28. Laurie Schloff on Mastering Your Emotional Triggers

Learning the Hard Way the Easy Way

Have you ever lost your cool at exactly the wrong moment? That spark of frustration that flares into a career-limiting outburst? Executive communication coach Laurie Schloff knows this struggle intimately, despite being a master at helping others communicate effectively.
In this refreshingly candid conversation, Laurie reveals her ongoing journey to maintain composure when emotions run high. She shares vulnerable stories of professional missteps, from losing clients due to excessive enthusiasm to sending apologetic flowers after a workplace meltdown. These moments taught her a crucial leadership lesson: effectiveness trumps being right every time.
The conversation introduces the powerful concept of the "controlled nervousness zone", that sweet spot where you're energized but not panicked, where your frontal lobe functions optimally for decision-making. Lori offers practical strategies for staying in this zone, including personalized mental mantras and physical techniques like controlled breathing and stress-release exercises. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing your triggers before they activate and having a ready toolkit of responses.
A fascinating gender dimension emerges as Laurie discusses how emotional expression is perceived differently in men and women leaders. While anyone who "loses it" faces consequences, she notes that male leaders often have a higher threshold of acceptable emotional expression before facing negative perceptions, an additional challenge for women navigating leadership roles.
Whether you're an entrepreneur who can control your schedule or someone working within tight constraints, you'll find actionable advice for creating the mental space needed to respond rather than react. Listen now to discover how to harness your energy for impact rather than allowing it to control you.

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1. Meeting Lori Schloth (00:00:00)

2. Learning to Remain Calm (00:02:43)

3. The Controlled Nervousness Zone (00:11:19)

4. Managing Your Triggers (00:22:31)

5. Physical and Mental Stress Techniques (00:33:08)

6. Gender Differences in Perception (00:43:26)

7. Harnessing Energy for Impact (00:51:23)