to platforms almost never works. Trying to be active on every channel at once dilutes focus and produces nothing of value. Knowing which two or three platforms your ideal clients actually use - and showing up well there - is worth far more. Closing the gap between who you are in real life and who you are online is the work. Many women feel that gap acutely. The way to close it is not to perform a polished version of yourself, but to bring your real emotional state, values and perspective into what you share. Key Moments "People engage with people. They don't necessarily engage with a brand." "Be real, be relevant, be you. Because there's no other version of you." "The really cheeky, quite sweary Karen doesn't come out until I'm off duty." "AI can't replicate you. That's what makes it even more important to be honest." About Be Truly Heard Be Truly Heard is the podcast for women in business who want to speak with authority, warmth and authenticity. Hosted by Anne Leatherland, coach and voice expert, each episode explores vocal skills and personal growth strategies to help listeners overcome confidence barriers and communicate what is inside. Because your voice matters. And it is time to be truly heard. How to Get in Touch Guest this episode: Karen Cureton - Cureton Consulting LinkedIn: Karen Cureton To connect with Anne Leatherland and find out more about her coaching and voice work, visit the show notes for links and resources. If this episode landed with you, share it with a friend or leave a review - it helps more women find their voice.

June 25, 202630 min

Showing up as You in the Photo

In this episode of Be Truly Heard, host Anne Leatherland is joined by Matt Glover, brand photographer and author of a self-published cookbook, who helps business owners create images that genuinely reflect who they are. The conversation explores the connection between how we look, how we sound and how we feel - and why showing up authentically in business is as much a visual challenge as a vocal one. From working with clients who have never appeared in their own family photos to his own ADHD diagnosis and what it unlocked, Matt brings warmth, honesty and a refreshing perspective on what it really means to be seen. Key Takeaways Listening before photographing is what changes everything.Understanding what a client is uncomfortable with - whether that is smiling, their profile or simply being looked at - means Matt can create the conditions for genuine shots rather than forced ones. One throwaway comment can shape how someone sees themselves for years. Clients arrive with beliefs about being unphotogenic that often trace back to a single moment. A few minutes of honest conversation and a handful of good shots can undo years of that story. Showing the images during the shoot builds trust immediately. When a client sees a strong shot on the back of the camera mid-session, they relax. They stop wondering whether it is working and start enjoying the process. The breath does the same job for photographers as it does for voice coaches. Asking someone to take a deep breath and smile on the exhale produces a real expression every time. It is the same nervous system reset that Anne uses in her own work. Only take advice from people who understand the sticking points. A stranger's passing judgement and a fellow business owner's considered view are not the same thing. Knowing whose opinion to take seriously is a skill worth developing.ake seriously is a skill worth developing. Key Moments "I listen to the person, not what the world is telling us we're supposed to be doing." "The diagnosis helped me forgive myself for everything I didn't really do wrong anyway." "Take a deep breath and smile when you exhale. That smile is real - because there is energy flowing." "Would I have asked that person for advice? No. So why would I be taking it?" About Be Truly Heard Be Truly Heard is the podcast for women in business who want to speak with authority, warmth and authenticity. Hosted by Anne Leatherland, coach and voice expert, each episode explores vocal skills and personal growth strategies to help listeners overcome

June 11, 202619 min

Showing Up as You Through Embodied Vocal Skill

In this episode of Be Truly Heard, Anne Leatherland challenges the idea that vocal technique somehow gets in the way of authenticity. Her message is clear: technique is not the enemy of authenticity, disembodied technique is. She explores the difference between sounding polished and sounding powerful, showing that real authority does not come from copying someone else or performing confidence on the surface. Instead, it comes from developing vocal skills that are embodied, aligned with who you are, and used in service of the message you want to share. Anne explains why simply being “natural” is not always enough, especially when you need your voice to carry authority, emotion and clarity in higher-stakes situations. She looks at how speakers can learn, practise and embody vocal skills so that they become second nature, allowing confidence to come from the inside rather than being acted out. Through examples from public speaking, acting, singing and even sport, she shows that mastery creates ease – and that when self and skill work together, your voice can sound both authentic and powerful. Key Takeaways Technique is not the problem, disconnected technique is. Anne argues that learning vocal skills does not make you fake. The real issue is when technique is layered on from the outside without being integrated into your body, your message and your sense of self. Authenticity is not the same as simply “being natural”. Sometimes your natural way of speaking is not yet equipped with the tools needed for the situation you are in. Vocal development is about building skills that help you express yourself more clearly and effectively, not becoming someone else. Copying someone else rarely creates real presence. Trying to sound like a speaker you admire may give you surface-level polish, but it disconnects you from your own values, energy and message. Anne prefers the idea of modelling rather than copying, trying something out in your own voice to see whether it fits. Powerful speaking is believable speaking. A highly rehearsed presentation can sound slick, but if it feels rigid or insincere, audiences will notice. What people respond to most is when a speaker sounds real, emotionally connected and genuinely present. Skill helps you stay grounded when emotion is involved. Anne shares the example of a client preparing for an important keynote who became emotional during one section of the talk. By restructuring the content and using vocal tools to reset, the client was able to speak with honesty and control, rather than being overwhelmed. Natural authority depends on a range of vocal skills. Pitch variety, emphasis, pacing, clarity, tone and breath all help an audience process what you are saying and feel connected to it. These skills support authority by making your message easier to understand and more engaging to hear. Breath and emotional state are closely linked.The way you breathe communicates a great deal about how steady or unsettled you feel. Learning how to regulate breath and voice together helps you sound calm and grounded, even when you are not feeling completely steady underneath. Embodied skill is what makes things look effortless. Whether it is a skater, singer, actor or speaker, what looks easy on the outside is nearly always the result of years of learning and practice. Vocal confidence works in the same way: mastery creates ease. True confidence comes from skill and self working together. When your voice responds skilfully, naturally and as a part of you, you no longer have to act confident. Confidence becomes something internal, supported by trust in your own ability and by skills you can rely on. Best Moments * “Technique is not the enemy of authenticity. Disembodied technique is.” * “The real aim is to learn appropriate techniques and then embody them.” * “Our natural self might not have the skills that we need.” * “You could become a copy of a copy, and who wants that?” * “To me, powerful is being real.” * “If you were to just let that go and behave completely naturally, then the emotions would overcome you every time.” * “Mastery creates ease in doing something, but it also looks easy on the outside.” * “When skill and self work together, you no longer have to perform confidence.” About the Host With over 28 years’ experience, Anne Leatherland helps clients develop vocal confidence and personal growth. Her holistic approach bridges science, education and the performing arts, supporting women to be truly heard in business.Find out more: https://anneleatherland.co.uk/

