Meet Sylvia Larrass

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sylvia Larrass. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Sylvia, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
Growing up a fairly shy and introverted child I learned to become confident by becoming a singer and voice coach.

When you perform, you have to learn to connect with the audience by abandoning yourself to the music and giving to those around you.

Performing taught me to get out of my head and to be present. It also helped me understand others, as well as their own struggle to trust and express themselves, and connect with their audience.

Coaching others to be better performers or public speakers enabled me to tap into what intrinsically motivates people to express themselves in a fearless and authentic way. Ultimately, we all want to be heard, make a difference and feel we’re part of something greater than ourselves.

Helping performers, speakers and leaders harness and hone their authentic voice has made me more confident in expressing who I am. Because if I can empower someone to communicate confidently and elevate their self-esteem it automatically has a similar impact on me.

And that’s the great joy of being a singer, voice coach and Leadership Coach. Enabling others to unapologetically be themselves gives me permission to be the same.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Imagine if you (or your team) could communicate your thoughts and ideas in a way that was clear, confident and totally authentic? And engage others while driving positive change?

I am a voice, communication and Leadership coach, and this is what I help people do. I love to get people to figure out what’s holding them back and help them become the courageous leader and communicator they wish to be.

Let’s take for example the executive who wants to better engage with their team, or the entrepreneur who wants to share their vision, or the thought-leader who wants to make an impact. They all have a unique voice they need to harness and express – in interventions, presentations, conferences, or even day-to-day communication.

My coaching helps them identify what they want to say – and how to say it.

So, I work on the ‘what’ (content, structure, story-telling, uniqueness, etc.), and I work on the ‘how’ (voice, pacing, breathing, modulation, grounding, etc.) so that clients feel that their ‘inner voice’ matches their ‘outer voice’ in a genuine way. The result is content that is clear, relevant and compelling, coming from a place of assurance and authority.

Because when you tap into your genuine voice and truly connect with your passion, that’s when you spark confidence. And when you spark confidence, that’s when your spark can light up others. That to me is true leadership – unapologetic, impactful and at the service of the people around you.

(Training and coaching are offered for both teams/groups and individuals).

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
What’s served me well on my journey has been:

1. My discipline: as a solopreneur you are accountable first and foremost to yourself. As Woody Allen said, “80% of success is showing up”. If you don’t show up every day and apply yourself to your craft you cannot excel, and you certainly cannot serve your clients. So – figure out what you love to do, set yourself meaningful goals and work towards them!

2. Continuous learning: always be curious and say ‘yes’ to (almost) every opportunity that comes your way! That stance has immensely bolstered my confidence and enriched me as a professional so I can better serve others.

3. Making time for silence: it’s easy to get swallowed up by the busyness of life and the trappings of ‘doing’. My daily meditation practice allows me to quieten the din of the world and connect to what I really need at that moment. Take time to find silence. Trust it. It will guide you.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My mother taught me to listen and trust my intuition. My father was my role model in creativity and entrepreneurship. Both my parents are non-conformists and naturally nurtured the ‘benevolent rebel’ in us children, while implicitly trusting our life’s choices.

All these skills have been vital in my work as a coach, trainer, performer, not to mention in my relationships with the people I serve and care for. Being an entrepreneur takes courage, so does going off the beaten path. And I’ll be eternally grateful to my parents for modelling and nurturing these qualities in me.

This quote encapsulates a lot of what I believe:
“Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure… And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”

~Marianne Williamson

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Dan Gillis Aude Urbancic

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