September 26, 2025 • 14 mins
In this solo episode of Captivate the Mic, Elaine Williams breaks down the art (and science) of owning the room—whether you’re speaking to 10 people in a meeting or 10,000 from a stage.
Elaine shares insider performance tips that comedians, actors, and speakers use to instantly command attention, engage distracted audiences, and create unforgettable presence. From reclaiming the stage when no one’s paying attention, to planting yourself with executive presence, to warming up your voice so you sound magnetic—Elaine shows you how to captivate your crowd with confidence, charisma, and play.
If you’ve ever feared being ignored, felt too “small” to take up space, or struggled to keep an audience engaged, this episode is your toolkit for speaking with power and presence.
✨ Takeaways
- How to reclaim attention when your audience is distracted or not ready to listen (the million-dollar “round of applause” technique).
- The secret to executive presence: grounding your body and projecting confidence before you even speak.
- Zoom presence hacks so you look and sound engaged on camera (no more slouching or low-vibe energy).
- Why women must give themselves permission to take up space and speak with authority in business, fundraising, and leadership.
- Simple 2-minute vocal warmups that make your voice more resonant, dynamic, and captivating.
If you want to get the warm up handout, just email: elaine@captivatethecrowd.com
Connect with your Host, Elaine Williams:
Check out Captivate the Mic Podcast on Elaine's YouTube Channel
Check out the Captivate the Crowd Website
Follow Elaine on Social- LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok
Want to schedule a free chat with Elaine? Click here to book a zoom date!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
Hi everybody.
Welcome to Captivate the Micwith Elaine Williams here.
This is going to be a soloepisode all about owning the
room, and what inspired me tomake an episode about this was I
just spoke for the Dames and theDallas Happier Hour last week,
and we were do, we've been doinga whole series on storytelling
(00:26):
and last month.
This amazing woman, AmandaKaufman, talked about messaging
and being more consistent, and Iwanted to talk about using the
many aspects of performance,partly that I work with my
clients about and how you canreally elevate your presence and
really have a powerful impact,whether you're speaking in front
(00:49):
of 10 people or 10,000.
So this is the episode calledowning the Room, taking up
Space.
So it's gonna be quick, it'sgonna be fast and furious, but
buckle in.
It's gonna be a bumpy ride.
I love that with Betty Davis.
So how do we, I, how do we grabpeople, right?
How do we grab them and holdthem and keep'em engaged?
(01:13):
We have all of these dangphones.
Everybody's walking around ontheir phones, right?
There's so many.
Ways to have people bedistracted one of the things I
talk about, this is the biggestfear we all have, is that we are
speaking to a group or in ameeting and somebody introduces
us and nobody.
(01:34):
Is looking like we are supposedto start speaking and the whole
room is like talking to peopleon their phones, coming in late,
panic sets in.
How do you reclaim this space?
This is a million dollar tip.
Are you ready?
So somebody introduces you andyou can tell no, they're not
(01:55):
ready.
They're not focused.
So you say, Hey, everybody, putyour hands together.
Let's give it up.
Let's give a big round ofapplause for the producer Mary
Smith.
Come on.
Let her hear it.
Let her hear it.
Alright, awesome.
Thank you, Mary, for all thework that you did.
And then if there's stillpandemonium in the room, you can
(02:18):
say, and let's give a big roundof applause for yourselves for
coming out on this long day orfor staying engaged or whatever.
Come on, give yourselves a roundof applause.
Yes.
Now that does a bunch ofdifferent things, and if you'll
notice comedians do this all thetime.
So what that does when you startclapping.
And you have to commit.
(02:38):
You have to keep clappingwhether people join in or not.
But what happens once you startclapping, and even if two people
join in, other people are gonnabe on their phones and they're
gonna be like, oh, I, and theydon't wanna look like jerks, so
they're going to put theirphones down and start clapping.
The people who are strolling inlate talking are gonna be like
(03:01):
oh, I guess we're starting.
And they will stop talking andthey will hurry to their seat
because they don't wanna looklike jerks.
And oftentimes they will startclapping even though they have
no idea what is going on.
So what that does is it pullsfocus and basically you're
announcing it's my turn.
(03:21):
This is my turn and it's myfocus, so give it to me now.
Let's go.
It's a very powerful way to doit with your body language, your
commitment to the clapping, andit's just a way to get that
focus going and then you canpause.
And start with your hookingquestion and or your, and
(03:44):
fabulous.
