Episode 159: Learn how self-advocacy, trust, and engagement can help you speak up
How can you advocate for yourself without feeling uncomfortable or unheard? In this episode, John Chen sits down with Neelu Kaur to talk about self-advocacy, confidence, psychological safety, and creating more engaging virtual experiences.
Neelu shares why self-advocacy is a form of self-care and how cultural expectations, hierarchy, and the pressure to “keep your head down” can make it harder for people to speak up and receive credit for their ideas. She also explains how her own experiences led her to develop her work around self-advocacy.
The conversation also explores how speakers and facilitators can build trust and psychological safety before asking audiences to participate, why virtual engagement needs to happen frequently, and how hybrid events can make virtual attendees feel included rather than overlooked.
Key Takeaways
- 💬 Why self-advocacy is an important form of self-care
- 🌏 How cultural differences can affect confidence and speaking up at work
- 📣 Practical phrases and “interruption shields” that can help you re-enter a conversation
- 🤝 Why building trust and psychological safety should come before asking people to be vulnerable
- 🎯 How to create more engaging virtual keynotes through frequent interaction
- 🧠 Why experiences help information stick better than simply presenting information
- 💻 How to make virtual attendees feel included during hybrid events
- 🚫 Why reading slides word-for-word can quickly hurt engagement
- 🎤 Why the speaker, not the slides, should be the focus of a presentation
- 🌱 Why practicing self-advocacy at work and at home can make a difference
Whether you’re a speaker, facilitator, leader, or professional looking to become more confident in speaking up, this conversation with Neelu Kaur offers practical ideas for advocating for yourself while creating safer, more engaging experiences for others.
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Connect with Neelu Kaur:
Connect with John Chen:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceojohnchen/
