Meet Sally Z | Speaker & Speaker Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sally Z and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sally, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I have always loved two things: being on stage, and sharing an idea I hope has an impact. I learned early on how powerful the “stage” is to lead from. I remember playing a character role in a high school play, and the moment I made the audience laugh – like, really laugh!.. I was hooked! (If that’s ever happened to you – you know how addicting that can be!) I channeled that performance energy into high school speech, and learned how to craft a persuasive message from some of the best speech coaches in the country (strategies I still call upon and use as a coach myself). I was a theater and English major in college – and found myself soon after standing in front of 150 teenagers every day talking about big, universal ideas like kindness, courage, and respect. And I had to learn VERY quickly how to make seemingly “boring” ideas engaging and interesting (because teenagers will let you know when you don’t)!

I started coaching speakers almost at the same time. My boss – an incredible speaker himself – invited me to give him feedback before one of his talks to those 150+ teenagers. I thought… “Me? I’m 25. He’s the boss. Should I really?” … But he handed me his script – and I jotted down some ideas for him. After the talk he said, “Sally, I want you to coach everyone on staff.” That was it! I’m so grateful for his courage in asking for the feedback, and my gumption in the moment to share it.

Now – 20 years later – I’ve built a business where I coach entrepreneurs and coaches to leverage the power of speaking to grow their impact, authority and revenue, I help them create a story-driven speech that feels authentic to them – which is the key to really moving your audience. Through courses, coaching and a community of other big-hearted and brave people, we empower each other to step on “stage” with confidence.

What should our readers know about your business?
Be Moved is an idea that I’ve built my business around: if we want to move our audience, then we too need to be moved. In other words – the process of you becoming someone who moves an audience is what allows you to speak in a way that moves that audience. As speakers (even if you don’t consider yourself one) – our job isn’t just to show up and do things exactly right or perfectly. It’s not to share what we know (though that’s a good place to start). Our job as leaders – especially if we want to be a thought leader! – is to share who we are.

That shift requires us to step out front with our full, human selves – mistakes, foibles, filler words, and all. It’s what sets me apart from other speaker coaches, many of whom are focused on streamlining your “issues” – rather than making you even more of yourself in a moment that most people shy away from. One of my key mantras is: Perfection kills connection – and connection is the point. If that’s true (and I believe it is) – then you memorizing your perfect script is a waste of time. Instead, we need to learn the skills to both be prepared AND to let go. We need to not just be a talking head – but to let the words live in our bodies And most importantly – to allow the moment and context to make the final decisions about what is needed – and get to a place where we trust ourselves to handle that moment.

So that’s what I do! – I help entrepreneurs and coaches identify and craft a signature story that becomes the heart of their business, and then put that story to work by creating a story-driven signature speech that feels like them and that moves audiences (Signature Talk Studio™). When they’re ready to really leverage speaking in big ways, I show them how to scale that talk to bring in more leads and make more money with it (The Movers LAB™).

It has been my absolute honor to work with hundreds of speakers over the last 20+ years – and see the ripple effect of their words and ideas. Some of the most inspiring and brilliant people I’ve ever met! TEDx talks, standing ovations, keynotes and workshops that have created brilliant transformations. I believe that a good talk can move the world – and it’s my purpose to help make that happen.

But it’s not easy.
We face rejection every day. We tackle our fears and push beyond discomfort in service to a message and idea that we believe is needed and powerful.

One of the reasons why I love entrepreneurship so much is that we take risks every day because we believe in something that makes the risks worth it, even on the days when it feels like it isn’t. Even through the ups and downs, we are driven to try (well, most of the time anyway). Those big dreams keep us going.

I will say that the first half of my experience as an entrepreneur was unusually smooth: my coaching clients came to me all through referrals, and before I knew it I had a coaching practice. Building an online business (which has been especially important over the last few years for obvious reasons) has been some of the most challenging work I’ve ever done. We learn, teach ourselves, try, fail. Then – we redirect and try it all again. There are a million “gurus” out there – but as in all things, what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another. So we’re all doing the big work of figuring out who we are and who we show up in the world on a daily basis. It’s thrilling – and sometimes exhausting.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I feel indebted to the hundreds of people who have invited me into the vulnerable work of stepping out front and speaking. It takes courage to speak your story – and without their willingness to not only do it but invite me in to walk alongside them? Well, my life would be less bright, and the world would be less moved. So – my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of my speakers. I’m in your corner, cheering you on, as you continue to create talks that move the world.

Website: https://www.bemoved.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallyz_bemoved/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallykoeringzimney/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/moveyouraudiencewithsallyz/ AND – https://www.facebook.com/bemovedbysallyz

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC62UaxTvQTJPV8ubL2Ot57A

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakingsallyz