Amplifying your “One of One” Voice | Jenny DeRosse

Jenny DeRosse [00:00:00] I think that’s a big disconnect for a lot of people as they’re getting started is worrying too much about what people might pay you for as opposed to what makes you one of one. What is your expertise? And you won’t start as one of one. I we say that a lot within our community of like the goal is to be one of one. And with your subject matter, it’s okay if other people speak on the same subject subject, but what makes your version of it uniquely you?  

 

Judd Shaw [00:00:29] Hi, Jenny.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:00:30] Hi, Jack.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:00:31] So happy to hear having you here with me.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:00:34] Thank you for having me. This is fun already.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:00:35] Cause, you know, I have a real question about how to amplify my voice, and let me tell you the background to it. As a personal injury lawyer, there are ways to stand out from a very busy industry and crowded field. Right. That is the billboards, the late night commercials, the radio ads, like all these different things. And now there’s things on CEO and I that great personal injury lawyers who are good at business marketing are pushing the envelope and doing. And so from my experience, it was always the struggle in not providing high quality legal representation in a first class customer service, but just standing out and. Getting clients by being heard. And so as a keynote speaker, I’m finding a similar struggle, which is I would love to get my message heard, but it’s a crowded field. How can I amplify it?  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:01:42] I think so much of it is about being comfortable using your voice, your authentic voice, and not worrying about what’s going to cut through the noise. As step one, I think it’s getting very comfortable in knowing where your expertise lies and how you can share your message in a way that feels genuine and singular to you. If you just step out in front of the world and say, Hey, I’m an innovation speaker and I’m one of 6000, and you’re not offering anything that is original and you’re very own already, you’re in trouble. But if you can find a way to look out at the market, see what similar speakers are up to, who are maybe talking about things in the same lane as you. What looks and feels good to you is something that makes sense that you’d also be sharing. And what makes it very clear to you that you could be different? How do you create your brand, your website, your message, your tagline, those things that are sticky in a customer’s mind the same way you’re thinking about it as a lawyer, as a speaker. When a meeting planner starts to look for a speaker, they may have a budget. They might have a broad theme. Maybe it’s as basic as we want someone motivational, perhaps it gets a little more granular and they would like a sales speaker, or they want someone who’s going to talk about resilience. They’ve had a tough year and they want to bring their people back a little bit. But think about it from the perspective of where they get started. Is it a simple Google search? Are they going to the websites of speakers, bureaus and looking up topics? Where would you fall within those topics? Where do you want to fall? And then at the end of the day, we talk about this a lot at Impact 11, about the importance of congruence meaning. Is your topic one that you feel compelled to share from the stage? Is it in your DNA? Do you feel that whether someone was paying you were not, that this is the message that you need to put out into the world when that is the case? You can feel it when you see a speaker on stage who is really living in their true voice and sharing what they feel they really have to share. That’s a much better experience. I want to see that person on stage and I want that message in your branding. When I’m trying to figure out of Judd is the one for me.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:04:03] And it sounds like whether it’s an an author, a podcast host, a personal brand, all of these things where where, where there’s a voice to it, to the message. Staying authentic to that is the is just key.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:04:21] It’s everything. I think the harder you try to chase the audience with gimmicks and getting further away from who you actually are, the less people you will truly attract.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:04:32] For anyone. Amplifying their voice that has a message and wants to share that message. Let’s try to maybe break that down. Sure. Because I love this congruence theory. Help me understand what would those steps be?  