Communication, Connection, Community: The Podcasters' Podcast

Conquering Camera Fear with Ease & Confidence, with Loreta Tarozaite

July 17, 2024 Carl Richards Season 6 Episode 146
Conquering Camera Fear with Ease & Confidence, with Loreta Tarozaite
Communication, Connection, Community: The Podcasters' Podcast
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Communication, Connection, Community: The Podcasters' Podcast
Conquering Camera Fear with Ease & Confidence, with Loreta Tarozaite
Jul 17, 2024 Season 6 Episode 146
Carl Richards

Can video really transform the traditionally audio-only podcasting space? In this episode of Communication Connection Community, we explore this intriguing question with our special guest, Loreta Tarozaite. Loreta, the founder and CEO of Loreta Today, shares her wealth of knowledge from over 20 years in video storytelling and corporate communication. From her beginnings as a TV news anchor in Lithuania to her current role in the U.S., Loretta provides a fascinating look at the common pitfalls executives face on camera and offers actionable strategies to avoid them.

We dive deep into the significance of executive visibility, particularly through platforms like YouTube. Loreta and I discuss how executives, regardless of company size, can leverage video to humanize their brands and enhance their reputations. Through historical examples like Harlan Sanders and Steve Jobs, we illustrate the long-lasting impact of visible leadership. Loreta provides invaluable advice on overcoming the fear of judgment and time constraints that many executives encounter when appearing on camera, emphasizing the power of authentic human connection.

A veteran media professional. Loreta specializes in B2B technology companies in growth-stage and organizations in transitional chaos that need to effectively manage marketing and communications during the fast-moving changes stage.  
As a communications and visual storytelling strategist, she helps C-suite leaders and founders elevate their executive and brand presence that unlocks trust, visibility, authority, and impact in the market.  She takes you from scrappy to world-class PRESENCE.

Got a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:

askcarl@carlspeaks.ca

If you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:
https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/

Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:
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Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Can video really transform the traditionally audio-only podcasting space? In this episode of Communication Connection Community, we explore this intriguing question with our special guest, Loreta Tarozaite. Loreta, the founder and CEO of Loreta Today, shares her wealth of knowledge from over 20 years in video storytelling and corporate communication. From her beginnings as a TV news anchor in Lithuania to her current role in the U.S., Loretta provides a fascinating look at the common pitfalls executives face on camera and offers actionable strategies to avoid them.

We dive deep into the significance of executive visibility, particularly through platforms like YouTube. Loreta and I discuss how executives, regardless of company size, can leverage video to humanize their brands and enhance their reputations. Through historical examples like Harlan Sanders and Steve Jobs, we illustrate the long-lasting impact of visible leadership. Loreta provides invaluable advice on overcoming the fear of judgment and time constraints that many executives encounter when appearing on camera, emphasizing the power of authentic human connection.

A veteran media professional. Loreta specializes in B2B technology companies in growth-stage and organizations in transitional chaos that need to effectively manage marketing and communications during the fast-moving changes stage.  
As a communications and visual storytelling strategist, she helps C-suite leaders and founders elevate their executive and brand presence that unlocks trust, visibility, authority, and impact in the market.  She takes you from scrappy to world-class PRESENCE.

Got a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:

askcarl@carlspeaks.ca

If you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:
https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/

Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:
https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.buzzsprout.com/

Follow us on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/podcast-solutions-made-simple
Follow us on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/podcastsolutionsmadesimple/
Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/groups/podcastlaunchmadesimple
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/carlrichards72

Carl Richards:

Welcome to Communication Connection Community, the podcaster's podcast. This podcast takes a deep dive into modern day communication strategies in the podcasting space. We chat with interesting people who make the podcasting and speaking spaces exciting and vibrant. We also dive into the podcasting community with news updates, latest trends and topics from this ever-evolving space. So strap in, it's going to be one amazing ride. Let's dive into today's episode, and today we are talking about video.

Carl Richards:

I know what you're thinking this is an audio-only podcast. Why are we talking about video? It's not that I don't want to talk about video. It's not even that I don't want a video podcast or a video version of this podcast.