May 28, 202631 min

Emma Wyatt: Showing up as You with the Right Support

Is the System Set Up for Speakers to Succeed? Why Infrastructure Matters as Much as Confidence In this episode of Be Truly Heard, host Anne Leatherland is joined by Emma Wyatt, marketing strategist and founder of Dream Clinic, who works with founders, experts and thought leaders to design the systems and processes that allow them to show up consistently and sustainably. The conversation takes a refreshingly different angle on the topic of showing up as yourself. Rather than focusing solely on confidence or technique, Anne and Emma look at what happens when the environment around a speaker fails them - and how that failure shows up in the voice itself. From tech that cuts out before you walk on stage to the quiet drain of constantly pushing through noise, this episode makes the case that great speaking is not just an inside job. Key Takeaways Systems shape the voice whether we realise it or not. When speakers are constantly fighting through tech issues, platform noise and digital overwhelm, their messages get diluted and their voices begin to reflect the strain. Fatigue, inconsistency and a loss of faith in the whole process are the natural result of working in an environment that does not support you. The voice and the nervous system work in both directions. Anxiety affects the voice - but the reverse is also true. Calming the voice through technique, breath and intention can calm the nervous system in turn. This two-way relationship means that vocal skill is not just about sounding good. It is one of the most effective tools a speaker has for managing nerves in real time. Social events take more out of the voice than the speaking itself. The drinks after the event, the lunch with delegates, the post-talk conversations - all of this uses the voice in ways that are easy to overlook. Speakers who carefully prepare for the talk and then forget to protect their voice in the margins are often the ones who find themselves struggling by the end of a busy run. Better support for speakers means better representation for everyone. When the systems around speakers are well designed and people have access to training, infrastructure and real support, it is not just the individual who benefits. A wider range of voices and experiences can come through - and that is good for every audience. Key Moments "If the system around a speaker demands constant output without support, the voice responds. And that person cannot show up as they want to." "Voice care is part of the infrastructure. It is not an indulgence." "Social events can take more out of your voice than the speaking work. It is the bit in between." About Be Truly Heard Be Truly Heard is the podcast for women in business who want to speak with authority, warmth and authenticity. Hosted by Anne Leatherland, coach and voice expert, each episode explores vocal skills and personal growth strategies to help listeners overcome confidence barriers and communicate what is inside. Because your voice matters. And it is time to be truly heard. How to Get in Touch Guest this episode: Emma Wyatt - Dream Clinic Emma Wyatt is a communications specialist and consultant with a strong background in helping individuals and organisations express themselves with clarity and confidence. With experience spanning corporate, creative and client-facing environments, she brings a thoughtful, people-centred approach to her work, supporting others to communicate in a way that feels both natural and impactful. Emma is passionate about authentic connection and believes that when people feel at ease in themselves, their voice becomes a powerful tool for influence, collaboration and change. Website: dream.clinic linkedin.com/in/emma-wyatt-uk To connect with Anne Leatherland and find out more about her coaching and voice work, visit the show notes for links and resources. If this episode landed with you, share it with a friend or leave a review - it helps more women find their voice.

May 14, 202627 min

Karis Gill: Showing Up as You Through Business Storytelling

In this episode of Be Truly Heard, host Anne Leatherland is joined by Karis Gill, storytelling trainer and founder of a social enterprise gift hamper company - a venture that transformed her understanding of how stories win hearts, rooms and funding. Karis came to storytelling not through a course or a career choice but through seven figures worth of rejected funding applications. When she rebuilt her pitch deck using the principles of story, everything changed. Now she teaches others how to do the same. In this conversation, she and Anne explore why our brains are wired for story, what goes wrong in delivery and how the right story told in the right way can be the most powerful tool a business owner has. Key Takeaways The founder story is not about you - it is about your client seeing themselves in you. Most people avoid telling their founder story because it feels self-indulgent. But done well, it is not about showing off. It is about creating a connection, demonstrating your values and giving someone a reason to trust you. Avoiding it just leaves a gap where that trust could have been. Conversion stories only work if the listener can see themselves in them. It is not enough to share an impressive outcome. The audience needs to recognise the thoughts, feelings and fears of the person in the story as their own. Without that relatability, the listener thinks that is great for someone else - but not for me. Delivery is where most stories fall flat. The single most effective shift is to relive the story as if it is happening now. Not performing it, not reciting it - actually re-experiencing it. When the teller is genuinely inside the moment, the listener feels it too. When they are not, no amount of good content can close that gap. Confidence in storytelling is not fixed - it can be built. If you start from the belief that you are rubbish at storytelling, your delivery will confirm it. Building confidence means practising with people you trust, trying gestures and dialogue, and gradually learning that your story is worth telling and that people genuinely want to hear it. Key Moments "We rebuilt the pitch using the principles of story - and then we just kept winning everything." "When you hear information in story, the criticising dials down and the imagination dials up. That is why story is so effective." "We make decisions based on emotion and back them up with logic - which is why we think they are logical decisions. But they are not." "Relive the story as if it is happening right now. Because the person hearing it probably is hearing it for the first time." "If you tell a really effective sad story, the whole room feels it. That is the power of storytelling - you can control how everyone feels." About the guest Karis Gill is a storytelling trainer who helps business owners and leaders use story to attract, nurture and convert clients. Her work grew out of building a successful social enterprise, where she discovered that stories, not facts, win trust, funding and belief. Karis teaches a practical framework built around founder, process and conversion stories, helping people communicate with clarity, confidence and emotional impact. About the Host With over 28 years’ experience, Anne Leatherland helps clients develop vocal confidence and personal growth. Her holistic approach bridges science, education and the performing arts, supporting women to be truly heard in business.Find out more: https://anneleatherland.co.uk/

April 30, 202620 min

Showing up as you by integrating self and voice

Episode 74 - Showing up as you by integrating self and voice In this episode of Be Truly Heard, Anne Leatherland explores the link between your physical voice and your inner self, asking a deeper question than simply “how do I sound?” She looks at what happens when your thoughts, beliefs and nervous system get in the way of what you really want to say, and explains why people can often hear the gap when your self-belief and vocal expression are out of sync. This is the voice credibility gap: the distance between your actual capability and the way you come across when you speak. Anne breaks down how the voice is not one single thing you can point to, but the result of breath, vocal fold coordination, nervous system response, resonance and the mind-body connection. She shows why quick fixes like “just breathe”, “stand up straight” or “be confident” often fail to create lasting change, and argues instead for integrated confidence: a grounded, believable confidence that comes from self-trust, aligned values and the ability to let your true voice come through. Key Takeaways Your voice is more than just sound. Anne explains that your voice is not a single body part but the result of multiple systems working together, including breath, vocal folds, resonance, the brain and the nervous system. That is why the voice is so closely tied to emotion, safety and self-expression. People can hear when your voice and self are disconnected. If your self-belief does not match your vocal expression, others often sense that something feels “off”, even if they cannot explain why. Anne calls this the voice credibility gap. Your inner critic can block your true voice. The “voice in the head” that tries to keep you safe can interfere with what comes out vocally. When fear, doubt or self-judgement take over, your real voice can become damped down or distorted. There are vocal clues that reveal a lack of self-trust. Anne points to signs such as vocal wobble, trailing off, lack of pitch variety, breathiness or rushing. These vocal habits can make listeners feel uncertain, distracted or even uneasy. Surface-level confidence techniques only go so far. “Act as if”, posture changes and confidence mantras may help a little in the moment, but Anne says they rarely create a fully authentic sound on their own. Real confidence has to come from the inside. Integrated confidence comes from mind, body and self working together. Rather than faking confidence from the outside, Anne encourages developing self-trust so that your values, beliefs and physical voice are aligned. That is when communication starts to feel natural and convincing. Your values shape how you sound. Anne invites listeners to reflect on their top values and ask whether they really show up through their voice when speaking to others. If what you believe about yourself clashes with those values, it becomes harder to speak with integrity and ease. Self-trust can be built. Through deeper self-awareness, practice, positive internal dialogue and deliberate preparation, it is possible to strengthen the connection between self and voice. Anne shares the example of a client who transformed her speaking and went on to land a £20,000 contract. Your voice reflects how much of yourself you are willing to stand behind. The episode lands on a powerful truth: when you trust yourself, believe your message matters and allow your real self into the room, your voice becomes stronger, clearer and more credible. Best Moments “If your self belief and your vocal expression are disconnected, people hear the gap.” “This is what I call the voice credibility gap.” “That voice in the head… wants to keep us safe.” “Just breathe or stand up straight… it might work a bit, but that doesn’t last, does it?” “I would rather there was something real from the inside to create an integrated confidence.” “We need to be clear on why we are doing something and clear on our values and our beliefs in order to show up as ourselves.” “What I have to say is worthwhile.” “Your voice reflects how much of yourself you’re willing to stand behind.” Weekly Challenge Take ten minutes this week to write down your three most important values. Then think about a meeting, conversation or presentation coming up soon and ask yourself: Do I sound like someone who truly stands behind those values? Before you speak, remind yourself: What I have to say is worthwhile. Notice how your voice changes when you let more of your real self into the room. About the Host With over 28 years’ experience, Anne Leatherland helps clients develop vocal confidence and personal growth. Her holistic approach bridges science, education and the performing arts, supporting women to be truly heard in business. Find out more: https://anneleatherland.co.uk/

