“When a woman tells her story, she gives other women permission to share theirs.”
“When a woman tells her story, she gives other women permission to share theirs.” That’s according to Angela Lussier, founder and CEO of the “Speaker Sisterhood”, a network of speaking clubs for women, founded in 2016 in Holyoke, MA. The Speaker Sisterhood has partnered with WHMP Radio in Northampton, MA to present a powerful series of radio vignettes featuring women sharing their truth.
The series was conceived by WHMP News Director Denise Vozella, who is also a leader of a Speaker Sisterhood Club in Northampton. Vozella says, “I was inspired by Oprah’s speech at the Golden Globes, in which she said quite memorably, that sharing our truth is the most powerful tool we all have. In this renaissance of the women’s movement with #MeToo and #TimesUp, I wanted to provide a venue for women to share their own truth.” Lussier adds, “Speaking up is powerful and so needed right now.”
The goal of the “Women Speaking Their Truth” series is to connect women through their stories, and to empower them to share their voice with others. Lussier says, “The stories being shared in the Speaker Sisterhood clubs are personal, vulnerable, and powerful. The women sitting around the table listening to the speeches are being moved, changed, and connected to themselves and each other in new ways through this practice. Putting these stories on a bigger platform gives even more reach to these messages. My hope is that as these stories are heard on the airwaves, more women will want to speak up and share theirs, too.”
The Speaker Sisterhood clubs provide a safe space for women who want to discover, awaken, and create their voice through the art of public speaking. The “truth” series is bringing this art form to the airwaves for all to hear and be inspired by. Lussier, who is an award winning public speaker, says “When we speak up about what matters to us, it creates a ripple effect. It inspires others to reflect and share what matters to them.”
“When we speak up about what matters to us, it creates a ripple effect. It inspires others to reflect and share what matters to them.”
“If our stories can help somebody else, it’s worth swallowing the fear and doing it anyway,” says Amber Ladley, a member of the Speaker Sisterhood of Northampton. She and about a dozen other club members so far have courageously shared their truth in the series being aired on WHMP Radio throughout Women’s History Month in March 2018, and beyond. The speeches are also podcast on WHMP.com.
Talking Points:
- Why is it important for women to share their stories?
- What do you hope will happen as a result of this series?
- Why did you start the Speaker Sisterhood?
- What are the benefits of learning public speaking?
- What is “The Secret Life of Speaking Up?”
- What have you heard the members say about their experience with choosing a topic and recording it for this series?
- Why is it important for women to practice this skill?
Who is Angela
Angela Lussier is an award-winning speaker, five-time author, two-time TEDx presenter, and CEO and founder of the Speaker Sisterhood, a network of speaking clubs that help women discover, awaken, and create their voice through the art of public speaking. Angela is the host of Claim the Stage, a public speaking podcast for women rated #1 on the inspiring podcasts list by Forbes in December 2017. She is a contributor to Huffington Post and her work has been featured on ABC, NBC, Forbes, Virgin, and Entrepreneur. Her motto: Stop waiting. Start creating.
Speaker Sisterhood: Discover, Awaken and Create Your Voice 