Carl Richards:

I have spent most of my career, my adult life, in the audio space former broadcaster, so I'm very comfortable with audio and I have developed a certain comfort with video. But my comfort level really really really is audio and in the podcasting space. When my comfort level really really really is audio and in the podcasting space, when you think about it, it started in the audio-only space but it has evolved immensely. Video has evolved a lot since way back in its early days and we're talking years and years and years that it's evolved. But the audio-only podcast has evolved to being video. We now have podcasts that have transcription, all kinds of different elements of the podcast, so we want to talk about video today, but if you're an audio-only podcaster, I want you to really garner some of the information we'll be sharing today.

Carl Richards:

And, by the way, not being the expert on the video platform, I've, of course, brought in an expert who can talk about video, because she spent a lot of time in the video space. Loretta Terozita is the founder and CEO of Loreta Today, where she helps technology companies in transition to effectively manage the fast-moving growth stage that comes with business success. With over 20 years of combined experience in broadcast journalism, video storytelling, corporate marketing and communication strategy development and executive on-camera coaching, Loreta understands the importance of corporate and personal brand storytelling and the impact of connecting with your audience, and video is her forte. Who better to talk about it than Loreta? Loreta, welcome to the podcast.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Thank you so much, Carl, for this amazing introduction and for having me on your podcast. I really appreciate that.

Carl Richards:

And this is probably a shock to you it's an audio only podcast.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Yes, I for sure, Exactly, and I for sure you know. I was rereading your email right before we jumped on the recording and you did say it's an audio recording but by default, you know, make sure that you know it is like by default. I'm thinking is always you know, video like for whatever reason, by default, because it's a virtual environment, it's a Zoom environment and my default thinking is video.

Carl Richards:

So it's the space you work in as well, and even for you know, even in the space that we see on TikTok and a lot of other platforms, now, too, there's Reels, there's Shorts, there's all those other platforms. So, even if it's an audio only podcast, a lot of podcasters are also using reels and shorts, which a lot of them are video right. But anyways, I'm glad you're here. That's the most important part.

Carl Richards:

You showed up. It's great. It's great to have you on the show today. The biggest pitfalls executives make when speaking on video and how to avoid them that's the main topic we're going to cover today. But before we dive into that, loretta, I want to ask you how did you get into the video space? Just give me a bit of your background.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Yeah, I was a TV news anchor and news reporter back in Lithuania, which is my home country and that's where my roots are. You know, I started in the journalism environment. I started in the news department specifically. I didn't have a lot of time learning all the backbones of journalism in TV, you know, because we ended up moving here to the United States. But that background and that basis kind of helped me transform the journalism into business storytelling, into executive coaching on camera. You know, when we moved here first, it was 2003.

Loreta Tarozaite:

You know, I didn't really know what I will do with all my knowledge, you know, in communications and in broadcasting, because I was not planning to become a news anchor here in the United States. So it took me a while to uncover, you know, how these skills could be transferable to something else. And only through networking, only through people and conversations, that I kind of started connecting the dots and people saying, hey, you were in TV, so you should do some video. You know, and I remember, you know, in the beginning I was like, well, what do you mean video? That was way back 2009, I think, when YouTube was just coming up and I just didn't have an understanding back then what you should do video meant you know. That's kind of the transition from being a journalist in television to transforming those skill sets and transferring them to business storytelling and executive communications through cameras and media 2009, youtube was still in diapers.

Carl Richards:

It was very, very infancy stages for the platform, which has now become this behemoth of a directory, for if you want to learn how to bake a cake, you go to YouTube. As a matter of fact, it's become, it's become a verb. You just YouTube, that right. It's like. It's like Google search, right. Just Google, that right. It's become a. It's become a household term that we use all the time. Very important, though, if not, then certainly now. Here we are at the recording of this episode in 2024, for executives especially and when we say executives, let's be clear. It's not executives in corporations, yes, okay, that's important too, but an executive can be somebody in a company that has five or 10 employees and you, and maybe one other person, are the top brass. It's very important to make sure you're putting your best face forward every single time that you are speaking, but especially on camera. So let me ask you this how important is it for executives and CEOs to be putting themselves out there, as opposed to, just, say, the marketing person or some other representative within the company?

