Cindy Ashton

Our next PR Maven is someone who has received awards from President Obama and Queen Elizabeth II, and lights up every room she steps into.

I met Cindy Ashton through a mutual friend and was immediately clear on what she was all about. She is the type of woman who lives for her purpose and shows you all of who she is. She is truly admirable, fun, and inspiring.

Now, let’s all fall in love with Cindy!

indy, how would you describe your career in the PR / Communications industry?

From performing and speaking on thousands of stages to being featured in countless media outlets to interviewing celebrities on the red carpet to training tens of thousands of people to speak from their power to close more deals, it’s truly been a remarkable career. To know my voice and the voices of our clients are making a positive impact in the world is deeply satisfying.

How long, background, what industries, etc.

At 19 years old, I was an apprentice on several pre-Broadway shows and learned what it really took to tell a compelling story and create an unforgettable experience for your audience. From there, I have gone on to do musicals, opera, comedy improv and television, giving me the opportunity to understand how to build deeply rooted connections with any audience. I started training others on their speaking, presentation and influence skills over 25 years ago and have had the joy of working with everyone from small business owners to billionaire CEOs.

If you had to narrow it down, what is your specific area of expertise?

I love training our clients on how to speak from their power across all parts of their business, so they can have greater influence with their message and close more deals. And it can be done without using any slick sales methods. The key is learning how to be in alignment with your brand and message, and taking people on an emotional journey that draws them to you as well as speaking your message from a place of deep truth and embodiment (no fake posing, posturing or speech effects!).

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Everything! But if I had to choose one thing, it would be when I take our clients through relaxation and grounding exercises and then have them present their talk. Learning how to BE in their body and express their truth without having to push to be heard is magical. It’s so simple yet gives our clients a feeling of power and trust in themselves in a way they never thought was possible.

In your own words, how would you describe the ROI of PR?

Delivering your message on stage and on camera is a game changer. People buy from people they know, like and trust. When people see you, feel your energy and experience you, it builds that authentic connection needed to inspire them to buy from you and spread the word about your message.

Do you have any case studies or stories that can showcase the ROI of PR/ Communications?

Doug Brown is the former President of Sales for Tony Robbins.

“Even though he was a master of sales, by simply tweaking his talk to be more about the emotional journey you take people on and upleveling his presentation style (body language, voice, stagecraft), he added an additional $660,000 to his revenue within one year.“

What is the best PR/ Communications advice you give your clients?

Alternatively though, if your speaking voice or body language comes across as insecure or too aggressive, it turns people off, losing you sales and credibility which is why it is SO important to learn how to Speak from Your Power™.

Your speaking voice and body language shapes how people perceive you. To avoid coming across as disengaged, insecure and untrustworthy, avoid fidgeting, crossing your limbs and having wandering eyes.

One of the ways to do that is to get calm and present in the body. Take a couple of minutes to roll your shoulders, shake out your body, feel your feet and stretch your mouth open and closed a few times.

It frees up the voice to sound naturally confident without sounding aggressive and the body to appear relaxed yet strong.

Cindy Ashton is an Award-Winning TV host, Singer/Actor, Keynote Performer & Speak From Your Power Trainer and Author of Liberate Your Voice: How to Trust Your Power In A World That Shuts You Down.

Connect with Cindy on LinkedIn and Instagram: @CindyAshtonOfficial