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You can act confident, but still not feel worthy. Your confidence can feel like a developed skill, yet you can still be disconnected from your inherent worthiness. The voice work we do together addresses this gap because your voice can reveal what is dissonant (misaligned) versus what is resonant (aligned) as you begin to intimately know its power and wield it accordingly. Once you reclaim your worthiness, no matter what the state or situation, your voice inherently carries that frequency on the vibrations of your sound. Confidence is fleeting. Worthiness is eternal.
I may not feel confident, but I know I am worthy. I choose to speak from that knowing, and refine/calibrate my voice to that state of being. You are still calibrating to ‘sounding confident’ because that is what the majority of ‘speaking training’ focuses on. On the surface, it briefly gets you by – for an event, or a challenging conversation. But those are just tactics. Tactics don’t address the underlying physical sound you are creating every day, nor do they refine the beliefs, identity and resonance needed to imprint your speaking voice with its natural vibrant potency. Voice Alignment does that and more -- which benefits your own wellbeing, and has an amplified ripple effect on the listener. Remember, You and your voice are worthy. ***** Want to hear more about what this work is like, who it's for (and not for) and how I approach my methods? Binge the Voice Clarity Audio Series!
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Cynthia Erivo has dazzled in her portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked and Wicked: For Good.  Voice loss can happen to any of us, at any time. Whether you use your voice for your livelihood, speaking or singing or both, the risk for voice injury is higher because the amount of use is higher. Add to that a multitude of variables, like stress, laryngitis or other illness, travel and/or change in environments, or poor sleep, and the risk can increase. There is consistent monitoring needed to minimize the impact. That’s why strategic, preventative voice care protocols matter. But life happens. And when voice loss strikes, mere days before a keynote speech, or an important presentation at the office, during an audiobook recording, or a movie premiere with insane tour schedules, it can be heartbreaking, frustrating, and worrisome. The sound quality can be reduced to a mere squeak, barely a whisper, or a combination of a breathy and raspy weak tone that sounds (and feels) extra effortful & pushed to produce. When the listener hears a voice quality change, most of the time, there is a response of understanding, sympathy, or patience in communication. But of course, the opposite reactions are still too prevalent: For some voice professionals, voice loss is brushed off as no big deal, “just push through, you’ll be fine”, judged or shamed as if “they should have known better” or “she’s just putting it on as a trend”, even reinforced as “sexy, sultry or desirable” all of which can introduce a whole host of misconceptions and additional emotional load. Even more curious: How often are men chastised for the way their voice sounds? (spoiler alert: rarely). The comments on IG about Cynthia's ordeal really showed who gets it, and who clearly doesn't. My comments hopefully brought perspective.
 We all have unique auditory preferences - what sounds pleasing to us, and what doesn't. Yet, I would never want a young girl to hear the first 15 seconds of this interview of Cynthia Erivo on Jimmy Fallon and think “oh! That is a sound that is popular and will be acceptable? I’ll try to sound like that!’ Yes, there are ways to sound sultry, husky and sexy with your voice without it stemming from swollen vocal folds or tissue damage. But ask yourself, what is your motivation? I guarantee Cynthia has a stellar Laryngology medical team supporting her recovery. The way she is speaking in this interview is the max of what her voice capacity is at that moment, and she’s not trying to push or force, which is the exact correct choice. Between all the dry, tiring airplane trips back and forth from NY to London, the strategic interviews to reduce her overall amount of speaking, and the extra activities she needs to do in order to triage her voice throughout this voice loss period, it is imperative that she prioritizes this asset in her neck. Ten days after the Wicked For Good premiere, Cynthia opened the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and sang Feeling Good by Nina Simone (in that incredible cranberry fit! So fabulous!). While there is still audible breathiness and rasp in her tone, and she had to push a bit to reach some of the higher pitches, this was a strategic song choice given the lower range and pacing that can allow her to navigate through the areas where her voice had already greatly recovered. She is a highly-trained singer with the physical and vocal conditioning to achieve this type of wonderful performance without jeopardizing her voice further. Between illness (like laryngitis) and insane press tours, so many performers are at increased risk for voice loss. She was smart to not give any interviews at the NYC premier. Yet people say "But I'm not a professional singer." True, but, if you require your speaking voice to do your job, you are a voice professional. Take it a step further - just as an athlete trains and conditions for their sport, you are a Vocal Athlete who can train and condition your voice to withstand the intensity and frequency of how much you speak in order to support your livelihood. During my clinical voice career, I’ve been in the room assessing and scoping the throats of this caliber of singer, and speakers alike, and even with the best care, the best prognosis, 99% of the time the person has fears: ‘Will my voice ever fully return?” “Will I be able to speak as much as I used to?” “What happens if I can’t belt out that battle cry or ballad?” "What if I have to cancel that speaking engagement?" Your voice is an asset. Without it, would you be as successful in your career? Would your income be limited without a reliable, healthy voice? The way each professional manages their voice can be unique, but there are a few myths that need to be addressed:
What each of these myths fails to capture is the fact that, similar to that runner who has sprained their ankle, the muscle and tissue layers of the vocal folds benefit from mobility to regain full function - gentle, specific and effective exercises in certain timing and duration that encourage the healing properties of voice mechanism to recover faster. From the basketball player circling their ankles, to vocal folds vibrating with hums, buzzing, lips trills and more, your dedication to voice care as soon as the symptoms arise will result in restoration of function sooner, and, peace of mind that your resilient instrument will once again thrive. p.s. When voice loss strikes, recover more effectively with the Voice Emergency Kit - an evidence-based protocol that can start you on the healing path, with the option to add 1:1 custom support by Brienne to maximize & expedite results.
p.p.s. If you know your speaking voice needs to be trained like an athlete to remain reliable, clear and sound you’re very best in any situation, then book your Voice Clarity Call. We will discuss your speaking voice needs, you can ask me any questions and you'll receive a summary with recommendations and ways to work together to keep your voice vibrant and healthy for years to come!  I recently heard a young girl talk in fry while she was being interviewed on NPR. She said "it's so nice that there are more girls in jazz." (if you'd prefer to listen to this blog, click the video below!) She remained in fry and had not much variation. This shows me that this trend continues to be fairly pervasive across ages and genders, but more commonly in women. The unpleasant sensation or shivering, such as a 'weird, uncomfortable feeling like nails on a chalkboard' or 'repulsion' to a sound doesn't really have an exact term in English, yet researchers found that grima, a Spanish word for 'unpleasant' is a close approximation. I'm quite sure that when you speak, 'repulsed' is the last thing you want the listener to feel. When you're in this space of repressing or holding back, talking from the throat, this is the lowest possible breath energy, the lowest possible dynamics and variation. You're also holding back what you might really be feeling, how you're really naturally supposed to sound, and therefore holding back on what communication power you hold. Versus shifting and switching into a natural tone, feeling the flow of what's there, what wants to be expressed. Yes, it may feel a little awkward at first or sound different than you're used to, and yet you're tapping into the most resonant, natural power and that version of yourself that is meant to be heard. That means you're communicating in a way that is most aligned, most accurate to who you are. How you wanna be perceived and received as the vibrations and sound energy ripple out. I see this trend not only among teen girls, many women, some men, but especially wellness providers, those folks who are touting all of these holistic approaches to feeling your best and showing up boldly or being in your power. And yet, how can you be fully in your power and speak your truth when your voice is held in low energy and restricted in a way that doesn't fully show and sound like your true self? It's not just you sounding chill-cool-calm. It's actually repressing and holding back more power and energy that is meant to be heard. So it makes me wonder, is this a form of self-censorship? Not that we mean to do on purpose, but one that has manifested as a way of protecting, as a way of repressing what we truly want to say, avoiding standing up for ourselves, our values, those around us, our community, or being in fear of what we are here to say and do. Glottal fry is easy to get in and out of. I've mimicked some of that even throughout the video above. And when I guide people into their most natural voice, often it's in those unexpected moments and they go, "ah! that sounds like me!" They hear and feel (more importantly) a resonance and a vibration that is them. So while it can feel awkward at times, the tasks, activities and ways that you can come in and out of all the voices that are you, are a skill that very few recognize as one of the most potent and aligned ways to show up every single day. You have choices with your voice. Fry is just one of those characteristics that may creep in sometimes. When you allow it to pervade, seeping into sentences, hold you back and repress within your body and your throat, it almost doesn't matter what you're saying. That repressed energy will be felt by the listener and reduce that sense of connection and deeper knowing. I encourage you to play with your voice right now. If you can put yourself into fry, you can take yourself out of glottal fry as well. Follow along with the simple exercise in the audio recording above, or go to YouTube to access at time-point 4:10 -- listen here) Something as easy as just an "ahhh" sound. Ahhhh EEEEE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Now when you add more breath to that "uhhh" you can hear the smoother tone returning. You can think of it as if saying "Haahhh". It doesn't matter what the pitch is right now. Don't worry about that. Just play around with going from that crackly fry sound -- the term historically comes from people thinking it was like frying bacon in a pan, Transition from 'uhhhh' into a a more supported, smooth tone. Some of you may even notice that your throat feels a little more relaxed if you go to the extreme with the tension, it's also going to sound so tight and strained, and you'll feel that. So allow yourself to notice what that extreme feels like. And then on the other extreme, if you're releasing too much air, that can cause discomfort and shortness of breath. It may also feel like it's a bit of an effort, so aim for your happy medium, and just by taking that pressure valve (of the vocal folds) releasing and allowing more air to flow through, you can start to infuse that in your speaking. Does smoother voice happen every time you talk if you're someone who habitually lives in glottal fry? Probably not. This takes practice and intention for those of you who are starting to notice a shift, but then feeling like you're falling back into your throat or not really sure how to develop this into other areas of your speaking. You can really build into the dynamics and variation that you desire because you know your resonant sound is in there. Sometimes it just requires the expert support and guidance to get you there faster.  I guide my clients on a regular basis out of ineffective ways of speaking, releasing the habits to instill the new foundation. Sometimes, the body will want stubbornly stick in old ways and at the same time also be craving that optimal, efficient way of speaking, sounding and of being. So if that's something that you are ready to explore, an easy way to do that is booking a complimentary call with me.
It's about 30-40 minutes, we chat about your goals, I do a voice health screening to see if there's any underlying aspects or symptoms going on, and then we can discuss what the possibility is for us working together. If it's a good fit, I'll make you an offer that I think will help you achieve your goals, so you can sound the way you are meant to, and attract, rather than repel, the listener. When you are in relationship with your voice, you are speaking without holding back, sounding like the woman you are meant to be. And if you're not sure who that is yet, this is the journey of becoming, and it starts with exploration, willingness and openness to get intimate with this instrument in your neck. Today is World Voice Day  Today though - what came through as I reflected on what to write are to honor the voices who are made to feel unimportant. I live in the United States and there are currently a growing number of voices who are feeling disempowered because of harmful and short-sighted actions by the administration.
Was there a time you’ve felt disempowered? What did that feel like? If you haven’t, in what ways do you support those who are experiencing being silenced, erased, made to appear ‘less than’ ? Join me in donating to uplift and empower the marginalized voices in my local community through Community Shares and The Foundation for Black Women's Wellness. Your voice is a catalyst when you decide it to be so. Your words create the reality in which you desire to live. Your ability to say “I love you” to yourself and others even through the turmoil is one way you maintain the potency of what you’re here to give and the change you are here to be. Say the thing. Support those who are temporarily silenced. Love yourself through it. Donate here: https://www.communityshares.com/our-causes/ https://www.ffbww.org/story The world is chaotic. Start locally with orgs you resonate with. Your voice can cut through the noise.  Sylvia is a motivational speaker…well, when we met, she wanted to become one full-time and was taking the steps of learning, practicing, and nurturing potential event bookers. She had an upcoming 20 minute speech within the next 5 weeks. So she proactively booked her VIP experience. I asked her to send me a short video of her speaking about a topic she was passionate about – more on that in a bit -- First, her primary worry? “[my voice] Seems real soft and I want to come across when I'm speaking. I want to be able to project my voice and not sound boring” Sylvia had previously had thyroid surgery, which can sometimes impact the voice pitch and volume, depending on the nature and severity of the issue. Sylvia needed someone with experience in this area (during my 14 years rehabilitating voices as a Speech-Voice Pathologist, there were always folks on my caseload recovering from a thyroid-related voice change). It had been 3 years since her surgery. Her voice had recovered, yet she believed what the doctors told her – that she would have difficulty projecting for up to two years post-op. I had her do a couple screening tasks during our call to hear her voice capability. There was a stronger voice in there! Sylvia was still speaking from the version of herself that thought she only had a soft voice, complicated by the limiting belief that she sounded boring, and worrying that the sound of her voice would make people think she didn’t know what she was talking about. I led her through an exercise to tap into a new version of herself. To access the joyful and encouraging being that she already told me she felt like when she talks about what she loves. I reminded her to bring her whole self, that she’s worthy of showing these different facets, and that her stories matter. And just by being present to it within her body and voice in a new way, it draws people in. Now, about that video she had sent in before our first session: I said ‘Tell me one thing that you loved about your speaking voice in the video you sent.’ She immediately replied: “Boldness.” ‘Where is that feeling is showing up in the body right now?’ “In my voice.” ‘Amazing. Any other places?’ “In my smile” (at this point, she was beaming!) She hadn’t done anything like that before, and yet without forcing, or ‘striving to not be boring’ or attempting the often mistaken direction of ‘just project your voice more’, she tapped into a truer essence of herself which radiated through her sound. ‘Did your voice sound boring to you?’ “No!” she exclaimed. Exactly. You can't be bold and boring at the same time! She got her mind-body and voice energy aligned. The alignment was palpable, and we added to her list of exercises for her home practice to use before any of her upcoming speaking engagements. She made the decision to start and 1 powerful moment within that very first session busted a limiting belief and shifted her trajectory. Had she waited, she would have kept reinforcing a belief that no longer served her or her mission. Plus, because she has lifetime access to all her session recordings, she can review and re-ignite that feeling of boldness anytime she wants! Are you ready to stretch your comfort zone like Sylvia into a bolder version of yourself? NOW is your time. No more hiding. No more hesitating or holding back. Voice is an integral part of what you want to bring into this world and how you share your message, not to mention book more gigs and fulfill new dreams as a professional speaker! Let the Vibrant Voice VIP Experience be the catalyst! We focus on 1-2 key goals and within 30 days, your voice is clearer, you have unlocked more capability in your dynamics, pitch and tone, and you will feel more confident in how to speak with ease, thus presenting yourself with a newfound level of radiant resonance! A Vibrant Voice VIP Experience involves:
Bonus! If you secure your spot by Nov 30th, you receive one additional month of support to deepen integration and prep for any upcoming events/speaking engagements. Simply enroll here and we will get your onboarding started! Got questions? Review all the details here  Stamina doesn't happen overnight. Whether you are training for a marathon. Honing your duration of focus. Or talking all day. Stamina must be created over many smaller moments of focus, deliberately resetting when off-course, and dedicating to the activity for longer periods of time without burn-out, inefficiency, or injury. And no, vocal rest alone doesn't lead to a better voice long term. Emy was struggling to get through a 20 minute livestream. Yet this was the main way she preferred connecting with and growing her audience, and she was starting to gain some notable traction. We established a foundation of voice health, warming up, addressing any other factors draining her energy, and learning to listen to the signals that her voice and body were giving her, so that she didn't just "push through." Improving vocal stamina for speaking is never a 'no pain, no gain' situation. Ever. It's approached with intention, specificity, repetition and resets to expand on the strength and flexibility of the voice, while opening up new levels capability so you can speak with more ease during all the activities you love and that are needed for the success of your business, without strain. Stamina starts now, not later. Simone Biles made Olympic history again at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, and is headed off onto a 30-city gymnastics tour. Between the end of the Olympics and the first tour stop, she won't be chillin' on the couch. Yes, rest will be involved, especially as she needs to recover her calf strain, yet, there still needs to be steady conditioning since stopping workouts completely can mean muscle loss begins occurring within 2-3 weeks. So, what do your speaking voice and Simone Biles have in common? Both need stamina, dynamic power and soothing active recovery methods to perform a peak levels! Most people think they can use their speaking activities as a warm-up, or assume that just by talking a lot, that their voice will stay in shape. That is not true. If you are speaking with strain, a quality change like hoarseness, weakness or pitch breaks, or your voice is fading out before the end of the day or week, it's more likely that the way you are talking is actually making the issue worse. That's where voice care and specific exercise comes in. The tips in your gift here get you started. Then, you have to choose, just like Simone does every day when stepping into the gym, to do your vocal workout and ensure that the voice is feeling, sounding and performing as effectively as possible. It reduces your risk of injury, encourages longevity, and instills more confidence in how you are being perceived. When your voice is soothed and feeling powerful, it rises above the rest! Athletes come in all shapes, sizes and levels of training. Your vocal mechanism is similar. The shape and size of your larynx, vocal folds, throat, mouth, nose and how well you power the sound via your breath contributes to either optimal speaking, or, puts you at more risk of sounding flat, disengaged, mumbled, or worse, sustaining an injury. If you use your voice to do your job, you are a vocal athlete. And just like other athletes, training and conditioning to your peak performance is crucial so that you reduce strain and fatigue with talking, feel less unsure and nervous in front of a group, or simply want to be heard and assert yourself without compromising who you are and what you're here to do. Training and conditioning are not a 'quick fix' or 'overnight success'. You have to intentionally prepare in advance, dedicate the time, and be open to guidance from an expert mentor who can take you to that next level. No athlete would prepare for their sport mere days before a big event. Thus, if you are doing speaking engagements, leading a launch, conducting client and consulting calls, or preparing for the teaching year in the classroom, now is the time to ensure your voice is supported. The energy of ‘later’ or ‘holding off’ in one area of life can spill over into other areas of life as well. Notice if you find yourself saying ‘I’ll do it when…' If yes, there are likely some underlying beliefs that are running the show, making you feel you can't do/be/have what it is you want right now, no matter what, and thus you perpetuate a vicious cycle of spinning your wheels rather than leaping forward in faith and trust for what you desire to achieve. When your speaking voice is optimally performing, your voice sounds clear and strong, you have stamina to increase your visibility through audio/video content creation, daily calls, speaking on more stages with confidence, and feeling more comfortable in expressing your whole self -- while keeping your voice healthy long term!  If you’re curious which might be the best fit for you, book your no-obligation call to explore what’s possible for you now and your true voice expression! A result of this 30-45 minute call is to help you get clear on how your voice impacts your influence, effective communication, and job performance, as well as determine if any voice issues are occurring, with at least 1 strategy provided that you can implement. We will both determine if working together on your speaking voice goals is a good fit. Book now: https://go.oncehub.com/voiceDiscoveryCall “I have to do all I can get get my energy up” A client had just returned from an international trip, and was experiencing the expected jet lag. She was continuing to go the gym (but easing back in) and taking her daily walks. Her sleep hasn't quite stabilized again yet. She felt at a ‘7/10’ for stress level because her business is growing and she wants to step into her leadership role more, yet still feels most comfortable trying to ‘do all the things' and believes that doing more of her usual self-care is just part of the fatigue-recovery process. As our session began, her voice was noticeably a little rough and lacking the bright resonant tone I know she's capable of. When her voice falls into this mode, if she doesn't shift it into her smooth, easeful, connected sound, then before long she feels even more strain with talking, which then worsens the fatigue. And the cycle continues. But today wasn't about just reviewing a few voice warm-ups to get her voice back on track. Today called for deeper rest. We often think of rest as going on vacation (but perhaps not fully unplugging as we scroll on our phones), getting a good nights sleep, watching our favorite shows, a coffee date with a friend, maybe being outside, pausing between the endless to-do list, or just grabbing a brief moment in the bathroom to catch our breath. For some, that gets them by in the short term. Long-term though, it can contribute to elevated levels of chronic stress. Our nervous system needs longer periods of minimal to no stimulation to activate its rest/digest/recovery capabilities. I don't know about you but it took me quite while to ditch the ‘shoulds' and feelings of guilt for resting for even more than an hour. I had to be a conscious choice to make rest a priority.  Deep rest takes intention and practice. And, I believe we can access deep rest with the healing power of sound from the voice. Releasing any stagnant stuck energy from within and around your entire being.
I led my client through a simple yet highly specific breath-voice practice that purposely encourages the parasympathetic nervous system to take over, and afterwards she exclaimed, “that was AWESOME! I'm really starting to get it. This is about embodiment!" Not doing more things, not more exercise or caffeine, or rationalizing her way into more energy. Less is more. Her body needed that. The sound of voice was the catalyst to get her there. It's one thing to “think” your way into rest. It's completely different to experience replenishment with your voice as the facilitator, nourishing and bathing you in sound and resonating through every cell. When your voice becomes a vehicle for healing and being heard, you radiate vitality. As I learn more what deep rest looks and feels like to me, continue to seal the energy leaks, and just BE without a goal or attachment to an outcome, I experience more lightness even through the bumpier days. Desiring to deepen your replenishment and radiance? Then you are warmly invited to begin your journey: The Empower Your Voice service is specific, to meet you where you are, as you discover your most natural and alluring voice and feel more energized. I bring my 16 years experience and evidence-based approaches and you bring your curiosity and whole self; During our 6 months together, you receive 1:1, high-touch custom guidance, with accountability & encouragement, to activate your speaking power so that any previously nerve-wracking, uncomfortable or draining situations are a thing of the past. The investment is $5000(with payment plan option!). Your devotion to your well-being in this way allows you to feel stronger, reliable and more captivating when speaking. You'll learn the practices now that will serve your natural, resonant way of communicating for years to come! Reply “let's chat!”, or book a call here, and together we can explore your goals and see if this is a fit, and answer any questions you might have. You and your voice are worthy!💜 As adults, we tend to lose our playfulness. Until I had my daughter in 2011, I hadn't really indulged in play during my 20's and early 30's. Sure as a child and even into highschool I was quite playful. But, life has a way of subduing those parts of us. It wasn't until more recently that I realized, in the past 4 years since starting my business, I hadn't had a regular activity that was “just because.” Without a goal, or outcome or purpose. Kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding probably came the closest, but even that has drifted. I was reminded by a mentor of mine of how important play can be in embodying our true selves. Choosing a playful approach, or a specific activity that you might enjoy, can maintain quality of life and keep our sense of wonder activated. Most of 2023 was a whirlwind, with notable burnout symptoms for me, so playful moments didn't seem as obvious…or I wasn't in a space to receive them. Burnout also led to a disconnect from joy, and so in this season I am figuring out what brings me joy. Even if it's not the same things that did before, that's ok. I want to be open and not force it. While enjoying my morning coffee this week, I glanced down at the drawing pad on the table. It was there because I had this urge to release some stuck emotions through doodling. I immediately saw the rainbow and felt the nudge to trace it. So I did. I kept going, moving the pad this way and that to get different patterns and shapes. I felt relief of the stuck sensations that had been present, and just kept following the intuitive nudges to color and be in the present moment with whatever random creations were coming through. Afterward, I felt much lighter. I didn't spin a story of what the stuck emotions were or why they were there. I just followed the urge to create, just because, and let it be.  Many of my clients know I refer to our work together with the voice as playful. There must be this intention because a) why take yourself so seriously?! and b) the voice is also an ever-changing kaleidoscope of sound that we can create with anytime we want. Maybe it's humming a little ditty, trying new silly noises just because, or allowing raw and real vocalizations to release emotions stuck in the body.
During a session last week, my client E was feeling grief from a family situation and anxiety about a business issue she had to resolve but didn't quite know what to say to the other person so she was hesitating, editing and filtering herself. In her session, we used the voice to connect to her wisdom within and various tonal sounds to help expel any emotions that weren't sufficiently satisfied from verbally processing or over-analyzing. Within 20 minutes, she felt more grounded, steady in her voice power and was able to easily craft what she wanted to say to the person with the business issue in such a caring, neutral and clear way. Her voice matched the words she intended to use, and thus her entire message was resonant and well-received. Because E was willing to play with her voice, be with the sounds as they flowed through her body and detach from a concrete outcome, her energy lightened, the clarity to say what she really wanted came through, and she felt more at ease in the process. When that playful urge arises, trust it. Give in and enjoy the break from logic, doing more, forcing, over-thinking. Just Be. What can you do this weekend that is playful? No goal. Just because. Even if no one else understands, it's not for them. It's for you. Through your custom 1:1 Empower Your Voice journey, you start playing with your voice so that you connect to your inner power and speaking clarity, so that your voice rises above, even through the difficult conversations. Could this be for you? Let's chat to see what's possible -- Book here or email me directly [email protected] to coordinate a convenient time for you! Humming is one of many techniques/facilitors that can support recovery of the voice. I wrote a prior overview about its use here. In Nov/Dec 2023, I got laryngitis, and so I wanted to guide you through some of the more detailed steps of how I support my voice, and similarly my clients, through recovery with more ease and speed. Day 1 Laryngitis: Initial recording at onset of laryngitis, you can hear the breathiness, pitch breaks, weakness, breath-less-ness, reduced volume. I had noticed signs of potential issues a couple days preceding this, slight sore throat, globus (glob/lump in throat sensation), and fatigue with talking but this is the day the voice quality began to deteriorate. I also believe in affirming language, speaking loving-kindness to ourselves and others, and even in these moments, I believe our voices are powerful conduits to wellbeing, speaking into existence from Divine Source our intentions and how we desire our life to be. Day 2-3 Laryngitis: I think it's important for folks to hear these real-life examples. Here's me exploring and explaining why I am using humming versus the vowel 'ooo' or 'eee' to help restore my voice in this particular moment. Notice how I am trying out vowels-only versus humming (using the m/n/ng sounds depending on the relief and resonance they achieve). The breathy-onsets (like false starts in the voice), where air escapes before any sound starts, are an important indicator that swelling is still present. Depending on which pitches in my range I try, it will be better or worse. Day 4 Laryngitis: I continued the triage tips that help soothe the throat and respiratory system overall, while also checking if there was enough voice to continue the recovery humming exercises. Thankfully, there was more voice at certain pitches, and was already sounding smoother! Remember these are hyper-specific techniques to assist when in recovery-mode! While humming is a great tool for general voice warm-ups and cool-downs even when feeling well, that has different goals and approaches.
My voice fully recovered around Day 6-7 in clarity, and after Day 10 for power and full volume and ease (that longer timeline was primarily due to the overall fatigue waves that were present throughout that particular cold and a lingering cough). ------ Updated Nov 2024: Check out the new Voice Emergency Kit! Voice loss? Laryngitis? Sore throat? Heal your voice faster with effective and comprehensive tools! ------ IF voice symptoms last for 2 weeks, without changing or notably improving, IT'S TIME TO SEE A SPECIALIST! Send me an email anytime with questions, as I'm happy to help you locate an ENT/Laryngologist and Speech-Voice Pathologist near you when I'm able. In the meantime, a couple resources that may be useful as you do your due diligence: How to find a voice physician Voice Expert Search by state (*this list is a great start, but not comprehensive and unclear how often they update so be sure to reach out to ones listed in your area to ask questions and reduce the time spent being bounced from provider to provider*) If you have questions, or are ready to protect and explore your voice, let's schedule a chat to see what's possible so you can elevate your comfort and confidence during speaking voice activities so you establish healthier voice use while reducing disruption to your social life and work responsibilities. You feel stronger, reliable and more captivating when speaking, you and are more aligned with your natural, resonant way of communicating for years to come! Email [email protected] and let's activate your voice journey!  GUEST BLOG - Contributed by Danielle Mendoza, Confident Concept “Sounds like you fit into the category of vocal athletes.” When Brienne first spoke those words to me, I was shocked. I’m not a professional singer, actor, television personality, or social media influencer. But as I let her words sink in, I had to acknowledge that I do use my voice in every aspect of my business. From networking to speaking with clients to podcasting, my voice is turned on and in use for most of my waking hours! If I thought of someone running for most of their waking hours, it’d be easy to see that they fall into the “athlete” category. Accepting and adopting that understanding of myself was an important pivot. Up until this point I was functioning from a place of using my voice without much conscious effort or understanding. I was taking it for granted.
Then the vocal burnout started to happen. My voice would get tired and slip into gravely vocal fry more and more frequently, and I was having some soreness in the muscles in my neck and throat. My best method for soothing my voice was to simply stay quiet for more of the day, but my work continued to demand more and more of my voice. It was then that I knew I needed the help of this person I met in networking who called herself a Vocal Empowerment Guide. While I didn’t fully understand the title, I knew Brienne could help me understand more about what was going on and how to remedy the problem. I had no choice but to invest the time and money in my voice—my entire business and financial livelihood depended on it. As we worked together, I was able to better understand what was physiologically happening to my voice. Suddenly aware of my regular throat clearing and daily drop into hoarseness, I was relieved to have expert guidance as I worked through undoing some of my unhealthy vocal habits and restoring my vocal health. I now had regular practices to put into place that would condition my voice, including vocal warm ups and cool downs. Looking at myself as a vocal athlete, this all made so much sense! Athletes warm up before performance or practice, they cool down afterward, and they regularly condition their muscles with complementary exercise. This simple but profound ah-ha gave me the motivation to integrate the practices into my everyday routines. Our sessions continued weekly, and I was impressed with Brienne’s understanding of the voice and breathwork. We began to discuss the breathwork and intention setting portion of our time together. I realized then how our vocal expression is deeply rooted in our soul. In fact, I came to fully understand how the physical voice is a direct manifestation of our spiritual well being and connectedness. As a writer, I’ve known that our “voice” goes beyond the physical sounds we make. It is our voice we’re using when we pour our thoughts and ideas out onto the page. I knew this, but until my time with Brienne, I hadn’t put two and two together when it came to physically using our voice for things like public speaking, podcasting, and interviews. My voice is in use no matter what medium I’m using to express myself. And being able to tap into my intuitive voice is always what carries me through to vulnerably sharing my thoughts. The connection from inner self—the voice of my higher power as experienced and understood by my inner observer—feeds the outer expression I bring forth in all of my work. Being able to authentically share myself through my voice is important to me and to the impact I hope to have on this world. But it can also be a nerve-racking experience. When we are