In this episode, I sit down with the delightful Lisa Evans, who went from midwife and neonatal nurse to executive speaker coach and âstory midwifeâ in her forties. Lisa lost most of her hearing after a virus, had to walk away from a 25-year career, then rebuilt everything with a cochlear implant, public speaking and business storytelling. If youâve ever told yourself âitâs too lateâ or âIâm not that type of person,â you need to hear this.
We get into the very real stuff that stops smart people from speaking up, contributing in meetings and leading conversations: self doubt, imposter syndrome, dodgy psychological safety and poorly designed meetings that favour the fastest talker in the room. Lisa also shares a much more useful take on introversion and extroversion, and why âIâm an introvertâ isnât a get-out-of-jail card for hiding.
We also pull back the curtain on how she actually designs workshops for technical leaders in mining and resources, how she works with hybrid rooms, and why âletâs just move it onlineâ is often the worst sentence in L&D.
In this conversation, youâll hear:
⢠How a sudden, permanent hearing loss ended Lisaâs midwifery career and forced a complete reset in her forties
⢠The moment a cochlear implant opened the door to speaking, storytelling and a new professional identity
⢠What really holds people back from speaking up in meetings, presentations and virtual calls
⢠Why psychological safety is not a buzzword, itâs a pre-condition for contribution
⢠Lisaâs take on introversion vs extroversion, and why itâs about how you recharge, not whether you âlike peopleâ
⢠How introverts can be powerful speakers and facilitators without pretending to be someone else
⢠The specific challenges of working with technical leaders and engineers who are told âtell more storiesâ but donât know how
⢠How Lisa designs her workshops so theyâre customised, story-rich and flexible on the day (including how she âover-preparesâ her slides so she can cut and pivot live)
⢠⢠Why copying someone elseâs high-energy style all day is a fast track to burnout and flat rooms
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1. Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel:Â Let's energise your next event. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9RyOeXZfW4)
2. Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint (https://2hourwork.shop/) .Â
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