278. Executive Presence (3/4): Speech & Voice
In the third edition of my Executive Presence series, I’ll break down the features of executive language—and what undermines it. We’ll look at what to say, what to avoid, and how to speak with authority and a strong presence.
Words That Weaken Your Presence
Softening statements with “just,” “maybe,” or “I’m not sure”.
Instead of them, use definite verbs and deadlines, for example: “let’s get this done by 2 pm”, “I need this report on my desk by 4 pm today”.
Swear words and rude words.
Be careful and pause, select words carefully. If you cannot find an appropriate word, feel frustrated, pause.
Filler words such as "eeh, uh, like, basically, you know", etc.
Substitute them with pauses.
Executive Language Features
Concision. Executive language is clear and economical. “Brevity is the soul of wit.” — William Shakespeare.
Instead of: “I just wanted to quickly touch base and kind of go over a few thoughts I had regarding the project.”
Say: “Let’s review the key points of the project.”
Specific words. Executive language avoids vague expressions and replaces them with precise, measurable terms.
Instead of: “We need to improve results.” Say: “We need to increase revenue by 10% this quarter.”
Instead of: “There are some issues.” Say: “We’re facing delays in delivery and a 5% budget overrun.”
Specific language communicates control, direction, and leadership.
How to Say It
Stress key messages and use optimistic and uplifting intonation. Download the app Fluent English Speech to master sentence stress and intonation.
Use pitch and pace strategically to enhance clarity and authority. Download the app Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause and have a few elocution lessons to master the 4Ps of public speaking.
Articulate clearly and precisely. Strong articulation reinforces credibility and presence. You can master it with the app Get Rid of your Accent.
In the final edition of this series, I will focus on the body language and nonverbal cues that complete executive presence.
Warmly
Olga Smith
277. Executive Presence (1/4): The Components
In our elocution lessons, we don’t focus only on speech and accent. We also help students develop a stronger presence and greater confidence overall.
This is something many of our students actively want to work on — what is often called executive presence.
With this article, I’m starting an Executive Presence series based on more than 20 years of teaching and coaching top-level professionals and diplomats.
In this edition, I’ll walk you through five core components of executive presence, explain why they matter, and show how they work together.
You can think of executive presence much like a good golf swing. It isn’t built on one single movement, but on several elements working together — posture, balance, timing, and follow-through. If one part is off, the entire swing suffers. Executive presence works the same way.
The five core components are:
Authenticity: the ability to act as your true self without pretence
Physical presence: energy level, dress code, fitness level
Confidence: ability to act decisively
Body language: eye contact, gestures, posture
Speech and voice: pronunciation, articulation, voice modulation and use of pauses
The key point is this: to look and feel truly confident, a person must be authentic. Confidence is communicated through actions and body language — gestures, eye contact, and tone of voice. Clear speech and good articulation further strengthen executive presence and how others perceive you. In just a few seconds, your physical presence communicates a great deal about you, including energy level and overall status. All these components send signals about who you are and determine how people treat you.
In the next editions of this series, I’ll share practical techniques you can use to build executive presence and show you how to remove the obstacles that often get in the way.
Warmly
Olga Smith
www.batcsglobal.com
276. Why Some Speeches Go Viral—and Most Don’t
I’ve spent years watching some speeches go viral—and just as many disappear.
At first, I thought it was about confidence. Or charisma. Or luck.
It isn’t. Over time, patterns became impossible to ignore. The speeches that travel aren’t just “good.” They’re built to resonate in a world that moves fast. Here’s what I’ve learned.
1️⃣ One Clear Idea
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” , or Abram Lincoln's “By the people, for the people…” - these messages still travel decades later because it collapses into a single idea people can repeat. When a message can’t be summarized in one sentence, it rarely spreads.
2️⃣ Emotion Beats Information
Greta Thunberg’s “How dare you” speech went viral not because it introduced new data, but because it voiced collective anger and urgency. Emotion is what pushes people to share.
3️⃣ Authenticity Matters More Than Polish
When I watch Malala Yousafzai’s UN speech, what stands out isn’t technical perfection—it’s sincerity. The calm delivery, the real pauses, the sense that every word mattered. Audiences trust speakers who sound human, not rehearsed.
4️⃣ Stories Travel Further Than Explanations
For example, Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement address is remembered because it was built around three personal stories. Stories create images, and images move faster than arguments.
5️⃣ Timing Is Everything
Jacinda Ardern’s speeches after the Christchurch attacks resonated globally because they met the emotional moment exactly. The right words at the wrong time don’t travel.
6️⃣ Memorable Language Creates Momentum
Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” worked because it was short, rhythmic, and repeatable. Lines that can be quoted without explanation are made for sharing.