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:04:49] I think when you get into speaking for some people, they have an idea of this is an industry that they’re just going to jump into and transfer the success they’ve had elsewhere into the speaking world. And it isn’t that simple because you have to build a whole new business and a whole new brand around yourself as a speaker. So I think step one is getting very clear on understanding what you’re an expert in and how you can share a perspective that is fresh and new in a crowded space. And so you do want to look at the competitive landscape and understand what’s out there. But you then have to come back and work out what you really want to share from the stage. And ensuring that what you really want to share is what you are perfectly positioned and an expert in. So not saying I think you see in some cases people here, while a popular topic at the moment, is going to be bringing profitable growth to companies. If that isn’t something that you are an expert in, do not connect it to your brand and become one of 7 or 8 new people this week who’ve said that that’s what they talk about. Know your lane. And I think as we’re talking, authenticity at its core is is what you’re all about. And I’m very much the same. If you get too far off course in trying to just follow the market. It’s not going to happen. And so long roundabout way of saying the starting point is what are you all about? How do you brand what you’re all about and get your voice out into the world? Some of it at the beginning is testing your material on social media. You know, it’s just doing some writing and some LinkedIn posts, maybe some stories on Instagram or wherever you are most comfortable in a social situation. Social media that is getting on podcasts, testing it out, talking about it, and letting your audience start to find you. Not expecting that the first day you announce to the world. I’m a speaker now that everyone will come running and find you. It does take time to build up a reputation as a speaker and to build relationships with meeting planners, Buro agents. They come later. I shouldn’t even reference them right out of the gate. When you’re starting a speaking career, you know, there are a number of steps to build that momentum and make clear that you can get up in front of an audience, hold their attention and give them something they can take away that isn’t just to be shared 20 minutes after you’ve spoken, but six weeks later, six months later, six years later. Those are the messages that really get people on stage as time after time.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:07:29] And, you know, I heard it said it at one of the impact 11 events that if you want to be heard, you could speak to a stage of 5000. But if you want to make real impact, you speak to a room of five.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:07:44] And that’s absolutely correct. You need to be up there sharing a message that you would be willing to share whether someone paid you or didn’t. Whether there’s five people in the room or 5000. Because you’re there in service of the audience. And I think that really is the key to. All of it. As you start to break down, putting together a brand as a speaker and how you stand out. It’s actually not about you. Yes, you have to be a brand and you have to put this business out into the world so people can find you as a speaker. But once you’re on that stage, it’s your job to serve the audience. So how do you take your personal expertise and the subject matter that you care about and present it in such a way that the audience feel seen and they feel that they can make a difference in the world and have their own impact as a result of having heard you speak.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:08:42] It’s almost like you can apply that to anything, any brand that you’re you know, I have a friend, Rich, who’s trying to make a salsa. Okay. And it’s like, what makes your salsa unique? Why do you stand behind it? What’s your credibility in making salsa? You can almost apply this to anything in in in branding.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:09:03] Well, I mean, with the salsa. I mean, I hope it’s tasty. It’s really good. I hope he’s got a fun label. I hope he’s got a tagline that’s going to bring the people in. But everything you create is for someone else. And in the moment it becomes self-serving, which can be confusing in this space because it takes a big personality to want to get up on stage and share a story and say, Look at me. And so to be able to do that, but also make it. Not at all about you. That’s a gift. And that takes work.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:09:33] As a gift to real storytelling.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:09:35] It is. It’s not an easy skill. I think you can definitely improve upon it. And there are so many brilliant people in the storytelling space that can help you to improve what you do. But it’s finding a way to tell stories. Sometimes they are about you. It’s okay to tell stories about you. I mean, there are some from the best speakers on earth are up there because of their stories. But it’s understanding how to tell your story so that anyone in the audience feels it. They can relate to it. Right? And even if you’re someone who, you know, you climb Mount Everest, odds are most of the people in the audience have not will not have no interest in doing that. But the stories you share make them feel they can be a part of it or they can relate it to something else in their lives that is different from actually summiting a mountain.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:10:20] I think about Superman, but I’m more I’m much more relate to can you know, Clark Kent, like all of us can see ourselves in Clark Kent. Clark, Clark Kent. There is more than we can in Superman. But like, that’s there’s an art about being the hero. But like, that’s not the end story.