Worried you’ll sound awkward if you speak up? For women in leadership, building confidence starts with learning to move through that feeling.
Betsy sits down with workplace performance expert, keynote speaker and author Henna Pryor to unpack how to speak up, recover from uncomfortable moments and build trust in the way you communicate.
Drawing on Good Awkward and The Signal Gap, Henna shares why confidence isn’t about never messing up—and why a polished message can still leave people feeling dismissed. From asking for a promotion to leading a team through uncertainty, we explore how to make what you mean match what people actually hear.
You’ll learn:
-How to stop labeling yourself as “awkward” and start taking small risks.
-How to practice speaking up before the conversation really matters.
-How to recover from a mistake without spiraling.
-How to recognize when AI, speed or vague reassurance is weakening trust.
-How to communicate your intent so people understand where you’re coming from.
Chapters
00:00 Meet Henna Pryor
01:16 What Is “Good Awkward”?
05:40 Speaking Up and the Spotlight Effect
08:34 Building Your Social Muscle
11:06 Making Virtual Teams More Human
13:34 How to Recover from an Awkward Moment
19:45 The Signal Gap: Does Your Message Land?
21:35 Why We Now Verify Before We Trust
24:28 How AI Emails Can Unintentionally Break Trust
29:18 Name Your Intent and Communicate Clearly
31:32 Asking for Feedback on How You Come Across
34:35 Authenticity, Congruence, and Leading Through Change
39:14 Connect with Henna and Explore The Signal Gap
40:38 Betsy’s Takeaway: Pay Attention to What People Hear
About Henna
Henna Pryor, CSP, is a workplace performance expert, keynote speaker and founder of Pryority Group. She is the author of Good Awkward and The Signal Gap.
Website: https://thesignalgap.com
Buy the book: https://link.amazon/B09veiUwM
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hennapryor/
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1804624069
🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1qJuH68KxYrnV3K7dMdKcV
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💼 Work with Betsy: https://www.loudandliftedpodcast.com/work-with-betsy/
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