7️⃣ Delivery Is Precision, Not Performance
Viral speeches aren’t loud or theatrical—they’re controlled:
Power - to command attention
Pitch - to avoid monotony
Pause - to let meaning lan
Pace - to guide understanding
Watching talks like Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why”, it’s clear delivery amplifies the idea. That insight inspired me to build Power, Pitch, Pause, Pace app, helping speakers practise fundamentals so their delivery supports the message.
Equally important are intonation and sentence stress. Where the voice rises or falls, and which words carry emphasis, determine whether a message lands—especially in short clips. That’s why I also built Fluent English Speech app, to help speakers, especially non-native ones, sound clear, expressive, and globally understandable.
8️⃣ Designed for the Clip Era
Michelle Obama’s convention speeches work in 30 seconds because they have clear emotional peaks, intentional pauses, and precise vocal choices. Viral moments today often live in short clips—and delivery is what makes them survive.
My biggest takeaway:
Virality isn’t the goal. Resonance is.
275. Why Some Messages Go Viral While Others Are Ignored
In a world flooded with information, some messages catch fire while others vanish into the noise. Here’s why:
Emotion Drives Action. Content that makes people feel strong emotions (joy, surprise, anger, awe) gets shared. People share what moves them.
Keep It Simple. Clear, concise messages travel faster. If your audience has to think too hard, they won’t share.
Relatability Matters. Messages that reflect identity, values, or experiences earn social currency. People share what makes them look smart, funny, or “in the know.
Timing Is Everything. Ride trends and tap into current events. Context can make or break a message.
Novelty Captures Attention. Surprising or unusual content stands out in a sea of sameness.
Platform & Format Count. Match your message to the platform. Videos work on TikTok/Instagram; text threads thrive on LinkedIn/Twitter.
Easy to Share. Reduce friction—make it simple to forward, tag, or repost. Shareable content spreads faster.
💡 Bottom line: Virality isn’t random. It’s about emotion, clarity, relevance, timing, and ease. Create content that moves, resonates, and travels—and you’ll dramatically increase your chances of being seen.
Warmly
Olga Smith
www.barcsglobal.com
274. How to Grow and Future-Proof Your Professional Skills in a World of Acceleration
In a world of rapid acceleration, professional skills don’t age slowly — they expire.
To stay relevant, there are three critical steps to upgrade and grow your skills:
Step 1: Audit What You Use — Not Just What You Know
Ask yourself:
Which skills do I use weekly?
Which ones are rarely applied?
Which new tools or methods are already shaping my field?
Relevance lives in application, not titles or certificates.
Step 2: Learn in Short, Strategic Cycles
Long learning plans often fail in fast environments.
Instead:
Focus on micro-learning
Upgrade one skill at a time
Apply immediately
Learning that isn’t used quickly is forgotten quickly. Small, repeated upgrades keep skills alive.
Step 3: Combine Human Skills with Technical Awareness
AI and automation are accelerating — but human skills are not disappearing.
The most resilient professionals develop:
Critical thinking
Communication
Emotional intelligence
Decision-making in uncertainty
These skills become more powerful when paired with basic technical literacy — not mastery, but understanding.
You don’t need to compete with technology.
You need to work alongside it
Step 3: Build Skills Into Systems, Not Motivation
Block time for learning
Review skills quarterly
Track progress, not perfection
Reflect on what’s working
Continuous improvement becomes sustainable when it’s built into routine.
In the next edition, I’ll explore how to create personal learning systems that make improvement automatic — even when time, energy, and focus are limited.
Stay tuned
Warmly
Olga Smith
www.batcsglobal.com
273. Continuous Improvement (1/1): Start With Energy Management
Life does not stand still — and neither does the world we work and live in.
Over the last few years, the pace of change has accelerated dramatically. AI, smartphones, automation, new business models, shifting customer expectations, I can continue the list. All of these forces are reshaping how we think, work, and compete. What used to take decades now happens in years — sometimes in months or even weeks.
From a human perspective, holding on to what feels familiar and resisting change is understandable. Our brains and bodies run on habits. Familiar routines feel safe. The status quo feels efficient and comfortable.
But comfort has a hidden cost.
In a fast-moving world, staying the same is not neutral. It doesn’t mean stability. It means falling behind.
That’s why continuous improvement is no longer a “nice to have” or a personal development trend. In 2026 and beyond, it is a baseline requirement. The question is no longer if we need to improve — but how deliberately we choose to do it.
This is the first edition of my series on Continuous Improvement. In this edition, I’ll focus on how we can adapt our bodies to keep up with faster change.
Why Change Feels Hard (and Why That’s Normal)
Our brain evolved for efficiency, not constant novelty. It loves patterns, routines, and predictability because they save energy.
