Today, we're thrilled to have Peggy Klaus, President & Founder of Klaus & Associates, as our special guest. From Hollywood beginnings to championing women in leadership, Peggy's inspiring journey led her to author two game-changing books, "The Hard Truth About Soft Skills" and "Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It." These books have become invaluable resources for those seeking to improve their soft skills and self-promotion techniques. Peggy has also developed an empowering program called "Unstoppable," which addresses key issues critical for women’s success, including confidence,fearlessness, and purpose. Today, Peggy shares with us priceless tips for self-promotion, including tackling the issue of avoiding the "bitch" label in the workplace. Peggy reminds us of the importance of taking risks, embracing failure, and ultimately being proud of ourselves. For Peggy, self-promotion and "bragging" are about finding the sweet spot between humble and obnoxious and celebrating our accomplishments with confidence. Join us for this engaging and inspiring conversation with Peggy Klaus, and discover how to master the art of self-promotion and be proud of your achievements! Visit https://www.gobeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Peggy. Highlights: [01:11] How Peggy got to where she is professionally [05:00] Soft skills that are difficult to women [10:05] Strategies for making risks [14:08] How to self-promote [20:09] Overcoming feelings of humility [22:59] The soft skill you should work on [25:47] Taking inventory of your strengths and weaknesses [27:22] Lightning round questions Quotes: “The hardest skills are the soft skills.” – Peggy Klaus “You’ve got to fail to succeed.” – Peggy Klaus “Humility is lovely but not when it makes one ineffectually humble.” – Peggy Klaus Lightning Round Questions: What book has greatly influenced you? - “The 1619 Project” by Nikole Hannah-Jones What is your favorite inspiring quote or saying? - I don’t know what someone else’s journey is. What is one word or moniker you would use to describe yourself? - Energizer bunny What is one change you've implanted that made your life better? - I changed my marital status and moved to Santa Fe What power song would you want playing as you walk out onto a stage? - “Here Comes the Sun” by Richie Havens or The Beatles About Peggy Klaus: You may have seen Peggy Klaus on Nightline, 20/20, and The Today Show, or have read her advice in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine, Harvard Business Review, and O Magazine. She is the author of two best-selling books, BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It and The Hard Truth About Soft Skills: Workplace Lessons Smart People Wish They’d Learned Sooner. As a communication and leadership expert, Peggy has spent more than two decades helping thousands of professionals from Fortune 500’s, mid-size companies, and start-ups succeed in their jobs. She has also dedicated much of her career to empowering women of all ages. And, once again, Peggy brings this work into the spotlight with the launch of “Unstoppable!” — her new, cutting-edge program designed to address the key issues critical for women’s success: confidence, fearlessness, and purpose, among others. Taking her message from the boardroom to the classroom, she has lectured to both students and faculty at universities across the country including Harvard University’s School of Public Health, Wharton’s Executive MBA Program, U.C. Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Boalt School of Law, and the School of Public Health & Sciences, the University of Virginia, Pepperdine University School of Law, and the Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University. Peggy began her career as an actor and classical singer, earning advanced degrees in drama, speech and theatre from the London-based Royal Academy of Music and The Drama Studio. From England she moved to Hollywood, working as a producer, director, and talent coach for actors, comedians, musicians and broadcasters in production for Paramount Studios, Warner Brothers, ABC, CBS, and NBC. When not training individuals and groups or speaking to audiences around the world, Peggy coaches political candidates to effectively communicate their values and vision with authenticity and candor. When not working, she can be found enjoying the incredible beauty of Santa Fe, New Mexico where she lives. Links: Website: https://peggyklaus.com/ Books: https://peggyklaus.com/books/ LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-klaus-705730/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/pegklaus Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peggy.klaus.311
