You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Persuasive with Jennifer Gardner

Have you ever worried that showing your nerves or admitting something went wrong would make an audience question your credibility? I’ve felt that, especially as a speaking coach who put a lot of pressure on herself to deliver the perfect talk. My guest, trial lawyer and communication educator Jennifer Gardner, has spent decades speaking in courtrooms - and she still gets nervous. In our conversation, Jennifer shares how she prepares herself before speaking and why being honest about our human experience can help us build trust with an audience. I also share what happened when I told podcast listeners about a speaking engagement I completely bombed. I worried people would wonder why they should hire me. The responses I received helped me understand vulnerability in a way I hadn’t before. In this episode, we talk about: Why even experienced speakers feel nervous and how Jennifer prepares before stepping in front of an audience The role of emotion and storytelling in helping people connect with your message How trying to appear perfect can make it harder to build rapport Why being an introvert doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy public speaking What my own speaking mishap taught me about trust and relatability A courtroom story that offers a reminder: your audience wants you to succeed About Our Guest: Jennifer B. Gardner is a Los Angeles-based trial lawyer, a speaker on the topic of persuasive communications, and serves as an administrative law judge for the County of Los Angeles. Jennifer began her litigation career in the entertainment industry and has operated her own litigation law firm for 32 years in Los Angeles. There, she litigates complex business, real estate, and criminal matters through trial. Jennifer has honed her communication skills through studying Somatic Experiencing, the Sanford Meisner Acting Method, and interspecies communications with Rupert Sheldrake at the Esalen Institute. When she's not lawyering or learning, Jennifer educates high-performing leaders on how to grow their executive presence and persuasive skills through programs offered through her company, The Edge Education About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it's through women's stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.  Links: Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/496/  Jennifer’s websites: https://theedge.education/ and https://jenniferbgardner.com/  Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/ Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/  Connect on LinkedIn: Carol Cox = https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolcox Jennifer Gardner (guest) = https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferbgardner/  Related Podcast Episodes: Episode 92: Deconstructing My TEDx Talk: Why We’re Uncomfortable with Women in Power Episode 487: The Confidence Advice Women Get Backward About Public Speaking