Hi friends,

Welcome to the inaugural email digest from the Quiet Voice Collective, a gathering place for introvert entrepreneurs seeking to improve their public speaking skills. We're currently a group of 96 members, compiled solely of graduates from Made To Do This. I love that we share the experience of having gone through that beautiful program. We've been together for just a week, and there is already a rich collection of content worth sharing. I hope this format will be useful.

In addition to links and resources, I've also been gathering your comments. Our members guide the content and projects we create, and my ears are wide open. Here are some of the things you shared this week:

There are members who want to get more comfortable sharing on Instagram. Some members want to know how to feel safer sharing in-person with loved ones. Others want to learn how to be more confident on a stage. I was surprised to learn that several of you want experience in voice acting and narration. As someone whose background revolves more around hosting events, TEDx speaker coaching, leading groups, and teaching, I am learning just how many other forms public speaking can take, and there are many! With that said, let's move on to the meat of this message, the resources.

Resources for the week ending April 30th, 2021:

Based on member requests of Instagrammers who find a way to connect intimately and successfully with their audience, I provided links to two accounts that are quite different from one another. The first link was for Dr. Bertice Berry, who specializes in sharing powerful daily stories. Between her close proximity to the camera, to her distinctive appearance, to her effortless ability to link personal experiences with current events and the lessons we can learn from them, Dr. Berry is a walking masterclass on connection.

The other Instagram account I shared belongs to Jamie Varon. Unlike Dr. Berry, Jamie has recently discovered a way to connect with her audience WITHOUT showing her face through IG's newest method of sharing: Reels. She shared earlier this week that some of her reels have garnered 500,000 views. Jamie is a writer, and her account is a way of showing that introverts can still share their voices and connect intimately without speaking to a camera. This is one of those ways. We benefit from having a variety of tools at our disposal.

Our third resource is one that fell into my lap unexpectedly. An event producer friend texted to ask if I was available quickly to do a voice acting job. She made the same request of a mutual friend of ours who is a designer, storyteller, and TEDx speaker based in New York City. As part of our group text chain, he shared that one of his favorite narrators is LeVar Burton, and included a link to his favorite reading from LeVar's podcast. He says we can learn a lot about intonation, vocal variety, and pausing by listening to how LeVar reads short fiction. I hadn't heard of his podcast before, so was excited to check it out.

There are three things worth sharing in response to the episode referenced above. It IS amazing (which I expected). It will give you all the feels and conjure some tears (which I didn't expect). And lastly, it's a beautiful testament to how important it is find common ground with those whose backgrounds differ from our own. Just, wow. My husband is a first-generation Asian-American, and hails from a similar background as the family referenced in the episode, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for the way my husband respects his parents.

Our last resource was shared in a video. I introduced myself so members could get a sense of my background that could affect what's shared within the group. As an introvert, a public speaker, a tired mom, and someone who struggles with memory recall from time-to-time, I try to support myself holistically through the things I eat and drink. I've been an herbalist-in-training for the past four years, and am about to complete my second apprenticeship in that realm. One of the herbs I consume regularly in tea form is red clover. It is loaded with minerals and nutrients, so in addition to strengthening my ability to recall information when I need it, it also supports me in a way that many other teas can't. The older I get, the more I appreciate my body and all it does for me. Making this tea feels like such a simple, profound way to show myself love.

My favorite supplier doesn't currently have red clover in stock, but if you are curious to try it, I also use this supplier, who almost always has organic red clover blossoms available. The tea tastes good, without a strong flavor too much in one direction or another. This isn't an affiliate link. Just trying to close the loop in case it's useful.

That's a wrap for this week's Quiet Voice content. I'm glad you're here. What else do you want to learn about? Do you have any special powers you think we could all benefit from? Care to share them in the group? Until next Friday, have a great week (and weekend, woohoo)!

With gratitude,

Carrie