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:10:42] Exactly correct. And I think as a speaker, it’s your job to figure out what it is that you know about. That, again, like lives in your bones that you need to share with an audience, not because you want the people to look at you and hear your voice, but because you know that your message is going to have an impact on their lives, their businesses, their futures.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:11:05] Get into storytelling for a minute. Right? I, I even identify as a storyteller. So if you’re like Judd, you know, describe yourself in three words. I’ll say I’m a storyteller, an adventurer and an agent of change.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:11:16] That’s a good words.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:11:17] Thank you. And as a storyteller, I think storytelling is so unique to humans. I always mention that there was a time where storytelling allowed us to know where Safe shelter was, the right food to eat, how to survive. And it is evolved. There’s a true art to it. But for anyone attending one of those boring work events or a holiday party and they want to know how to be a captivating storyteller, how to be someone on the big stage with very little experience in walking right into this party. How can they how can they tell a captivating story to a colleague or a friend?  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:11:59] Feels like a very big question, Jad. I think some of it still comes right back to being yourself and not necessarily being on as a performer. I think people think of sometimes storytelling, stagecraft, of requiring you to be so big and take up all the space in the room and say, Look at me. It isn’t necessarily about that. I think much like what we were saying before about what a speaker does for an audience. When you’re a storyteller, it’s how you engage the audience. So it’s not that you’re telling a story at someone, you’re almost sharing it with them and making them a part of the story.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:12:38] It’s so good.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:12:39] So you bring them in, right? And ideally, if you’re walking into a party and you’re telling a story, someone wants the story, you’re not going to lead with that. It’s just its way of sometimes it’s breaking the ice, sometimes it’s getting to know someone better. Sometimes it’s about knowing your audience. Certainly in the speaking world, you really want to know who’s in the audience to understand how best to share your stories.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:13:01] And I find that there’s an element of that vulnerability, right? That talking about someone who wants to be a captivating storyteller, who’s not a professional storyteller or keynote speaker who goes to that work event. It’s sometimes not having to come up with the most triumphant story. It’s what’s that vulnerable story that really just another human can connect with.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:13:25] And I think you hit the nail on the head with the word human, because that’s where my mind was going, is humans are imperfect and vulnerable. And the more willing you are to share the version of yourself that isn’t always so worried about how people will react to everything you say, that’s the most relatable version of you, because no one else is perfect either. And so if they can see us all as flawed humans who have had different life experiences and ups and downs, and to share our stories in a way that makes people feel like they actually know us. That’s the unlock to me. I think the world has changed a lot and that people used to show up and have their walls up much more. You wanted to present a version of you that you were willing to allow the world to see as opposed to now where vulnerability, I think, is that much more accepted. And we’re in a place. I hope not everyone, but primarily where we recognize that it’s good to just see a person as a person.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:14:29] I went to one of the impact 11 early events, I think it was in Detroit, and I had an opportunity to put my name on a list to have ten 15 minutes up on the stage and get feedback from the bureau in front of the whole audience. And I put my name down and I was early enough to have my name count, and it was for the next day and over that night. All they could constantly think about is what if I mess up? This feeling of shame that I was. Giving myself and this really deep desire to almost be perfect and nail it. I went the next morning and I remembered it was Maria at a table and I said, I need to take my name off the list. And she says, Why? What happened? I said, Well, I think I may catch a flight. I don’t know what time it is. They came up with the whole reason I was willing to even leave early now. No, because I was worried about how I would be heard. And then those people who signed up and stuck with it gave 15 minutes and got the most beautiful, amazing feedback and suggestions. And I’m like, I missed it. I missed the opportunity because I remove myself from it in worrying about shame and being perfect.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:16:00] Well, first of all, that makes me sad. Second of all, I’m thrilled that we then got to work with you at the showcase and got to see more of what you can do. I’ll say this about the storytelling workshop that we have at our boot camp events. It’s an intimidating room. And we know this because it is a room filled with your peers, friends, community members speaking agents that can feel scary. But the trick is the reality. It is one of the most supportive rooms you will ever be in. And so, as nerve wracking as it is to get up on stage in front of this particular group of people. Everyone there wants you to succeed. And so as someone who sits on the panel that provides the feedback, I can say that I love having that opportunity to share what we’ve seen with people who’ve taken the leap. Some are more established speakers who’ve been doing it a long time. Others are new and just trying to test out a story. And we know it’s scary. We want you to succeed like we want it so badly. And if we see something that can use some revisions, a few tweaks here and there, we can’t wait to share what we’re seeing because we want you to then get up there the next time and just knock it out of the park. One of the things I’ve learned in working with speakers for a long time is that sometimes it doesn’t matter exactly what we say. There’s a version of what we’ve said that is actually heard. Everyone is there because they want to get better. But there are still these fears and some shame around the opportunities and whether or not you’re going to get it just right. No one’s ever going to get it. All right. It’s a willingness to try and be willing to be imperfect so that the next time around you’ll be that much better.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:17:43] I had an opportunity being on stage one moment and they didn’t have like a table up there or anywhere. And so I left my water offstage. And for me, I usually for full keynote, will take a sip of water. And I didn’t have that. And of course, after a certain time, I’m getting a dry mouth and my words are sticking. And finally I stopped and said, If you don’t mind, do you mind if I just get off stage and go get my bottle of water? I don’t. I usually have it here. It’s not. And went off stage, grabbed the bottle. Would I come back? And the room claps. And that’s when it clicked. That’s like what connects is the human side of it. It was like they were rooting for me, too. And I drank the water. Right. Stop. Pause. Thank you so much. And then realize this. This desire to to deliver perfectly wasn’t the moment that I connected most with the audience.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:18:48] I love that example because it’s just so very true. An audience shouldn’t feel that you’re performing for them. As a speaker, you should be having a conversation. And the more you’re able to be yourself while doing that, by taking that moment going, Hey, everybody, I really need a sip of water. Give me a minute. They can relate to that. That’s you’re suddenly on the same level, even though you’re the one up on the stage. You’re just talking to them like their fellow humans. And those are the connection points. And I think that’s such a huge part of being a speaker. Being a storyteller is knowing why you’re doing it and who you’re doing it for. And the connection element is key. Without it. It almost doesn’t matter what words you say if you aren’t able to connect them to the people in front of you.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:19:34] What are the skills or strategies that someone can use to narrow down that? Why? Because I found that the Y can be a very big umbrella. Right? So human connection is huge. Where? Sure. Why? Within human connection, innovation. AI You know, all these subjects are are big blue oceans often times of topics. How does someone more narrow in that that picked.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:20:05] I think a huge, huge factor is true self-awareness. And it is not easy. It is so much easier to help someone else put together their purpose, their positioning than to do it for yourself.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:20:22] Right. It’s true.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:20:23] I think it really is. It’s almost therapeutic taking the time with yourself to really dig in and ask yourself, What do I know a lot about? What have I been doing with the last X number of years of my life that have put me in position to be someone who should be on a stage and not only who should be on a stage, but who organizations are going to pay to be on stage, to educate, entertain, inform my clients, my audience. I think it takes a long time to get to those answers. There is no secret. I think it really does. As I start to sound, probably I need my water now. I think it really is about being honest with yourself, about why you want to do this and what the message is that you feel compelled to share, not the message that you’ve done a bunch of research and you see that the market might pay for. And it’s I think that’s a big disconnect for a lot of people as they’re getting started, is worrying too much about what people might pay you for as opposed to what makes you one of one. What is your expertise? And you won’t start as one of one. I will say that a lot within our community of like the goal is to be one of one with your subject matter. It’s okay if other people speak on the same subject subject. But what makes your version of it uniquely you? That’s the whole point. What is the message that only you can share in a way that only you can share?  