Habits are the brain’s shortcut system:
Same route
Same way of thinking
Same reactions
Same decisions
When change accelerates, the brain often responds with:
Resistance
Fatigue
Stress
A desire to “go back to how things were”
That doesn’t mean something is wrong with us. It means we’re human.
Adapting Faster Starts with the Body
We often talk about mindset, but adaptation is physical first.
Sleep, movement, breathing, and recovery directly affect:
Focus
Emotional regulation
Learning speed
Stress tolerance
A tired nervous system resists change. A regulated nervous system absorbs it.
Energy management is not a wellness trend - it’s a strategy. You don’t need more motivation. You need a body that can support growth.
To support your body, start with small, practical steps:
Protect your sleep as a #1 performance tool
Walk regularly to reset attention
Use breathing to calm the nervous system
Strength or mobility training to build physical and mental resilience
In the second edition, I’ll explore how the body helps prepare the mindset for change and continuous development.
Warmly
Olga Smith
272. Public Speaking Tips for Global Leaders
In today’s interconnected world, leaders are addressing teams, clients, and stakeholders across the globe.
The challenge? Different cultures, expectations, and communication styles. Mastering global public speaking is about more than words; it’s about influence.
Here are 3 actionable tips to engage international audiences effectively:
1️⃣ Know Your Audience
Every culture has its own preferences for directness, humour, and storytelling.
🔹 Research the cultural context before your speech or meeting.
🔹 Adapt examples and analogies to resonate with local experiences.
🔹 Avoid idioms or jokes that might not translate.
Even small tweaks can make your message memorable.
2️⃣ Focus on Clarity and Pace
When your audience includes non-native speakers, clear articulation is essential.
🔹 Speak slightly slower than usual and enunciate carefully.
🔹 Use strategic pauses to emphasise key points.
🔹 Avoid filler words—they distract from your message.
💡 Tools like Business English Speech app help executives refine pronunciation, pace, and clarity for global impact.
3️⃣ Leverage Storytelling
Stories transcend language barriers and create emotional connections.
🔹 Use short, vivid stories to illustrate points.
🔹 Tie each story to a key takeaway.
🔹 Focus on shared values or universal business challenges for maximum impact.
💼 Pro Tip: For executives wanting to communicate with clarity, confidence, and global influence, Business English Speech app is the perfect tool to refine your skills.
Warmly
Olga Smith
271. How to Become a Successful Speech, Elocution, and Accent Reduction Tutor
In today’s globalised world, effective communication is more important than ever. Many people seek guidance to improve their speech clarity, elocution, and accent. If you want to become a good and well-paid speech, elocution, and accent reduction tutor, here is a comprehensive guide on how to excel in this field.
1. Develop Your Expertise
Before you can teach, you need a solid foundation. Understanding the mechanics of speech is essential. Focus on:
Phonetics and Phonology: Learn how sounds are produced and how they differ across languages and dialects.
Articulation and Pronunciation: Master the positioning of the tongue, lips, and jaw to produce accurate sounds.
Intonation, Stress, and Rhythm: Train to help clients sound natural and fluent in their target accent. To obtain this knowledge efficiently, use professional apps and books that contain over 25 years of teaching experience by a top London speech coach:
British English Books and Accompanying Apps:
Get Rid of your Accent for Beginners. The accompanying app: Elocution Lessons
The accompanying app: Get Rid of your Accent UK1
Get Rid of your Accent Part Two, Advanced Level. The accompanying apps: Fluent English Speech and Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause
Get Rid of your Accent for Business, Part Three. The accompanying app: Business English Speech
Pace, Pitch, Pause, Power: Public Speaking Skills Training Manual. The accompanying app: Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause
The book Get Rid f your Accent For Beginners contains a whole chapter with tips and drils for teachers to make their lessons fun and enjoyable
American English Apps:
The Audio and Kindle book: GET RID OF YOUR ACCENT, PART ONE AND TWO: GENERAL AMERICAN ACCENT TRAINING MANUAL, Second Edition
2. Hone Your Teaching Skills
Knowing how to speak clearly is one thing—teaching it effectively is another. To become an excellent tutor:
Be Patient and Empathetic: Accent reduction can be a sensitive subject. Do not jump on students’ speech with corrections; use a measured pace and a calm, friendly attitude.
Adapt Your Approach: Every learner is unique. Tailor lessons to individual needs, learning speeds, and goals.
Praise often, do not overcorrect: Let a student feel that they are making continuous progress. Focus on actionable corrections, celebrate small wins to build confidence.
Make your lessons enjoyable: The book Get Rid of your Accent for Beginners contains a whole chapter with tips and drills for teachers to make their lessons enjoyable and fun!
3. Gain Practical Experience
Practical experience is invaluable. Start by:
Offering free or low-cost sessions to friends, colleagues, or community groups.
