Find Your Voice, Change Your Life

Find Your Voice, Change Your Life Public Speaking Confidence: Find your inner voice and express what matters most with Dr. Doreen Downing.

Eric came to me because he suffered debilitating public speaking anxiety.Even in everyday moments like meetings or phone...
11/11/2025

Eric came to me because he suffered debilitating public speaking anxiety.

Even in everyday moments like meetings or phone calls, he felt short of breath, nervous, and the pressure to “get it right.”

His inner critic had taught him to be tough on himself and to hide the parts of his voice he felt others might judge.

He thought confidence meant “just push through” the fear, but that wasn't working.

What he discovered is that his harshness toward himself was eroding his confidence more than any speaking slip.

Together, we looked at the roots of his inner critic.

Eric recalled childhood moments when his father scolded him when he didn't perform well at sports. He also had memories of being teased at school.

Those experiences left a wound, a belief that something was wrong with him if he couldn’t control his nerves.

To help Eric heal is wounded voice, I guided Eric through a brief visualization: returning to the younger self who felt pressured to be something he wasn't.

Once he realized how his early life experiences shaped his negative view of himself, he started to feel a new strength.

He was ready to let go of pushing himself and discover what ease really feels like.

You don’t have to keep pushing through the fear either. Real confidence begins when you stop fighting yourself.

If you’re ready to find that ease, message me now. Let’s talk about a first step you can take to express what matters most at work and in your everyday life.

Performance doesn’t create impact. Presence does.More practice won’t change what performance has trained into you.Confid...
11/10/2025

Performance doesn’t create impact. Presence does.

More practice won’t change what performance has trained into you.
Confidence isn’t something you project. It’s something you embody.

I’ve spent decades helping people move from rehearsed speaking to real connection.
That’s the foundation of the Speaking Circle method.

Join me Wednesday, Nov 12, 6:00–7:30 PM PT in Berkeley for an in-person circle designed to help you express what truly matters.

Without performance.
Without pretense.
With full presence.

Message me or DM “CIRCLES” for details.

11/05/2025

You’ve been doing emotional labor with your voice for years.

Keeping the peace became muscle memory.

Somewhere along the way, expression turned into work.

Now speaking feels like a job that erases a little of you each time.

The latest episode of my podcast breaks that pattern wide open and unpacks the layers that can silence your voice.

Watch the full episode to hear how you can also reclaim your true voice after years of holding back, performing calm, and speaking in ways that kept everyone else comfortable but never felt like you.

(link to the video in the bio)

10/24/2025

It isn’t simple to look into the quiet corners of your mind, where old experiences still live and shape how you speak, express yourself, or show up in public today.

But with guidance and curiosity, the stories that once made you hesitate can start to reveal something different.

That’s how understanding deepens, and with it, a steadier kind of confidence begins to grow.

If you’re ready to explore that process with compassion for yourself and begin your journey toward fearless speaking, message me.

Sometimes the HARDEST ENDINGS become the DOORWAY to a life more vibrant than you ever imagined.Tomorrow on the Wednesday...
10/21/2025

Sometimes the HARDEST ENDINGS become the DOORWAY to a life more vibrant than you ever imagined.

Tomorrow on the Wednesday Spotlight, I’ll be joined by Sandy Parker Martinez, founder of the Pink Lady Posse and Boldness Coach for women 50+.

Sandy lost more than 100 pounds, replaced both knees and hips, and rebuilt her world after losing her husband of 25 years. Through all of it, she discovered that the second half of life isn’t a decline. It’s a great reveal.

We’ll talk about courage, joy, and how new strength begins to rise in the very moments that once felt impossible.

Live tomorrow, October 22 at 1 PM PT inside the Find Your Voice & Speak Up Facebook group.

For years, I tried to “sound confident.”The more I tried, the tighter my voice became.Everything changed when I stopped ...
10/21/2025

For years, I tried to “sound confident.”

The more I tried, the tighter my voice became.

Everything changed when I stopped performing and started being present.

That’s what Speaking Circles is about.

On October 22, I’ll guide a small in-person group in Berkeley to experience this way of speaking: calm, grounded, and real.

No scripts. No fixing. Just connection.

If you want to speak with ease instead of effort, come join me.

🕧6:00–7:30 PM PT | Berkeley, CA

💌Message “CIRCLES” to save your seat

10/11/2025

Most of what we call confidence looks assertive or dynamic –
the person who takes charge, speaks up first, fills the room.

But there’s another kind of confidence.
It’s grounded. Steady. Calm.
The kind that doesn’t need to be loud to be heard.

It shows up when you stop trying to control how you’re perceived
and start feeling safe in your own presence.

When confidence comes from within,
you don’t have to push it.
It steadies you.

If that’s something you’re learning to step into, drop a ❤️ in the comments.

10/06/2025

When you stop chasing the ‘right’ voice, you start hearing the real one.

Finding your voice is a journey of knowing yourself.
Each stage of your life reveals new truths…
and with them, a deeper confidence that feels real, not rehearsed.

Because this journey isn’t about becoming someone new.
It’s about allowing more of who you are to speak.

Watch the full conversation on the Find Your Voice, Change Your Life podcast.

For decades I studied human behavior as a psychologist. Yet behind the title, I lived with CRIPPLING SPEAKING ANXIETY.I ...
09/30/2025

For decades I studied human behavior as a psychologist. Yet behind the title, I lived with CRIPPLING SPEAKING ANXIETY.

I would rehearse a 5-MINUTE talk 50 TIMES…only to forget every word in front of people.

What I discovered is that real confidence doesn’t come from performance. It comes from presence. From stillness. From speaking truth.

That’s exactly what I shared with Denise Drinkwalter on Thrive After 45 — how fear can actually become a teacher, guiding us to find our own voice so we can stop people-pleasing, speak with authority, and create the kind of relationships and impact we’ve always wanted.

The episode became the most downloaded on the show because women after 45 are reclaiming their voice.

I’m deeply grateful to Denise Drinkwalter for inviting me into this conversation and for guiding it with such wisdom and heart.

Catch the full story through the link in the comments.

Your struggles can become your superpowers.Vision. Creativity. Problem-solving. Out-of-the-box thinking. The very things...
09/24/2025

Your struggles can become your superpowers.

Vision. Creativity. Problem-solving. Out-of-the-box thinking.

The very things once seen as obstacles may be what sets you apart.

Going live at 1 PM PT today.

👉🏻Link to the group in the bio

Address

902 Curtis
Albany, CA
94706

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Find Your Voice, Change Your Life posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Find Your Voice, Change Your Life:

Share