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This transcript is computer generated and may contain errors and not be an exact representation of the audio
Hi this is Welcome to Self® and I’m your host, Dr Hayley D Quinn, the anti-burnout business coach. I’m a speaker, author, former clinical psychologist and a late identified auDHDer.
Welcome to Self ® is a podcast for business owners like you who want success but not at the cost of your well-being. This is about transforming self and transforming business. I’ll be here to remind you that you’re human first and as well as being a business owner, you have different roles in your life that need your attention and to manage those well, you need to take care of yourself in the best way possible.
Here you’ll learn about practices that’ll help you navigate not just your business but your non-work life as well and you’ll realise that you’re not alone in the ways you struggle. You’ll have your curiosity piqued on various topics as I chat with wonderful guests and bring you solo bite-sized episodes.
I’m here for service-based business owners and entrepreneurs like you, to help you increase your self-care and compassion, change your relationship with yourself and your business, and elevate your business to a new level so you can live the full and meaningful life you desire.
This is a place of nourishment, growth and helpful information. A place where you can learn ways to assist you and your business to thrive.
We’ll talk all things mindset, strategy and well-being and I’m so excited you’re here. If you haven’t already, go and hit subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.
So, let’s get started
Dr Hayley D Quinn: Hi, and welcome to another episode. This episode was recorded at the end of 2025 in readiness for this season. It’s always nice to have some episodes in the bank so life and business doesn’t feel so rushed.
I met my next guest in a mastermind, and we’ve stayed in touch. I’ve also had the pleasure of attending one of her workshops and her book launch. She is my unofficial book buddy.
It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Sally Prosser. Sally is a sought-after voice and public speaking coach, speechwriter, author of VoicePrint, and founder of Soul Speakers, a global community helping people speak from the heart with confidence.
Sally opened a speech and drama school at just 16 and has been empowering speakers, leaders, and creatives ever since on stage, on camera, and in life. A former TV and radio news reporter, corporate spokesperson, and award-winning entrepreneur, Sally understands the power of voice in shaping influence. With qualifications in speech and drama, journalism, law, NLP, hypnosis, and Reiki, she blends technical expertise with energetic alignment for truly transformative communication.
It’s with great pleasure I welcome Sally to the podcast. Hi Sally, thank you so much for joining me.
Sally Prosser: My absolute pleasure, thank you for that introduction.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: could you start by giving us some insight into who you are and why you’re so passionate about voice work?
Sally Prosser: My mum tells me that I was born microphone first. Ever since I was a young child I wanted to do little performances. I remember one Christmas I told Santa I wanted a microphone with a stand. When it arrived, the first thing I did was a thank you speech for Santa for coming along. So it’s one of those stories where I really feel like it’s a mission that I’ve been born with.
I don’t know why it’s been sent my way, but I’ve always loved it and always wanted to speak. Throughout school it was public speaking and debating, so it was no surprise at all when I went into journalism. I studied Law but didn’t end up being a lawyer; I spent too much time at the actual bar instead of the legal bar.
Then, as you mentioned, I became a company spokesperson and am now running this business. Voice and this passion to help people release their voice has been a common thread throughout my whole life. Because it was a passion that I discovered quite young, the advantage is I was able to make many, many mistakes along the way. I feel in lots of ways what makes me so effective in coaching this is because everything that somebody fears, I can almost guarantee I’ve been there and got through that.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: Fantastic. And what do you think gets in the way of people using their authentic voice?
Sally Prosser: Themselves. It’s the inner voice. The inner voice is always going to sabotage the physical voice. Your sound is supported or sabotaged before it’s even made.
It’s these thoughts, these blocks that get in the way of the voice that’s always there. Your voice is the organ of your soul. If we stop to listen, we know what we want to say. Part of it is skills and practice, definitely. But a lot of it is removing these stories that we’ve told ourselves that create a block. Who wants to listen to me? What will people think? Somebody else is already talking about that. Who finds my story interesting? It’s all of those little voices in our head that block the way for our magical inner voice to come out.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: I’m sure you talk about that in your debut book, VoicePrint, as well. That sneaking inner critic can really get in the way, not just of us speaking with our authentic voice, but in the way we want to live our life as well. I think you and I certainly have a lot in common there, recognising that people get in their own way. I have a journal that says “Get out of your own damn way” to remind me to pay attention to what’s happening with me.