April 16, 202625 min

Katie Skelton: Showing Up as You in Emails

In this episode of Be Truly Heard, Anne Leatherland is joined by email strategist Katie Skelton to explore the powerful link between written voice and spoken voice. Katie shares how redundancy during maternity leave pushed her to start her own business, how she gradually found her niche in email strategy, and why the way we write and the way we speak are not separate at all, but two expressions of the same identity. Together, they unpack authenticity, improvisation, practice and trust, showing how finding your real voice on the page can strengthen your confidence everywhere else too. Katie reflects on building a business through many small evolutions, discovering the creative freedom of email writing, and realising that her most authentic work comes when she writes close to the feeling of the moment. The conversation also moves into public speaking, where both Anne and Katie discuss why rigid scripts often kill confidence, how improvisation can unlock presence, and why truly connecting with an audience matters far more than delivering a perfect presentation. Key Takeaways Written voice and spoken voice come from the same place.Katie explains that the voice people hear in her emails is recognisably the same as the one they hear in conversation. When your writing sounds like you, it creates authenticity and connection. Sometimes your business direction becomes clear through doing, not planning.Katie’s move into email strategy was not part of a grand masterplan. It emerged through experimenting, noticing what felt natural, and listening when someone pointed out a strength she had overlooked. Authentic writing needs the right conditions. Katie talks about “ideal conditions” for creating work that feels real. For her, that means writing close to the emotion or thought she wants to express, often with a little bit of pressure and immediacy, so the words stay alive rather than over-rehearsed. Templates and formulas can make people lose their voice. In a world full of blueprints and frameworks, Katie believes many people become disconnected from what makes their writing theirs. Authenticity often comes from noticing your own natural rhythm, not forcing someone else’s system onto it. Improvisation can be more powerful than scripting. Katie discovered through stand-up comedy and speaking experience that heavily rehearsed presentations do not bring out her best. She is far more effective when she trusts her expertise and responds in the moment. Trusting yourself is central to speaking well.Anne and Katie both reflect on how public speaking becomes easier when you stop trying to perform perfectly and instead trust your knowledge, experience and ability to connect with people in real time. Slides do not create authority, presence does. The conversation makes the point that anyone can research and build a presentation, but that alone does not create trust. What builds trust is knowing your subject and being able to speak about it with confidence, energy and connection. Audience connection comes from speaking to people, not at them. Katie adapts her voice by imagining one specific person when writing emails and by staying responsive to individuals in the room when speaking. That sense of real conversation keeps both writing and speaking human. Practice builds clarity as well as confidence. Katie says that writing every day has not only strengthened her style but also helped her understand her own opinions, processes and teaching more clearly. Repetition turns instinct into something you can trust and share. Best Moments “Our written voice and our spoken voice are not separate. They’re two expressions of the same identity.” “I was forced into it through redundancy.” “I thought, well, if I’m going to do it, I’m going to have to do it now.” “People would reply and say, ‘I heard you saying this in your voice.’” “That’s how people lose their voice.” “Scripted, rehearsed, rigid speaking does not work for me.” “I just perform much better under improvisational circumstances.” “The more secure you are that you are an expert… the easier it is to just stand up and talk.” About the guest Katie Skelton is the founder of Little Green Duck Ltd, where she helps solofounders and small businesses grow through clear, consistent email strategy and copy. She writes the daily newsletter ALTITUDE, read by ambitious businessowners for practical email and sales insights.With a background in winning multi-million-pound broadcast industrycontracts, she brings real-world strategy to founders looking to turn words into predictable revenue. About the Host With over 28 years’ experience, Anne Leatherland helps clients develop vocal confidence and personal growth. Her holistic approach bridges science, education and the performing arts, supporting women to be truly heard in business. Find out more: https://anneleatherland.co.uk/

April 2, 202621 min

Urmi Hossain: Showing up as You Through Human Connection

In this episode of Be Truly Heard , Anne Leatherland is joined by finance professional, author and mentor Urmi Hossain for a thoughtful conversation about identity, confidence and why women need to say yes to more opportunities. Drawing on her experience as an Italian-Bengali woman working in the male-dominated world of finance, Urmi shares how mentoring, self-belief and representation have shaped her journey. Together, she and Anne explore imposter syndrome, reframing negative self-talk, the power of visualisation, and how women can lead with more confidence by owning both their voice and their story. Key Takeaways Be the mentor you never had. Urmi’s drive to mentor women comes from her own experience of growing up without many role models who looked like her or shared her cultural background. She now supports women from a wide range of backgrounds, especially women of colour, by becoming the guide she once needed herself. You do not have to choose one identity over another. Urmi reflects on navigating two cultural worlds – Bengali and Italian – and the pressure to fit neatly into one label. Her breakthrough came when she stopped choosing and instead embraced both, confidently describing herself as Italian-Bengali in both personal and professional life. Representation matters in male-dominated industries. Working in finance has meant learning to advocate for herself, find allies and seek out mentors. Urmi believes staying visible in those spaces matters, not just for her own career, but for the women coming behind her who need to see that they belong there too. Reframing negative self-talk can change everything. One of Urmi’s core tools for helping women with imposter syndrome is reframing. Rather than getting stuck in thoughts like “I’m not good enough”, she encourages women to rewrite those internal messages into something more constructive and empowering. Vision boards are more than a creative exercise. Urmi uses yearly vision boards as a practical way to keep goals, values and ambitions visible. By putting dreams into images and words, she believes the brain starts working towards them, often before we consciously realise it. A mentor might already be in your life. Urmi introduces the idea of a “friendtour” – a blend of friend and mentor. Sometimes the people best placed to guide, encourage and challenge us are trusted friends who already understand our struggles, values and ambitions. Say yes before you feel fully ready. Her advice to younger women is simple but powerful: say yes to opportunities. Too often women hesitate because they doubt themselves or feel unprepared, but stepping outside the comfort zone is how confidence is built. Your voice and perspective are enough. Anne and Urmi both reflect on the cultural and generational expectations placed on women, but the message is clear: women are worthy of being part of the conversation, and what they have to say carries value. Best Moments “I want to be the mentor I never had.” “It wasn’t about fitting either world, but more about putting them together and embracing the two sides of it.” “No matter where I am, it’s because I belong there.” “We have so many negative self-talks… we’re always second-guessing ourselves.” “Once you put it in a vision board, your brain starts to work towards that.” “Who knows you better than your own friend?” “Say yes to opportunities.” “What we have to say as women is powerful and it’s enough.” About the guest Urmi Hossain is a personal branding strategist, speaker and author who helps professionals and entrepreneurs show up as themselves with clarity, confidence and intention. With a background in corporate banking, she understands the challenges of being seen and heard in professional spaces, and now supports others to build a strong, authentic presence both online and in real life. She is the author of Discover Your Personal Brand and is known for her practical, grounded approach to visibility, particularly on LinkedIn. Urmi’s work focuses on helping people find their voice, communicate their value and step forward in a way that feels natural rather than forced. Through her writing, speaking and coaching, she empowers individuals to be more visible, so that they can create opportunities, build influence and grow their careers or businesses in a way that truly reflects who they are. Connect with the guest linkedin.com/in/urmihossain podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-beyond-borders/id1831413373 womeninleadership.ca/montreal About the Host With over 28 years’ experience, Anne Leatherland helps clients develop vocal confidence and personal growth. Her holistic approach bridges science, education and the performing arts, supporting women to be truly heard in business. Find out more: https://anneleatherland.co.uk/

