Unleash Your Voice & Harness The Power of Your Inner Voice

Welcome to episode 106, season 4. Whenever you are listening to this, I am so excited that you're here. If you're new to She's Crafted to Thrive, welcome. If you've been a longtime listener, welcome. Thank you for being here. Thank you for sharing your amazing self with me, leaving amazing reviews. I want to say thank you. We are in season 4. Can you believe that? We are on episode 106. I cannot believe that. And we are in 2023. Can you believe that?

I just can't get over that when I'm saying that number.

I am so excited about our guest, Brianne. She is a vocal empowerment guide, speaker, trainer, licensed speech voice pathologist, voiceover artist, public speaker, recreational singer, and she has been my personal voice empowerment guide and has helped me so much, especially in 2022 when I was going through my own kind of voice weirdness. And as Brianne has called me, she's like, Nikita, you are a vocal athlete between speaking for your clients, between your podcast, your ministry, just you, the fact that you love and enjoy singing and just talking, you use your voice all the time. So take care of it. And I also started having challenges with that, especially after I got diagnosed with hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's. And so that actually was another chronic illness that I was diagnosed with that has a definite effect effect on my voice quality, and I have learned so much from working from her, or working with her. And I can't wait for you to listen to this episode because when it comes to speaking and talking about our voice, we're not just talking about the words in the air that comes out of us. We're talking about the things that affect our physical voice and our mental thoughts and words that we just keep holding in. And in this episode, Brianne is going to share how to use, um, your, your voice to tap into your intuition and to trust yourself more and how to have a more abundant mindset through embracing your voice more. And we're going to talk about so many different things, so please stay tuned. I can't wait for you to hear all these gems. We're going to be talking about ways to unleash your voice and harness the power of your inner voice. All right, stay tuned. Welcome to She's Crafted to Thrive, a globally ranked podcast for women living with chronic illness and creatives in business. I'm your host, Nikita Williams, chronic illness warrior and photographer digital marketer turned award-winning coach. I love helping chronic illness warriors and creatives to live with their chronic illness and creativity as their superpower in life and business. On the show, you will hear the very stories that helped our guests, my clients, and myself to define our dream way of making money with proven strategies and marketing and mindset, all to grow a business that thrives without sacrificing our health. So stay tuned because you'll find the inspiration and tools and the resources you need to craft a life and business that thrives.

I am so excited to have Brianne on the show. I am just like blessed and thankful to have met her because she's teaching me things that I didn't even think were a big deal. Um, And it's amazing. So please tell us about who you are, what you do, where you're from, and we'll jump into your story. I just cannot wait to talk about what you do.

Thanks so much, Nikita. I appreciate that you are so open and willing to advocate for it because you're right. Many people go, what? Why would I ever care about my voice?

Yeah.

So I am Brianne Hennessy. My pronouns are she, her, and hers. I am a vocal empowerment guide and I am here to guide and lead women in leadership and entrepreneurial and executive roles to harness the power of their voice, specifically health of their voice, as well as aligned to their inner voice, or what I refer to as the divine intuition. Because I believe when that is aligned, we show up as our truest selves, and that resonates through the power of our speaking.

Oh my goodness. And it's so good. And you can tell her voice is just like, so soft and wonderful. I love it. She's taught me some things too about like, massaging my throat to help me with my vocal cords. And, you know, when I started this journey on podcasting, you know, No one told me in a head saw nothing about protecting your voice. And as a coach, I mean, you know, a doctor asked me once, like, what do you do for a living? I was like, I talk. Like, that's a good answer. I talk. And they're like, what? I'm like, really? I'm a business coach. But honestly, I spend a living talking to people. And then obviously in my own ministry, that's something else that I do. So speaking is such a huge part of all of us. And I think for most of the women that I work with, their voice is a huge part of it. And I connected with you so much about the inner voice and how that's so important, like your story and all of that. And let's start with that for you. Like, what brought you to this place, this journey, this path of where you are today?

Hmm.

