Speaker Spotlight: Carla Harris’ Pearls of Wisdom
Mastering communication through the lessons of world-class speakers.
Some talks stay with you. Each time you rewatch them, a new lesson stands out and resonates. For me, one of these talks is Carla Harris’ Pearls of Wisdom.
A good friend of mine shared this video with me when I was at a cross-roads in my career a few years ago. I was presented with a really interesting job opportunity, but it would have meant leaving Australia and moving back to the Netherlands. I didn’t know what to do, I had worked so hard to get to Australia but the role I was in, wasn’t challenging enough for me.
At that time, I watched this video a few times and it gave me new insights that ultimately convinced me to take the risk and stay in Australia whilst battling through lockdowns and work challenges. I’m so happy I did and that I didn’t cave for the conventional “what other people think is best for you” path. It was the adventure that brought me to Australia and I chose to continue the adventure, which eventually led to my permanent residency and the freedom to stay indefinitely in Australia.
If you've never watched Carla Harris speak, you’re in for a treat! I’ll give you a bit of background first. Carla Harris is a senior finance executive on Wall Street, author and motivational speaker. She has published books including Expect to Win and is also a gospel singer. This fact may surprise you in a summarised bio, but bear with me and you’ll understand why I mention this.
Over the years, Carla has delivered her Pearls of Wisdom talk at various events. The version I always return to was delivered over 10 years ago, but the message remains just as relevant today. It offers key lessons from her career, emphasising authenticity, resilience and taking risks. It’s about making your voice heard, a message that aligns perfectly with the mission I have with Brava and that’s why I wanted to spend some time on it in this week’s newsletter.
However, it isn’t just the message from this talk that stuck with me. It's also the incredible power with which Carla delivers her speech. She uses a few techniques that I’ll highlight before diving into the content:
Number one is definitely storytelling. The personal anecdotes make that you’ll remember Carla’s key points far more easily. Years after watching this video for the first time, I still remembered the anecdote where she created the perception of ‘being tough’. I remembered the lesson because of the story she told and since, I’ve been more conscious myself of including storytelling in my work.
Another great technique you’ll see in action is audience participation. By asking the audience questions, having them repeat certain phrases and even singing along to a song, Carla creates a strong connection with her audience. It gets people on board with your message and the audience also has a better experience as they feel part of it. It’s a great technique that I’d recommend in any speech.
Lastly, I wanted to highlight the power of repetition. If you want your key points to stick, don’t hesitate to repeat them. The audience is continually processing your message, so repeating a sentence has two effects: it indicates that it’s an important point to remember and at the same time it gives the audience the time to process your message.
I would strongly recommend watching the whole video, I promise you won’t be disappointed. However, below are the three ‘pearls’ that Carla presents with my personal take-aways:
Embrace Authenticity: “Nobody can be you the way that you can be you."
Bring your true self to every situation and show everything that you are, not just the parts that you think people will like about you. Authenticity allows you to differentiate yourself and connect with others on a deeper level, because people are drawn to those who are comfortable and confident in their own skin. And that’s how Carla changed from wanting to be known solely as that no-nonsense, hard-working, analytical investment banker to Carla the capital markets banker who is also an incredible the gospel singer. Because it builds trust and creates connection.
Reframing Fear and Embracing Risk: “Fear has no place in your success equation.”
This was the lesson that resonated most with me whilst on that career crossroad: becoming comfortable with taking calculated risks. No rushed, spur of the moment risks, but thought-out risks to differentiate yourself and seize growth opportunities. In order to do so, Carla says you should evaluate new opportunities by considering whether they offer you new skills, new connections and future opportunities. If they do, you should absolutely take the risk.
Manage Perceptions to Maximise Success: “Perception is the co-pilot to reality."
This one blew my mind and because of the incredible storytelling I remember reciting this example multiple times to friends and colleagues. Carla speaks about the importance of intentionally presenting yourself in the way you want to be perceived so that others will start seeing you that way. She suggests to think about the adjectives you would like people to use referring to you when you’re not in the room. Because she says all important decisions about your career are made when you’re not in the room. Therefore, identifying and embodying the key adjectives linked to success in your current or next role is crucial for your career growth.
Carla Harris’ Pearls of Wisdom remind us that success isn’t just about skills. It’s about how we show up, take risks and shape the way others perceive us. By embracing authenticity, reframing fear and managing perceptions, we can take control of our own narratives and open doors to new opportunities. Her insights are timeless and I hope they resonate with you as much as they have with me.
I’m keen to hear what your highlight is from the video! Let me know in the comments.
And if you want to learn how you too can speak with confidence? Reach out or have a look on my website.