Observing experienced tutors and noting their techniques.
Recording your own practice sessions to analyse your teaching style and speech clarity.
The more you practice teaching, the better you’ll understand common challenges and how to address them effectively.
4. Build Trust and Professionalism
Your reputation as a tutor depends on your reliability and professionalism. Key strategies include:
Establishing clear lesson plans and learning objectives.
Communicating openly about progress and areas needing improvement.
Being punctual, organised, and prepared for each session.
Maintaining a positive, encouraging learning environment.
5. Market Yourself Effectively
Once you’ve honed your skills, it’s time to attract clients. You can:
Build a professional website highlighting your expertise and testimonials.
Create Quora and Reddit Profiles. Answer questions related to English Speech.
Publish LinkedIn Newsletter
Use social media to share tips, exercises, and success stories.
Network with language schools, corporate training programs, and public speaking clubs.
You can find free tips and resources on www.batcsglobal.com and contact me directly to get professional advice.
Warmly
Olga Smith
270. What I Learned About Leadership by Examining My Need to Rush
Many high-functioning people struggle with a hidden pattern:
They rush through tasks, make mistakes, redo work — and feel constantly pressured. When they try to slow down, they freeze and do nothing. This is my pattern that spoils the quality of my life daily. I either rush or do nothing.
What I learned is that this isn’t a productivity problem. It’s a nervous system pattern.
The reason why I am afraid to slow down is that when I slow down, I do not do anything
When I rush → I feel in control and can act
When I slow down → my system drops into freeze/shutdown, so nothing happens
Why this happens
My father always rushed me. For someone who was rushed and pressured early on, the nervous system often learned only two states:
Urgency = move, act, survive
No urgency = danger, helplessness, collapse
There was never a safe middle state where: “I’m calm and active.”
So when I remove speed, my system doesn’t find calm productivity — it falls into immobility.
The key reframe
I learned that I do not need to “slow down more.” I need to learn how to: Stay active while regulated
What actually works for my nervous system
1. Using gentle motion, not stillness, because Stillness = shutdown for you (right now).
Instead:
Light movement
Small actions
Continuous but low-pressure motion
Examples:
Typing notes without deciding
Organizing tools
Movement keeps you out of freeze.
I need to keep a visible structure because freeze thrives in ambiguity.
Tools that help me is to write down:
What I’m doing now
For how long
What happens after
Example:
“I’ll outline for 3 minutes, then reassess.”
That reassess clause is anti-helplessness.
The state I am building (this is the goal)
Not:
Rushing
Stopping
But:
Steady, gentle forward motion
The mistake most advice makes
“Just slow down” doesn’t work here.
Stillness can trigger shutdown.
The goal is not slowness.
The goal is steady action without panic.
What actually helps
Move first, gently (light action instead of stopping)
Keep choice visible (“I’m choosing this pace”)
Use small, bounded steps (30–120 seconds)
Soften speed, don’t remove motion
Reclaim stop power (pause by choice, then continue)
This trains the body to feel active and safe at the same time.
The shift that changes the quality of life
When control comes from choice instead of urgency:
Anxiety drops
Errors decrease
Focus improves
Life feels less compressed
Key takeaway:
If slowing down makes you freeze, you’re not alone. You’re missing a trained middle state — calm, deliberate action. That state can be learned. You don’t have to live in emergency mode forever.
Warmly
Olga Smith
269. How to Start American Accent Training
What app to choose?
We recommend starting with the American Accent App. With this app, you master pronunciation and articulation to achieve speech clarity.
Then move on to the Fluent American Speech and an accompanying video course, Get Rid of Your Accent Part Two, to master speech fluency, sentence stress and difficult speech patterns such as word endings and consonant clusters.
These two apps and two video courses are essential for accent reduction.
For those who want to master their presentation skills, we recommend 4Ps Power. Pitch, Pace, Pause app.
How to Start Training
Explore common pronunciation challenges for your nationality in the American Accent App
Begin with the video course to see how sounds are formed in the mouth. Use the mirror to check that your speech organs match those of the teacher in the video.
Follow up with practice using the apps
Focus on one lesson at a time and practice for 20–45 minutes per day
Continue for three consecutive days
Move on to the next lesson after three days
268. Which App to Choose?
Which App to Choose?
We recommend starting with Elocution Lessons and Get Rid of your Accent apps, and an accompanying video course, Get Rid of your Accent Part One. With these apps, you master pronunciation and articulation to achieve speech clarity.
Then move on to the Fluent English Speech app and an accompanying video course, Get Rid of your Accent Part Two, to master speech fluency, sentence stress and difficult speech patterns such as word endings and consonant clusters.
These three apps and two video courses are essential for accent reduction.