Sally Prosser: Absolutely. I’m just looking through the book now because I do write about your speaking story. What is the speaking narrative you’ve set out for yourself?
For people who have perhaps been brought up in a tumultuous environment, silence equals safety. Or perhaps a sibling always spoke for them, so the story becomes “I can’t do this.” It might be the story that you’re not smart enough to talk about a topic. Perhaps the last time you spoke up someone said “that was a stupid question,” so you learnt that it was just better not to say anything.
I found the page here: “We rarely bring only one voice to the table. A whole chorus of inner critics, imposters, judges, perfectionists, and people-pleasers often drown out the one true voice we need to hear.”
Dr Hayley D Quinn: That speaks to so many aspects of life and certainly a lot of the work I do with people. What do you think might be some of the advantages of learning to use our voice more effectively, particularly in business?
Sally Prosser: Hayley, it’s more than advantages; it’s absolutely essential. We talk a lot about business visibility, but what about business audibility? Hearing someone’s voice is the closest thing to touching them. I know that sounds a bit gross, but we’re looking for connection here when we’re putting ourselves out there.
Especially with the rise of AI, if you see a photo and a caption online, you don’t really know if it’s the person behind that post. But when we hear someone’s voice, it cuts through any of that scepticism. It creates a high trust factor.
We can also learn so much about the person. When we hear a voice, we immediately get a sense of identity. I know in the past I’ve been interested in a business online and scoured their site trying to find their name or where they are from. If they just had some audio content, I’d immediately be able to make that connection.
Our voice isn’t supposed to resonate with everyone. Using your voice is a really effective way to attract who you want to work with and let people who might not resonate with you know that you’re not for them. It’s like a magnet. You attract what you like and reject the rest.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: You’re so right. With technology taking over, we are looking for more and more human connection. I’ll often say to people who are just doing content work without posting pictures of themselves, “At least let people see who you are.” Then there’s this next level: let them hear who you are.
I know for me, before I started doing reels and my podcast, I felt really anxious about doing that sort of stuff. What are some tips you have for people who do feel anxious about speaking, whether that is on social media, on stages, or even conversations with family and friends?
Sally Prosser: You’ll probably notice it’s certain scenarios or certain people that make you anxious. It’s about getting beneath the surface level of “I don’t really like to speak” or “I’m the quiet one.”
Very few people are legitimately afraid of public speaking. It’s the public speaking that allows whatever is under the surface to come out. That is why speaking work is so great for healing and well-being; it gives you that opportunity to process and channel things that you might not otherwise have looked at.
Underneath the “I feel anxious putting myself out there” is usually a fear around being heard or a fear of exposure. We can go beneath that and ask: What are you afraid of exposing? Why are you afraid of being seen? Is it what people will say?
Sometimes it goes right down to a story in your head about something funny about your hair, or getting a red chest. I’ve worked with clients who felt anxious because a redness developed on their chest when they spoke. I told them to just name it. “Name it to claim it.” You can say, “Look, sometimes I get a little bit red here, don’t worry, we’ll continue on.”
People really do want this realness over it being flawless. And I’ll share this little secret here on your podcast, Hayley. Sometimes when I speak professionally, I intentionally put in stumbles.
There was a webinar early on in my business where I had a grand total of two people attending. I was doing this exercise where you flop down to the ground and build yourself up, vertebrae by vertebrae. But I couldn’t say “vertebrae by vertebrae.” It was a big stumble. I had this catastrophic spiral in my mind thinking, This is terrible, I’m supposed to be a speaking coach, shut the business down.
Then one of the two people came off mute and asked, “Sal, are you live?” They said, “You were just presenting so perfectly I assumed it must have been a pre-record.” When I confirmed I was live, it created such a moment of connection and rapport that they became long-term clients. It’s an invitation that often the very thing you fear is the very thing that will create the outcome you’re looking for.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: Absolutely. I’ve spoken to a lot of people who think they looked really nervous or were shaking, but the audience didn’t see it at all. But there’s also that piece about being real. It’s that humanness that adds something to what you’re doing. People aren’t looking for perfection. We don’t want to be surrounded by people who never get anything wrong. When we can bring our humanness to everything that we do, it takes the pressure off us, right?
Sally Prosser: Oh, absolutely! I used to be a perfectionist growing up. Very annoying personality type. That’s partly why we’ve connected so well; we can just be real with each other.
If you are in the beginning stages of business, remember that you are validating ideas. Rather than feel like a bad speaker if no one listened to a video, treat it like an experiment. So much of the content I created early on helped me clarify what clients I wanted to work with and what my message was.
I feel like women especially get clarity through conversation and through speaking. If anyone wants to scroll back to my early Instagram or TikToks, they are pretty bad. But that’s okay. You have to do that to get to where you are. You can’t be comparing your Chapter 1 with someone else’s Chapter 20.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: We evolve and get clarity through the process of doing. Learning what isn’t working, learning how to get through something that might feel a little terrifying, like speaking on stage or having a difficult conversation. Then you have an opportunity to reflect and ask, “What would I do differently next time?”
Sally Prosser: Absolutely. You can practice in the shower. If you have a difficult conversation coming up, practice how you’re going to say it. It can be in front of the mirror or recording on your phone.
It is powerful to be witnessed, which is why groups like my Soul Speakers is a great place to practice in a safe group. But you can also just start speaking on your own.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: I attended your Speak Up for Your Business workshop which was really lovely. It gave me the opportunity to practice getting over my brain shutting down, as mine did during your workshop!
Sally Prosser: That was such a genuine moment, Hayley. Every single other woman in that room commented to me about how powerful that moment was where you were able to say, “Hang on a minute. The words aren’t coming. Give me a moment.”
Dr Hayley D Quinn: You run a business where you do one-on-one coaching, workshops, a membership group, and you travel a lot. How do you take care of yourself to be able to do that? Because a lot of the time I like to come back to how do we take care of ourselves as women in business.
Sally Prosser: I have a very supportive partner, which helps. And I have learned that the most powerful skill in business has been becoming a master of my energy. It’s not time management; it’s energy management.
I spend a lot of time being really in tune with my body. It started with my mind talking to my body and feeling that reconnection. Now I’m pretty good at asking: What do I need in this moment? Movement? Water? Rest? Food? Connection?
When you can become really good at knowing what you need, it’s sort of like parenting yourself. With travel, for example, do what’s right for you. People will say flying is where you get your best inspiration and can do work. When I get on a plane, it is mandated rest. I put a movie on, have a drink, and do no planning.
If I am travelling for something, I get there the night before. I give myself plenty of time to get to the venue. I remove any logistics that might cause stress. Often when there is pressure on a speaking performance, it’s because of a lack of preparation and planning. You can’t land at the airport at the time the plane takes off.
We want to get to our speaking scenario and travel with calmness. We can’t help the curveballs life throws us, but I believe we can be proactive rather than reactive to the day.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: That resonates a lot. A lot of the work I do is about changing that relationship with yourself so you can ask, “What do I need right now?” Some people thrive on that last-minute rush, but that would not be me at all. I need to pack days in advance. It’s about really understanding what you need as an individual to create space around what you’re doing.
Sally Prosser: Unapologetic calendar protection is key as well. In the past, I’d have an afternoon earmarked for practicing a speech or resting, and something would creep in. “Can you have a call? Can we do this?”
You have to say no. Don’t punt on the calendar. Hold that boundary to ensure you can show up when you need to. Of course, if it’s urgent you can make time, but it’s so easy for the calendar to be breached.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: Absolutely. I discuss the difference between needs and wants in my book. Someone might say “I need to see you at 5 o’clock,” but unless it’s an emergency, it’s a want. If we are going to do a speech and we are feeling frazzled and dysregulated, it’s going to be much harder to stand there and do the thing we need to do.