Years and years ago, I knew that I enjoyed learning about all different topics. So when it was time to choose a major for college, at that time, I was really into marine biology, which was like, had its 15 minutes of fame. 1999 high school grad, just putting it out there. So I don't know about y'all in the '90s, but marine biologists were like cool. So that's what everybody wanted to be. So going to college, I actually chose to go to college at University of Victoria, which is in British Columbia, Canada. I am from the States. I currently reside as a settler on the land of the Ho-Chunk tribe, which is also known as Madison, Wisconsin. And yet that was by the ocean. They had a marine biology program, I was gonna go and like learn all these things. I got to my first cellular biology class. And I was like, hmm, hard stop. In the midst of that, though, because I love to learn, and I'm always curious about things, I had chosen an elective of linguistics. And that just started the trajectory. So I ended up getting my undergrad in linguistics.. And during that time, learned about acoustics and the physiology of the speech mechanism and all of these aspects. And I still wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it. And there was a lab that one of my professors held. And in that lab was a tiny little insert hanging on the board one day, and it said, "Vocology Institute." Vocology is the study of voice. And it had these names with these letters behind it, CCCSLP. And I was like, "I don't know what that name is, but anything about the voice I am into." Because at that time, my research project I had chosen was actually to study, can we control the vibrato in our voice? So, and it was so fun. And I thought, well, okay, well, I could study more about voice. Like, that would be great. And so ultimately, that led me to the CCC. SLP is a speech-language pathologist. And so I started looking at programs for speech pathology. And it turned out there are programs that have various specialties, voice being one of them. And I started to pursue that, like, laser-focused. And I was able to get into grad school at the University of Iowa, which has one of the top voice programs in the country. And from there, was extremely fortunate to be in voice clinics to work and train all through the last total of 13 years. So voice to me is something that has always fascinated me, but I didn't, I didn't realize it because as a fellow talker, I knew there was something about it. And I sing, I sing for fun, I sing for the joy of it, which I believe everyone can do. I don't care how it sounds, okay? Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. But it wasn't necessarily this sense of being about the singing or that particular use of the voice. I remember a distinct flash of thinking and seeing myself stage side. It wasn't clear who was on stage, like, was it a singer or was it a speaker? But I just remember seeing myself stage side and thinking, that's how I want to support people. Like, that just resonates with me a lot, to not necessarily be the front and center person, but to be in the wings that way.

Right. Yeah.

So that's been really fleshed out in, in the opportunities that have presented themselves. And my training has informed how the voice works, what can happen to our voices, how to rehabilitate the voice. And then about 2 years ago, I took the leap to start my own business and my own mission of elevating voices from a preventative standpoint. And for many of you listening, I have a sense that there is a distinct difference between care that is preventative and proactive and what that feels like in your body versus care that is kind of like chasing, chasing the rabbit. Like, when am I going to feel better? When are things going to be healed? Whatever that looks like for you. And, and I think voice is a really powerful conduit to our well-being. And the more people can tap into that and recognize and just take a moment to go, oh, I do use this a lot. Like, this is my livelihood. This makes me money. This makes— helps me connect with people. That's a huge first step in awareness, because unfortunately, not everyone has their physical voice anymore. And so we, I think, can be, as a human species, eternally grateful for the fact that we get to use this to connect in a deep, deep way.

Yeah, I love that. I think it's so great too, about the piece of like, you know, I was gonna go do this and nope, I decided to do something completely different. Like, I think There's always this idea that we all know, like, what, what we're going to be doing and all of those different things. And there's a lot of weight around, like, women figuring out what they want to do. And if we aren't certain in what we want to do, we're being flaky or we're being, like, indecisive and we're flighty and we don't know anything. But it's really about us really just trying to find that piece that really works with us, like what we innately feel like works for us, like, in multiple different ways. So I love that you found that voice is your thing. It's my thing. Yep. I love it. Um, and my friend, my friend called me the voice conductor once.

She's like, you shape sound. I know. I was like, okay, I love that.

Thank you.

So yeah, I just, I, I think it's one of those funny things. And, and to that point as well, Nikita Williams Williams, the moments that you do find something, like, there was there was everything within my clinical career. There was, there was the love I had of being, you know, in the room with the patients. There were my colleagues. There were these, you know, additional opportunities. And yet that I felt like reached my zone of excellence, but not necessarily my zone of genius. And so that similar idea of like, okay, yes, are women changing their minds? And, you know, why are people kind of bouncing from one thing to another? And then the opposite of that, of like, I'm sorry, why would you leave stable career, right, that you excel in, air quotes, unstable.

Exactly.

Because when did I try— decide to take the leap? September 2020. Because that was a solid time to do that. But it turned out it was, you know. So like that exact thing, exactly. Like you may be on the path and it's okay to go, you know what, this area, this direction is pulling me even more profoundly. That's okay.

Yeah, yeah, I love that you said that. So such a good point. Um, You were saying too, like, there's a difference between chasing feeling better, right? Or trying to fix something reactionary versus working to prevent it consistently. And that's something that I know my audience is continuing to learn just through what I share about, like, one, the voice in itself is like, to me, like such therapy, you know, like it's such therapy and To protect that and to nurture that and prevent from something maybe taking away from it, I feel like it's so important, both literally your voice, but internally being able to speak and advocate for yourself in the health industry, in your, in your body, with family, friends. And so when you speak about, you know, being— I love when I have people that have been on both sides of the world of like preventative and reactionary, because most of us haven't been in that seat. We've always been like chasing after the, the, the solve, the solution. So for you, what has that brought to what you do now as a, as a business owner, as a woman who's helping women embrace their voice both internally and externally? Hmm.

Extreme grace and compassion. For meeting people where they are.

Yeah.

The not knowing doesn't mean that you did something wrong. The not knowing doesn't mean that it won't get better. There was many times folks would come into the clinic and say, why now? I've been talking for 30, 40 years, whatever the case may be, why now? And often it's multifactorial. Often, you know, we don't, we don't have necessarily all the answers yet. And voice is a very new, relative to medical care, new science.

Right.

And the "did I do it to myself" undertone was there quite often. And I think it's important for us to recognize that there are ways to care for it and treat it like this entity that can be relieving and therapeutic and bring vibrancy to our lives, as well as something that doesn't stay the same our whole life. It evolves. The sound of our voice evolves, the way and amount that we're using it. So to me, seeing it from that lens only shows me potential. I don't want to sit in the pain of it, right? I saw plenty of that from people, and that has informed the potential, especially women, to recognize that underlying all of that, a pattern that I observed is you will connect more to your self-worth and your enoughness through your voice that will naturally draw in that commitment, that consistency, that ability to say, I'm noticing something is a little off with my voice today. So I'm going to do X, Y, and Z to take care of that. Or I noticed that I want to be able to speak up because I'm in a male-dominated industry. And I would like my voice to be heard. Because both of those branches, if ignored, manifested, and I physically saw it many times as something here in the neck, in our larynx, that's the voice box, in the vocal folds themselves, the tissues, and even along the muscles of the neck, even through the upper body, even through the breath. So to me, it's not a let's be worried and scared and fearful about what can happen, because I also had people come in who— oh yeah, I'm just remembering a couple people, um, other physicians this is like getting me a little tearful— other physicians and providers and people that they're supposed to trust had told them, well, you just have to live with it, you just have to deal with it, you're not— you're gonna— your voice is slowly going to decline, and that's all there is to it. And that is completely unacceptable in my mind, because it's a scary time to think, what's happening? What if I can't communicate in the way I want? What if I can't be heard? So talk about both physical shutting the door on them and then metaphorical, like, they are there asking for help. And I know this, this is something that is pervasive in different areas across our healthcare system, across different genders and races, and all the ways that people are trying to be heard when something is going, going awry.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

You were getting emotional and I was sitting here getting emotional with you. Um, it's just like, we've all experienced that. Like, I know all of my listeners at some point have had that feeling of like, you feel like you couldn't scream it louder, right? That I just want to be heard. I want you to feel what I'm saying, know what I'm saying, and take it and actually help me versus put me in the corner and say, well, that's just what it is. And, you know, there's a lot. There's a lot with that. So, yeah, I— this is why I have wonderful women like you on the show, like, to be like, you know what, one, you are seen and heard. There are women who know specifically women who understand that experience and also are screaming from their own rooftops that, you know, that's not okay. Yeah. And that you don't have to accept that. And there are tools like, you know, learning how to protect your voice and things like that that can empower you to stand even stronger in what you do. So, or what you're, what you're advocating for, whatever it is. So thank you for sharing that. Because I always like when I hear those stories, I'm always like, thank you, because we need to hear more women sharing that those things are not okay. And it is okay to stand in your power and say no, absolutely, that's not actually true. That is not how it needs to be. And just owning that. And so I appreciate you sharing that.

Um, absolutely. The advocacy for self.

Yes. Yes.

So important.

So in this journey from 2020, because that's when you decided to hop into doing this on your own.

Yeah.

Entrepreneurship. How has the journey been? Like, what kind of fears challenges have come up for you?

It has been the most expansive journey, which I had heard that was the case, the self-worth on steroids, self-growth on steroids, for sure. And, and I was already a self-growth fan. I mean, that's something that everybody comes to in their own time. And, and I was already a fan and doing the work. And so I definitely can see that it's expanded. I think had I not shifted from a few years prior, I'm recalling about 2017, 2018, into— from scarcity mindset into abundance mindset, it would have been a whole different journey at this point. So that way of being has really helped inform the consistency. And when the fear arises, which it does, it, it definitely helps me recognize all the areas of abundance. And I, I'm one who views abundance as every area of our life. So to me, finding that and showing gratitude for that has really been a huge practice. Finding mentorship has been huge. You would ask me in my 20s, are you going to start a business one day? No, who wants to do that? Are you kidding me? I don't know how to do that. Uh, so that's been, that's been remarkable to see. And I think for me, from an energetic standpoint, so My essence is that my energy ebbs and flows, right? And being in a system, uh, 50-hour work weeks and long days and all these expectations, um, and very hierarchical, being kind of the boots on the ground, um, and especially then into quarantine, that tip, right, tip the scales a little bit more, the stress level for everyone. And for everyone out there who is listening and who's still doing the work in the healthcare system, thank you, thank you, thank you. You are seen, you need to be heard. And it's still not okay. But it's a better situation.

Yeah.

And that really pressurized the need to leap, because I had been doing the business on the side. And I think when we talk about this importance of mental health, physical health, emotional health, all of that prioritized, that is what became so important to me. And so fast forward to last summer. Here I've now recently celebrated a year doing this full-time, which entrepreneurs will understand that's a big deal.

You're like, I could do this, I could support me and my daughter.

Like, what's going on?

Right, right. Oh my goodness, I survived.

