Public speaking can be a nightmare for most people. Not being able to articulate yourself well in front of a crowd can impact the audience’s view of you and create many forms of miscommunication.
Anne Maree Wilshire of Vibrant Voices believes that your voice is your power tool.
She coaches women speakers and business owners to use their voice and wants her clients to speak with confidence, authenticity, and authority.
Through decades of practical and academic experience, Anne Maree has created a tool kit of habits that helps her clients quickly free their voice problems.
She provides workshops and coaching sessions through her program “Be a Voice People Listen To.” With her help, her clients have a voice of influence within their business.
Anne Maree has spent over twenty-five years as a facilitator and speaker, coaching people on how to use their voice as a power tool. She also worked in media, TV, and PR Plus training for eight years.
Anne Maree also loves supporting her friends and clients shine. She is passionate about helping people highlight the unique qualities in their voice and believes that the gift of “beingness” nurtures and uplifts those around us.
Who’s your favourite entrepreneur and why?
Oprah Winfrey: She’s resilient and innovative. Courageously speaks out and champions what she believes in. Motivates, supports and lifts people up by promoting products and people who encourage us to live from positive and compassionate values.
What do you enjoy most about running your own business?
Sharing the journey with each of my clients. Partnering with people, believing in them and contributing to them blossoming and achieving their visions. It’s such an intimate relationship and deeply satisfying for me. I also enjoy being able to choose what projects I work on and the creative process of designing coaching tools tailor-made to each client’s needs. Plus having the choice when I work. Having said that, I’m a pretty demanding taskmaster on myself as the employee!
What three pieces of advice do you wish you’d been given when you started?
- Trust what you bring and your unique approach. Rather than feel pulled to be a clone of what you perceive is expected.
- It’s OK to have some fun with your work, rather than trying too hard and aiming for perfection. You’ll still be respected.
- Step back and see your services as a business, not an extension of yourself and your knowledge. I think this could have been liberating!.
What advice would YOU give someone thinking about starting a business?
- I was given this advice from a dear friend who’s a great entrepreneur and audaciously creative: “Better to do something OK today and get it done and out there, rather than aim for perfection and get it done tomorrow.” Took me years reflecting on this to be able to embrace it and let go of some of my perfectionism.
- Sometimes it can work better to start small and let the business develop organically till it builds momentum, rather than throwing in your job, borrowing big and crossing your fingers. Then again if you’ve done your research and really think it can work – go for it!
What skills and knowledge areas would you recommend those starting out in business get acquainted with quickly?
- Put financial and client systems in place so you know accurately how the business is going.
- Have a team of people around you whom you trust to advise you and encourage you to keep going for your goals.
What does your IDEAL business look like? Even if you’re not there yet, what would it look like if your business was ideal?
Having a mixture of 70% time with clients and 30% products that kept turning over. Creating a membership group that gives members regular opportunities to “polish their voice and message till they shine with confidence and power” before they launch their content.
Establish a “Vibrant Voices Cohort”. A small group that share the journey of developing the hidden power in their voices and practice with each other daring to speak their message from their full powerful and confidence.
What problem does being a Member of the HerBusiness Network solve for you and your business? And, how?
Being in a community of women and sharing our business journey I Get honest and quality feedback that help me refine and develop my products. There are great resources and education that has high quality content tailored to my level of business and all the content is built around integrity and authenticity and the resources are a total package with the same principles flowing through all resources. It is so much easier than grabbing different pieces of education and coaching from all over the place and working out what can actually work for me. Plus, The opportunity to work with women in the community.
Learn more about Anne-Mare Wilshire and Vibrant Voices here.
