Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Zimmer.
Sandra Zimmer founded The Self-Expression Center to help people unleash their natural abilities to present and communicate authentically by unlocking the tensions that are holding them back from full self-expression and communication.
As an actress, Sandra had suffered debilitating stage fright that prevented her from being comfortable, genuine and present onstage. Then, one night while performing onstage, she almost lost her costume in front of 200 people. That snapped her into a state of pure presence onstage. Suddenly she was in another zone for performance just like an athlete gets into the zone for sports. She was acting in the flow state. Her performance was effortless, fluid, radiant and joyful!
That moment changed the relationship with her audience. It transformed her awareness of what was possible to be experienced between performer and audience. She was no longer performing FOR the audience, she was being WITH them. She felt completely connected with them while she was giving the best performance of her life. That extraordinary experience lasted only that one night. By morning it was gone and she did not know how to get back into that state the next night of performance.
It led Sandra on a journey to discover how to create the experience of being present with audiences at will. She discovered she had the right set of experiences to create transformational programs that would free people to be who they are in front of others.
She began to put together her knowledge from psychology, self-awareness, bioenergetics, meditation, acting and voice. Over the next decade, she developed The Sandra Zimmer Method to transform stage fright and fear of public speaking.
Initially, she only shared her program with actors, but soon she transitioned into helping business professionals develop an authentic style of speaking and presenting. In 1992, she published her book “It’s Your Time to Shine: How to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking, Develop Authentic Presence and Speak from Your Heart.’
Thirty years have passed now while Sandra has facilitated hundreds of groups and thousands of business communicators to shine when they speak, present and communicate.
Her current programs include Transforming Stage Fright into Authentic Presence, Cultivating Gravitas for Leadership Presence, Voice and Diction for Vocal Presence, Accent Reduction to Speak English Clearly for Professionals who Speak English with an Accent, Interview Preparation and Executive Communication & Presence.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
From the perspective of now, the road seems like it was pretty smooth. What has always been easy has been creating programs that transformed people’s lives by freeing up their natural abilities to express themselves authentically. I was a natural at that!
From a year by year perspective there have been financially good years and really bad years. But I have never been close to closing my doors. This is what I do, what I love to do and will always do as long as I am alive.
Part of my success is that I was always serious about the contribution I make. Failure was not an option because I was never a good employee.
The hard parts have all been around the issues of marketing and managing others who work with me. I started as an actor not a business person. I had to learn how to sell myself, how to talk about what I do for people in a way that intrigued and excited them and inspired them to pay me for my services. I am always looking for the right language to explain what I do and how it benefits clients. I’ve gotten pretty good at sales and persuasion out of necessity.
Even more challenging has been learning how to interact with people I have hired to help me with both the administrative tasks and with teaching my programs. I honestly think my greatest lessons have been about how to be flexible but firm in handling office help and teachers I have hired to teach some of my programs.
Over the years I have become more generous and less rigid. I’m grateful for all the people who have helped me over the years, even the ones who left angry at me!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Self-Expression Center – what should we know?
The Self-Expression Center mission is to create rich, learning experiences where business professionals discover their natural abilities to express themselves authentically so they can achieve what they want to achieve at work and in life.
Participants develop leadership presence, overcome stage fright and feel confident to share their ideas, insights and expertise to make a difference.
We specialize in coaching professionals and sensitive achievers. Our clients are often brilliant at what they do, but they struggle with communicating that brilliance when speaking and presenting. Our work is about guiding clients to shine when they speak in groups, meetings and presentations.
Our presentation and communication programs are taught in a totally safe environment.
Participants are supported for being authentic rather than critiqued for mechanical imperfection. They are honored for who they are, allowing them to relax and let go of tensions and anxiety. They learn to develop a style of speaking that is based on being who they are, rather than who they think they should be. As a result, they shine with confidence and express themselves with greater ease.
Individual coaching and group programs include:
• Speaking from the Heart Group Speaking
• The Zimmer Method for Transforming Stage Fright & Fear of Public Speaking
• Voice and Diction for Vocal Presence
• Accent Reduction to Speak English Clearly
• Cultivate Gravitas for Leadership Presence
• Executive Presence & Communication
• Interview Preparation
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I have the ability to see who people really are. I can see past their fears, anxieties and egos to perceive who they really are as human beings. I am able to draw out their best selves into their communication style. Rather than seeing what is wrong with them, I see the good. When people are seen for who they are and what they do well, it sets them free to express themselves fully.
I am also able to guide people step by step to reach their communication and presentation goals. So I am able to make it easy for people to learn to do things like public speaking that seem so scary to many people.
All of that is to say I make it safe for people to be who they are. Then they can be brilliant.
Contact Info:
- Address: Sandra Zimmer
11221 Richmond Ave.,
Suite C-104
Houston, TX 77082 - Website: www.self-expression.com
- Phone: 281-293-7070
- Email: sandra@self-expression.com
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