Making It with Jess Ekstrom

Do you need a change in your life? Maybe you're stuck in a corporate gig, and while you love the consistent paydays and health insurance, you also feel like there’s so much more to your professional legacy. Founder and CEO of Change Enthusiasm Global, Cassandra Worthy, needed that change. She was a chemical engineer 15 years into her career at Procter and Gamble and thought she would retire there,...

Today, Jess opens up about her personal journey with postpartum depression and anxiety. That period sucked, but she learned some valuable lessons on motherhood and emerged with a completely different attitude about embracing a new period of your life. Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence , and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop .

On YouTube , you've probably seen today's guests, Kim and Penn Holderness . Their family videos have been consistently hilarious, starting with their rise to fame with Christmas Jammies 10 years ago.  They just released a new book, ADHD is Awesome , and are here to share their perspectives on the challenges and superpowers of Penn's ADHD.  Listen and see how ADHD helps them with speaking prep inst...

In the speaking world, so many things are measured and judged. How many people were in the audience? How many likes were on that Reel? How many views were on the YouTube video? Maybe you've heard critics and the voice inside your head tell you that broadcasting your message to a small audience is " cringe-worthy. " Well, maybe it's time to embrace the cringe! Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfl...

As co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, Marc Randolph led the company from its inception in 1998 through its IPO in 2002. He left the company a year later to pursue other passions, which includes public speaking.  Today, Marc joins Jess to discuss the importance of experimentation on stage, the value of continuous improvement, adapting to audience feedback, and why he’s committed to supporting wom...

When Jess was in college, she applied for an internship with NBC’s Today Show…and got it. In the back of her mind though, she was pretty sure she only got the job for a nefarious reason. But did that really matter? — Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence , and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop .

Today we explore what many of us struggle with - the power of confidence and self-belief. The trick is that confidence is a muscle we can work on every day, and we can create a strong foundation from within. Join us as Jess chats with Heather Monahan, who shares her transformation story from sales manager to successful keynote speaker, while emphasizing the value of authenticity and aligning perso...

There are so many great reasons to embrace your “Yes” era. Saying yes to as many opportunities as you can fit into your day. Taking the job, taking the trip, going to the conference, joining the club and showing up to as many things as possible. And with each experience that you have, you walk away with more knowledge about yourself, the world, and your place in it.  But maybe now it’s time for yo...

Whenever we step on stage, we’re making a courageous choice to be there and share our authentic selves with the audience.  But what does it mean to be gutsy? Today, Natalie Franke shares her personal journey of facing a brain tumor diagnosis and infertility, while building her career.  Jess and Natalie emphasize the continuous learning process of courage and the significance of self-reflection and...

Whenever you have reached any level of success, it helps others (and yourself) to be transparent about the messier early days.  Today, Jess shares a story about a speaking event early in her career where she was picked up in a limo, and it seemed like an “I Made It!” moment.  But instead, she was quickly reminded that not everyone was rooting for her success. — Amplify with Jess is produced by Ear...

Women’s voices have been suppressed for hundreds of years. Is it any wonder that we’re still facing a gender pay gap? We’re making progress, but we still have a long way to go. Today, Dana Rubin joins the podcast to explore the evolution of women's voices in history and the importance of inclusive communication. She discusses the need to document and share women's speeches, as well as showcasing d...

Today, Jess takes us back to the first speech she ever gave. Fifth grade graduation at Cornelius Elementary School.  Kids typically don't fear public speaking or sharing what's on their mind because they haven't been taught to think about what others are thinking of them. They haven't been taught that that maybe limits exist or maybe I'll fail. So how did it go for Jess? Amplify with Jess is produ...

Dr. Lorneka Joseph found herself in the hospital after pushing too hard, and she uncovered a hard truth - she needed to slow down or stare directly at a premature death. Today, Lorneka and Jess discuss the importance of prioritizing self-care and well-being for high achievers. They share insights on setting boundaries, recognizing red flags of neglecting personal health, and integrating self-care...

Today, Jess shares a story about what happened to her physically when she was full steam ahead in her work and completely neglecting self-care. If you’re barreling toward burnout, you’ll want to listen to this, as Jess shares some tips to help you get off the hamster wheel to something that resembles more of a work-life balance. Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence , and brought to you by M...

What does it mean to be a natural at speaking? Or is that the wrong question, because being a natural at speaking is a load of crap? Speaking can be taught, speaking can be learned, and we have to learn it somewhere. So when you see someone that is up on stage, so effortlessly sharing their story, or it seems like they have all the confidence in the world, you know what? They have had insecurities...

On today’s Monday Motivation, let’s learn how to become a more confident public speaker. Jess Ekstrom explains the difference between being a “spotlight speaker” and a “lighthouse speaker” and encourages you to shift your mindset to focus on delivering value to the audience.  She also shares a mantra with you to ease nerves before speaking, and discusses how to anticipate challenges and come up wi...

With only 0.5% of global sports sponsorship dollars going to female athletes, we still have a long way to go in closing the gender pay gap in women's sports! Today, Leela Srinivasan sheds light on the challenges women face in negotiating fair compensation and the role of social media in amplifying their voices.  Tune in to learn more about the efforts to promote gender equality in sports and how y...

We're getting close to Valentine's Day!  Around this time, we think a lot about relationships with others.  But what about taking a moment to think about the relationship with yourself and your own self-worth? Start by answering: " What makes you feel worthy? " Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence , and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop .

Growing up in a household of 30+ people, with an African American mom and a Sikh American dad, the importance of diversity was ingrained in Deanna Singh from the moment she was born. As a speaker, however, she noticed that diversity was clearly not a value of every event organizer. Today, Jess and guest Deanna Singh emphasize the need for diverse perspectives in conferences and events to provide u...

Today’s Monday Motivation is how to deal when feeling constantly overwhelmed.  Jess shares her own experience of feeling overwhelmed when the never-ending tasks never seem to reach the bottom of the pile. Learn how she reduced burnout by embracing the never-ending pile. Amplify with Jess is produced by Earfluence , and brought to you by Mic Drop Workshop .

Meggie Palmer and Jess Ekstrom share the same mission - Close the Gender Pay Gap!  Both ladies are on a mission to increase women's pay and communication surrounding it. Today, Meggie dives into these 6 tips with Jess to help you get paid what you're worth: The need to build relationships with audiences Offering free resources (yes, to help you get paid more) The value of preparation in negotiatio...

Welcome back to Amplify with Jess Ekstrom! Today's Monday Motivation: "Faking it" shouldn't lead to "Making it". When Jess began her career, she wanted everyone to believe she had it all figured out and thought the best way to prove that was through appearance and speech. She would wear blazers and shoes that just weren't her style, try to emulate other leaders that she admired, and use words that...

A beginner's mindset can foster curiosity, creativity, and growth - and it can even help out at least a little bit with that fear we all have: Imposter Syndrome.  Today, Liz Forkin Bohannon talks to Jess what she calls “Beginner’s Pluck,, imposter syndrome, the power of storytelling, and the beauty of being an outsider. Liz Forkin Bohannon is the Founder of Sseko Designs , keynote speaker, host of...

Welcome back to Amplify with Jess Ekstrom! In today's Monday Motivation, Jess explores how an optimistic beginner mindset can pave the way for future success. From wearing a badge that said “Earning My Ears” while working at Disney to trying stand-up comedy classes, Jess shares stories to encourage a shifting mindset from “I’ve never done this before” to “I’ve never done this before, so I’ll start...

We all have at least a little bit of fear before we grab the mic. It takes a lot of courage to go up on stage and speak in front of people you don’t know. So, how do we consistently find the courage to take that next step?  Today, Antoinetta Mosley joins me for a conversation on courage - not just in speaking but other aspects of life. Antoinetta Mosley helps people reach their highest potential b...