Sally Prosser: I work with executives preparing for board presentations and I tell them: at least half an hour before you’re on, block it out. You need to be able to think, get in the zone, do your voice warm-ups, and be ready. Treat the preparation time as sacred as the delivery time.
It is also as sacred as the debrief time. I call it the post-speaking ritual. It might be a glass of wine, a cup of tea, a bubble bath, or lighting a candle. Take that moment to ask: What was great? What could I do better for next time? If we don’t close the loop, that opens the way for overthinking and stressing later on.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: After an event or a difficult conversation is a prime time for your self-critic to jump in. Bringing compassion into that debrief is helpful.
And then also celebrating! As women, we often don’t celebrate our achievements. It was beautiful to share in the celebration of your launch for VoicePrint. On the day, you said you wanted to get your book in the hands of Oprah Winfrey. We all said, “Yes, you can do it, Sally!” And lo and behold, I think it was the next day you did get your book in the hands of Oprah Winfrey.
Tell us about your Oprah moment. Not everybody could just walk up to Oprah. What helped you do that?
Sally Prosser: I explain the full story in an episode of my podcast, That Voice Podcast, called “How I Manifested Meeting Oprah,” but for me, it came down to three main things.
First was intention. At the Ignite conference where we met, I wrote down “Give my book to Oprah” as my gold medal moment. My mum had also suggested it casually, so the intention had been set.
The next part was action. I wasn’t really prepared. The morning after the book launch, I was in “home mode”—skincare on, messy hair, no bra. I was messaging Katrina Blowers, our host at the launch, to get a photo. She happened to be covering Oprah in Brisbane for Channel 7. She messaged me saying, “Fortune favours the brave, come on down, she’s just gone for a walk.”
I was across the other side of the city. I threw on shoes, grabbed the keys, and grabbed a copy of the book I had already written a note to Oprah in. I jumped in an Uber and didn’t waste any time. Could you imagine if I had been doing my foundation and missed Oprah by five minutes?
I walked right up to her and said, “Hi Oprah, my name’s Sally. My mum and I enjoyed watching your show growing up.” She asked my mum’s name, and then she saw the book. She said, “VoicePrint! What a nice idea! Really cool!” and held it up to the cameras. It was an out-of-body experience.
The third thing, Hayley, was the energetics, which you played a part in. I believe if it had been a random Sunday, it wouldn’t have happened. But because of the launch, I was in “celebrity energy.” That energy lifted me to the level where I was able to meet her.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: That’s fantastic, I’m so thrilled for you. I hope it leads to lots of book sales.
Before we tell people where to find you, I want to ask you my favourite question: If you could meet your 80-year-old self today, what do you think she would say to you?
Sally Prosser: I’m so proud to say this right now. I think she would say, “I’m so damn proud of you.”
She’d say, “You’re doing it. You’re living your soul’s mission, you’ve written your book amongst very challenging personal situations, and you’re doing your best.” I don’t know if there are many times in my life where I’ll be able to say that, so you’ve caught me at a great moment, Hayley.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: You have many things to feel proud of and to celebrate. If people want to find your book VoicePrint—which is a beautiful, easy read with lots of useful information and humour—where can they find it?
Sally Prosser: You can get VoicePrint pretty much anywhere: Amazon, Goodreads, Dymocks, Booktopia, Barnes & Noble.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: A friend just told me about Bookshop.org, which is available worldwide and donates money to local independent bookstores.
Sally Prosser: That’s so great! If you can’t find it, just search “Sally Prosser Voice.” I’m on all the platforms: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn. I also have the VoicePrint Oracle Cards, which are a beautiful companion to the book.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: And you’ve got an audiobook as well?
Sally Prosser: I do, it’s out on Spotify and hopefully on Audible by the time this airs.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: Thank you, Sally. It’s been such a pleasure to have you on the podcast.
Sally Prosser: Thank you, it’s been wonderful.
Dr Hayley D Quinn: Thank you for tuning in to another episode. I’ll be back next week with another solo episode. In the meantime, go well and go gently with yourselves. Bye.
Thanks for sharing this time with me today, I hope it’s been helpful and supportive.
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