For those who want to master their Business English and presentation skills, we recommend Business English Speech and 4Ps Power. Pitch, Pace, Pause apps.
How to Start British Accent Training
Explore common pronunciation challenges for your nationality in the Elocution Lessons or Get Rid of your Accent apps
Begin with the video course to see how sounds are formed in the mouth. Use the mirror to check that your speech organs match those of the teacher in the video.
Follow up with practice using the apps
Focus on one lesson at a time and practice for 20–45 minutes per day
Continue for three consecutive days
Move on to the next lesson after three days
267. The 4 Ps of Confidence (2/4): Presence – The Silent Introduction
In the first letter of this series, I explored Place—the environment that either reveals or suppresses confidence. This edition focuses on Presence.
Because even in the right place, confidence can still go unnoticed if it isn’t communicated. Presence is how confidence becomes visible. It’s the silent signal that tells a room who is grounded, credible, and worth listening to before a single word is spoken.
People with a strong presence don’t rush to prove themselves. They don’t fill the silence unnecessarily. They don’t overexplain. They arrive grounded, aware, and intentional. Their confidence isn’t loud—but it’s unmistakable.
What Presence Is Really Made Of
Strong presence is not accidental. It’s built from alignment across five visible and invisible elements:
Spirit reflects your internal state and emotional grounding: calm and centred or insecure and reactive.
Speech: clear, intentional, and measured, or rushed, vague, and unfocused. You can master it with the apps British English Get Rid of your Accent, Fluent English Speech, 4Ps, Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause
Energy can feel high, steady and contained or scattered, nervous, and tense.
Appearance signals respect and readiness or carelessness and distraction.
Body language conveys openness, stillness and purpose or restlessness, avoidance, and withdrawal.
A Question Worth Asking: “What am I communicating before I speak?”
In the next edition, I’ll explore Power—the inner strength that allows confidence to remain steady under pressure.
Warmly
Olga Smith
266. 4 Ps of Confidence(1/4): Place, Presence, Power, Personality
Over the years, I’ve watched the same story unfold in boardrooms, meetings, classrooms, and everyday conversations. Two people can walk into the same room with the same skills and experience, yet one commands attention while the other fades into the background.
It’s never about talent alone.
It’s always about confidence.
Confidence, I’ve learned, follows a clear pattern. I call it The 4 Ps of Confidence: Place, Power, Personality, and Presence.
In this newsletter, I want to focus on Place.
Here’s a fact we often overlook:
Put a capable person in the wrong place long enough, and they will be made to feel incapable.
There’s a reason the proverb says, “Don’t cast your pearls before swine.” Not because the pearls lack value, but because the environment can’t recognise them.
I know this firsthand. For years, I was underappreciated because of my dyslexia. Some people went as far as telling me I had Down syndrome, not because it was true, but because they didn’t understand how my mind worked, and they couldn’t see the strengths I brought.
That wasn’t a confidence problem. That was a place problem.
I am not good at manual work or roles that rely heavily on traditional academic processing. But I am pretty good at structure, systems, organisation, and seeing the bigger picture. When I stopped trying to fit into environments that dismissed me and started working where my strengths mattered, I became a publisher and built success by doing what I do best. The environment doesn’t create talent. It either reveals it or crushes it.
Know your strengths. Know your limits. And stop offering pearls to places that can’t see their worth.
Here’s another example.
Over the past three months, I have been visiting several Toastmasters clubs, looking for the right one to join. At one club, something unexpected happened.
The culture felt off to me. People regularly used risqué jokes, occasional swear words, and presented themselves in a way that felt scruffy and careless. When it was my turn to introduce myself at the end of the meeting, I said something I would normally never say—I told a vulgar joke. Almost immediately, I felt ashamed.
When I got home, I reflected on why I had done it and why it felt so wrong. The answer was simple and uncomfortable: I was trying to fit into the environment.
That moment made something quite clear to me. If an environment pushes you to act against your values, your standards, or your true personality, it doesn’t elevate you; it pulls you down.
So I made a decision not to return. Not because the people were “wrong,” but because the environment was wrong for me.
Confidence isn’t just about speaking up. It’s also about knowing when to walk away. And choosing environments that bring out your best.
265. 4Ps of Confidence (4/): Power
This is the fourth edition in the 4Ps of Confidence series, and it focuses on Power.
The definition of power boils down to two main abilities: to act and to influence.
Power manifests differently across various areas of life. Here are three domains and the ways power is demonstrated in each.
Intellectual Power
Ability to analyse and prioritise as opposed to consume information. I know many people who read a lot, but they cannot do much with that knowledge
Desire and ability to learn
Structured thinking and discernment
Flexibility of mind and the ability to change
Physical Power
Good posture and grounded movement
High energy levels and stamina
Strength and flexibility of the body, overall good health
Beauty and attractiveness
Speech and Voice
Well-projected voice and control of pitch, pace, and pause. You can practise it with the app 4Ps, Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause
Concise speech and careful choice of words
Use of stress that can be practised with the app Fluent English Speech or Fluent American Speech
Good articulation, which you can practise with the apps
British English
American English
Where in your life do you need to build power, not image, not performance, but real strength? Look forward to your comments!
Warmly
Olga Smith
262. iOS Apps to Master English Speech
This article will help you choose the best apps to master Received Pronunciation, clear articulation, expressive voice modulation, and the strategic use of pauses. These core speaking skills are essential for public speakers and professionals who use English as a second language and want to sound confident, polished, and persuasive.
All the apps featured share powerful, user-friendly functionality. You can listen to expertly recorded audio by professional actors, record your own voice, and instantly compare your pronunciation with the model, making progress measurable and motivating.
British English:
Elocution Lessons. This app is ideal for children and people who have just started learning English. This app has 48 lessons. It contains short, commonly used phrases, sentences and verses that are easy to repeat, and it also has useful tips for teachers of English. It is actually useful for everyone as it contains essential, everyday English.
Get Rid of your Accent. This app is ideal if you want to get rid of a regional or foreign accent and to speak with Standard English or RP (Received Pronunciation). It has 42 lessons; it contains effective practical exercises to perfect all English sounds and perfect your articulation.
Fluent English Speech. This app is a follow-up to the Get Rid of your Accent app. It is ideal if you want to develop fluency in English and sound more like a native English speaker. It contains exercises for difficult and connected speech patterns, natural flow of speech, intonation, sentence stress and onomatopoeia.
Business English Speech. This app was designed for top-level professionals, diplomats and lawyers. It is the only app on the market that has both English pronunciation and business vocabulary training. It contains 43 lessons with material gathered from interviews with CEOs, CFOs and MDs of global companies and helps to develop proficiency in English.
4Ps, Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause. This app is ideal if you want to get rid of monotonous speech and become a successful presenter and public speaker. It contains practical exercises for voice modulation and the use of pauses.
Get rid of Chinese Accent. This app is the same as the app Get Rid of your Accent, with an additional bonus - Chinese translations.
Get Rid of Russian Accent. This app is the same as the app Get Rid of your Accent, with an additional bonus - Russian translations.
General American English:
American Accent App. This app is ideal if you want to get rid of a foreign or regional accent and master the Standard American accent. It has 42 lessons. It contains effective, practical exercises to perfect all American English sounds.
Fluent American Speech. This app is a follow-up to the American Accent App. It is ideal to develop fluency in your American English speech. It contains exercises for difficult and connected speech patterns, natural flow of speech, intonation and sentence stress
More on www.batcsglobal.com
261. Contained Energy: The Missing Skill in Communication
For a long time, I thought my rushed speech was just part of my personality. I’m enthusiastic. I get excited about ideas. I like forward motion. So when I spoke quickly or acted fast, I assumed that was a feature, not a bug.
Even a speech tutor who has known me for 20 years once told me I needed to “remove the attack” from my voice. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what she meant. Now I do. That comment makes perfect sense in the context of how my pace and intensity can unintentionally create pressure for others.
But over time, I started noticing a pattern that was harder to ignore: when I felt excited—or when I wanted something—people tensed up.
Not because the idea was bad.
Not because the request was unreasonable.
But because my pace carried urgency.
And urgency, even when well-intentioned, often feels like pressure. The real issue wasn’t speed — it was velocity. What finally clicked for me is this:
Trying to “talk slower” doesn’t work if your nervous system is still in move-this-forward-now mode.
When we’re excited or motivated:
Our speech compresses
Our breathing shortens
Our bodies lean forward
Our ideas stack on top of each other
To us, it feels like clarity and momentum. To others, it often feels like being pushed. So the work isn’t reducing energy. It’s learning how to separate excitement from urgency.
A simple reframe that changed everything:
I don’t need momentum. I need permission. Permission comes from safety, space, and choice — not speed. When I slow down enough to give people room, conversations become easier, not harder.
I learned that small changes make an immediate difference:
1. I slow the start, not the whole conversation.
The first 10 seconds set the emotional tone.
Starting slower than feels natural creates safety.
I can always speed up later.
2. I pause after the headline. Instead of explaining everything at once, I separate it:
One clear headline
A pause
Then the details
That pause signals confidence and respect.
3. I add an explicit release valve when I’m asking for something.
Simple phrases like:
“No rush - just wanted to float it.”
“If this isn’t a fit, totally fine.”
“Think about it and let me know.”
Choice lowers tension instantly.
4. I ground my body before speaking
Feet flat on the floor.
One full exhale.