Loreta Tarozaite:

Yes, it is. One of the things that I noticed when we moved here is that the executives and, to your point, you know, not every executive that we talk about is necessarily, you know, a big, large organizations executive, right, but in my mind back then it was a large corporations executive, right. They were hiding behind the walls, right. So which, by extension, makes the company less human. You know, you don't necessarily understand who these people are that are running the company, who are these idea generators, who are these engineers or technologists or whoever other types of employees that are doing the actual work. You know that would be worthy sharing those stories about. So the reason why it is important is because it affects, you know, the company, right, if you're out there as an executive visible, if you're establishing your authority online, you know, if you participate in different events, but you know you start getting invitations, you start, you know, representing your company, right, so there's more eyeballs on your company because of where you are and how you represent that company. So that is why I see as one of the key things, you know, why executive leadership should consider that.

Loreta Tarozaite:

I know everybody has an excuse I have no time. You know I have limited time or I don't want to deal with that. I have to prepare. You know, these excuses do exist for anybody. Like you know, anybody can find an excuse to do, to not do something.

Loreta Tarozaite:

You know, I find a lot of excuses to not do something, but just the understanding that in this day and age, especially where we have a lot of AI and AI generated content to begin with, I go back to where my initial mission started, you know, when I realized that these people in those companies are behind the walls, my goal was to help humanize those companies and for the longest time, that humanization of the company's idea was very difficult to adopt in the industry because it is not something that people think about. But more and more, even in right now, in current age, you know, that becomes just a backbone of how we come across. Are we real? Are we not real? Are people putting you know words in our mouth and it's just us as robots? You know video, you know, for us is still somewhat of a reality, right, and somebody who worked in that industry or who understands video or who understands human connection can have a flavor that it's still real, right of that humanization capacity over the years Again.

Carl Richards:

Video in its infancy state not YouTube, but video way, way, way, way back when, and I think bigger companies really latched onto this. You know, harlan Sanders was the the face and the voice of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Dave Thomas, the face and the voice of Wendy's. Steve Jobs, the face and the voice of Apple. You know, we saw that. I don't know at what point we got away from it, or if we did get away from it. We should definitely be moving back in that direction. But what are some of the challenges that executives have when they're getting on camera, or maybe what's stopping that? I mean, you said that it's a busy thing. It can be. What are some of the other challenges, though, that they have?

Loreta Tarozaite:

Yeah, and it's a different thing for each individual, right. But one of the biggest roadblocks is the fear of being judged, because in the end, it's you on camera, it's nobody else, it's you. So let's give an example of the news. If a politician says something on camera for the news, it's there, it's in the archives forever. Anybody can pull the archives and compare what you said 10 years ago to what you're saying right now. If you're continuing to stay in the politics, right, and we have seen that lately in the past several years, right, the my flaws, my tics, my whatever I'm about. That's the biggest culprit.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Now, if we talk about executive leadership, who are in C-suite, right. So, no matter what, they have already gone through that training. They have to go through that training, right, because when you're an executive of a large organization, you represent the company on a completely different level and you have these teams who train you how to organization you represent the company on a completely different level and you have these teams who train you how to talk with media or how to present on stage or, for that matter, on camera, right. But even in my experience, even those executives sometimes struggle. They come in confident into the studio thinking, oh, I got it. And then they start giving an interview and they realize they didn't get it. So it's still a lot of coaching just because camera has that a little bit of like.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Now it's recorded, now my word is going to stay forever. You know people can use it against me. So it's purely fear. Once you bypass that knowledge that it's a recording and it's editable, the goal is not for us to make you look bad unless we're evil in the organization, but the goal is not to make you bad as an executive. The goal is to make you sound good, look good, and that's why it's a recording. Now, obviously, live, live. We just talked, you know, in the green room. Live versus, you know, recorded message. It's different, right, slightly different coaching. But that's the biggest culprit is the fear, just to know in the back of your mind that now it's recorded, now it's purely me, nobody's faking it, you know behind a post.

