"You should smile more." We've all heard it, usually said like a compliment but landing like a command or even a demand. Sometimes it comes when you're giving hard feedback, holding someone accountable, or just being neutral.

This episode isn't about convincing you to smile. It's about the empowerment that comes from smiling when it's chosen by you, not demanded by others.

Tune in this week discover the significant difference between smiling because someone told you to and choosing to smile for yourself. You'll learn how to discern when feedback about smiling is someone trying to diffuse your power versus when it comes from genuine goodwill, the neurological research behind a chosen smile, and my own story of how letting myself be more human, more playful, and yes, smiling more, didn't weaken my authority but made me more trusted, more connected, and gave me way more fun in my leadership role.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: www.aspire-coaching.co/67

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanndang/

Mentioned in this episode:

You're Invited: How to Be Heard in a Room Full of Men

This is a 3-day live, interactive workshop where high-achieving women stop overperforming and start leading with the presence, power, and authority only they can bring. When: Feb. 20, 23 and 26, 12PM - 1:30PM EST each day Where: Live on Zoom Format: 3 × 90-minute interactive sessions with guided reflection, practice, and live coaching Investment: $47 Register: https://thebalancedleader.captivate.fm/be-heard

Click here to register for Leadership Lab: How to Be Heard in a Room Full of Men

Join me for a 3-day live workshop where high-achieving women stop overperforming and start leading with the presence, power, and authority only they can bring.

When: Feb. 20, 23, and 26, 12PM - 1:30PM EST

Where: Live on Zoom

Format: 3 × 90-minute interactive sessions with guided reflection, practice, and live coaching

Investment: $47

Replays: Available for all registered participants.

Click here to grab your spot: thebalancedleader.captivate.fm/be-heard

If you're a woman who's ever felt invisible in a room where decisions are being made, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, I sit down with Sonali Fiske, master storyteller and my TEDx speaker coach, to explore why the people who shape rooms, cultures, and futures aren't always the loudest or most credentialed. They're the ones who can move people, and nothing moves people like story.

Listen in this week as Sonali and I discuss why storytelling is a power skill for women leaders. learn why owning your internal narrative is the foundation of powerful external storytelling, and what happens when women stop minimizing their stories to make them professional enough. We explore how leadership doesn't begin with visibility but with authorship, and why the cost of women not telling their stories is that culture gets shaped without us. If you've been waiting until you're ready to share your story, this episode will challenge that thinking.

Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: www.aspire-coaching.co/66

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanndang/

Connect with Sonali here: https://calendly.com/sonali-fiske/30min

Mentioned in this episode:

You're Invited: How to Be Heard in a Room Full of Men

This is a 3-day live, interactive workshop where high-achieving women stop overperforming and start leading with the presence, power, and authority only they can bring. When: Feb. 20, 23 and 26, 12PM - 1:30PM EST each day Where: Live on Zoom Format: 3 × 90-minute interactive sessions with guided reflection, practice, and live coaching Investment: $47 Register: https://thebalancedleader.captivate.fm/be-heard

Click here to register for Leadership Lab: How to Be Heard in a Room Full of Men