Leaders Speak

Spoke at my BNI (Business Network International) Chapter this past week and our fantastic Social Media person, Brandi Barnum (also our AWESOME travel agent) wrote one of the nicest compliments I've ever received! Here's her extremely kind post!😊

🎤 Spotlight on Jody Cross — The Voice Behind Leaders Speak

Communication Coach | Chapter Sunshine | Professional Encourager Extraordinaire

If you've spent even 87 seconds with Jody Cross, you already know three things:

1. She is impossibly welcoming.

2. She will absolutely make you feel like you matter.

3. And she can take even the most terrified public speaker and turn them into someone who delivers with confidence instead of… well… sweaty palms and existential dread.

This week, Jody took the mic as our Featured Speaker — and as usual, she didn’t just speak, she connected, uplifted, taught, and sprinkled gentle communication wizardry all over the room.

Honestly, if communication had an Olympic category, Jody would medal and then give a thoughtful acceptance speech that made us all better people.

🎯 What Jody Taught Us (…and yes, we took notes)

Jody reminded us of something that should be tattooed onto every speaker’s wrist:

People appreciate feeling considered.

Let that simmer.
Let that marinate.
Let that be the seasoning on every presentation we ever deliver.

And then she stacked even more pearls of wisdom:

Prepare for results – not rambling. (Bye, winging it. You were never the vibe.)

Connect to your listeners – because people don’t just hear your words; they feel your intention.

Impact your audience – aim for goosebumps, not glazed-over eyes staring at the exit sign.

With Jody, communication isn’t a chore — it’s a superpower. And she hands out capes.

💬 Why Jody’s Influence Matters in Our Chapter

Since the moment she joined us, Jody has quietly — and sweetly — elevated the entire chapter’s communication game. Our 30-second commercials? Sharper. Our presentations? More intentional. Our referrals? More aligned. Our meetings? Considerably more “please keep talking!” and way less “is it my turn to go yet?”

We have better synergy, clarity, confidence, and connection because of her steady leadership, wisdom, and encouragement.

She doesn't just teach communication.
She communicates communication.
Expertly. Lovingly. And with just enough humor to make us forget we were nervous.

🎉 In Other Words…

Jody Cross isn’t just our communication coach — she’s the chapter’s unofficial emotional support human.

She’s the person who makes us feel seen, heard, valued, and capable.

She’s the warm welcome at the door, the calm voice in our heads, and the reason half of us finally stopped reading our 30-second pitches directly off our phones.

And if you ever want to truly level up your public speaking, professional presence, or interpersonal impact?

Talk to Jody.

Because Leaders Speak
…but Jody teaches you how to make sure people listen.

Have you taken the Leaders Speak workshop yet? This week's goes to Jody Cross, whose most recent class was August 26th. A current BNI member attended her workshop and says "her class taught me not to be scared of presenting; she gave me a system I can implement for different occasions, which is a major benefit to me! I won't have my wheels spinning all night trying to come up with what to say and how - what a relief!" Don't walk, RUN to Jody's next class.

This past Friday, I had the honor of speaking to BNI Minnesota & Northern Wisconsin's Regional Leadership about the BNI Foundation and ! My dear friend Nancy Giacomuzzi and her members are an exemplary region full of givers! It was great to see the amazing Tara Schmakel in action speaking as well! Attended 4 of their chapter meetings which were also impressive. Everyone I met and friends I saw again were all incredibly welcoming! It was neat to get to share with them some of the awesome projects BNI people are doing to help kids and students across the world. This was my first time officially serving as another spokesperson for Business Voices and the BNI Foundation having learned from my friend and mentor Beth Misner how to spread the word. Cool to get this chance in MN where I grew up and still feel at home. What a fantastic bunch of people! :)

In Beaumont, TX today speaking on the same stage as Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI and NY Times Best Selling Author! This is a joint event with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and Business Network International (BNI) and everyone has already been very warm & welcoming. Thank you to Beth Misner, Champion for the BNI Foundation and Business Voices for inviting me to join Ivan and her as speakers for this wonderful event!

Have some great people who want to be even better at public speaking who are already coming, starting in 2 weeks! Want to join us? Sign up today for early bird discount! :)

http://leadersspeak21.eventbrite.com

Leaders Speak - Group Coaching for Public Speaking: A Three Workshop Series Do you want to be a leader in your field? Leaders Speak! Have you ever struggled to stay awake through a boring speech? Have you ever experienced a life changing speech? Clearly, there's a difference. Our participants will learn to harness the power of speech to create growth, expansion, a…

Finally! Have poured my heart and soul into writing this book (which is now available at below link!) with these intentions: 1. to help more people become even better at public speaking 2. to honor the success many of my clients have achieved through using this process and 3. to boost my own business and speaking to the next level. What I did not set out to do that has already occurred was grow as a person in stretching my own abilities, comfort zone, and patience - it has been an amazing experience!
http://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Speak-Transform-Through-Speaking/dp/1475104480/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340028725&sr=1-3&keywords=Leaders+Speak

Leaders Speak: How to Transform Your Career and Life Through Public Speaking What makes somebody a “great” public speaker? Is it self confidence? Charisma? Charm? Do some people just have a natural ability to connect with their audiences that the rest of us can only admire, but not achieve? No. Everyone can do this, and Leaders Speak will show you how. J...

What can Spock teach us about public speaking? Check out my new blog post: http://leadersspeak.com/blog/2012/03/good-for-the-group-vs-good-for-the-one/

Leaders Speak Blog - Good for the Group vs. Good for the One? Picture this. You’re speaking to a group. One listener asks a question. You’re not sure the rest of the audience will be interested in the answer. How do you handle this tactfully and get back on track?