GoodHeart | Krystal Tomlinson Carter helps women find their voices

Krystal Tomlinson, communication strategist, author and leadership coach, recently led more than 50 female business and corporate leaders through a high-impact workshop designed to strengthen confident communication. She Speaks With Courage created a space for women to learn how to use their voices confidently. The workshop unpacked why many women hesitate to speak, and provided tools to improve their public speaking.

“Public speaking is not a talent; it’s a skill and, like all skills, we can build on it,” she told participants, reinforcing that confident communication is accessible to everyone.

The event included a 30-second self-introduction exercise, which quickly exposed internal barriers like overthinking and self-doubt among the participants. Through immediate coaching, the women honed their introductions, gaining greater clarity, presence, and self-assurance with every try.

Another key drill was the Salience Sprint. This timed speaking exercise required participants to articulate the strategic value of their work in two minutes or less. It simultaneously assessed three crucial skills: the ability to start with impact, prioritise organisational relevance over a mere task description, and communicate concisely and accurately under pressure.

At the workshop’s core were what Tomlinson Carter described as the “immutable laws of public speaking”, which were principles aimed at reshaping how women approach communication. Among them are: obsess about the quality of your contribution, not the audience’s possible evaluation. She also emphasised that excellence comes from deliberate preparation and practice, guiding participants through a range of daily habits that turn micro moments into opportunities for daily practice.

Storytelling emerged as a central tool throughout the session. Participants were encouraged to ground their ideas in lived experiences, guided by a key principle: never make a point without telling a story, and never tell a story without making a point. This approach helped transform abstract thoughts into compelling, relatable messages.

The workshop also addressed deeper factors shaping how women communicate, including social conditioning, double standards, and the tendency to self-monitor. Tomlinson Carter explored how interruptions, idea appropriation, and the minimising of women’s contributions continue to influence professional dynamics.

For Tonya Hamilton, principal of Uber Wax, the experience was both affirming and transformative. “It helped me to recognise that discomfort is often the very thing that stops us from defending our ideas,” she shared. “But being in that room reminded me that our voices carry value, even when it feels uncomfortable to use them.”

Rather than positioning confidence as the absence of fear, Tomlinson Carter encouraged participants to act despite it, noting that hesitation often stems from conditioning and a lack of structured practice. By the end of the five-hour session, participants had moved from uncertainty to action, equipped with tools to organise their thoughts, contribute meaningfully, and speak with greater conviction.

goodheart@gleanerjm.com