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What happens when “memorize it” kills your aliveness?

In this conversation, speaker and leader Kurt Uhlir shares how forcing a script spiked his stress, shut down vulnerability, and flattened his presence — and how returning to flow changed everything. We unpack small-room freakouts, the body’s signals (hello, stress across the chest), and the simple reframe that turns fear into fuel. Then we put it all into practice with a live coaching moment using my Intend • Align • Invite framework. If you’ve ever felt over-scripted, under-present, or stuck between nerves and excitement, this one’s your permission slip to speak wild, untamed, and radiant — without losing real-world impact.

Takeaways

1. Flow beats memorization for authentic presence and impact.
2. The body tells the truth: stress across the chest often signals “vulnerability closed.”
3. Treat speaking like a conversation, not a soliloquy (improv > recitation).
4. Counterintuitive truth: small rooms can trigger more nerves than arenas for some people.
5. Fear and excitement feel the same in the body; label it excitement or scare-citement to channel energy.
6. Your “worst talk” can reveal emotional triggers — and your path back to presence.
7. Quick framework for Zoom & stage: Intend • Align • Invite (set the vibe, embody it, welcome them into it).

Soul Sucker Quiz

Take the Soul Sucker Quiz to learn which Soul Sucker screams the loudest in your mind so you can release them from being in charge and set your voice free!

https://voice-matters.com/soul-sucker-quiz/

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening!

Take the free Speaker Alter Ego Quiz to find out which protective mask is hiding your wild, untamed radiance.
https://voice-matters.com/speaker-alter-ego-quiz/

Follow me on:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/voice_matters_llc/

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauri-smith-voice-matters/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@voicematters9646

Send Lauri a message

What happens to your voice when survival requires silence?

Kat Polsinelli stepped onstage at 10… and years later, found herself slowly losing her voice inside a decade-long abusive relationship she never expected to be in. In this intimate conversation, Kat and Lauri explore the invisible architecture of emotional and psychological abuse—how it isolates, rewrites reality, and convinces brilliant people to doubt their own knowing.

Kat doesn’t just talk about her story—she tells it. Fully. Embodied. Unfiltered. As a living, breathing journey of control, awakening, and the moment choice returned.

This episode is a masterclass in how speaking becomes healing—for both the storyteller and the listener—through the power of repetition (“say it again”), the liberation of not overexplaining, and the sacred pause that lets truth land in the room.

If you’ve ever heard a voice inside you whisper share it… this one meets you there—with courage, clarity, and a path forward.

About Kat:
Kat Polsinelli is a sought-after speaker, bestselling co-author, and host of Real Chat with Kat, a top 10% globally ranked podcast airing on four radio stations and two public TV stations. From stepping onto a stage at 10 years old to reclaiming her voice after a decade-long abusive relationship, Kat’s journey is one of resilience and transformation.

A survivor of domestic violence, PTSD, and single motherhood at 16, Kat speaks with grounded honesty about the invisible impact of emotional and psychological abuse, the power of boundaries, and the role self-worth plays in healing. Through her lived experience, she challenges assumptions about abuse and invites deeper understanding of the complexities survivors face.

Connect with Kat:
https://www.facebook.com/katpolsinelli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thelotuseffect/
https://www.instagram.com/katpolsinelli/

Soul Sucker Quiz

Take the Soul Sucker Quiz to learn which Soul Sucker screams the loudest in your mind so you can release them from being in charge and set your voice free!

https://voice-matters.com/soul-sucker-quiz/

The Speaker Alter Ego Quiz

Take the Speaker Alter Ego quiz to find out which protective mask hides your natural radiance so you can learn how to get present, connect deeply, and share your vision when it matters most!

https://voice-matters.com/speaker-alter-ego-quiz/

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening!

Take the free Speaker Alter Ego Quiz to find out which protective mask is hiding your wild, untamed radiance.
https://voice-matters.com/speaker-alter-ego-quiz/

Follow me on:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/voice_matters_llc/

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauri-smith-voice-matters/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@voicematters9646

Send Lauri a message

In this bonus minisode, you’re invited into a grounding ritual — one that rose up unplanned during a conversation with a guest, and insisted on being shared.

This is a moment to pause.
To feel the truth of where you are.
To reconnect with the pulse beneath your voice — that wild, steady rhythm that holds you long before any words arrive.

If you’re longing for a reset…
If your speaking feels scattered or over-efforting…
If your nervous system is whispering for spaciousness…

This minisode is a doorway back to the place your truest voice begins.

Support the show

Thank you so much for listening!

Take the free Speaker Alter Ego Quiz to find out which protective mask is hiding your wild, untamed radiance.
https://voice-matters.com/speaker-alter-ego-quiz/

Follow me on:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/voice_matters_llc/

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauri-smith-voice-matters/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@voicematters9646