How many people wanna learn howto underwater basket weave?
Or did you know that the lateststatistics and blah blah, blah
is blah, blah, blah?
I love to start with a hookingquestion or a big, bold
statement, or a big, bold quote.
Every once in a while, I'llstart with a big story that just
grabs them.
(04:05):
But that is the best way to grabfocus and be like, it is my
turn.
And you don't have to standthere waiting or shushing or,
clap if you can hear me.
That's an old teacher trick.
So that's the first thing.
The other thing is when you arespeaking.
I want you to stand up with meright now unless you're driving.
(04:26):
I want you to put your feet hipwidth apart and I want you to
imagine that there are vinesgoing through your body, pulling
down into the floor so that youare being pulled.
You are grounded.
So you are standing in a powerposition like this, like Amy
Cuddy, and so if somebody walkedup and tried to push you over,
they could not do it because youare planted if you do yoga.
(04:50):
Or you're a dancer.
You know what I mean?
But if you're not, it just meansyou are grounded.
You're not standing on one hipor with your feet together so
that you could easily, you seehow you can easily, no.
When you are planted, you werelike, I am here.
This is a way to take presence,to command your space, and in
(05:15):
case you're speaking on Zoom.
I want you sitting at the edgeof your seat so you can, at any
moment, you can stand up.
None of this.
This is like back, there's nopower.
I want you here or you hereready to go.
This is engaged.
This is planted.
(05:36):
This is power.
This is executive presence.
Have you ever seen somebody ona.
On a Zoom and they're just Hey,or they're, they just have a low
vibe or a distracted vibe, orthey're just me.
And then have you seen otherpeople that are like, okay,
(05:58):
let's go.
They're level headed.
They're not bopping around, theyhave presence.
There is a command of the space.
That is what we want every timewe are speaking, so that people
are leaning in before we evenopen our mouths.
(06:19):
That is called executivepresence.
That is called owning yourspace.
That is called taking up space.
And now a quick word.
Are you an expert and you wouldlove to be an expert on Podcasts
as a guest, but you're not surehow to get started.
(06:40):
Maybe you're a little nervous.
Maybe you haven't done very manyinterviews.
Maybe you've never even donemedia training.
You're listening to my podcastand you know that I am a speaker
and a speaker coach and acomedian, but I love to help
people get comfortable and feelconfident doing interviews
because it's one of the bestways to grow your confidence.
(07:02):
To grow your influence so if youwanna find out how to be a
fabulous podcast guest, or evenhow to get started, let's set up
a call.
I know all the info will be inthe show notes and I would love
to just have a chat and see ifit's the right fit and find out
where you want to go with yourspeaking or podcast guesting and
(07:24):
see if I can help.
So now let's go back to the showI know that a lot of women have
a hard time with this.
Many of us were socialized to becute and sweet and small and
petite, and that is all great.
In some roles, but if you aregrowing your business, if you're
a founder, if you're committedto raising money for your cause,
(07:48):
your nonprofit, whatever it is,you need to be ready to take up
space.
So that's another thing I wantyou planted, and I want your
arms out and I want you to giveyourself permission to take up
space.
There's a power in that I'mcoming from my diaphragm.
(08:09):
I'm not up here like many malesoh, I hope you like me.
Oh, nobody can listen to that.
We like people who speak withauthority.
We like people who speak fromtheir chest and their gut versus
up here I'm part of that comesfrom being planted, doing your
warmups.
Giving yourself permission totake up space.
(08:32):
When I taught this workshop lastweek for 70 plus women, I had
everybody standing up and doingthis with me, and then I put
them in pairs and it was so funto watch them go off and take up
more space and pretend.
To project and practice speakingin different ways because we
(08:53):
want vocal variety.
There's nothing worse thanhaving somebody who's monotone
or who talks in this nasalthing, and it's just always the
same note, and then that's gonnaput you to sleep.
We do not want that.
We never wanna be that kind ofspeaker.
We wanna be dynamic, we wannahave movement, we wanna have
(09:17):
crescendo and then pulling back,there are so many things we can
do with these amazinginstruments.
Our faces are speakers, so isour chest cavity?
Are you using your body?
Are you using your tools tocommunicate or are you just
standing there?
Trying to not move too much,which is what happens if you go
(09:41):
to too many Toastmastermeetings.
It's great to an extent.
One other thing I'm gonna giveyou, you want to do warmups?