Exactly. Yeah, so it's, it's awesome. And last summer was a huge ebb in my energy to where, to the point where I thought, I don't, I don't understand, I don't feel like me, what's going on? And, and it's that deconditioning of just go, go, go, go, go. All of these ways, even from grad school that was so intensive, I kept thinking but I made it through those 2 years of just nonstop. Why can't I do it again? So comparing to my past self wasn't helpful. And then recognizing that I could truly create this flexibility in my schedule, which I had achieved, but also the flexibility in how my energy showed up. And kind of to bring that full circle to what we've chatted about, Nikita Williams Williams, the, the voice that's coming out of me today, most of you are hearing for the first time. To me, or if you listen to anything else that I've done, this is my very fatigued voice. I just came off a day of being totally out of whack and dizzy and tired and fatigued. And so this is my— I'm still in recovery mode with my voice. And I bring that up because relative to what we were speaking about too, when we both felt our emotion come through, one of the convictions I hold is that voice is a barometer. So in this journey and in entrepreneurship, that I've had to listen to even more closely. What is it that I'm feeling, sounding like? How is that coming through? And then when I've been developing my practices more deeply into listening to that divine inner voice, speaking it out without judgment. So being able to speak out this morning, I am so appreciative, thank you, that I'm feeling better today, that I can show up and have this co-creation with Nikita Williams Williams. But I'm also going to be very mindful that I'm not going to try to be in my like, really up there and all over voice. Which sometimes does come through because that's my personality at times. So I think it's important that we honor where we're at. We let those emotions come through because again, if we start to resist those or clench them away, that's going to create tension. And y'all, this is tension in the voice, for example, that can create fatigue, that can create hoarseness, scratchiness, pitch breaks. I had a period last year where my voice was not performing.

It was—

it would crackle at different times. There would be points where it would fade out earlier and it wasn't anything physical, as it were. You take looks and we see and take pretty pictures of the voice. That's something fun to do. And I know it seems strange, but that's a whole other topic.

I'm like, I'm like, what?

Oh, yes. Yes. So, so fun. Scoped. I've scoped thousands of throats, and it's awesome to see. And there's also that emotional energetic component. What is it that's not being spoken out? What is it that's not being addressed? And the moment you allow, allow that to come through, I promise you, I've heard it and seen it time and time again, that reliability, that stability in your voice, that trust in your voice will return. And now we're talking bigger voice. So as an entrepreneur, you have a mission, and that's what I have to trust, that the bigger mission is worth continuing the steps each day.

Yeah, so many good things in there. I think, um, especially the point about honoring where you are. Like, just there, I was doing a coaching session recently, and we were— one of the tools that I use in helping women is EFT, which is Emotional Freedom Technique. So it's tapping. And I was feeling like resistance from her wanting to talk about that, like wanting to do it. And for her, she's like, I've just been always taught to believe that you don't speak the negative out loud because, you know, you're reinforcing it. And I was like, yeah, I totally, you know, we've all heard that kind of growing up. Like nobody wants to hear a complainer. Nobody wants to hear, um, you know, there's so many different sayings that I can't think of because I have been practicing not believing those things so long that I can't even remember what they are. But there's a lot of ways of thinking that honoring your, your, your space right now always means that it has to be this presently positive. And positive, like toxic positivity. There we go.

There you go.

Right.

And another barometer, my voice literally went like, that's my no. That's if you all know your body signals. That's one of my nos.

I can't even say the word. Like, yeah. Yes. So it's like, I was like, oh my goodness, let me tell you, that's so not true, but you won't know it until you experience it. And it's like, you won't know until you say the thing that you've been like, Keeping secret in your brain, but you know, is there, it's like what I call the big elephant in the room that no one wants to speak out loud because we're afraid that it's going to reinforce versus set us free. And it actually sets us free when we do speak, you know, our, our truth. And then we honor where we are with that truth. And I think it's so important and honoring doesn't mean that we're saying that it's necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. It's just saying it is.

You know, I hear you.

I hear you. Right.

And so be it. Yeah.

Yes. And I love, and I love when I hear other women talking about that because we don't hear that often in the world of women speaking their voice, especially, you know, obviously as a Black woman, we raise our voice at any moment and we're considered the Black angry woman. And it's like, no, I'm just really excited. I even have to remind my husband. I'm like, you know, this is just excited Nikita, like, or very passionate Nikita. Like, it doesn't mean that I'm angry or mad. It's just how I, choose to express my inner voice and my energy. And I'm like, that's just me. And maybe you're not like me, or maybe you're not like Brianne, who's like, you know, I'm going to speak it out loud in a, in a very particular way, but maybe you're soft-spoken and you keep things in, but you do speak them in different ways other than just speaking. Maybe you write them, maybe you're an artist and you paint them and all of those different things that comes out in different ways, but there isn't a right or wrong, like there isn't a right or wrong to it. So I appreciate you sharing that.

That's so beautiful, Nikita. It sounds to me, if I may make an observation that you— one of the other convictions I hold is to love your voice, love yourself.

Yes, yes.

