Finding Your True Voice: The Power of Vocal Congruence and Self-Acceptance
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Why does the way you sound matter more than the words you say?
Most people think communication is about what they say. But what if it starts with How they sound. Welcome back to Speaking with Confidence, the podcast that helps you build the soft skills that lead to real results. Communication, storytelling. Public speaking and showing up with confidence in every conversation that counts. I'm Tim Newman, a recovering college professor, turn communication coach, and I'm thrilled to guide you on your journey to becoming a powerful communicator. Today's guest is Wolf Lanier. Wolf is a somatic voice practitioner and researcher completing a master of fine arts in voice studies at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Originally from the mountains of Appalachia.
He studied in the UK and now in New York City. Wolf's journey has taken him through musical theater. Yoga teaching. Corporate coaching and deep somatic practice all converging on one central question. Why is there a gap between who we are and how we come across? Wolf, welcome to speaking with confidence.
Hi, thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.
Oh, th this is gonna be a lot of fun because you you approach things f from a different perspective than than most people, which which which I love. But r really before we we get into this, uh you You've got a great story. You you grew up in Appalachia, y you studied musical theater, you trained in yoga, and now you ended up doing somatic voice research. How did this come about because that's not really the traditional Traditional route.
Yeah, yeah, the the the story the story's interesting. I mean, as a kid, I was very into theater. That's what I did growing up. That was my extracurricular activity. And so much so that I was like, you know what? I'm gonna do this as a career. So I went to uh musical theater conservatory and singer, actor, dancer, the whole thing. However, when I got to college, I became very self-conscious. in my performance abilities. I uh developed a massive sense of stage fright because I was being graded, I was being marked for Me for for performing. And I had this uh intertwining belief that I, as a performer, was who I am as a person. And so this really took a huge toll on me uh in college. After I graduated, I moved to New York City and I was in various musicals, tours, this, that, and uh then the pandemic happened.
And All that work went away. I was unable to perform and I was at home. I moved back to North Carolina to Appalachia and uh just trying to figure out what to do with myself because I just couldn't perform anymore because of the lockdown. And I found a company in New York who did public speaking training. And I knew that I had all these skills as an actor to help people present better. So I did a little work study with them and then that became an apprenticeship, which became coaching. And then I kind of grew in the company. Um I'm still with them and During that time, I recognized the biggest issue with these people that I was working with, who were like CEOs and leaders, um, was their belief around what they had to offer.
Like this thing, like the they couldn't offer enough and they didn't believe that they had uh the credibility or the sensibility to be able to guide people or to manage people or to open their mouth. You know, there's some people who struggle to even order a coffee. It was like locked. Their body was locked. during all of this, you know, being in New York City, I was doing yoga a lot and I was like, you know what? I can see how this work just blends. It comes together. And so I became a yoga teacher and did that on the side and had all these gigs. And then finally was like, ah, there's a marriage here. There's a world where these things exist and I need to figure it out deeper. So I found myself going to London to study at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.
researching now what I research, which is called vocal congruence. And that is the alignment of your sel sense of self to the sound of your voice. And so now that's what I do. That's that's the journey.
It's it it it it's so interesting as and especially as we get into the whole idea of of vocal c congruence.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
Why does the way you sound matter more than the words you say?
0:09–4:45
2
How did Wolfe Lanier’s journey from Appalachia to somatic voice research shape his view on vocal congruence?
4:45–9:16
3
What is vocal congruence and how does it reveal a person’s inner worth?
9:16–15:13
4
How do self‑talk, ego, and perfectionism affect the sound of our voice?
15:13–24:15
5
What role does somatic practice play in releasing physical tension for better communication?
24:15–35:43
6
How do culture, accent, and personal history influence vocal identity and acceptance?
35:43–47:11
7
What simple, actionable steps can listeners use right now to improve vocal confidence?
47:11–48:29
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Speaking With Confidence
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Finding Your Voice Before You Feel Ready: Lessons in Confidence and Self-Efficacy
Unlocking the Four Communication Styles to Lead Any Team With Confidence
Unlocking Powerful Communication in the Age of Virtual Presentations
Talk Like You’re Right, Listen Like You’re Wrong: The Key to True Connection
Overcoming Cultural Barriers to Confident Communication