I know you don't like it.
Nobody likes to warm up.
But let me tell you, two minutesof warming up can make all the
difference.
We want the audience to be onthe edge of their seat when they
(10:05):
know, oh, she's speaking now.
Oh, I can't wait.
Nat King Cole had the mostresonant, beautiful voice.
We want to have a resonant voicewith vocal variety.
Most of us speak one note in ahabit, sometimes with our
throat, sometimes with our nose.
(10:27):
It is not charismatic speaking.
It's off putting.
Two minutes of tongue twistersand a gentle breath.
Ha.
Oh.
Simple.
That's a slide and a ha.
(10:49):
And simple tongue twisters.
Like red leather, yellowleather, red leather, yellow
leather, red leather, yellowleather.
Toy boat.
Toy boat.
Toy boat.
Toy boat.
Toy boat, toy.
Boat.
Those are challenging, but thewhole idea is that the warmups
(11:12):
are so hard.
By the time you get to youractual talk, it's gonna be cake.
'cause you already did all thetongue twisters.
Like she sells seashells down bythe seashore.
She sells seashells down by theseashore.
And one of my favorites, the tipof the tongue, the roof of the
(11:35):
mouth, the lips, the tongue, andthe teeth.
The tip of the tongue, the roofof the mouth, the lips, the
tongue, and the teeth.
And I invite you to play.
You can pretend like you'reShakespeare and you're speaking
to the back of the auditoriumwith the tip of the tongue.
The roof of the mouth, the lips,the tongue, and the teeth.
(12:00):
So those are super simple, basicwarmups that you can do that
will help you take up space.
Command attention, help you bebrave and confident, and be able
to grab and hold the audienceand take them with you wherever
you want.
(12:20):
To go.
So I have a handout with thetongue twisters.
I love helping people just likeyou work on your speaking so
that you are a dynamiccharismatic speaker.
Scott Galloway, who is abrilliant professor, eight times
author, very successful businessowner.
(12:41):
He wears many hats and he is onsocial media a lot, and he says,
at the end of the day, I am a.
Storyteller because facts, basicfacts do not change somebody's
mind or heart.
But a well told story told in acompelling way will change
(13:03):
someone's head or heart.
And at the end of the day, weare all storytellers.
So thank you so much for joiningme.
This was so much fun for me.
I love, I could do this all day,every day.
I love handling people, have funwith their speaking and lighten
up and work on nuances becausewhen you add play, when you're
(13:25):
having more fun, your audiencewill have more fun.
So follow me for more tips.
Please share this with oneentrepreneur who needs to work
on their speaking, whether it'svocal, whether it's having more
fun, adding humor, addinglevels, body language.
Please share this with them andplease rate, review, and
(13:46):
subscribe to Captivate the Micbecause I want to keep sharing
my expertise and my masterybecause I've been doing this
since the dawn of time.
So thanks so much.
I can't wait to meet you inperson.
I can't wait to hear how youhave captivated your crowd.
Bye for now.
Hi everybody.
Welcome to Captivate the Micwith Elaine Williams here.
This is going to be a soloepisode all about owning the
room, and what inspired me tomake an episode about this was I
just spoke for the Dames and theDallas Happier Hour last week,
and we were do, we've been doinga whole series on storytelling
(00:26):
and last month.
This amazing woman, AmandaKaufman, talked about messaging
and being more consistent, and Iwanted to talk about using the
many aspects of performance,partly that I work with my
clients about and how you canreally elevate your presence and
really have a powerful impact,whether you're speaking in front
(00:49):
of 10 people or 10,000.
So this is the episode calledowning the Room, taking up
Space.
So it's gonna be quick, it'sgonna be fast and furious, but
buckle in.
It's gonna be a bumpy ride.
I love that with Betty Davis.
So how do we, I, how do we grabpeople, right?
How do we grab them and holdthem and keep'em engaged?
(01:13):
We have all of these dangphones.
Everybody's walking around ontheir phones, right?
There's so many.
Ways to have people bedistracted one of the things I
talk about, this is the biggestfear we all have, is that we are
speaking to a group or in ameeting and somebody introduces
us and nobody.
(01:34):
Is looking like we are supposedto start speaking and the whole
room is like talking to peopleon their phones, coming in late,
panic sets in.
How do you reclaim this space?
This is a million dollar tip.
Are you ready?
So somebody introduces you andyou can tell no, they're not
(01:55):
ready.
They're not focused.