hanging out in trusted circles, speaking to friends and family who help us feel safe and loved, it’s easy to boldly state opinions and beliefs. We’re open, fluid, and allow conversation to flow. It’s as if the words just go from within to pouring out our mouths without hesitation. We can all identify who those people are in our lives—usually they’re the people easiest to be with. But as soon as we feel even the slightest bit of that safety disturbed, we tend to clam up, have a harder time finding the right words, and filter more and more of what we want to say through our conscious mind first. With our friends we have a lot to say, but if we try to share on the same topic in a setting where our thoughts are being captured (like going live on social media or public speaking) we get nervous and the flow is disrupted. I have found this same phenomenon at play when we’re capturing our thoughts in writing. As I wrote my first book, I actually found it easier to speak out what I wanted to say as if I were talking to a friend, and I used voice-to-text on my notes app to capture most of the words. It freed me up from the pressure of the blinking cursor on a blank page, and it’s the number one piece of advice I give the women in my programs. As a leveraged book strategist, I guide women through sharing their expertise, personal and professional convictions, and personality on the page. Giving them permission to capture their words in ways other than typing on the computer has helped them open up and reach their word count much quicker than they would otherwise. In fact, if they’re really struggling to overcome a bout of “writer’s block”, I tell them to get a trusted friend or colleague on Zoom, hit record, and let the words flow in conversation. Since working with Brienne, I now have words for what writer’s block actually is—it’s simply the disruption of the flow from the inner self to the outer expression. We are truly achieving vocal empowerment when we’re letting outer expression flow freely from within! Of course, there’s still fear to overcome, even for myself. In my experience of writing and publishing multiple books, I’ve learned we often overcome the fears bit by bit. We let go of the fear that stops that flow of expression, and then we have to move through the fear of putting ourselves out there once our expression has been captured on the page. And fear can show up in some funny ways! I remember as I was moving through the final round of editing my 2021 bestseller, Manifest Success, I called my husband in a panic. “The book,” I breathlessly uttered, “it just…starts.” I was feeling insecure about the opening of my book, and putting on myself the heavy pressure of expectation that my book would have some big, profoundly explosive opening. “Yeah,” he said, “that’s what books do.” Laughter immediately flew out of me, releasing the pressure I had piled on myself. His words seemed to press an internal release valve I hadn’t been able to access on my own. Facing fears can do that to us, keep us from accessing exactly what it is we need, blinding us to what we know to be true in that moment. Moving though the journey of vocal empowerment has led me to see the similarities between speaking and writing. Both require us to share ourselves openly with the world—a scary, vulnerable experience. And both allow us to create an impact far beyond any we could imagine. After launching my book, the response from readers was moving. Many reached out to tell me about the impact my book had on them, and shared the stories they had that were similar to my own. I knew I was being called to help more women write their stories and create a similar impact by openly sharing their insights, beliefs, and personalities with readers. So I stepped into the role of publisher and compiled an anthology of powerful stories for the first volume of Business On Purpose: Inspiring stories of women overcomers who are changing the world. This book series is specifically designed to help women demonstrate their expertise as they connect with others on a human level by sharing their stories. We are all human, and we all have something of value to share. Whether it’s an intimate discussion between friends, a widely published podcast episode, or a book we hope will stand the test of time, our impact ripples out through our shared voices. Empowering ourselves to bring forth the most open, truthful expressions of our inner light will always create the most impact. So I implore you to let go of your fear and be bold—go forth and share yourself with the world. Someone out there needs to hear from you. Dreaming of writing a book to build your legacy and scale your business? Download the book guide How To Write A Book That ACTUALLY Makes Money to discover 6 things you need to know before you start writing. |
AuthorVoice Activator. Lover of the Larynx and Lake Life. On a mission to elevate women's self-worth & wellness via their voice. one delightful tween daughter. Dabbles in professional voice-over occasionally. Reminding you that You and Your Voice Are Worthy! Archives
January 2026
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