Your voice is more than just a sound. It’s the sound of you. It’s the sound of your life.
Welcome to InnerVoice Studio, where we provide tailored vocal confidence coaching and training programs for individuals and groups. Our unique approach will help you embrace the sound of your voice and, most importantly, empower you to authentically express yourself with confidence in any situation.
Does this sound like you?
“My voice won’t come out when I need it.”
You have something you want to say, but when it’s your time to speak, your throat gets tight, your mouth goes dry, your heart speeds up and you can’t seem to catch your breath. You open your mouth to talk and it’s anyone’s guess if any sound will actually come out or if you’ll be able to find the right words. Worse than that…will anyone even care to listen?
I hear stories like this all the time, and they happen to me, too.
How many of these describe your experience:
.
Trusted by the best:
.
It might sound a little crazy, but it is actually a good thing when your voice won’t come out.
I know that sounds bananas, but hear me out…
Think of a time when you wanted to speak up and your voice wouldn’t come out. What was happening around you? Who was there? What was at stake? What did it feel like in your body? Were you afraid of something? Were you breathing? Was your throat tight? Was your mouth dry?
The sound of your voice, along with what you say and how you express it, are identifiers of who you are.
When we hear each other speak, we instantly gather a wealth of information – such as age, culture, gender, confidence level, experience, and so much more.
In this way, your voice acts kind of like a door: when you open it to let the sound out you, are also inviting people in to the deeper parts of yourself. This can feel pretty vulnerable: If I let them hear me and see me, what will they think? What might happen to me?
If speaking up in a situation feels scary or even slightly off, your body may instinctively slam the door shut and lock it.
This totally normal and built-in protective mechanism is hard-wired into all of us from birth. Just like when the fire doors in a building that close when an alarm goes off, your voice may shut down as it seeks to keep you safe on one side while keeping anything fearful or dangerous on the other.
You may experience this as physical symptoms – such as loss of voice, tightness in the throat, shortness of breath, or racing heart. Alternatively, it may manifest as communication challenges – like struggling to find the words, feeling unable to speak your truth, saying “um” excessively, or even mumbling or stuttering.
All that is to say that if your voice isn’t functioning the way you want it to when you need it most—congratulations! You are completely normal.
Even though it’s normal, it can cause real challenges when you genuinely want or need to express yourself.
If you feel like your voice is holding you back,
you are not alone.
And you don’t have to solve it on your own.
Good news! You can absolutely develop a voice you trust and the confidence to speak freely.
It’s time to recalibrate!
While the internal fire alarm is totally normal, it doesn’t have to hold you back or rule your life anymore. With the right approach and tools, anyone – even you – can reset that alarm and take charge of your voice and communication.
Imagine a life where you are in command of your career, enjoying deeper, richer relationships with friends and loved ones, you collaborate smoothly on projects, and the value of your contributions is recognized and valued.
Are you ready for:
A strong reliable voice that comes out when you need it?
Do you want a voice that is clear and authentic? A voice that comes out whenever you need it, that is dynamic, interesting, and professional? A voice that aligns with who you are, and commands attention?
The confidence to express yourself authentically?
Do you seek the courage and presence to speak up at work and at home? To shed old beliefs about not being good enough and fully connect with your capabilities? To trust yourself in advocating for your yourself, your ideas, and your values? To become a powerful and impactful leader?
The skills to communicate or present in any setting?
Do you want to find the right words in challenging situations? To recognize when it’s your turn to speak and interject with ease? To set boundaries, navigate conflict, and ask for what you need? To feel valued and heard in all your spoken languages?
.
The perfect combination of empathy, intelligence, curiosity and pragmatism
Sam has been an incredible help in my career and in my personal life. She coaches with the perfect combination of empathy, intelligence, curiosity and pragmatism.
Sam handles big and small: from communication in meetings and presentations to rethinking your career. Sam highlights what matters. She’ll prompt you to think about big changes in achievable steps. If things get tough or you start to fall back into old patterns she’ll help you recognize the pattern and move past it. She genuinely cares about the people she works with and it shows.
Head of Analytics
What would you like to know?
I offer voice and communication programs for individuals and organizations
1:1 Coaching
Are you ready to own your voice and communicate with confidence? Check out my approach and services. Book a discovery call or even schedule a trial session.
Groups + Corporate
Whether you need to meet a training compliance or you simply want to offer your team a fresh perspective on communication and collaboration, we’ve got you covered.
About
Information, facts and figures about Sam Whitehouse and InnerVoice Studio, along with links to frequently asked questions and client success stories.
Latest From The Blog
A little corner of the internet dedicated to embodied voice, authentic self-expression, and conscious communication. Tips, tools, news and musings.
Quick note from the field
I work with a LOT of scientists and engineers, and I’m asked all the time “how will we measure progress?” Sometimes, you’ve got to challenge your assumptions about which ruler to use. 📏 Often, a ‘voice problem’ is actually a symptom of a deeper misalignment. It’s...
InnerVoice Studio is turning 9!
What’s in here: InnerVoice Studio is turning 9! 🥳 The quickness of the passage of time remains a total mystery. What I’ve been up to so far this year…🤓 Meetups, conferences and workshops, oh my! We’re only getting started, baby. 😎 New programs coming your way! A final...
9 reasons your voice won’t come out in meetings
Is this you? When you go to speak up in a meeting, your voice just won’t come out. Five minutes ago you felt fine, but now you feel like you have no control over the volume or tone of your voice. Your throat feels tight and dry and suddenly everything is gravelly and...
Conscious communication and co-creating your own life.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot - like a lot - about the idea of conscious communication. It’s always been the undercurrent of my work, but lately, I’ve been trying to define it more clearly and bring it to the foreground. So…here’s today’s attempt. Let me know what...
Endings, beginnings, back pain and taking up space
This post was originally shared on February 7, 2020. This was in 2015 at our final teacher showcase for OpenVoice Studios. I was in the middle of selling off the equipment and furniture and finding someone to take over the lease, and a gazillion stressful activities...