And it sounds to me that's what I'm hearing and feeling as you spoke that way about yourself, which is phenomenal and is much, much needed because that resonates through. And you're exactly right, the women who are soft-spoken have been shamed for it, the women who are loud have been shamed for it, and the whole spectrum in between. And that is purely perception, that is not the truest version of you. So I just love how kindly you can speak to yourself in that way. And also the work that is envisioning, so picturing, imagining, feeling into who we are, and who we desire to be, I think is really powerful work. A mentor that I like is, for example, Dr. Joe Dispenza. I would take that next level though, just as you alluded to, and add the voice, the vibrations of sound to it. Wherever it falls on that spectrum, as you're kind of working through what that looks like, you have to peel away and make space for that to come through. So as you were speaking, it made me think of something even just the other day. I have been feeling very angry lately. And as one who— so I just love— thank you, Divine, how you brought up toxic positivity. I have been feeling very angry and had to do practices to let that anger come through. Because the negative mind chatter was saying like, we took care of this years ago. Like, you're not an angry person anymore. You don't get chastised for your tone of voice anymore. Like, what's going on? And internally, it was like, no, these things are bubbling up again. Because that's, that's the evolution. It's never a shut it away and it's gone forever. It's a what's the new level? And how can I be with it here? And oh my gosh, Nikita, the things that came out of my mouth the other day, from just letting that out, I was like, Wow, that is old and new again. And okay, but I can be so much more loving with it now. And the lightness that came through my body after doing that, that tells me the core of who I am.

Yeah.

Yeah. And that responsiveness rather than reactiveness is a very palpable, different feeling. And so when you allow your voice to be that expression of it privately in your own home. I put on angry music and I'm like dancing around and punching pillows and like all of these things that people— yes, I like— most people would be like, okay, Brienne, like, you really?

Okay, cool.

I'll believe it when I see it. I'm like, not like—

like, for really?

These are the things that are in our bodies. And what are the things that we are each trying to navigate each day? How to live in more freedom, more ease, less pain, but not ignore it. And as we learn to allow that voice to be a guide, and then love it no matter what, oh, the ripple effects of that, I think, are just remarkable.

Yeah.

So thank you for bringing all of these different aspects forward, because the stories, the non-judgment, and The understanding that what we, what we think and what we say now is true and present for us, and a year from now, 5 years from now, et cetera, could be different.

Yeah.

That's okay.

Yeah. So yeah, there was something that you mentioned before, and I think I wanna kind of tap into a little bit more about the point of like loving yourself. This is a process that I've continued to work through. I think for most of the women who live with chronic illness, and I, I can only speak for the women I've talked to and I've served. That, that's a piece that's often like loving yourself. There's a lot of different thoughts and beliefs around the, like, loving yourself. What does that look like? But my conviction or my belief is that, you know, in order for us to show that love to the world or to the people that we care about, ultimately first have to start with ourselves. Like, it doesn't, um, if we don't, how we actually view ourselves becomes a mirror to how we treat others. Right. And how we will— will we really go that deep? That's something that my mentor taught me, especially during this pandemic. It's like, well, what you might be seeing that out there, but how are you seeing that within yourself? Like, where is that coming from? So for you, you were mentioning like, you have to love yourself in order to love your voice. Was there ever a time where that concept was really hard for you to embrace?

Yes, during, during the years where I wasn't connected to myself, and I was experiencing anxiety, depression, and ultimately what circumstances led to the degradation of my marriage at the time, during those years, and, and even in high school, I would often be expressing myself and told that they didn't like my tone. There was something about my tone that, that rubbed them the wrong way, um, or don't speak to me like that, or whatever the case may be. And, and like your example too, it wasn't necessarily when I was angry, but I would get passionate about things and I would kind of react before noticing what was truly going on internally. So then as I started going through what I call, and I don't use this word lightly, what was my transformation, my initial transformation back in about 20, early 2014. Since that time, no one has said anything about my tone of voice. And my self-worth, because I reconnected to it, became the guiding principle. Now it took time. Still, there were still moments where I was like pulled, you know, in directions and in conversations that did not serve. Specifically for my voice, it was more about the tone. And then the women that I would work with in the clinic, it was much more about their loving their voice and recognizing that even though they're going through this hard time with it, that that doesn't diminish who they are. Even though other people are saying, I don't want to hear you, or speak up, or not even acknowledging them, that that was not something that they needed to judge themselves for, but the judgment, the chatter, the negativity that would just be pouring through, that was not facilitating their healing. So yes, they were able to speak it out, but they still would circle back and judge themselves for it. Yeah, versus what we just described, that speaking it out and releasing it for what it is, the lessons it brings us. And so, so I'd have to say, in my experience, it's been, it's been both my journey with how I was perceived and how I knew— didn't know how to deal with my emotions and now do, and to notice what they can do for me and move through me. And for women who are very much feeling stuck, for example, when they feel stuck like they can't speak for longer than 20, 30 minutes, that's a version of feeling stuck. They're getting fatigued, there's weakness, there's something that is a stopgap here in the throat that is not allowing that to continue, and they're feeling stuck and not necessarily recognizing that their internal, like, I can't believe this is happening. Why is this happening? I'll just push through it. It's not helping the scenario. Yeah. So then you ask those women, okay, well, what is it that you do like about, like, what's your voice doing well for you? Like about my voice? I hate my voice. Okay, so you hate the thing that you are trying to share your mission and message out into the world with, and hoping that just by saying, okay, I love myself, is going to cut it.

Thank you. Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah.

