Meet Aisha Manrique

We recently connected with Aisha Manrique and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Aisha, thanks for sitting with us today to chat about topics that are relevant to so many. One of those topics is communication skills, because we live in an age where our ability to communicate effectively can be like a superpower. Can you share how you developed your ability to communicate well?
I realized early on in life that the level of your communication influences your elevation. The level of your communication also influences your compensation! From a tender age, my mother (may her soul rest in peace) taught me the importance of communicating effectively. As a child I didn’t appreciate her efforts as I would rather play with the rest of the kids in my community or stay in bed for that extra hour she would wake me to recite my monologues or spoken word pieces. Now, however, I appreciate those moments with my mother so much. As the years went by, I became an avid reader, this enhanced my vocabulary vastly. That’s why I always encourage my students, to read, read, read and read some more! I don’t mean to sound cliche, but leaders are actually readers! Read both fiction and non-fictional books. Fictional books enhance your creative imagination and by extension, your deliveries. Also, I’ve learnt to appreciate the gem hidden in being well prepared. I would research and I mean thoroughly research my topic and audience before presenting myself before them. The way I see it is, it’s a disrespect to not adequately prepare for your audience. Persons are sharing precious time out of their busy lives with you, the least you can do is leave them informed and inspired.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Sure, I’m from the beautiful twin island of Trinidad and Tobago! So, the meaning of Aisha is ‘full of life’ and I believe I live up to that. I love a good laugh, fun times with my loved ones and always eager to learn something new! I am a professional voice over talent and voice over coach. I am truly passionate about the impact of the human voice. That’s why I decided to created my Voice Over Production and Coaching Company, Voicey Versa Productions Limited. Being from the Caribbean, it sometimes feel like we have to work a little harder to carve a niche for ourselves on the international stages, but it is possible! Through my company, I teach aspiring and existing voice over talents how to create a successful voice over career and position themselves competitively in the space. I also have a program specifically designed for women who want to improve/enhance their communication techniques. As women we sometimes hinder ourselves and our gifts due to fear of being judged. We may also struggle to release certain trauma and tension that causes us to suffer in silence and this inner conflict can sometims keep us back from expressing ourselves authentically and confidently. Yup! I help women break free from these things!

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?
Waw, there are so many. But here’s my top 3:

  1. Public Speaking and Communication Techniques – this is something you should definitely work on developing because whether you’re speaking to an audience of 100 persons or 1 person, the manner in which you communicate and present yourself influences the outcome. This is not to be underestimated. This is a life altering skill!
  2. Believing that your God-given gift has the ability to impact lives, because it really does. You have to be willing to set aside time and actually put in the work to prune and develop the gifts God has given you. Don’t expect the audience to believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself.
  3. Understanding the value of customer service – Listen, regardless of whatever industry you are apart of, the manner in which you treat others matter, it matters a lot. Sometimes we tend to get caught up in the work, and forget the human aspect of things. Remember to treat your clients with the level of respect and professionalism they deserve. That’s the secret sauce to keep them coming back! It doesn’t matter how many other persons are doing what you do, once you understand the needs of your clients and rise to the occasion each and ever time, you stand out. Who doesn’t love repeat customers?

How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I’m always happy to collaborate with like minds! I love sharing my journey and story to inspire others, so if ever persons need a speaker at their next event, or a guest on their podcast etc.,I’m here to exchange energies. For persons wanting to get coaching from me, I’m available for a discovery call that can be scheduled via my website. I’m also working on building a community of voice over talents throughout the Caribbean Region, so anyone interested in coming along for the excited ride, don’t hesitate to contact me via my website at www.aishamanriquemedia.com or via email [email protected] . Thank you.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where does your optimism come from?

Optimism is the invisible ingredient that powers so much of the incredible progress in society

Confidence
Stories of Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Learning from one another is what BoldJourney is all about. Below, we’ve shared stories and

Resilience
The Power of Persistence: Overcoming Haters and Doubters

Having hates is an inevitable part of any bold journey – everyone who has made