Customer Reviews

It's Your Time to Shine: How to Overcome Fear of Public Speaking, Develop Authentic Presence and Speak from Your Heart

5 star:		(10)
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2 star:		(1)
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YEA RAH SIS BOOM BAH! This book rocks! I am a speech specialist, entertainer, and most of all, a teacher. I can stand up in front of an audience, large or small, with a minimum of butterflies which I define as excitement rather than anxiety. And yet, while reading this insightful book, I realized (real eyes) and frankly am a bit stunned, that I experience the kinds of symptoms described in this book, while marketing and networking. When it comes to telling people about my services, I freeze and frequently procrastinate in making marketing calls or going to networking gatherings in order to avoid the feelings of anxiety in these communication settings.

I didn't put this book down. I read it through and allowed it to seed. What I particularly love about this book, is the information about being GROUNDED, the inner critic voice, soft eyes, white space, and references to soul. The reverence for "soul power" is unguarded and relevant in this day when SHIFT is HAPPENING in our world. This book will transform and shift all who engage with the information, and are willing to practice AND EXPERIENCE the methods described. That's what I am doing. Won't you join with me in recognizing this book's brilliance and how it resonates with our world's heart and soul.

I'm very grateful Sandra wrote this book. I took her classes years ago, and they helped me transform how I show up when speaking with groups of people. I was always amazed how much everyone else also changed in such a short time. Now, in her book, she communicates what she taught so well in classes and creates a supportive, encouraging space for people to discover what it's like to be an authentic speaker. I refer to it when I'm preparing for a talk or class.

What I most appreciate about Sandra is her commitment to guiding each person to explore his/her way of speaking, rather than teaching a "right" way of doing it.

My first exposure to Sandra Zimmer was by way of a keynote address at a Toastmasters International conference in Houston, TX. I sensed something significantly different about her approach, with its focus on "reducing stage freight", "audience connection" and "internal climate" as means towards enhanced communication & presentation skills. I liked the fact that she did not "sell" her techniques, rather asked for a volunteer and simply demonstrated them. It was real and it was effective. The results were good. ([...])

When reading "Mindsight" by Dr. Daniel Siegel, I was struck by many similarities between their (Zimmer & Siegel) approaches, and finally purchased this book--so glad I did.

In "It's Your Time to Shine" the author covers a lot of ground from stage fright, to inner energy flow, to inner climate, to audience connection, to an inner integration, to presence and charisma, to excellent breathing techniques and exercises, to many more aspects of public speaking. The material is illustrated by appropriate and appealing stories, which compellingly make a case. I noted with some surprise a number of "lawyer stories" to make points--not something I often come across in public speaking literature. In hindsight, it makes sense--lawyers need to be good communicators; lawyers who "connect" with juries give themselves an advantage.

It seems to me that the author has made a sort of lone journey over 2 - 3 decades developing these techniques, believing in them, experimenting with them, trusting in them, and finally articulating them. There is a "labor of love" feel to the book which makes it genuine & appealing.

During my first reading, I felt that some sections were dealt with too simplistically, but on the second reading, an Einstein quote came to mind repeatedly "make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler". The author has successfully done this. The focus consistently remains around becoming a better speaker.

In conclusion, this is an excellent book that integrates a lot of material seamlessly. To those who are passionate about public speaking, this book has my high recommendation. I will be using it as a guide and reference work frequently.

I will not be one bit surprised, indeed I predict that this approach to speaking (& life) articulated by Zimmer (& Siegel) will become increasingly mainstream in the years to come.

"It's my time to shine" is an awesome book! I found it not only relevent to improve in the area of public speaking, but imperative to improving areas of communicating and authenticating in my daily interactions. The book is about so much more than just delivering a speech. It is inspiring and has given me a new outlook on my ability to be myself and succeed in all areas of my life! I can't wait to do my next presentation and use the tools I learned in this book!

I ignored the cardinal rules when it comes to using previous reviews to make a purchasing decision - number of reviews and time frame of reviews. Eight 5-star reviews. I should have been wary of eight people rating this book 5-stars with no other reviewers. All eight reviews came within a few months of each other. Why didn't I catch this? Complacency, I suppose...The book started off pretty well, until the the author presents her techniques. The main one is to get in front of a group of people and discuss what you are feeling. That sounds impossible unless you are attending one of the author's seminars. Another is to see how certain body parts respond to stage fright. For example, if your heart pounds or chest feels tight, it means that you are blocking feelings of love or sadness. REALLY? Or maybe it just means that I am anxious! Another section talks about looking at your audience with a "soft eyes" because it helps you see the audience with less judgment. That's really not what I'm trying to accomplish. Overall, I was disappointed with the book. It may be good if you are a performer who is already pretty in tune with your feelings, etc.

I have been public speaking for over 18 years and found Sandra's approach to enhancing one's public speaking very important. Sandra calls us to ground in our bodies and being - and it is here we can stop the pretense and speak from who we truly are! Thank you Sandra for showing us all how to let our light shine in the world.

I read Sandra Zimmer's book as soon as it came out, and have already found it helpful in the coaching I do with business clients. Sandra's section on storytelling is powerful: it's clear, to the point, and most of all it's immediately practical for helping others give presentations with emotional impact. I used Sandra's guidelines in coaching a senior leader whose talks need to influence and enlist others. The step-by-step process of delivering messages to not only the head but HEART has already made a positive difference in the coaching I'm able to provide. Sandra's wisdom illumines every page of this book.
-- Sue Brightman, Founder; Brightman Glover International

If you have gone to countless classes and read numerous books on public speaking and the fear still grips your
heart, then Sandra Zimmer's book is going to rescue you. I love the way she focuses on you the person, she does
not bore you with information you already know. Fortunately, I have had the pleasure of meeting her personally and have an autographed copy of her book of which I hold as a valuable assest to my personal development. Thank you Sandra.

Hello -

Many people are fearful of speaking in public. In fact, one source says public speaking is the number onf fear of most humans. Sandra Zimmer, in her book and her classes, has found a simple way to take small steps through our barriers to speaking in public, so you almost don't even notice them.

Whether speaking to an audience or one other person, communication is the key to success in relationships - whether personal or professional. Read the book - it's easy - and it works!

If you have the chance to get to Houston or can bring Sandra to you or your business, take her Speaking from the Heart class. It is awesome and such an easy way to become a better speaker. Sandra is a master in this field. I highly recommend her and her book. Warm regards

Sandra Zimmer has a winner here. She breaks down the fear of public speaking in easy to understand explanations and offers solutions on what you can do about it. A lot of books don't address the psychology behind fear of public speaking as she does here - and she makes you realize there's a cure. Out of the all the books I have ever read on this topic, I have to say that this one was the most helpful to me. I recommend this to anyone now and to use later as a guide. Great investment! Tarek H.