Host Laura Reid welcomes Emmy Award-winning television producer turned media and publicity coach Danette Kubanda to the show to talk all about nerves, why people aren’t focused on the thing we think is so wrong with us, and what goes on behind the scenes of TV. Danette has spent over twenty years in the TV business and produced for CNN, The Oprah Winfrey Show, HGTV, and more. She shares horror stories and inspiring anecdotes alike, all while giving Laura a glimpse behind the curtain into how people prepare to interview live.

Danette stresses the power of having a dream and pursuing it because when she was a little TV-obsessed girl, she wanted two things: to work for Oprah and win an Emmy. She’s done both. Her advice is to be fully into whatever your attention is on at the moment. If you’re with your kids, be fully present. If you’re at work, don’t worry about something at home. Be present and be ready is what she tells Laura. She also reveals the answers to these questions: Which celebrity scared her the most? What’s her most recent public speaking horror story (hint: it involves food)? What’s it like to win an Emmy? What are producers looking for in guests? Danette is upbeat, encouraging, and shares insightful advice about the power of dreams and believing in what we have to share with the world.

About Danette Kubanda:

Danette Kubanda is an Emmy award-winning television producer turned media and publicity coach, who helps authors, experts and entrepreneurs share their messages with the masses so they can help the people who need them most.

Her career spans more than twenty years in the TV business, where she produced for CNN, The Oprah Winfrey Show, HGTV, Fine Living Network, CBS and Fox Twentieth Television.

Today, Danette is a publicity consultant and media coach serving programs like the National Publicity Summit, the Maximum Publicity Program, the Super Connector Media Mastermind and others. Her mission is to help experts become the media guests she would have wanted to book on her shows.

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Contact Danette Kubanda:

• Website: DanetteKubanda.net
• LinkedIn: DanetteKubanda
• Facebook: @DanetteKub
• Instagram: @kubandad

Contact Laura Reid | The Speech Slayer:

• Website: TheSpeechSlayer.com
• Facebook: TheSpeechSlayer
• Instagram: @Laura_InWonderland
• Linkedin: Laura Reid
• Book: “The Public Speaking Horror Show: 7 Secrets to Kill It as a Speaker” by Laura Reid

Host Laura Reid welcomes Interviewer, Communicator, and Journalist Jodie O’Brien to the Horror Show for a conversation on the terrors of public speaking for newscasts and live TV. Jodie has a long career of interviews, news stories, and news anchor broadcasts to draw powerful insights and hilariously awkward blooper stories from. She’s experienced the famous, the infamous, the awkward, and the emotional, so her advice in this episode truly resonates. She tells Laura the one thing she’d share with anyone about to address a public audience.

Jodie and Laura talk about nightmares, guilty pleasure TV, mentorship, and the necessary ability to know when to listen to head over heart when navigating life. The dreams Jodie had as a child helped propel her through struggles in life to attain success. And her sense of humor prompts her to divulge some truly grand bloopers that have happened to her on live TV. But it’s her heartfelt words on why our stories matter and should be heard that make a lasting impact. From horror to healing, there is a nugget of truth and insight in this interview for everyone to take away. Even a story about red lipstick. Journal, be yourself, and listen to Jodie O’Brien tell her story to Laura.

About Jodie O’Brien:

Jodie O’Brien is a dynamic communications leader, empathic interviewer, and intentional listener. With more than 20 years of experience bridging audiences and storytellers across industries—from broadcast journalism to corporate marketing to non-fiction book publishing, she is known for her integrity, relationship-building, and strategic thinking. Jodie brings a unique blend of newsroom urgency and boardroom clarity to every role she undertakes.

As a trusted news anchor, producer, and reporter, Jodie has written and hosted top-rated broadcasts, mentored emerging journalists, and delivered breaking news with accuracy and heart. Her marketing and public relations career has spanned a wide array of industries, leading her to assist in global branding initiatives across five continents.

Jodie has a deep track record of success in stakeholder engagement, public relations, and team development. A skilled communicator, her work has been published across digital platforms and featured in client-facing publications.

She holds degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Religious Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia and completed coursework in Mass Communications at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Jodie is a Mom of three and lives outside Kansas City, Missouri.

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Resources discussed in this episode:

• “Who Believed In You: How Purposeful Mentorship Changes the World” by David McCormick and Dina Powell McCormick

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Contact Jodie O’Brien:

• LinkedIn: Jodie-OBrien
• Email: jlynnobrien@gmail.com

Contact Laura Reid | The Speech Slayer:

• Website: TheSpeechSlayer.com
• Facebook: TheSpeechSlayer
• Instagram: @Laura_InWonderland
• Linkedin: Laura Reid
• Book: “The Public Speaking Horror Show: 7 Secrets to Kill It as a Speaker” by Laura Reid

Host Laura Reid welcomes bestselling author, business consultant, and spiritual practitioner Arliss Dudley-Cash to the show for a deep dive into Arliss’ journey from neuroscience and forensics through a severe chronic illness diagnosis and into spirituality. Arliss shares the horror of having her life drastically altered by her diagnosis and how she released her anger to find a more peaceful way forward. Along the way, she became a powerful public speaker with a host of experiences and advice to offer listeners.

Laura’s Killer 13 questions reveal Arliss’ knowledge about the colors of our brain, how she’d survive on a desert island, and why prayer is more powerful than neuroscience in stressful moments. When Arliss describes her journey through overworking into her devastating chronic illness diagnosis, she demonstrates the honesty, self-acceptance, and hope that define how she moves through the world now. From her horrifying panic attack in the middle of a public speech to her very practical advice for all speakers on how to prepare to face an audience, this interview offers insight, wisdom, and a general sense Arliss’ “badassery”, to quote Laura.

About Arliss Dudley-Cash:

Arliss Dudley-Cash, MA, MBA is a business consultant, best-selling author, and prayer practitioner. A lifelong survivor of chronic illness, Arliss brings a unique resilience and wisdom to everything she does. With a background in neuroscience, operations, and forensic investigation, she combines intellectual rigor with soulful presence. Through her company, Soullutions LLC, she empowers entrepreneurs to build businesses rooted in self-love, authenticity, and joy. Arliss is known for weaving together spiritual insight, emotional intelligence, and savvy strategy—with humor and heart always in the mix. Whether she’s teaching, consulting, or praying, Arliss helps others create lives and businesses that are not only successful, but truly aligned and deeply meaningful.

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Resources discussed in this episode:

• “Amazing Things” by Michael Gott on YouTube
• Home of the world’s largest crystal: Angelite OM

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Contact Arliss Dudley-Cash:

• Website: Soullutions.com
• Email: Arliss@soullutions.com

Contact Laura Reid | The Speech Slayer:

• Website: TheSpeechSlayer.com
• Facebook: TheSpeechSlayer
• Instagram: @Laura_InWonderland
• Linkedin: Laura Reid
• Book: “The Public Speaking Horror Show: 7 Secrets to Kill It as a Speaker” by Laura Reid