Jaw and shoulders relaxed.
Stillness in the body creates stillness in timing.
5. I delay the ask by 20–30 seconds. Connection first. Ask second. People are far more open when they don’t feel hunted.
In leadership, collaboration, sales, and communication in general, intensity without space creates resistance. Calm doesn’t mean low energy. It means contained energy.
And contained energy is:
Easier to trust
Easier to follow
Easier to say yes to
Urgency narrows people. Calm expands them.
I’m still practising this — especially when I care a lot. But every time I slow the pace, I notice:
Better conversations
Less resistance
More genuine engagement
The skill is learning how to let that motivation land gently.
Warmly
Olga Smith
www.batcsglobal.com
260. Own Your Space - Use Your Arms with Confidence
We have been running elocution lessons since 2007 and have helped hundreds of people become confident and effective public speakers.
What we have noticed is that most students are unsure how to use their arms and hands while speaking in public. This uncertainty often results in gestures that reduce the impact of a presentation and make the speaker appear tense or awkward.
Some of the most common distracting hand and arm habits include:
Putting hands behind the back
Creating a “chicken-wing” effect by holding the upper arms too close to the body
Crossing the hands over the stomach
Keeping hands in pockets
Tight, clumsy-looking fingers
These gestures often signal a lack of confidence and suggest that the speaker is tense.
I experienced something similar when I started belly dancing. Being in control of my arms was one of my biggest challenges:
I tended to keep my upper arms too close to my body, making my hands look stiff and awkward (the chicken wing effect). My teacher told me that I needed to own my space and allow my arms to move freely and move them away from my body.
My fingers were spread awkwardly.
In dance, fingers frame the movement; when used correctly, they elevate the dancer to something magnificent.
That advice applies just as powerfully to public speaking. Confident speakers are not afraid to use open, expansive arm gestures and to fully own the space they are in.
As a member of a public speaking club, I have noticed that even the most experienced public speakers can sometimes overdo their arm movements. The fact is that:
too much movement,
overly exaggerated gestures,
constantly repeated gestures, or
gestures that don’t match the words - can distract the audience rather than enhance the message.
Here are some strategies to get it right:
1. Be mindful, not mechanical
Plan your gestures to align with key points in your speech, but don’t force them on every sentence. Natural, purposeful movements have more impact than constant motion.
2. Own your space
Stand with a stable posture and allow your arms to move within your personal space. Avoid collapsing them close to your body, putting them in pockets, or hiding them behind your back. Confident speakers use open gestures to “claim” the stage.
3. Match gestures to words
Gestures should complement what you’re saying. For example, when enumerating points, show them on your fingers; when speaking about growth, use upward hand motions. This reinforces your message visually.
4. Practice restraint and rhythm
Less is often more. Overuse of gestures can feel chaotic. Practice your speech and notice where gestures feel natural. Pausing occasionally with hands at rest can make the gestures you do use stand out.
5. Record and review
Video yourself during practice sessions. Seeing how your arm movements look from an audience perspective helps identify distracting habits and improve flow.
6. Draw inspiration from other disciplines
Activities like dance, acting, or even martial arts teach spatial awareness and fluid arm movements. These skills can help you move with purpose rather than randomly.
When used with intention, gestures become quiet poetry, infusing your presence with elegance and grace and making beauty felt in both movement and sound.
In our elocution lessons, we record students’ speeches in both audio and video formats to help them develop strong verbal and nonverbal communication skills. To book a lesson, email: oriana_r@hotmail.com.
Warmly
Olga Smith
259. Words Matter: The Cost of Casual Profanity
In meetings, on podcasts, in posts, and even in boardrooms, profanity, especially words like “fuck”, has become increasingly common. For some, it signals authenticity or emphasis. For others, it’s a verbal shortcut. But there’s a growing question worth asking:
What is this habit doing to the quality of our speech and to how we’re perceived?
1. Profanity Replaces Precision
Strong language often steps in where clearer thinking should lead. When we rely on swear words to express frustration, excitement, or urgency, we trade specificity for shock value. Over time, this weakens our ability to articulate nuance, emotion, and reasoning.
In professional settings, precision is power. Vague intensity is not.
2. It Shrinks, Not Expands, Credibility
While some argue that swearing makes leaders sound “real,” context matters. Frequent profanity can undermine authority, distract from the message, and alienate parts of the audience, especially in diverse, global workplaces where norms differ.
Credibility grows when your words carry weight on their own.
3. It Becomes a Verbal Crutch
Like filler words (“um,” “you know”), habitual swearing often signals discomfort with silence or complexity. Instead of pausing to think, we reach for a word that fills space and emotion instantly.
Strong communicators are comfortable with pauses and choosing better words. To master the art of pause, practise with the app 4Ps, Power, Pitch, Pace, Pause.