 

Judd Shaw [00:21:49] How do I say that again?  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:21:51] What is the message that only you can share in a way that only you can share it?  

 

Judd Shaw [00:21:56] It’s the uniqueness. You’re right. Because anyone listening, they don’t want to be sold.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:22:02] No one does. I’ve talked about this a lot. As a former speaking agent, I was in sales for years. I’m not a salesperson. I don’t like sales. I’ve gotten over it to a degree. I, I can thank Ryan Estes, who is a sales expert for this. I never wanted to feel like I was selling out someone, but as a speaking agent, I was providing a service. And I was only talking to a client if they were hosting an event and they needed a speaker. If they weren’t, I’d leave them alone. I wasn’t trying to force them to buy anything. But I was in a position where I could provide additional value. And I think the same is true as a speaker. You don’t want to feel like you’re out there going, pick me, pick me, buy me. It’s I feel so confident in the value that I can provide to an audience that I would love to be able to be on stage sharing what I know and what I feel your people should know with you at your event. And it’s a value exchange. It’s not. It’s not selling.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:23:04] When when it comes just to. To storytelling in terms of engagement. Right. What are you seeing in. In in the keynote world or in the speaking world where. Where it’s changing because the industry has been around forever. And even, for instance, the lawyers, right. I remember a story about a well-known lawyer who was like the first to be on the back of a Yellow Pages and everybody ostracized this attorney because he was on the Yellow Pages, like how ambulance chasing that was. But ultimately what he chairs is that breakthrough led to one of America’s largest personal injury law firms. And and so, you know, he went out. And so I’m wondering, what are you seeing on the speaking side in terms of what’s changing and where’s it going?  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:24:00] I think we’ve touched upon a piece of this already in that. Authenticity and vulnerability are what people crave now. Whereas historically keynote speakers. Were polished. It was perfect. It was a performance. It wasn’t a conversation. It was kind of packaged already in this box, and you were just going to get what you got and they were going. That speaker would share it with you and then he’d share it with somebody else tomorrow. It was already done, and now audiences want you to engage with them. They want to feel like you are delivering this keynote, this story for the first time. You should be better than if you were delivering it for the first time. But it should be more natural in a lot of ways. And I think engaging with the audience and being more interactive is definitely the direction we’ve seen things go in. I think audiences attention spans are shorter. So how you break up a keynote, which used to be just talking straight at an audience for 45 to 60 Minutes. Are there interactive elements? Are there moments where you ask a question of the audience? Are there moments where you allow people in the audience to talk amongst themselves and then bring them back again to keep them engaged? Those are things we weren’t seeing before.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:25:13] I think there’s even some technology I’m seeing where the audience can ask certain questions. You can offer quick polling.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:25:20] Yes. Yes. Mentee mentee Meter is a popular one that a lot of speakers are using where the audience can scan a QR code and that speaker will then ask a question and you’ll get the feedback real time. You can share it on the screen. You might have testimonials. You can actually read out what people had to say. If it’s not just straight as like a yes or no type poll. And it’s a way for the audience to feel that they’re a part of your presentation. And it also keeps it it keeps it customized and allows the speaker to show some of their improvisational skills, too, because you don’t know what the answers are going to look like if you do it in real time and how you then respond to the audience and where you go from there matters. I know one other thing that we talk about pretty frequently is a lot of the time as speakers, you’re asked to deliver your keynote and then do a Q&A at the end, right? It actually isn’t best to have a Q&A right at the end because then you don’t get to dictate the energy and the note that you end on. So finding a way to move the Q&A up earlier and then bring the audience back and share that final story, the crescendo, and close things out on the note that you’ve selected and not an audience who could take you in any direction they see fit.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:26:32] That is so good. I’m going to click on that one.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:26:36] Fabulous.  

 

Judd Shaw [00:26:37] Jenny, thank you so much for coming on. This is really helpful and a great story.  

 

Jenny DeRosse [00:26:42] Thank you for having me, Jan, I really appreciate it. My pleasure.