Tap Into Your POWER, Learn About Authentic Living and Its Immeasurable Rewards

MEET Norma Hollis: Committed to enjoying her own authentic experiences, Norma Hollis is an international speaker, author, mentor and coach. She has studied human behavior for more than 30 years. Norma is a graduate of Michigan State University. Her professional memberships include the National Speakers Association and CEO Space. In 1996 she became the founder of the largest African American Speakers Bureau owned by an African American woman. This focused creative business leader is dedicated to championing the power of voice, your authentic voice.

WMI: When you were a little girl did you dream of working in business? If not, when you were a child, what did you aspire to be?

NH: As a child I was always clear that I had something important to do to fulfill my purpose on the planet. I never considered business. My family raised me to believe that the only viable options for career were teacher, doctor or lawyer. My father was opposed to corporations and business for some reason. He was a dentist who was self-employed and perhaps this played a role. So I grew up without any interest in business and actually, quite confused about what I would do with my future.

WMI: How nervous were you when you delivered your first public speech? How big was the audience and what did you do to overcome your nervousness?

NH: My first speech was delivered at my elementary graduation. I was extremely nervous but made it successfully through the speech. My greatest nervousness as a professional speaker was my first platform speaking experience. It was in 2006 and I was speaking in front of an audience of 150 and for the first time attempting to sell my product. The night before I think I walked around the floor of my hotel for a couple hours. This nervousness actually caused me to be quite well received because my passion was so strong.

WMI: Give us a little history. When was the first African American Speakers Bureau opened and how did the start of the bureau change the landscape for public speakers as a whole, regardless of ethnicity?

NH: I am not sure when the first African American speakers bureau opened but I am aware that there was one in Atlanta before I opened mine. However the directory of speakers that I started was the very first online directory of African American speakers. After I started my speakers’ bureau I noticed that a number of the large bureaus began to come up on internet searches for ‘Black Speakers Bureau’. Now most bureaus have a diversity section. And there are new directories popping up weekly as well as bureaus owned and operated by numerous people and organizations.

WMI: What is authentic communication?

NH: Authentic communication is heart communication. So much of what we learn in society teaches us to think, communicate and act from our thoughts and logic. While there is value in this approach, I find that people who are most effective in their communication style also enable their heart to speak for them. The heart holds the feelings and emotions behind the communication. Sharing a message with someone else is not just about the information that’s being shared. There is also messaging in the non-verbal communication. When the words spoken connect with the non-verbal heart message there is opportunity to come across as an authentic communicator.

WMI: Tell us why it’s important to communicate authentically? Also, can creative business leaders think they are communicating authentically with employees, business partners, customers and the general public when, in actuality, this is not what they are doing? Why?

NH: Our society focuses very much on the logical and unemotional intelligence of the brain. A focus on heart intelligence or heart communication helps to balance the one-sided sterile interpretations of brain intelligence. Authentic communication integrates heart and brain intelligence. Our society can benefit from more heart centered authentic communication to create more compassion and cooperation among each other.

And yes, it is not unusual for someone to think they are communicating authentically when in fact they are not. Being authentic means someone is in a constant state of truth seeking. It’s a commitment to dig deep enough to uncover what is real, heartfelt, what supports the common good. Some people are authentic for a moment or for a situation without being in a constant state of seeking truth. When truth is sought and found it shows up as cooperation. A business person who has an employee base that does not respect, cooperate or seek to grow the business is reflective of a leader who is not fully within authenticity. Tweaking one of the nine dimensions of authenticity to bring the business into alignment has a positive impact on customer service and sales. And that improves the bottom line.

WMI: For creative business leaders who do want to communicate authentically, but may not know how. Share with us three to four key ways they can know for sure that they are communicating authentically? Please also share two to three steps they can take to start communicating authentically.

NH: You know you are communicating authentically when:

Your employees feel free to express their opinion and they enthusiastically await your response.
You easily identify the positive attributes of your team members and share how their attributes benefit the company.
Your team works together cooperatively and collaboratively. When competition is introduced it is healthy and supports the entire team.
You enjoy working with your team.

For those who would like to improve their communication, ask yourself:

How are you valuing the ideas and suggestions of employees? If employees do not feel that they are free to express their opinion you will have an environment that is less than authentic. Authentic communication means seeking out, respecting and responding to the opinions of those on your team.
Are you maximizing the gifts and talents of your team members? Sometimes people get placed in positions that do not honor their natural gifts and talents. You know you are communicating authentically when you know your team members’ talents and manage them so that they are aligned with their most appropriate employment path.
Is your team working in an environment of cooperation? You know you are communicating authentically when your team enjoys their work and each other. They generate a certain energy that makes others wonder why work is so much fun. You have communicated in such a way that each person feels respected and valued and it shows up in how they do the work that they do and how they engage with each other.
Do you enjoy working with your team? If you have found a way to enjoy your work environment and the people you work with then you have likely mastered authentic communication. It’s about finding the best in each person and focusing on their strengths rather than their challenges. Often difficult to do in work environments where personnel policies may restrict certain types of conversation. Great to accomplish on the path to authentic communication.

WMI: What’s the difference between inner, outer and expressive voice and do your authenticity audiotapes and books expand on these voices as well as how creative business leaders can develop these voices in themselves and their employees?

NH: I’m so glad you asked this question. This is the core of the Authentic Voice System. Basically my research reveals that each of us have three voices within us. Our Inner voice is the one that communicates within. It’s the voice that no one hears except us and it guides us throughout our entire life. The Outer voice is the one that other’s see. It is also the voice of the world as a whole because on the planet we view and judge people by how they look, the people they associate with and what we perceive of their financial capabilities. The Expressive voice is ‘who’ we have become. It’s how we align our inner voice and expressive voice and who we become in the world. When all three voices are aligned we express authenticity.

And yes, I have many products and services that take people on a journey inside of themselves. My “Quick Start to Authenticity” products give people an overview of authenticity from the angle of business development, personal development, speaking and/or parenting. My coaching services help people to earn new streams of income through speaking and/or becoming certified as a speaker or coach within the Authenticity Movement. All of my services are based on my Authentic Voice System and the nine dimensions of authenticity that are the foundation of the program.

WMI: What do you offer clients who join your speaker’s bureau? What services do you provide for them?

NH: I’m not running a bureau in the traditional way that I did before. When I ran a bureau full time the focus was connecting speakers to interested event planners. I enjoyed developing speakers, but the actual tasks of running a bureau were never a passion of mine. So when both of the employees who ran the bureau had to leave due to health issues it didn’t take long for the bureau, under its original format, to cease to exist. Now I work with speakers to help them find their most authentic path in the speaking industry. Since I have done just about everything in the industry over the past 16 years, I understand the professional speaking and personal development industries and where the opportunities lie. I encourage speakers to look at more independent or networked ways to build their career rather than trying to go through speaker’s bureaus who generally only book less than 10% of the speakers that they represent.

I tell speakers that they generally have two choices as a professional speaker. They can build a solo career as an independent speaker or they can join a networked group. I provide one-on-one coaching and offer a home study program to people who want to take on a singular career. For those who want to belong to a group I offer my Authenticity Ambassador or Authenticity Coach program. In these programs I train speakers and coaches to combine their message with the message of authenticity. Then I help them get on the road to speaking and/or coaching. My Ambassadors also conduct free teleconferences every Tuesday and live events in their communities.

WMI: Are you accepting new speakers, and if so what do you look for in speakers who join your organization? Additionally, how would someone contact you if they wanted to work with you?

NH: For speakers who want to go the solo route I look for people who have the personality and the fortitude to go solo. It takes a certain personality and a great deal of persistence. It also takes a lot of assertiveness and you must be a really great speaker with a unique angle. When I meet people like this I get very excited about helping them navigate their way around the industry.

For those who want to become Authenticity Ambassadors or Authenticity Coaches, I look for compassion and an authentic drive to make a difference in the world. A lot of people who have stories to share are more interested in getting their message out and making a difference than being an independent speaker. This route is easier on marketing and gives the speaker a network to grow with.

People can reach me at Info@NormaHollis.com. I suggest people start by claiming free gifts at www.GiftsFromNorma.com. From there, check out the site at www.NormaHollis.com. I can also be reached by phone – 323-734-7144.

WMI: In what specific ways has the Internet helped you to expand and grow your business?

NH: When I started my business in 1996 I was reluctant to even get an email address. Then I got it as well as a few web sites and started the first online directory of Black speakers. That coupled with being a first in the speaker’s bureau arena made me pretty well-known among Black speakers. And this is only because of the Internet. When I started my company all communication was done through tangible fliers, postcards, mailers and the like. Now I can reach out to thousands of people in an instant. It’s because of the Internet that I am now known in many speaking communities. And learning how to make the Internet work for me continues to provide new income streams. It is an effective way to reach out to others and do business.

WMI: Platforms like YouTube are widely popular, pulling in billions of viewers each month. Do you recommend that public speakers upload their speaking presentations to YouTube? Asking because this practice could cause consumers to simply wait for speakers to upload new presentations instead of paying to attend live events speakers present at.

NH: Speakers should absolutely upload their speaking presentations to YouTube. Sure, lots of people will bypass live events to watch something on YouTube from time to time. But nothing beats the energy that is exchanged when people are in a room together at a speaking event. When listening to speaking events, one objective is to get the message of the speaker. Another objective involves the networking that takes place when in the presence of like-minded people. Also, when people get the opportunity to see speaking presentations on YouTube they may be more likely to hire the speaker for future events.

WMI: What’s next for Norma Hollis and Authentic Communication? Where do you see yourself and your business three to five years from now?

NH: I have a lot going on and I’m very excited about it. My journey to this point has been long and challenging because I wasn’t clear on my direction. It’s what I coach people about – your journey through life is a series of experiences that lead to your purpose. The bureau was one of the steps that led me to now share my message of Authenticity with a network of speakers in order for us to significantly impact the world. Here’s the direction I’m going in:

Authentic Leadership – I have partnered with an international human resources company and we will be working in corporate environments to help leaders function with increased authenticity.

Raising Authentic Children – We are partnering with a non-profit to work with youth and their parents to help children step into their natural gifts and talents and claim lives of authenticity.

Certified Authenticity Ambassadors and Coaches will assist me with these and other programs that are in development so I am actively recruiting people who want to share their message within a networked group that focuses on authenticity.

I’m launching an internet TV show – Authenticity Central TV. It will air live at 6:00 pm Pacific on Wednesdays at http://www.gigcentraltv.com then repeat on Saturdays. Authenticity Central TV will expose many areas where authenticity is affected in our society – politics, religion, education, corporate greed, families, relationships – you name it and we can find a connection to authenticity.

I’m also expanding my online presence. I encourage people to take the Authenticity Assessment as well as join us on our Authentic Tuesday calls by claiming gifts at http://www.GiftsFromNorma.com.

In three years the Authentic Voice System will be integrated into several industries across the globe. Our current focus is corporate, speaking, personal development, business development and youth/parenting – and we are just getting started. We have a lot of ground to cover because the program has application in so many areas and it has such a positive impact on the people and organizations that are involved with it. In five years, millions of people will be impacted by the Authentic Voice System because thousands of Authenticity Ambassadors and Authenticity Coaches will be sharing the message of authenticity across the globe.

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