What if the thing holding your message back is not what you are saying, but how you are breathing while you say it?

In this episode, I’m joined by Melissa Thom, founder of Brava, to explore what leaders can learn from the world of broadcasting, voice work and performance.

We talk about why public speaking fear is so common, how breath can change the way you sound and feel, and why confidence is not the absence of fear.

Melissa also shares how authenticity and performance can work together, plus some brilliantly practical advice on vocal range, audience connection and becoming a more powerful communicator.

Highlights:

(01:31) - How a 30-year broadcasting career became a leadership superpower

(05:02) - Why public speaking fear affects even the most experienced leaders

(09:55) - The one communication tool every leader should understand

(14:54) - Why performance and authenticity are not opposites

(22:44) - Confidence is not the absence of fear, it is acting alongside it

(31:57) - Live feedback on voice, breath and becoming a stronger podcaster

Connect with Melissa:

https://www.brava.uk.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissathombrava/

Connect with Emma:

LinkedIn

Website

This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

Why do people resist change, even when the change is positive?

In this episode, I’m exploring how the brain’s bias towards threat detection can shape behaviour at work, and why resistance, disengagement or conflict may not be an attitude problem at all.

I introduce the SCARF model and its five domains: status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness and fairness.

I also share practical examples of how leaders can unintentionally trigger threat responses, and how small changes in communication and behaviour can help people feel safer, more collaborative and more open to what comes next.

Highlights:

(01:31) - Why positive change can still feel threatening

(03:17) - An introduction to the SCARF model

(04:59) - How status can trigger threat or reward

(06:29) - Why certainty and autonomy matter during change

(08:25) - The role of belonging and relatedness at work

(11:47) - How a leader’s behaviour shapes other people’s responses

Connect with Emma:

LinkedIn

Website

This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

When we talk about breaking a habit, we often make change feel like a battle. In this episode, I’m exploring why words such as stopping, removing and giving something up can create resistance before we have even begun.

I share a simpler approach: swap the old pattern for something that moves you towards the person or leader you want to become.

With a real example of replacing one high-intensity activity with a more restorative option, I show how a small change in language can make new behaviour feel lighter, more achievable and far less like punishment.

Highlights:

(01:31) - Why fighting your habits creates more resistance

(02:26) - The problem with relying on willpower

(03:08) - Why adding something can work better than giving it up

(04:02) - The question that connects change to your identity

(05:13) - How one simple swap improved energy and wellbeing

(06:37) - Turning a stopping goal into a towards statement

Connect with Emma:

LinkedIn

Website

This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio