“It’s part of it, but the deeper part is truthful, authentic, safe, safe to express yourself, and I think that’s the biggest problem in this, you know, one of the biggest problems in the world. [It’s] that people don’t feel free to express themselves, to truly express who they are or what they want to say.” -- Danielle Soccio

This episode’s guest is an accomplished singer and performing artist, creative mentor, speaker, and author from Melbourne, Australia. She’s performed in prestigious concert halls, on major television events, in the theatre, and she’s produced her own one-woman shows. She’s recorded numerous works beginning with her first album of standards, Hope, and original music that can be heard on major streaming services. Her passion is performing, and she’s sung before a viewing audience of a billion people. She’s also the creator of Awaken Your Voice, creating cutting-edge voice and transformation programs for artists, entrepreneurs, professionals, and individuals. She works with people who want to express themselves with greater presence and impact, in a larger, more meaningful way so they can achieve their goals and dreams. She’s helped transform thousands of people into confident and courageous individuals, with a newfound clarity, voice, and vision for their life.

Her name is Danielle Soccio, and this conversation will help you dig deeper into what’s causing your roadblocks and keeping you from being your best self – and how it relates to sound.

As always, if you have questions for my guest, you’re welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes.  If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com where you’ll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available and access to a resource called The Studio with lots of interesting sound-related mp3s, videos, educational pdfs, and exclusive discounts from previous guests. And if you’re getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help – and I’d love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast’s main page. I would so appreciate that.

The Power Within

As the episode starts, we talk about Danielle's early memories of sound, and how her mother's ABBA and Barbara Streisand albums sparked her love of music. "That's where, I think, sound really started to influence me in a really big way," she explains. "And for me, it was through singing." She tells us about her concert performances and the sense of inner power and deep connection they bring. "When I sing and perform," she says, "there's just something that's happening inside, you know, and I can just feel the power and vibration of my voice... and that's a really beautiful, amazing experience."

Intention, Harmony, and Melody

Danielle tells us how her love of music and experience as a musician inspired her to delve deeper into the power of sound as a way of forging connections between people. “I can feel that there’s something really powerful, sound and everything, attached to it,” she says, “intention, harmony, and melody that can travel across the room and impact and influence people, and move them in a very deep way.” She tells us about how music awakened her to her inner voice, and how she came to realize that such an awakening isn’t always that easy for people who might not be musically inclined. “I started to realize,” she recalls, “that this inner voice... not everyone really listens to or has access to it.”

The Back of Our Body

Our conversation turns to how she now helps people find their inner voice, and she gives us an on-air demonstration of an exercise listeners can follow along with to find their center. "Not only does the sound come out much better, much richer, much fuller," she explains, "but it also comes out far more authentic and truthful." Danielle walks us through the process of relaxing and connecting with our physical and inner selves, and explains the philosophy behind it: "Finding that stillness, the still point, I think that's really necessary." She goes on to explain how modern distractions and the pace of everyday life can disconnect us from our authentic selves. "We're often in this go-go-go mentality of being in the front of our body, we're moving forward pushing forward. But we don't sit often enough in the back of our body. And to access this deep state, we want to be in that part of our body as well."

Busy Monkey Minds

Danielle tells us about what she calls our “busy monkey minds,” our constant stream of thoughts and worries about getting everything done, and we continue her breathing and focusing exercise to reach past those thoughts to our deeper selves. “From that deep place,” she says, “you can feel what wants to be communicated and speak or sing from that part of your body” Our exercise demonstration concludes and she explains how useful it can be, not only for speaking with confidence, but gaining a better sense of our wants and needs. “That’s one of the key exercises that I teach,” she says, “and it’s a great one to start experimenting with and putting into practice. You can do that anywhere any time.”

Episode Summary

• What ABBA and the Bee Gees taught Danielle about the power of music.
• Her experience as a concert musician and sound’s ability to connect people.
• The connection between the mind, body, and our innermost selves.
• A practical meditation exercise that listeners can follow along with.
• Overcoming the hectic worries of the moment to hear our inner voice.

Tune in next week as we talk about some of Danielle's most memorable success stories, how the age of streaming media has changed the relationship between musicians and listeners, and how connecting with our inner voice can not only change how we speak but also what we have to say.

Connect with the Guest:

Website: https://daniellesoccio.com

Download Your Free eBook, “How to Courageously Live a Fully Expressed Life”: https://www.daniellesoccio.com/ebook/

Book a free call: https://daniellesoccio.as.me/

Connect with Danielle Soccio on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-soccio/

Follow Danielle Soccio on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanielleSoccioAwakenYourVoice/

Follow Danielle Soccio on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniellesoccio_awakenyourvoice/

Subscribe to Danielle Soccio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6jRvoiGAVCLJXbX1pw1c8A

Listen to Danielle Soccio on Spotify: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-soccio/

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