#myvoiceis Interview with Melis Tusiray of Hey Ladies

Editors note: Here at Vital Voice Training, we believe in empowering all voices. We want to talk about what you are PROUD of about your voice and the people who have contributed to who you are.

Today we have Melis Tusiray from Hey Ladies answering some questions about her voice.   Melis truly IS a force for Change!

My Voice Is…straight talk with a bunch of f-bombs thrown in

The thing I love most about my voice is…the fact that I can say the same words a million different ways by changing HOW I say it. It gives me a broader expanse of options for expression, which is really cool.

The thing i hate most about my voice is….how it gets high when I'm excited/nervous, haha. I've heard recordings of myself before, where I'm nervous at the beginning and then settle down, and you can hear my voice slowly lowering and getting back to normal.

When is a time you felt really proud about speaking up? I think I'm the proudest about that when I've stepped in to stop or resolve a conflict...it's not really about speaking up for myself but rather speaking up for all of us, as a community, I guess. Because without community, what is there, really?

What other languages do you speak (This can be an actual language, or used more metaphorically). I'm a literal person, so Turkish and German! I tried to learn French once, and I managed to get pretty ok with reading comprehension, but I was teaching myself and the first time a real person (not a tape) dropped some French on me I was totally lost, haha. You gotta interact with others to really learn a language...

If you could speak to your younger self about her voice, what would you tell her? Own it. I was always compulsively outspoken - if I thought something needed to be said, I'd say it - and I was told to be less honest, less outspoken, less bossy, etc. etc. by peers and family members, and I really developed serious shame and embarrassment about it. It's been a tough road since then coming to a place where I am true to my voice while engaging more productively with those around me. I still speak up when I think it's necessary, but I see it as an asset now and know how to better speak up so that rather than alienating people, I'm creating a space for productive conversation.

Melis Tusiray is the Founder of HeyLadies.org, an organization that seeks to bring practical and affordable professional advice to women who work. In addition to teaching and mentoring, Melis has a career in international affairs, having worked with the US State Department, the German development group GIZ, and several internationally-focused nonprofit organizations. She is currently Director of Programs for Bucerius USA and Co-Director of the Women's Initiative at Veterans in Global Leadership. To get learn more or get in touch with Melis, visit www.heyladies.org or email info@heyladies.org.

Public speaking, failure, public speaking coaches, public speaking coaching, authenticity, Vital Voice Training, Casey Erin Clark, Julie Fogh, communication specialists