Public speaking is an activity many dread. But through Speaker Sisterhood, groups of women meet not only to practice public speaking, but also as a tool of self-discovery.
Speaker Sisterhood, a public speaking club for women, was founded by Angela Lussier in August of 2016 in Holyoke. Since then, clubs have formed throughout Massachusetts and the country, as well as some virtual clubs.
Carlyn Saltman of Turners Falls formed the seventh club in Greenfield in October of 2017. There are now 25 clubs in all.
The Greenfield club has about eight members, meeting 20 times a year for two hours, and encourages people to sign up for a year.
Saltman, who works as a communication and career coach at Video Mirror Communication Coaching, said in 2016, while working for SIT Graduate Institute in Vermont, she noticed “most clients for communication coaching were men in business who were leaders.”
“I wanted to work with more women. Our world needs all our voices,” Saltman said. “As part of this observation, I noticed I was not speaking up myself.”
So Saltman started participating in group improv with Happier Valley Comedy. In one of the first workshops, “Better Presentations Through Laughter,” she met Lussier, who had recently started Speaker Sisterhood by inviting a bunch of friends and colleagues to “come test drive this idea of women coming together to practice speaking up in a safe, brave space,” Saltman explained.
Shortly after, she joined the Northampton club, then moved to the Amherst club and began to carve out time to make her own.
“Every woman I’ve spoken to said that it’s a great idea,” Saltman said. “People want to come to practice; even good communicators know how much better they can be.”
At the beginning of the club meeting, there is a check-in where women practice speaking spontaneously. Saltman said guests or newcomers are often asked, “What brought you to the Speaker Sisterhood?”
Generally, each meeting — held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 6:15 to 8:30 p.m. — involves giving a speech, either prepared or more informal.
Group members provide both written and oral feedback to the speaker, which is written down on sheets of paper to be given to the speaker after the speech is complete.
“Not everyone is ready for feedback, but if they want it, it’s offered in a supportive way,” Saltman explained.
Feedback can be as general or specific as the speaker wants. Saltman said at first, some people only want positive feedback and over time they ask for more specific suggestions, allowing for more constructive feedback.
Women in the Greenfield club pay $98 annually and an additional $30 a month.
The club is not at capacity. The maximum number of club members is 15 women and new members are very welcome, Saltman said.
If women are interested, the first step is to visit speakersisterhood.com and read the frequently asked questions page. The next step is to contact Saltman by phone at 413-522-0789 or by email at carlyn@carlynsaltman.com to set up a brief phone meeting. Everyone’s first visit to a Speaker Sisterhood meeting is free.
As part of a membership, women receive the book, “The Secret Life of Speaking Up: A Guide for Using Public Speaking as a Tool for Self-Discovery,” a curriculum written by Lussier.
“The curriculum Angela wrote, ‘The Secret Life of Speaking Up,’ has 10 suggested speech topics that can be used as a guide,” Saltman explained. “It’s user-friendly and engaging. One thing worth emphasizing is the subtitle … because practicing public speaking is a powerful way to discover, awaken and create your own voice regardless of whether you plan on speaking in public.”
Saltman said through her own experience as a club member and a club leader that she’s seen the ways women have changed by being part of the club.
Part of the process, as Saltman put it, involves “choosing courage.”
“Most of us have voices in our heads saying ‘You’re not prepared,’ or ‘You don’t have anything to say,’” Saltman said. “One of the first things I discovered is it’s possible to choose courage even though I’m feeling vulnerable. It’s moving for me as a club leader to support women in learning that they can acknowledge their fear and still choose to do something different, to speak instead of stifling their voice.
“When you speak up, it helps contradict the limiting beliefs even though you may be feeling vulnerable and afraid,” Saltman continued. “In my experience, contradicting these voices often enough in the Speaker Sisterhood has helped me gradually realize that people do learn from what I say and that my voice can make a difference. This new perspective gets louder and the old, limiting beliefs get quieter.”
Club member Jill Bromberg said she didn’t think about joining a speaking group, until she heard about the Speaker Sisterhood through a friend. She said she joined the club to be able to comfortably express herself verbally.
“This model of public speaking was not just about giving talks and presentations, although it’s that too. It’s about self-discovery and finding your voice — that was the part that grabbed me,” Bromberg said. “For someone who grew up in a home with two older dynamic siblings, there wasn’t much room for me, quiet by nature, to be seen or heard. … The group has helped me to articulate and appreciate the wisdom I have and my way of sharing it.”
Bromberg said she has a business helping people in their homes with organizing and downsizing, and she had a tendency to keep her business a secret. The club has allowed her to practice the skills she needs to promote herself.
“Soon I may even be ready to start giving talks and presentations,” she said.
Bromberg has also found inspiration from her fellow club members.
“The other element of this group that has been so special is getting to know the other women in the group through their talks,” she said. “There has not been one talk given that didn’t have nuggets of brilliance. It’s so inspiring to see the beauty, wisdom and depth that we all have.”
Staff reporter Melina Bourdeau started working at the Greenfield Recorder in 2018. Her beat includes Montague, Erving and Gill. She can be reached at: mbourdeau@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263.