1. Gravitas with Voce Veritas
A Chicago Booth Roundtable Event
Presented by Catherine Glynn & Jeremy van Meter, Directors of Voce Veritas, LLC

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Although Gravitas is technically defined by Webster’s as “high seriousness’ we at Voce Veritas
believe it’s powerful synchronization of your external status (age, mannerisms, vocabulary) with
your internal status (your mindset and belief system.)
People with Gravitas Generally Possess One or More of the Following Qualities:
 Enthusiasm
 A sense of expertise (even if they are not experts!)
 Good posture
 Comfort with pausing
 Flexibility
 Warm smiles
 Clean diction/enunciation
 Strong but not overly intense eye contact
 A sense of humor
 Self control
 Poise
 Awareness
 Tact
 Decisiveness
Breath, Posture & Mindset are Keys to Developing Gravitas
Efficient breathing—the foundation of all we do The breathing most people do throughout the
day is shallow and fast, which is akin to the breathing we do is a state of panic. By adjusting your
breathing pattern and making this involuntary process voluntary you open up the door to
changing all your physical habits. We suggest you begin by practicing the “whispered ah.” Inhaling
through the nose for 5 counts, and exhaling for 7. This type of deep breathing is a fairly radical
shift for most people. But if you practice this breathing for a few minutes each day you will
become more aware of breath in general, and when you need it, you can tap into it and use it to
your utmost advantage.
The C spine into T spine Throughout the day the majority of people slump in their chairs, and
because it’s a habit that is so well ingrained, it actually feels more comfortable to slump than to
utilize the body in the effective posture it was designed for. We call this slump the C spine,
because if you look around, most people are collapsing in on themselves. When you find yourself
in this position, bring your pelvis underneath you (for most it is ahead of your body.) The give a
gentle lift and curve forward of the lumbar, then raise the chest and breathe into this new expanse.
Think of your shoulders forming the top of the T and your spine as the base. You will definitely be
taller and you automatically have more presence when you have two more inches of height. You
may have to make this adjustment hundreds of times a day, but the pay off is well worth it.
The contents of this document are copyrighted by Voce Veritas, LLC 2010

3.
The power of the pause It’s a fact, more people are scared of public speaking than they are of
death. So it’s no wonder people are always rushing to get to the end of it—they want that torture
over with! But here’s the deal—all speaking is public speaking and if you start thinking of
presentations as conversations and you breathe at the end of your thoughts and let your message
land, you will have far more impact, and will in a likelihood enjoy the ‘conversation.’ Good
presenters pause. Pausing allows the audience time to digest the material and ask questions, and
it gives the speaker time to catch up to their racing thoughts. The best way to work on pausing is
by practicing.
Elevating your elevator speech As much as we may hate to admit it developing a well‐
constructed succinct sound bite that we can share with people is well worth the time and effort.
Time is money to most t people and if you can’t articulate what you do in less than 30 seconds,
most listeners tune out. So we suggest you take the time to sit down and bullet point what it is you
do, and while you are at it take out any filler words or phrases like, ‘so,’ kind of’, ‘probably’,
‘maybe, ‘‘sort of,’ and ‘you know,’ as these automatically reduce your credibility. By taking a half
hour to construct it and then practicing it out loud you for another half hour, tweaking it to sound
natural and easy, you will gain not only more confidence in what you do, you just may gain a client
or two for being so compelling in so little time.
Acting As if When we were kids we possessed an amazing ability to pretend, in fact actors
cultivate an elevated version of it and call it ‘acting as if.’ If you employ this technique you can
make some very powerful adjustments in how others perceive you. First off, think of someone you
admire and what it is they do that makes them so admirable. Think about the specific physical
details, then close your eyes and envision yourself doing the same thing. Now this is not to be
confused with a caricature—or parody of them, but rather it’s you honestly embodying similar
traits.
Developing a mantra A mantra is a short, succinct present, tense phrase that instantly
emboldens you. It’s something you can repeat at any given time and it reminds you that you are in
control and perfectly capable of facing your current situation. Some mantras we like and often
suggest are: “I know this.” “I’m the expert.” “This is easy.” I don’t think it, I know it.” “I am working
through this.”
For more presentation tips check out our blog at…http://www.voce­veritas.blogspot.com
At Voce Veritas, which is Latin for ‘true voice,’ we believe everyone has an innately powerful voice,
both literally and figuratively speaking. By listening carefully to your story and applying the
techniques that we have learned as actors, cultivated as teachers, and honed as coaches, we will
help you explore and expand your voice in a safe, confidential setting.
If you are interested in one on one coaching or holding a workshop at your work place feel
free to contact Catherine or Jeremy at info@voceveritas.com
http://www.voceveritas.com
The contents of this document are copyrighted by Voce Veritas, LLC 2010