So that's where it's, it's important to me, similar to, to women who— lots of parts of ourselves, um, body image issues or, um, issues, anything, some— something that someone has, you know, made fun of before, judged you for. Can you learn to love all parts of you? Yes. And The voice, I think, is the most underrated yet highly criticized area that many folks don't like hearing. And they're also the quickest, I think, in, in that realm to judge others and how their voices sound. Because like you said, that's reflective of something in them.

Yeah. Yeah. So, so, so many good, so many good things in that. And I love your, like, openness to share, like, yeah, there was a time where I did didn't. And I had to find that. And that was a process. And I think it's a process that we all go through, like, continuously.

Yes.

Yes.

Because there are folks that will resonate with us and there are folks that won't. But it became abundantly clear that I was a big catalyst in that. And I'm not— this is not a, like, oh, it's all on me. This is a— but it's a very clear, like, I don't know, why aren't they understanding me? And I'm just speaking out what I want to say. And just, oh, the— and the push energy that I had. It's, it's very fascinating to me now to see that that is just part of who I was, the shadow side, if you will, of who I was and how I like to be heard.

I, yeah, I think it's such a good point. That is such a good point. That's a whole nother episode on a whole nother thing. Like, there you go. That moment, that those things. For you, as like, as what you're doing, describe a little bit more about what you do. Like, I feel like I've had another woman on the show recently and I'm like, I've never even heard of this before. And I was like, I'm just, oh, her name is Kendra. I had her on the show. She was one of the episodes that came out and she does scar work. I think you've probably connected with her.

Oh yes.

And I was like, I've never heard of this in my life. And oh my gosh, where have you been? So like, we obviously hear about like vocal coaches or like, like I think about vocal coaches, like for singing and maybe even for speaking and things like that. But what is it that you do that? Like, tell us more about what you do.

Yeah, I appreciate you distinguishing that, Nikita, because I'm always curious to hear what, what comes to mind when people say, oh, vocal coach, for example. That's kind of the, you know, best terminology we have. Yes, I chose the term vocal empowerment guide because I do want folks to feel empowered, and I am here as that guide. Everything that you need is within you already. I'm not here to put things on you. I am not here to make you do anything. I am not here to quote unquote heal. It is purely to draw what I already see as present within that divine inner voice, your intuition and your soul. And so for me, yes, I focus on the speaking voice primarily. We do some fun singing sometimes during sessions as well. And there is a double side of the coin focus on what are the things that we're going to do to relieve your voice fatigue, Any scratchiness, any discomfort? What are the exercises we're gonna do? We do fun exercises. You better believe I make you make silly sounds and it's fun. It can be so eye-opening. And then the other side of it is doing practices to make sure that when you're getting prepared to speak to a group, speak to your family, have a hard conversation, lead a team, that you are speaking from that truest place so that the words do match what is actually inside, because it is palpable. Even if people are saying something that you think the words and the content are fire, but you're like, something feels off, I can't quite put my finger on it. That's the voice, that's the depth and the vibration and the essence that is a mismatch. And in that, that is called dissonance. And so I help folks recognize that and when they're in resonance. And so when I work with people, I work with people one-on-one, because I'm fortunate I have this superpower of being able to hear things in a voice, both from a health standpoint. So I'm able to just kind of screen, which is really important preventatively because folks go weeks and months with things like hoarseness or crackling or this chronic pain and fatigue and think, ah, it'll get better until it doesn't. And so I'm able to look at that. And then I also prefer the one-on-one because this is really intimate work and I want to be able to honor and meet people where they are and allow them to step into that brave space of trying things they've never tried before. And there's embodiment to it as well. So I don't work from just the neck up, and no shade to any kind of typical voice coaches, but a lot of it is neck up stuff. Okay, do this, think of this, you know, be up in the mind about it. Get ready for your presentation with— make sure your posture is right. And what's your breathing doing? And I like kind of these what feels surface level to me, and aspects. And I like to take it deeper than that and recognize that we, like we're saying, that voice evolves. So minimally, I work with people for 3 months because life happens. Yeah, as we all know. So there could be one day where it's like, oh my gosh, my voice was, you know, on fire and I was smooth and it felt good and, and I spoke out my truth and I was assertive. And then the next week it's crashed and burned. So this is not— and you and your audience, I imagine, resonate with this— no such thing as a quick fix. And I don't believe here we're here to fix people at all, frankly. So this is a, this is a journey that we get to go on. And if you are willing to do it, there are immense, immense shifts that happen. I had a client the other day, we were practicing some of her voice while reading aloud because she has now connected to how to take care of it. Now she wants to build up her stamina. We're reading aloud and she goes, you know, I was just remembering that in elementary school I tried out for the school play and I really wanted the lead part and I didn't get the lead part and that felt awful. And I decided that like I just wasn't meant to do any of that or be heard in that way. She goes, I got the narrator part. And then as she thought about it, she said, now I'm realizing I was given that part because that is my voice still. That is what my voice is meant to do. And she felt so much more emboldened by that story And that was just from some of our practice that we're in, but she's in the work enough now that those kind of revelations can come out. And I think that's so beautiful because whatever stories we've told ourselves about our voice from ourselves or others, we have got to look at those head on and recognize there's always potential, always potential for more.

Oh my goodness. That's so good. Like when you were saying that, it made me start thinking about a whole bunch of stuff about my voice. I was just sitting here thinking, I was like, oh, that's so true. I don't like like, again, awareness is such a beautiful thing.

Do you feel open to sharing one of those insights that came through for you?

Yeah, sure. Like, so I used to be in chorus in middle school. I love to sing, and I probably still love to sing. But there have been times where it's like, I've either been told, oh yeah, that's nice. But the tone was like, dismissive, like dismissive, like, oh yeah, so everybody can sing. And it was like, not like a like an empowering, like, oh, that's great. Like, and I found for a while I stopped singing until like in the last, literally since the pandemic. And there's a reason why now making this connection of why I now sing way more than I used to. One, it was some of the work I was doing on myself on like embracing who I am. What things do I like? What things do I love about myself? What are some things that I've left behind that, why did I leave them behind? And I started to really analyze them. And one of them was singing. And I was like, I don't even know why. I didn't know why until you just said what you said. And I was thinking, that's why, that's why. And, um, yeah, it's just a, it's just a thing, but also recognizing, even though that was the case through this whole period of like transitioning and doing things, I've always been the talker, always been the person that someone can come into a space. And my husband goes like, how did they just spill their life to you? And you're just there and you're open and you're sharing and talking with them. Like, I have no idea. Uh, like, I have no idea how that works. But it is. And I used to look at that like as a like annoyance, like a pain in my butt kind of thing. And now I just embrace it in such a way that it's like, yeah, I'm just— go ahead, tell me what it is. And I'm okay. Yeah, I love it. And so it's just like, it was kind of just making that whole full circle of like, wow, what a thought, like, who would have thought? So thank you for that. Thank you.

Yes, absolutely. And thank you for sharing that. And that gift, that is such a beautiful gift to this world that you bring. Wow.

Thank you. I love that. So I'm sure there's so many gems and things that the ladies have learned from listening through this conversation. I would ask, is there anything that we can all start doing now to better take care of our voice from a physical place? I think we talked a lot about from the internal, just speaking of truth and becoming more aware that you are not the problem. Okay. Um, but how can we take care of it literally, like the physical physicality of it? I know we've talked about this off the air before. Um, but I'd love to hear some tips.

The first and foremost thing is to recognize that whenever you vocalize, that can be playful. That can be fun. I tend to use the word warmup because a lot of the women I work with are vocal athletes. So they need their voice to do their job, like the lovely Nikita here. And no athlete is going to go out and do their sport, do their event without some sort of warmup. So the first and foremost for me physically that feels the easiest is play with it in the morning, first thing in the morning. We all have morning voice. I mean, I'm not exempt. And play with vocalizing. Vocalizing could be that you're humming a little tune. Vocalizing could be that you are in the shower, great place to do it, great place to do it, that you are just kind of playing, ah, with different sounds. It does not have to be a scale. It does not have to be singing. This is purely organically letting whatever flows through. That is so powerful because you're not judging it, you don't care how it sounds, you're just letting the air and the voice connect. Most people would think, well, okay, I can do that, I'll do that with some breath practices to start. I am a huge fan of breath practices, and you have to connect it to the sound. You can breathe all day, but if you never connect it to the sound, there's two different ways that could go. For example, Hey, this is Brienne. Like, this is kind of where I live if I don't connect my breath to my sound. Okay, that's called fry, glottal fry. Many people use that pervasively versus infusing the breath into the vocal fold space and letting that come out. So that's where the vocal play can allow you to notice, like, okay, am I down here in my throat or am I kind of letting it flow? It may sound a little lighter, a little airier at first. Again, no judgment, you're just playing around with it. So I encourage that first and foremost. The second thing would be that notice how long you've talked when and if something shifts. So as Nikita Williams alluded to, she and I have chatted that there are times where if it starts to get fatigued or get a little crackly, is that 20 minutes in, 30 minutes in, an hour in? So start to be mindful of your vocal dose, that's your amount. And if it starts to shrink, then that is when you need to seek guidance because at that point, your instrument, these instruments are so resilient. Powerful. They do gymnastics every day. They're not invincible though. So if you are able to notice, you know what, I'm already feeling a little tired, I'm gonna go ahead and delegate, and I'm gonna text or email. I'm not gonna use the voice text right now. Whatever it is that just gives your voice a little bit of a voice nap, call it. Yeah, it's a great way on both sides because I, I don't want you to hold back. I don't want you to hold back on your personality. I don't want you to change outside of a voice that you can find that is naturally you. And give it the rest that it needs when it needs it without relying too far one way or the other. You see what I mean? You can't just sit there and rest all weekend and be like, cool, I was silent all weekend, let me just jump into Monday, right? People do that. Or you can't just think that doing a little bit here and there is going to create that long-term gain like you referred to. For any of this wellness aspect, we need to have some consistency. Yes, continuity with it. And be okay that if our practice a year ago doesn't look like our practice now Well, that's okay too. Yeah. So those would be two, two, I think, easy to start places.

I love that. And I'm gonna start, like, I know we've talked about this, but that we, the first one you told me about, I have been doing a lot of. Um, the second one I think is so interesting because I think intuitively I started doing that after we talked because I am, I never thought of myself as a voice athlete, but literally that's what I do, you guys. Like, I'm literally talking all day long. Own it, own it. I love it. I'm doing it. So I noticed, I'm like, you know what? And I mean, I use Voxer for coaching, which I'm speaking, you know, I'm doing podcasts, I'm coaching, I'm on Instagram using my voice. For me, that's the most comfortable way for me to communicate. But the thing that I've learned is like, but that gets tired, Kia. Like, Kia girl, that gets tired. So we have to save it at different times. Like, like just let it rest. And that didn't start until we met. I used to push through. I used to be like, it's fine. It's whatever. It's OK. But it's definitely— it definitely has become more of a thought, just the awareness of like, you need to take care of your voice. And I never thought about it that way. So thank you again. Look at you.

Oh my gosh. I'm getting full body tingles right now. Like, y'all, you just witnessed a woman who is willing to put herself first again and again and again.

I love it. Way to go.

Oh my gosh. Do you know how hard it is for folks to say, well, stop pushing through? Because I don't believe in stop at therapy either. You did, you showed up and did it. Nikita, I am just, this kind of stuff just lights me up.

So it just aligns with so much that I already do for myself physically because of living with chronic pain, the things that I've had to kind of rewire. And that's why I want you on the show, because this is a piece that I never would have thought to include into that process. It's just the thing we do. We don't even think about it.

Right. And for some, that is the, with, especially when it comes to pain or stressors, the voice becomes the weak spot. Not because we intended to, you know, like some people with stress get stomach ulcers, other people it shows up in their voice, or they've, they've been able to really flourish and thrive with other parts of their body. But that, that remaining little, I'm gonna keep pushing, I, I've got the energy, I'm just— ends up in the voice instrument instead. See what I'm saying?

So it's like interesting.

It is so interesting, right? Like, it's fascinating to me how our bodies Bodies want to be at their most efficient. They want to be healthy. They want to be optimal. And we can create that for ourselves. And when it wants to sneak into maybe another little area, again, back to no judgment, no shame. Like, cool, now it wants to show up here. How can I take care of that better?

Exactly. Yeah, that's exactly the thought. But let's be real, like, I'm gonna be like, dang it, shoot.

Like, great.

All right, let me go back.

You know, the work continues.

Okay, here we go.

Like, I'm It's a thing. So I love that you brought that up, Brienne, because really, like, it's a thing. Okay, so how can all of these fabulous listeners connect with you, learn more from you, and all of that jazz? Please let us know.

Absolutely. This was so much fun. I would say the best places to find me on social media are Facebook and LinkedIn, and soon to be Pinterest. You can also email me, DM me. I am a fan of voice DMs. I love hearing all your beautiful voices. So connect with me in that way. And upcoming, pretty regularly, I hold masterclasses specific to getting into these tips in more detail and the why, the opportunity to hear your voice. And so masterclasses are open to 10 women, intimate time, and the next one is happening in a week. So I will definitely share out the information with y'all then. But I look forward to connecting with you if you have any questions about your voice. No question is a silly question. And I I am just excited that you brought this awareness, Nikita, and that your community has you to be that exact open space of, well, here we are again. What are we going to do? Like, how great that they can come here and be in this space. So thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. I am just— there's so much that you just brought to the show. I'm just really thankful for you for just sharing your story and sharing these tips and tools and just thought behind our voice. It just helps us be more empowered and feel more like, okay, I have the ability to change or to grow through this. And I know for myself personally, my voice in the last 3 years has definitely gone through different things, especially with the different new diagnoses and things like that. And so when we first had our call and you were like, so what's going on with your voice? And I was like, ooh. So I definitely recommend you go to the masterclass, y'all, because she's going to be listening listening to your voice and be like, girl, we need to talk, okay? Um, but thank you so very much for being on the show.

Thank you so much. This was such a delight. And for those of you who are ready to explore even deeper, I have a gift if you are open to it. I offer a 2-minute voice review, and kind of like what Nikita Williams experienced unexpectedly on her call, this is one of those opportunities where you share your voice with me for 2 minutes I review it, we schedule a call, and I'm able to share with you the strengths I hear, and you can create the goals that you have for your voice in whatever capacity that looks like— feeling more comfortable in your own voice, speaking on stages, being like a vocal athlete with more reliability, whatever that may be. So for those of you interested, I would love, love, love to hear your voices in that way. And remember, you and your voice are worthy.

Oh, I love that. Okay, all of that will be in the show notes, you guys, so definitely check that out. Out.

All right, y'all, that's a wrap. Thank you for listening, and I hope this conversation inspired you. Be sure to visit the website at craftedtothrive.com to check out the show notes and grab all the goodies that I or the guests mentioned in the show. Join us for our next one. In the meantime, remember, you are crafted to thrive.