So you say, Hey, everybody, putyour hands together.
Let's give it up.
Let's give a big round ofapplause for the producer Mary
Smith.
Come on.
Let her hear it.
Let her hear it.
Alright, awesome.
Thank you, Mary, for all thework that you did.
And then if there's stillpandemonium in the room, you can
(02:18):
say, and let's give a big roundof applause for yourselves for
coming out on this long day orfor staying engaged or whatever.
Come on, give yourselves a roundof applause.
Yes.
Now that does a bunch ofdifferent things, and if you'll
notice comedians do this all thetime.
So what that does when you startclapping.
And you have to commit.
(02:38):
You have to keep clappingwhether people join in or not.
But what happens once you startclapping, and even if two people
join in, other people are gonnabe on their phones and they're
gonna be like, oh, I, and theydon't wanna look like jerks, so
they're going to put theirphones down and start clapping.
The people who are strolling inlate talking are gonna be like
(03:01):
oh, I guess we're starting.
And they will stop talking andthey will hurry to their seat
because they don't wanna looklike jerks.
And oftentimes they will startclapping even though they have
no idea what is going on.
So what that does is it pullsfocus and basically you're
announcing it's my turn.
(03:21):
This is my turn and it's myfocus, so give it to me now.
Let's go.
It's a very powerful way to doit with your body language, your
commitment to the clapping, andit's just a way to get that
focus going and then you canpause.
And start with your hookingquestion and or your, and
(03:44):
fabulous.
How many people wanna learn howto underwater basket weave?
Or did you know that the lateststatistics and blah blah, blah
is blah, blah, blah?
I love to start with a hookingquestion or a big, bold
statement, or a big, bold quote.
Every once in a while, I'llstart with a big story that just
grabs them.
(04:05):
But that is the best way to grabfocus and be like, it is my
turn.
And you don't have to standthere waiting or shushing or,
clap if you can hear me.
That's an old teacher trick.
So that's the first thing.
The other thing is when you arespeaking.
I want you to stand up with meright now unless you're driving.
(04:26):
I want you to put your feet hipwidth apart and I want you to
imagine that there are vinesgoing through your body, pulling
down into the floor so that youare being pulled.
You are grounded.
So you are standing in a powerposition like this, like Amy
Cuddy, and so if somebody walkedup and tried to push you over,
they could not do it because youare planted if you do yoga.
(04:50):
Or you're a dancer.
You know what I mean?
But if you're not, it just meansyou are grounded.
You're not standing on one hipor with your feet together so
that you could easily, you seehow you can easily, no.
When you are planted, you werelike, I am here.
This is a way to take presence,to command your space, and in
(05:15):
case you're speaking on Zoom.
I want you sitting at the edgeof your seat so you can, at any
moment, you can stand up.
None of this.
This is like back, there's nopower.
I want you here or you hereready to go.
This is engaged.
This is planted.
(05:36):
This is power.
This is executive presence.
Have you ever seen somebody ona.
On a Zoom and they're just Hey,or they're, they just have a low
vibe or a distracted vibe, orthey're just me.
And then have you seen otherpeople that are like, okay,
(05:58):
let's go.
They're level headed.
They're not bopping around, theyhave presence.
There is a command of the space.
That is what we want every timewe are speaking, so that people
are leaning in before we evenopen our mouths.
(06:19):
That is called executivepresence.
That is called owning yourspace.
That is called taking up space.
And now a quick word.
Are you an expert and you wouldlove to be an expert on Podcasts
as a guest, but you're not surehow to get started.
(06:40):
Maybe you're a little nervous.
Maybe you haven't done very manyinterviews.
Maybe you've never even donemedia training.
You're listening to my podcastand you know that I am a speaker
and a speaker coach and acomedian, but I love to help
people get comfortable and feelconfident doing interviews
because it's one of the bestways to grow your confidence.
(07:02):
To grow your influence so if youwanna find out how to be a
fabulous podcast guest, or evenhow to get started, let's set up
a call.
I know all the info will be inthe show notes and I would love
to just have a chat and see ifit's the right fit and find out
where you want to go with yourspeaking or podcast guesting and
(07:24):
see if I can help.
So now let's go back to the showI know that a lot of women have
a hard time with this.
Many of us were socialized to becute and sweet and small and
petite, and that is all great.
In some roles, but if you aregrowing your business, if you're
a founder, if you're committedto raising money for your cause,
(07:48):
your nonprofit, whatever it is,you need to be ready to take up
space.