Carl Richards:

And it's amazing how daunting or what that fear can be, because I again, 25 years in radio, broadcasting, fairly confident behind a microphone, put me in front of a camera, especially back in the. There was a brief stint in my career where I did live television and occasionally we'd do like a telethon type thing and they're live all the time. And there's this red light on the camera staring you in the eye. It's that one eye monster that's staring right at you and you're going, but that's so. I can understand that fear and that and that bright light. That's that, that red light, but then the other lights that are on you. It's not an environment we're used to. Does it deter executives in some cases from putting themselves forward because of the fear? Is that one of the reasons why they'll put somebody else out there? That's maybe more confident.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Yes, but that's not the skill. That's not acquirable. It's an acquired skill to be comfortable on camera. And one advice that I normally give to people is you know, camera is a very intimate form of communication. If we think about the stage right, we have live audience. You have to fill in the stage with your presence, you have to walk, you have to kind of pinpoint the people, make sure you make eye contact to a degree with people in the audience With camera.

Loreta Tarozaite:

When you think about it, people consume content most of the time on mobile or on PCs or wherever. They consume the video content individually. They don't necessarily watch video content as a group of people. So it is very important to understand that it's actually just having a conversation. You know, I'm just having a conversation with a camera, as if you were having a conversation with a person behind that camera. So just comprehending that this is actually a person, you just have to look all the time in the lens for the connection of the eye purposes. But it is a single person sort of model. Again, because of how people consume video content, it's one on one, it's not groups and one.

Carl Richards:

And I love that example. It's one of the things that it's tough when you're starting out in broadcasting You've been in broadcasting, I've been in broadcasting it's you're speaking to that audience of one. So even when you're crafting your message, or even if the message has been crafted for you, you're still speaking to that one person. You need to connect with them as their one person and you, you know the language is so. I quite often will. You know in my, in a my past life as a as a speaker trainer as well, now bringing that into the podcasting space. You know training people and giving them some instruction on when you're sharing your message. It's not okay Everyone in YouTube land or in podcast land, it's more you and we and us and you know really bringing people in with the language, which, again, it's mindset too, but to your point, it can be daunting.

Carl Richards:

Okay, how do I do this thing? And the technology can be a bit of a fear factor too. I'm assuming that I know people again from the broadcasting space and radio. You put a microphone in front of them. They'll talk of a blue streak without a microphone in front of them. Put a microphone in front of them. Even if they're being recorded, they shut up. I'm assuming it's the same with video.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Oh, it's just tenfold more because it has a face to it, right To the voice.

Carl Richards:

It's not just the voice.

Loreta Tarozaite:

There's also a face added to it and everything that comes with it, right? Like I said, I use a lot of hands in general, right? So when I sometimes watch my videos back, I'm like, oh my God, I used to be in hands, you know. But then in the end it's me. If I'm not me, then people will meet and be like, well, that's a different Loretta over here. You know, we saw one on camera but we're seeing a different one in person and the goal is to translate that you, who you are through the lens, and sometimes it is very challenging.

Loreta Tarozaite:

I'm not saying it's easy, you know, especially who are not trained to be on camera, who are afraid it's not easy. You have to start slowly, you know, step by step. Just try it out, get comfortable, record yourself. Don't publish anything, you know. Test it out, hear your own voice, watch yourself back, see what works, what doesn't work. You know what you notice as ticks, right Yourself when you're in front of the camera and only when you're comfortable. You know, try to publish something right.

Loreta Tarozaite:

But you know, I've seen a lot of videos with big flops and they generate a lot of views because it's real, it's not faked, right? So it's real. And then people relate to realness. You know, one of the things that I always say in, in, in, in my message, you know, is a I look at everything from real, relating lens perspective. You know, that's kind of my, of my, my method. You know how do we come across as real, relatable and pull people in, you know, through through that perspective, right, not everything has to be perfect and, trust me, I'm a perfectionist in general.

Loreta Tarozaite:

When I decided to kind of uplevel myself as well through video content specifically, you know I was going all in into preparation, setup and, you know, making sure the light is good, making sure everything is perfect, you know, because, well, I'm showcasing my background, right, even though tech part is not my strength, it's more communication. But I felt the pressure that I have to show the perfection and it was a big roadblock to just progress and do something. So I nixed everything I said. You know what, forget about it, people are forgiving. I have to be real. If I have a moment and I have an idea, I need to record it. I need it to be simple. I can't have this whole setup going on, you know, because then my inspiration will go away, so it's just find simple ways of doing it. You go on a walk, just record what you're seeing, just purely record.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Just talk to yourself. Nobody knows these days if you're talking to yourself or somebody on the phone.

Carl Richards:

It's true actually.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Yeah, and just play it back for yourself to see how you sound. You know, and then try to record the real message of what you want to share, you know with the audience, see how that comes across. Share it with others. You're trusted. You know people in the circle Not necessarily you know family because they will be nice, but share with people who are, you know, in your professional contacts, right, because they will be, you know, more honest and how that comes across.

Carl Richards:

Great answers and I love the piece where you said play it back so you see how you look and you hear how you sound. Those are two things that people hate. A lot of people hate seeing themselves on camera and they hate how they sound. I'm like but that's how you sound, get used to it. It's how you look, it's how you sound, you have to get used to it. You also said something very interesting and I'm going to add a third R to it. You have to be relatable, you have to be real and you have to be relevant.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Oh yes, One hundred percent.

Carl Richards:

You need to connect those three R's. I'll add a third to that.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Yeah, thank you.

Carl Richards:

I don't need no royalties for it or rights or anything.

Loreta Tarozaite:

I'll underwrite it. You know Carl Richards idea.

Carl Richards:

But certainly all of those things are very important when you're speaking on camera. I like that you encourage people to be a little bit casual to help them be comfortable. Personally, I do have a bit of a vendetta against people who do the walking and the recording, but that's another story altogether. But definitely if you're practicing, by all means I mean practice, whatever works, practice, whatever is helping you be comfortable getting on the camera so you have that as a gauge to be able to say, okay, that's what I look like, that's what I sound like, what are the tics? What are the tics? What are the vocal issues that I have? What are the facial expressions that I should have that I don't have? Do I look deadpan? Do I look smiling more? I?

Carl Richards:

It's funny because it was playing back a video podcast and when I get passionate, I get serious. I don't mean serious. I know how to paint the smile on. I know you learn that in broadcasting, right, paint the smile on even if you're half asleep, okay. But I was so serious about making some points, about whatever I was talking about, and I'm playing back the, the real that this podcaster created and I'm like, oh, I should have been, I should be smiling. I should be smiling, so I actually put that in the comment, because he made a comment saying oh, that was my favorite clip. It was great to have you on the show, carl. And I said it was great being your guest. I should be smiling.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Because we don't know what we look like, right. Yeah, exactly, and it's not only on the look of it as well, but it also changes a little bit of your vocal cords too. You know, because when you smile, you come across a little bit more warm, right, and I get very passionate as well. When I believe in something, I get really just storming towards it. You know where people are, like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You know what's going on here. You know back off, so I understand what you mean. You know when you're trying to prove a point, how, how you become this. You know more serious and more like a forthcoming, I guess, and it's not for everybody.

Loreta Tarozaite:

But one thing that you said earlier the walk and talk right, the sort of the selfie walk and talk right. Yes, you pointed a very great aspect of being professional, you know. So it depends what your business is all about where you reside in your career. You know where you are in this, what we call executive mode, right, are you a small business? You know owner. Are you a corporation leader? Are you a founder? Are you a middle manager? Where do you reside? All of that shapes what your goals are in terms of why you want to use the video as part of your.

