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Foster Your Voice

Helping trial attorneys deliver a message that inspires action.

FYV #1 - It's Time to Foster Your Voice…Wait, What Does That Mean?

assessment foster your voice self awareness Jan 15, 2025
 

 LISTEN TO EPISODE #1 

 

Hi there! I’m Kristi Foster, and I’m here to help YOU foster your voice. But what does that really mean? In this first episode, I’m breaking it all down. Spoiler alert: it’s not just clever wordplay (though, c’mon, it is kinda clever).

To “foster” your voice is to nurture and develop it—to help it grow into something uniquely you. It’s about finding your voice, owning it, and showing up authentically every time you speak. 

We’ll dive into the two key ingredients to this process: awareness (paying attention to how you show up vocally and nonverbally) and assessment (getting curious about what’s working, what’s not, and why). Don’t worry, we’re not going too deep just yet—this is just the start of your journey! 

Along the way, I’ll share a little about why so many of us cringe when we hear ourselves on playback (you’re not alone!) and how I’m here to help you feel confident, clear, and connected when you speak.

This episode is your first step toward fostering confidence, clarity, connection, and, most importantly, your voice. 

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

  1. What it really means to “foster your voice”

  2. Why awareness and assessment matter for expressing yourself authentically

  3. Why your voice might not “sound like you” (and why that’s totally normal!)

Resources & Next Steps:

  1. Get on my mailing list for weekly vocal tips at fostervoicestudio.com. I'm want to support your journey.

  2. Follow me on Instagram @fostervoicestudio for more tips and inspiration.

  3. Watch each episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@FosterYourVoice

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Let’s Foster Your Voice Together:

Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoy what you hear, leave a review! This is your year to own your voice and use it with confidence and purpose.

 

TRANSCRIPT

(singing) Hellooooo! Welcome, welcome! I'm so glad you're here. This is the FIRST EPISODE, so you're getting in on the ground level here.

So, how did we get here? Why a podcast? I mean...it seems like everyone and there mother has a podcast these days. And, I guess there's your answer right there. Podcasts are a great tool for learning, for encouragement, for entertainment. I LOVE me some podcasts, so why not have my own?!

And, look, I'm still "on the socials." I'm posting daily on Instagram, Facebook & LinkedIn, so feel free to meet me on those platforms to see my content and send me a DM. But, I just got a little tired of playing the algorithm game.

There's probably a game I'm supposed to be playing with having a podcast too, but I just got a little weary of trying to come up with the perfect hook to grab the audience within 3 seconds so they stop scrolling. And then being limited to no more than 90 seconds for talking head reels where I just really wanted to teach and share valuable info. I struggle making everything into a sound bite.

Besides, if you're a trial attorney, I seriously doubt that you're arriving to the courthouse or to a deposition 15 minutes early so you can sit in your car and scroll Instagram trying to find some nuggets to take with you into your meeting, hearing or trial.

You're on the go! I don't have to tell YOU that. But maybe, in your short drive to your next meeting, you'll, metaphorically, pull up a chair, find a safe space to try some stuff, get some encouragement, feel bolstered and know that you're a part of the Fam. My Foster Fam.

So, welcome! I'm glad you're here. Let's get into it.

— BREAK —

You'll hear me say "I'm Kristi Foster, and I'm here to help YOU foster your voice." But what does that really mean?

Well, first, it's kinda clever if I do say so myself. Kristi Foster, foster your voice. See what I did there?

To "foster" something means to help it grow, develop, or encourage it. It comes from the Old English word that means "nourishment." How cool is that that that's my last name? I want to help people grow, develop and be encouraged along the way. Every day I'm trying to live into and up to my name.

But to foster your voice, what's that about?

To "foster your voice" means to actively nurture and develop your unique way of expressing yourself, essentially "finding your voice" and allowing it to be heard authentically

To find your authentic voice you'll need two things: awareness & assessment. Awareness will allow you to honestly, and OBJECTIVELY take stock of your nonverbal communication — kind of a personal state of the union, if you will — to essentially identify what you're naturally good at and some areas where you could grow. Assessment then is the fair evaluation of the things you're now aware of. Let's put this into motion.

AWARENESS

So, for AWARENESS...Do you know if you're accessing your full range? Range of pitch, of volume, fluidly moving back and forth through range of tone? Do you know when you're accidentally creating vocal patterns that make it hard for jurors to track with you and mentally connect with your message? Does your face match your voice, and does your body match your face, and does your breath support the whole process and keep you, and the jurors, in a balanced nervous system so they can make decisions from a good place?

There's more, but you get the idea. You first need to bring your awareness to these details. Not all at once, but just start paying attention. Reflect on misunderstandings you've had with your kids or your significant other — what was the disconnect? was your tone harsher than you meant? was your body language off? were you a little too loud without enough lift in your voice, so they thought you were angry, when you weren't upset at all?

Start getting aware! Start paying attention.

ASSESSMENT

Now, most of the time, clients who are just starting their work with me will do their personalized assessment session and share that they don't like their voice when they hear it on playback. When i press them about why, they usually say "it's boring" or "it's monotone" or "i have lots of ums & ahs" or even "I don't know. It just doesn't sound like me."

I share that because, the assessment part of fostering your voice includes developing the ability to understand WHY you think those things, and, where you can expand your vocabulary to better explain and adjust your instrument. Assessment will put you in control so you can communicate on purpose.

Get curious. Don't settle for the simple "I don't know." or "It sounds bad." What about it "sounds bad" to your ear? What specifically don't you like? How many descriptive words can you come up with.

Okay, now in the beginning, this is kinda hard. It's hard to be able to assess all these things confidently on your own, let alone be able to know how to change it. No one has ever asked you to describe your voice or go this deep on understanding it. That's what I mean by "I'M here to HELP you foster your voice."

For instance, let's go back to your complaints about hearing yourself on playback. I can tell you that it's "boring" because you don't use enough melody. It's "monotone" because you're locked in to only your chest voice and lack upper range and knowing when to use it strategically to infuse more meaning. You have lots of "filler words" because you're not connected to your breath and you're not comfortable with pauses. And it doesn't sound like you because you're the only person that hears yourself internally and on a playback you're hearing yourself externally.

I can help you with all this stuff. It's my mission to be able to help you identify the real issues and then work with you to correct them until you're able to troubleshoot on your own — expressing yourself truthfully and not trying to be someone you're not, overcoming self-doubt, being able to be clear and effective when articulating your thoughts, and making sure you can speak up with your voice when it really matters.

This is what we'll be doing on the Foster Your Voice Podcast. So, stick around.

This is your year. It's your year to:

  • foster confidence

  • foster clarity

  • foster a healthy body

  • foster mindset shifts

  • foster understanding

  • foster connection, and

  • foster your voice