March 19, 202621 min

Showing Up as You When the Stakes are High

In this episode of Be Truly Heard , Anne Leatherland explores what really happens when high-stakes speaking situations send your nervous system into overdrive. From meetings and interviews to client calls and presentations, she explains why your body can react as if you’re facing danger, and how that stress response affects breath, pitch, vocal steadiness and confidence. Rather than relying on “just be confident” advice, Anne shares a more practical approach: regulating the nervous system so your voice can reflect your real capability, even when the pressure is on. She unpacks the fight, flight, freeze and fawn responses, shows how adrenaline and cortisol can interfere with vocal control, and introduces the idea of nervous system leadership, guiding your internal state so your voice stays grounded, calm and authoritative. Through a simple do-along exercise using breath, pacing, pitch and physical grounding, she demonstrates how small shifts in the body can help the voice settle and the speaker feel safer, steadier and more present. Key Takeaways High-stakes speaking can trigger an ancient survival response. Your nervous system doesn’t always know the difference between a lion and a boardroom. Meetings, interviews and difficult calls can all activate protective stress responses that make speaking feel harder. Stress changes the voice as well as the body. When you’re dysregulated, breath becomes rapid, the throat can tighten, pitch may rise and the voice may wobble or lose power. That can make you sound less confident than you really are. “Just be confident” is not enough. Anne challenges surface-level advice like “just breathe” or “do a power pose” on their own. Real change comes from helping the body feel safe enough to move out of threat mode. Nervous system leadership is a learnable skill. This means guiding your inner state so your voice reflects your capability, not your panic. The more you can regulate yourself before and during speaking, the more authority and ease your voice can carry. The voice can help calm the nervous system. It’s not just that the nervous system affects the voice; the voice can also signal back to the body that everything is okay. A steadier pace, fuller breath and more grounded pitch can reduce activation. Grounding through the body supports vocal presence. Feet flat on the floor, softened jaw, a silent deep breath and a sense of energy rising through the body can help create a more connected, supported sound. Speaking more slowly and from a fuller breath improves authority. Anne contrasts a light, fast, slightly higher delivery with a slower, more grounded version of the same sentence to show how pacing, pitch and breath change how you sound and feel. You’re not lacking skill – your system may be working against you. Often, the challenge is not that you don’t know what to say, but that your voice, body and sense of self are not working together under pressure. Integration is the goal. Best Moments “The meeting, the interview, the client on the phone… anything that puts you into that state of butterflies in the stomach and sets your nervous system into overdrive.” “The nervous system goes into protective mode when the brain and the body detect a threat.” “That nervous system state and the body state, if you like, affects your voice.” “Just trying to be confident alone doesn’t work.” “We need to tell the body that it’s safe.” “I like to think of this as nervous system leadership.” “The nervous system listens to the voice as much as the voice reflects the nervous system.” “You don’t fail to show up because you lack skill… your voice, body and self are not working together.” Weekly Challenge The next time you’re heading into a high-stakes speaking moment, try Anne’s regulation sequence first: place your feet flat on the floor, soften your jaw, take a deep silent breath, and say a simple sentence more slowly and from a fuller, lower pitch. Notice how your voice changes when your body feels safer and more supported. About the Host With over 28 years’ experience, Anne Leatherland helps clients develop vocal confidence and personal growth. Her holistic approach bridges science, education and the performing arts, supporting women to be truly heard in business. Find out more: https://anneleatherland.co.uk/