A Better Challenge
This isn’t about moralising or policing speech. It’s about raising the bar.
Can we express urgency without profanity?
Can we show passion without shock?
Can we disagree forcefully and still sound composed?
The answer is yes, and the result is stronger speech, clearer thinking, and greater influence. Words matter; choose them carefully.
Warmly
Olga Smith
258. When Loyalty Becomes Self-Betrayal
Loyalty Without Respect is Self-betrayal
I was recently reminded of this in a group experience that started with joy and commitment, but over time revealed poor communication, lack of care, and pressure instead of support. I stayed longer than I should have, not because it felt right, but because I didn’t want to let others down. I also have a strong principle of completing what I start, and I’m learning that this can sometimes make letting go more difficult.
That’s when it became clear:
I wasn’t being loyal to a person or a purpose. I was being loyal to discomfort.
When loyalty turns unhealthy
Expectations keep changing after you commit
Your boundaries are treated as inconveniences
You feel guilt instead of growth
You’re valued for compliance, not contribution
You stay to avoid conflict, not because you feel supported
At that point, loyalty isn’t strength. It’s fear wearing a respectable mask.
The hidden cost of “staying”
Unquestioned loyalty can cost you:
Joy
Energy
Self-respect
Trust in your own instincts. I didn’t do that in my latest group experience, even though my body was clearly sending signals telling me not to go there.
On reflection, I also realised the longer you stay, the harder it becomes to leave because of sunk time, money, or emotional investment.
Here’s the reframe that matters:
Past investment is not a reason to keep paying future costs.
Leaving is not failure
Walking away from an unsupportive environment is not quitting.
It’s choosing alignment over endurance.
Sometimes the bravest decision isn’t to push through, it’s to say:
“This no longer works for me.”
That decision doesn’t erase what you learned.
It doesn’t negate your effort.
It simply honours your growth and promotes self-respect.
A new definition of loyalty
Healthy loyalty includes:
Clear communication
Care for people, not just outcomes
To feel that my time is respected
If those are missing, loyalty is no longer virtuous - it’s expensive. Before you stay loyal to a person, group, or system, ask:
“Am I staying because this nourishes me or because I’m afraid of disappointing others?”
Your answer will tell you everything. Loyalty is powerful.
But self-loyalty comes first.
Olga Smith
257. Buy Nothing
For years, I was caught in a cycle I didn’t fully recognise:
I was a shopping addict. I was shopping to make myself happy, which gave me a false feeling of self-love.
It didn’t look dramatic from the outside—just “treating myself,” chasing deals, ordering small things here and there. But underneath, there was a pattern:
A rush before buying something
The dopamine hit when I clicked purchase
A quick crash into emptiness
A new desire to repeat the cycle
And repeat it did - until it created debt, stress, but the most annoying of all, lost time and opportunities. Eventually, something shifted. I realised I was outsourcing my sense of fulfilment to objects that couldn't possibly provide it. So I made a decision that changed everything:
I would buy only food and bare essentials.
I committed to using what I already had and getting more creative with the resources around me. What started as a financial boundary became a personal transformation.
And while I did save money, that turned out to be only a small part of what I gained. Here are the unexpected advantages of my “Buy Nothing” practice:
1. I Became More Creative
Necessity truly is the mother of invention. When I stopped buying, I started problem-solving.
I repurposed things
I fixed things
It’s easy to overlook the richness of our lives when we’re always reaching for the next thing. As I reused, repaired, and re-imagined, I saw the value in what was already around me.
2. I found new hobbies (that are free):
Swimming in the cold seawater
Country walks
Beach Sundo
3. I Broke the Emotional Cycle
The biggest shift wasn’t financial—it was emotional.
I learned to sit with discomfort instead of numbing it with a purchase.
I learned to identify the real trigger behind the urge.
I learned that fulfilment isn’t something I need to buy.
4. I Regained Control
Addiction -of any kind - takes our power. Choosing “buy nothing” gave me my power back. I became clear about what I truly value.
And that clarity didn’t just transform my spending… it transformed my mindset, my habits, and my confidence.
“Buy Nothing” isn’t about deprivation. It’s about liberation. It’s about breaking a cycle that promises happiness with every purchase but delivers emptiness instead.
5. I freed up plenty of energy
Buying nothing eliminated decision fatigue. Every purchase—big or small—quietly drained my cognitive energy.
Do I need this?
Is this the right one?
What if there’s a better option?
Should I wait for a sale?
Choosing to “buy nothing” for a period of time removed that mental clutter and redirected my energy toward far more fulfilling pursuits. I’ve come to a simple conclusion:
I will only buy what I truly cannot live without. Everything else costs more than money - it costs my energy.
Warmly
Olga Smith