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Finding Your Voice - Sheral DeVaughn

Finding Your Voice - Sheral DeVaughn

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Dwayne Smith and Rudy Davis talk with brand voice and brand messaging strategist Sheral DeVaughn, whose career spans radio, wine and spirits, and brand coaching. Sheral shares how her path shaped a practical framework for helping people find a voice that feels human, credible, and distinct. This episode centers on leadership, personal branding, and why the best communicators do not talk at people - they talk with them. Sheral also reflects on radio history, Prince’s creative genius, and the way labels can limit both people and organizations.Key topicsIn this episode, Sheral shares how she got into radio as a child, with a hairbrush microphone, Wolfman Jack, and Casey Kasem as early inspirations.She explains how growing up in rural Minnesota shaped her refusal to accept the idea that girls could not do radio.Sheral shares how she broke into radio in Shreveport, Louisiana, including her first big morning-show opportunity at age 23.She describes meeting Prince Rogers Nelson (Prince) in high school and why she considers him one of the most creative people she's ever known.Sheral explains how Prince controlled his artistic process, insisted on excellence, and fought to give artists more power over their work.She talks candidly about being hired for a morning show role that wasn't what she expected, and how trying to fit someone else’s script hurt her performance.She shares how being fired eventually pushed her toward stronger self-awareness, better branding, and a clearer understanding of her own value.In the wine and spirits industry, she explains how asking clients what they wanted helped her grow territory and succeed without being told the “right” way to do it.She introduces her brand strategy approach, rooted in audience knowledge, relatability, human connection, and consistent showing up.Sheral discusses the VIP method - visibility, impact, profitability - and why the human element comes first.Dwayne and Rudy connect the conversation to leadership, especially the difference between talking at people and talking with them.The discussion closes with Sheral’s definition of shifting the power balance: drop the labels, trust your own voice, keep showing up, and stop giving other people power over your self-image.Timestamps00:00 - Introduction to Sheral DeVaughn and the radio roots behind the conversation 01:52 - How Sheral got the radio bug as a kid with Wolfman Jack and Casey Kasem 03:09 - College radio, Shreveport, and landing her first major morning-show role 05:18 - Meeting Wolfman Jack and the reality of voice versus image in radio 07:12 - What Prince was like creatively and why every room in his house was part of the art 10:52 - Radio fear, early pressure, and being assigned a role that did not fit 12:58 - Getting fired, being told she had “zero talent,” and surviving the non-compete 15:08 - Working with Les Acre and learning to build a show by being herself 16:11 - Finding the hook, developing “Sheral on the Air,” and studying what listeners actually wanted 17:39 - Beating Steve Harvey and Tom Joyner by focusing on connection and storytelling 18:05 - Moving into wine and spirits and applying the same audience-first approach 20:00 - Losing her voice, rebuilding confidence, and discovering a repeatable personal template 22:18 - Why great leaders talk with people instead of talking at them 24:21 - AI, the human element, and avoiding the “beige pillow effect” 25:20 - Why personal branding starts with the real person behind the title 27:18 - The VIP method: visibility, impact, profitability 29:17 - Why labels limit success and how to push through them 31:05 - The power of consistency: quit all you want, just don’t stop 33:03 - Sheral’s definition of shifting the power balance 34:06 - Closing thanks and invitation to return Resources and LinksHere are Sheral’s main links:Website: speakingwithsher.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/speakingwithsherAnd her other pages:