4. Rachel Patterson
From: Rachel Patterson [rpatter3@chicagogsb.edu]
Sent: Friday, February 12, 2010 10:39 AM
To: 'Consultingroundtable@lists.chicagobooth.edu'
Subject: Consulting Roundtable Feb 25 - Presentation Skills- Gravitas
All of us, whether in consulting, businesses large or small, have to make presentations – for a proposal, a review of options,
or a project overview and recommendations, etc. Yet public speaking is listed as the number one fear (ahead of death!) by a
majority of Americans. How to regain your composure, focus your thoughts and deliver a compelling presentation? Gravitas.
GSB Consulting Roundtable
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Gleacher Center, Room 600
450 North Cityfront Plaza Drive
Chicago Illinois 60601
The University of Chicago
6:00 pm – 6:30 pm networking
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm presentation and Q&A
8:00 pm on cash bar at The Midway Club, Fifth Floor
Please forward to others you think may be interested
Gravitas: Presentation Skills Workshop
To Register
https://survey.chicagobooth.edu/ViewsFlash/servlet/viewsflash?cmd=showform&pollid=alumni_roundtable!Cons_
Rndtbl
Questions Rachel Patterson ‘03
Event Details
Gravitas… it’s an old word, but a lot of new hype has recently developed around it, and it’s quickly making its way into
corporate vocabulary. Catherine Glynn and Jeremy van Meter have coached hundreds of executives across a variety
companies - including major international consulting firms, Fortune 100 companies, and not-for-profits– helping them develop
gravitas and perfect their presentation skills and techniques. Coming from the philosophy that your voice is both literal and
figurative, Glynn and van Meter will address such topics as: body language, verbal miscues, the power of the pause, and
creating mantras. Giving you insight into how to strengthen and ultimately set your true voice free. You won’t want to miss
this highly practical Consulting Roundtable on Thursday, February 25th, at the Gleacher Center.
For any questions contact Rachel Patterson at rpatter3@chicagobooth.edu or Laraine Spector at lspector@midwaystrat.com
To Register
About Voce Veritas
Voce Veritas, which means “true voice” in Latin, is a boutique communications consulting firm that works with companies and
individuals on all aspects of communication. Every Voce Veritas course, whether one on one or in a group workshop setting,
is custom designed to meet each client’s specific communication needs. Public speaking goals are achieved through a
systematic presentation coaching process that emphasizes customized care and assistance. In addition to presentation skills
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5. and gravitas training, other areas of coaching include: accent reduction, vocal development, transitional (interviewing) skills,
cross-cultural training, and image consulting. Here are a selection of some of the group training workshops they have
developed and taught over that last 5 years:
 Presenting with Impact
 Releasing Creativity
 Building Client Relations
 Confidence in the Workplace
 Gravitas Workshop for Women
 Mastering English
 P-ESL (Pronunciation of English as a Second Language
 Storyboarding
Presenters’ Bios
Catherine Glynn Co-Founder & Executive Coach Catherine began her executive coaching career in 2005 and founded Voce
Veritas, LLC, with Jeremy van Meter in 2008. She is also a professional (and award-winning) actor and has worked with the
Chicago Dramatists, Collaboraction, About Face Theatre, New American Theatre, Chicago Humanities Festival, Riverside
Shakespeare Festival, Creede Repertory Theatre, Austin Shakespeare Festival, and was an active member of the Rude
Mechanicals Theatre Company in Austin, TX for over four years. Most recently, she has been seen in national commercials
for Walmart, Sears, Kitchen Aid, Coors Bear, Assurant Health, SalesGenie.com and has been the spokes model for Stella
Cheese since 2007. She taught Voice & Speech, Acting, and Viewpoints -- a form of movement based improvisation-- at the
UT-Austin. She has a BA in Humanities from St. Benedict & St. John's University in Minnesota, and holds MFA’s from UT-
Austin and The University of Delaware.
Jeremy van Meter Co-founder: Jeremy is a graduate of Milligan College in Johnson City, TN and holds an MFA in Acting
from the University of Iowa. In addition to being a professional actor, Jeremy has been an executive coach and adjunct
professor since 2007. As an executive coach, he has served clients from the aviation, healthcare, manufacturing,
environmental and pharmaceutical industries as well as professional and consulting services. Jeremy has also served on the
faculty at The University of Iowa, Cornell College and Columbia College. In his nearly 20 years of professional acting, he has
amassed more than 100 stage credits and been on the stages of more than a dozen theatre companies in the Chicago area,
as well as three regional Shakespeare Festivals (Great River, Illinois and Riverside), Riverside Theatre, Lexington Children’s
Theatre and The Barter Theatre in VA.
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Mark Your Calendars
Consulting Roundtables are the 4th Thursday of each month
March 25 “Helping your client find the Big Idea” - workshop presentation by Jim Vassolo,
founder and principal of vvandv.com
April 22 “Strategy in a Box” -- Abacus Leaders’ Gary Teuber and Tim Knaus present on a tool for
affordable strategic planning for small and medium size companies.
May 28 “Consulting to the Financial Services Industry in a period of Tumult – “meat and potatoes”
vs. panic projects overview.” Protiviti Consulting
Join our LinkedIn Group at
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=1858175&trk=anet_ug_grppro
The Chicago Booth Weekly is updated every Thursday, to see an updated list of University of Chicago Booth School of
Business activities, check http://www.chicagobooth.edu/alumni/events/
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