Loreta Tarozaite:

I guess authority building Same as podcast authority building, right, and you know what type of approach is suitable, you know for you, right. So, yes, not everybody is good and not everybody will come across authoritative. Just you know walk and talk, right. So, yes, not everybody is good and not everybody will come across authoritative. Just you know walk and talk, right. If you look at Gary Vee, that's how he started walk and talk. He sits in the car, he just blurts his ideas and that's how you learn. But that's his style. This style is not for everybody. You can't imagine a C-suite executive, you know, hopping off the plane and just like recording themselves like that.

Carl Richards:

But it's also a certain personality.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Yeah, it does take a certain personality right, so you have to match it to what's authentic to you. You can't just copy somebody else's mode and say now I'm going to do the same thing, I'm going to replicate, it's going to work.

Carl Richards:

No, it has to flow, you know, and just has to flow what's natural to you. To that point, though, so many people will do that, They'll say, hey, I saw Gary Vee do it, he's very successful at it, so I'm going to do the walk and talk. And they don't take into consideration. And this is why practice is good. Practice makes perfect. No, perfect practice makes perfect.

Carl Richards:

A lot of people don't consider I'm walking by a stream which has noise, or it's a windy day, there's a lot of noise that ends up cutting out your voice, so those things. But, to your point, it doesn't work for everybody. You have to find out what works for you and don't just do it because somebody else is doing it. It doesn't bring about, or doesn't necessarily bring about, the best messaging for you. Just because it does for Gary Vee, by way of example, doesn't mean it will for you.

Carl Richards:

But that's a very important piece I think to reemphasize. Is that just because somebody else is doing it? It takes me back to when I was on the TEDx stage and one of the talks that I gave I was on the TEDx stage once as an emcee and then as a speaker. The premise of the TEDx talk was how many people try and emulate someone else. I want to be just like so-and-so. So, therefore, I'm going to do all the things that they do. I'm going to walk like them, talk like them, I'm going to speak like them. I'm going to do all those things that they do, not realizing that it's not connecting. The same way, because the only person who can speak like Loretta Terozita is Loretta Terozita. Carl Richards can't speak that way.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Exactly, you have to have a specific Lithuanian accent, that too. But you know, I have a perfect story to actually complement what you just said. You know, and I did record one of my you know sort of founder stories from my background in TV In my very early career in television. So I started as an anchor in a small business show TV show on the national television, in a small business show, tv show on the national television. Then I got recruited to be a host of a docu-series show on another national television station and I had very big shoes to fill in because the woman who pretty much was the brand of those docu-series, you know, had decided to move on, pursue some other goals and they're like, okay, well, maybe let's try Loretta, put into that spot, you know. So they recruited me and I was, I don't know, maybe my, even my, probably first year in television to begin with, and in Lithuania there was no such thing or I didn't know that it existed and it was not part of you know, journalism curriculum, when, when I was studying, you know, broadcast, there were no, no on-camera coaches. Nobody coached me how to be good on camera, I just happened to somehow be comfortable at it from the beginning.

Loreta Tarozaite:

But when I was put into the shoes to fill somebody else's role, I thought I just have to be like her. So I did exactly what you just said. I was her, I was attempting to be her. How like my enunciations, I was mimicking. I was rewatching her videos. I'm like, okay, this is how she pronounced it because she had such a massive audience, right. And I'm like, okay, we need to maintain the audience. So now they're transplanting me into this role and I'm like I'm failing miserably. The only advice the producer was giving during those insert recordings went into those Oki theory shows. When it's in studio, just be yourself, just be yourself. I'm like, well, what the heck does that?

Carl Richards:

mean.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Be myself Like. Can you tell me what that means? Nobody ever told me. I ended up realizing I'm going to fail miserably. I'm going to ruin my reputation. I need to go back to the news First of all. That's more my vibe, more my pace. You know, and as you can tell, I speak past. You know, docu-series was a bit too slow and I'm like. You know what this is not for me. I'm not doing a good job. I just need to remove myself, you know, from that environment.

