How to get your message heard with Shelly Horton

In this episode of the Powerful Stories Podcast, we had the opportunity to hear from journalist Shelly Horton. Shelly is the master of being heard and voicing her opinion on sticky situations – it’s what we all love the most about her. Shelly’s high school guidance counsellor said she talked to much and should dial it down. So, how do you take what someone said you shouldn’t do and translate that into a business skill? Shelly says, “I’m employed for my brain, not how I look and that has been a big switch that I want to instil in other women.” Dealing with internet trolls has become part of Shelly’s life, ‘unfortunately, we’ve lost that ability to have a debate and not attack the other person’. Her advice – ‘Don’t try and deal with it yourself.’ Shelly sees Dr Happy who encouraged her to list the ten people whose opinion matter to you and discount the rest. ‘It’s a psychological trick but it really does bring your power back.’ So many women feel they don’t have a voice, however, Shelly is not afraid to deep dive into a topic and voice an opinion and shares her top 3 tips for being heard as a leader or advocate for change – Firstly, ‘remember the 5 Ps – Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.’ Write down (in dot points) and rehearse the conversation in the mirror. Then prepare your body – focus on your breathing and warm up just like you would run a marathon. And finally, ‘Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable yourself - vulnerability opens up a chance to connect.’ Shelly says, ‘I believe everyone has a voice and everyone deserves to be herd – if you’re honest, vulnerable and show all your sides you are setting an attainable goal.” Shelly’s advice for women who want to be heard amongst the chatter on social media – ‘You need to work hard on your brand, be consistent, deep dive into your core values and take every opportunity to learn from others. Make sure to say no to things that don’t vibrate well with you and yes to what does align with your values. One of Shelly’s most powerful steps came from a lie. Her career as a television presenter started in London - ‘It was one of those things where I just jumped in and made it happen.’ When you’re not someone who has been handed opportunities and you’ve had to hustle for so long, to actually have that success and belief in yourself, it’s a game-changer.” So, sit back and enjoy this powerful story with the extraordinary Shelly Horton. Links: Sign up to the Powerful Steps #coffeechallenge to gain Tory’s proven formula for building a global network, with three coffee dates a week. It’s how she connected with the guests on this podcast. Each one is an authentic and trusted connection  Powerful Steps Follow @powerfulsteps on Instagram Powerful Steps on LinkedIn Follow @shellyhorton1 on Instagram Shell Shocked Media Follow Shelly on Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.