So that's another thing I wantyou planted, and I want your
arms out and I want you to giveyourself permission to take up
space.
There's a power in that I'mcoming from my diaphragm.
(08:09):
I'm not up here like many malesoh, I hope you like me.
Oh, nobody can listen to that.
We like people who speak withauthority.
We like people who speak fromtheir chest and their gut versus
up here I'm part of that comesfrom being planted, doing your
warmups.
Giving yourself permission totake up space.
(08:32):
When I taught this workshop lastweek for 70 plus women, I had
everybody standing up and doingthis with me, and then I put
them in pairs and it was so funto watch them go off and take up
more space and pretend.
To project and practice speakingin different ways because we
(08:53):
want vocal variety.
There's nothing worse thanhaving somebody who's monotone
or who talks in this nasalthing, and it's just always the
same note, and then that's gonnaput you to sleep.
We do not want that.
We never wanna be that kind ofspeaker.
We wanna be dynamic, we wannahave movement, we wanna have
(09:17):
crescendo and then pulling back,there are so many things we can
do with these amazinginstruments.
Our faces are speakers, so isour chest cavity?
Are you using your body?
Are you using your tools tocommunicate or are you just
standing there?
Trying to not move too much,which is what happens if you go
(09:41):
to too many Toastmastermeetings.
It's great to an extent.
One other thing I'm gonna giveyou, you want to do warmups?
I know you don't like it.
Nobody likes to warm up.
But let me tell you, two minutesof warming up can make all the
difference.
We want the audience to be onthe edge of their seat when they
(10:05):
know, oh, she's speaking now.
Oh, I can't wait.
Nat King Cole had the mostresonant, beautiful voice.
We want to have a resonant voicewith vocal variety.
Most of us speak one note in ahabit, sometimes with our
throat, sometimes with our nose.
(10:27):
It is not charismatic speaking.
It's off putting.
Two minutes of tongue twistersand a gentle breath.
Ha.
Oh.
Simple.
That's a slide and a ha.
(10:49):
And simple tongue twisters.
Like red leather, yellowleather, red leather, yellow
leather, red leather, yellowleather.
Toy boat.
Toy boat.
Toy boat.
Toy boat.
Toy boat, toy.
Boat.
Those are challenging, but thewhole idea is that the warmups
(11:12):
are so hard.
By the time you get to youractual talk, it's gonna be cake.
'cause you already did all thetongue twisters.
Like she sells seashells down bythe seashore.
She sells seashells down by theseashore.
And one of my favorites, the tipof the tongue, the roof of the
(11:35):
mouth, the lips, the tongue, andthe teeth.
The tip of the tongue, the roofof the mouth, the lips, the
tongue, and the teeth.
And I invite you to play.
You can pretend like you'reShakespeare and you're speaking
to the back of the auditoriumwith the tip of the tongue.
The roof of the mouth, the lips,the tongue, and the teeth.
(12:00):
So those are super simple, basicwarmups that you can do that
will help you take up space.
Command attention, help you bebrave and confident, and be able
to grab and hold the audienceand take them with you wherever
you want.
(12:20):
To go.
So I have a handout with thetongue twisters.
I love helping people just likeyou work on your speaking so
that you are a dynamiccharismatic speaker.
Scott Galloway, who is abrilliant professor, eight times
author, very successful businessowner.
(12:41):
He wears many hats and he is onsocial media a lot, and he says,
at the end of the day, I am a.
Storyteller because facts, basicfacts do not change somebody's
mind or heart.
But a well told story told in acompelling way will change
(13:03):
someone's head or heart.
And at the end of the day, weare all storytellers.
So thank you so much for joiningme.
This was so much fun for me.
I love, I could do this all day,every day.
I love handling people, have funwith their speaking and lighten
up and work on nuances becausewhen you add play, when you're
(13:25):
having more fun, your audiencewill have more fun.
So follow me for more tips.
Please share this with oneentrepreneur who needs to work
on their speaking, whether it'svocal, whether it's having more
fun, adding humor, addinglevels, body language.
Please share this with them andplease rate, review, and
(13:46):
subscribe to Captivate the Micbecause I want to keep sharing
my expertise and my masterybecause I've been doing this
since the dawn of time.
So thanks so much.
I can't wait to meet you inperson.
I can't wait to hear how youhave captivated your crowd.
Bye for now.
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