Loreta Tarozaite:

But, I did everything wrong and that's where I realized, you know, how important it is to understand and uncover yourself, and I made it a mission for myself. When I went back, testing it all out on myself, Nobody was telling me what to do. You know, here's a teleprompter. Okay, read it. Well, how do I read it? Let me play around and see how I should read it. You know, it was a journey and when I look back I'm like oh my God, it was so embarrassing. I was like I was just embarrassed, Everything that we go through these early career stages.

Carl Richards:

It's phenomenal how we can still be alive, based on some of the things that we've done.

Loreta Tarozaite:

On live television and I was literally on live television.

Carl Richards:

I was like, oh my God Well kudos to you for rising above it and carrying on, despite the fact that it wasn't exactly your best. But look at what you do now. You are the beacon of hope for people who need that training that didn't exist back then. You help people on that space. We've covered a lot of tips already today, but I wanted to ask if there were any other tips or tricks that you wanted to pass along that help execs be in that comfort place when they're on camera.

Loreta Tarozaite:

I think, first and foremost, you have to realize if you have that drive right, I mean, if you don't have the drive, if it's very forced, again, let's define executives. Sorry, I'm not talking about these C-level executives that have to go through that training, no matter what. Let's kind of knock it down a bit by a layer, right, Just identify if this is even your medium right, Because if you're forcing it, even your medium right, Because if you're forcing it, it's going to be a long path to success. If you realize, okay, yes, I want to master the video as part of communication. You know, because we're on all these virtual meetings.

Loreta Tarozaite:

You know, I go and speak on stage, but I would love that speaking engagement to be recorded. Right, I do have a lot of knowledge and I want to share it with the audiences online, right? So if that's the medium that you want to master, just you know, go for it. But if it's not the medium, don't even attempt going there. Maybe writing is your medium. I know my medium is not writing. I like talking and recording a video. You know, it's easier for me because I just speak. When I see the blank sheet of paper, I blank out, I become the blank sheet of paper myself.

Carl Richards:

It remains blank, it just.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Yes, exactly.

Carl Richards:

That's a good point, Loreta, that you know, really, is it for you If not, find something that is as you said, maybe it's writing? For me it's mostly the audio platform. That's not to say I can't embrace video, because I can, and it's great that I can do that, but if it's not for you, don't feel pressured to do so. This has been an amazing conversation. I could talk to you about this forever. I can't. That's a very long time. I don't think I have that much bandwidth on my computer, but I do want to give you the opportunity, though, if you have something to pass along to our listeners today PDF checklist, whatever it is that you'd like to share.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Yes, thank you. Thank you for that opportunity, carl. I appreciate that. Yes, people can go to my website, lorettatoday, and you will find there a checklist that you can download, presence checklist. Specifically One of them. It kind of has a twofold part One is executive presence assessment and another one is company presence assessment. It all weaves a lot of things into it, your communications aspect, branding things into it. You know, your communications aspect, branding aspect, everything you know, so you can kind of test yourself and see where you or your company stands when it comes to the score and if you see any gaps. If you see any gaps and you want to close them up, obviously I can, I can help you out.

Carl Richards:

Phenomenal. This has been an amazing conversation today. Loretta Terozaita, before I turn you loose to go help some executive in the world be more comfortable on camera, I'm going to give you the final thought.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Final thought is if you pursue video and if you're representing the company right or your business, for that matter, or your startup, try to align your personal brand values with your company values, see how they match up, where they intersect, because you're going to be the face of the company in the end. So if you're representing your company, and when people engage with your company, you know, with your teams, with everything they have to feel that same culture from you throughout the organization. So that would be the best advice I guess I could give you. Know, just make that, make sure that that alignment exists.

Carl Richards:

That's a great place to leave it. Loretta Tero Zaita, thanks so much for being my guest today.

Loreta Tarozaite:

Thank you for having me, Carl.

Loreta Tarozaite:

We'll catch you next time.

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