How do we listen to really know if we are speaking our truth in our daily grind? When do we know if we are using our authentic voice or if we are repeating repetitive, memorized scripts inside our own bubbles of agreement? Elissa shares stories and examples to help us become more connected to our own inner truth, both at work and at home. This helps our ability to problem solve and create new solutions so that we don’t get stuck in stress, fear, and a feeling of unsafety. She also shares her 4-step model to transform conversations from a cancel culture into a conversation culture as a way forward to truly stand up for what’s right with openness, acceptance, and love. Enjoy this conversation with Elissa. Understand listening beyond what we typically consider by listening to your body, getting curious, and having a team mindset as a starting point to tough conversations.
Elissa Weinzimmer is an award-winning vocal health educator, presence coach, and the founder of Voice Body Connection. After suddenly losing her own voice at age 21, Elissa began studying the mechanics of the voice. Over time she developed a unique, concrete approach that empowers performers, leaders, and speakers to optimize their voices and share them more authentically.
Elissa’s clients include Broadway stars, television personalities, politicians, and CEOs. She has led workshops for WeWork, Equinox, Microsoft, eBay, Instacart, and more, and has been featured in Business Insider, Thrive Global, Healthline, SheKnows, Authority Magazine, Career Contessa, Adweek, and Kajabi.
“Don’t forget that being truly present means listening and not just speaking.”
– Elissa Weinzimmer
Valuable Resource:
- Conversation Culture
Listen IN Notes:
3:39 – How listening and voice work together – communication starts with two aspects: speaking and listening. A deeper sense of truth that people sometimes fail to tap into and share.
7:39 – Talking about the concept of conversation culture – as a response to canceling culture
10:57 – When do we walk away from a conversation/cancel vs. when do we converse/engage.
15:23 – The idea of the soul in vedic philosophy. Concepts of creation, maintenance, and destruction instead of good and evil.
18:08 – Elissa shares when she started being aware of the voice, communication, and conversation, specifically focusing on her memories as a child.
28:02 – A turning point that allowed Elissa to speak her words for those around her and not only for herself alone. A vocal hemorrhage, acid reflux, and severe clenching of muscles that lost her trust in her voice. How she learned to do less and just be.
34:09 – She shares tips on how to help people listen to you and your voice better.
41:03 – A strategy to help you when you’re running a meeting to bring charisma and presence in a remote meeting or on video.
43:22 – How to balance listening with having a voice that is authentic creating the foundation for a conversation culture. The three circles as self-focus, balanced focus, and others-focus.
Key Takeaways:
“Speaking and listening can happen with various organs of the body. It doesn’t necessarily need to be our vocal folds and our ears, but the ability to perceive what is going on, take it in, understand it, and then share our next piece of expression is the full process. It’s not complete without the half that is listening.” – Elissa Weinzimmer
“The deepest truth that we have to express is also able to be heard, able to be listened to, able to be received. So, if you feel like you’re good at speaking your truth but your truth is intense, violently hurting people around you, I think there’s always going to be a deeper layer of truth underneath that accounts for the fact that true communication includes speaking and listening.” –Elissa Weinzimmer
“When we have this manner of just shoving what we don’t want to deal with under the rug, canceling it in some form or fashion, it’s very difficult to live in alignment with our deepest truth.” – Elissa Weinzimmer
“There’s a part of ourselves that we’re not listening to, and when we’re not listening to that part of ourselves, how can we truly, effectively listen to others?” – Elissa Weinzimmer
“Listening doesn’t just have to deal with only listening to the other person, it also has to do with listening to yourself at the same time, and never leaving yourself behind, because it’s your own inner listening that’s going to help you understand how to proceed.” – Elissa Weinzimmer
“When we get to that space of curiosity, new possibilities can arrive. New solutions to the world’s problems can arise. So, to me, the purpose of doing work where I am seeking alignment with my own inner truth, expressing my truth with the world, communicating with others around me, listening to others around me, the purpose of all is so that we can access a quality of energy where new solutions can arise. We can expand, we can grow, we can feel more fully of ourselves; then, we’re just living better lives.” – Elissa Weinzimmer
“Our presence draws people into presence with us.” – Elissa Weinzimmer
“Don’t forget that being truly present means listening and not just speaking.” – Elissa Weinzimmer
“When we align with our inner truth, when we express it with the world, when we communicate with each other in a balanced, present way, it literally raises our vibration… just like a ripple process, it ripples around us and affects other people around us… it starts to elevate people in the society, and in that way, using our voices liberates us.” – Elissa Weinzimmer
Notes/Mentions:
- Conversation Culture
- Mini-Course
www.voicebodyconnection.com/minicourse
Connect with Elissa Weinzimmer:
Connect with Raquel Ark:
- www.listeningalchemy.com
- Mobile: + 491732340722
- contact@listeningalchemy.com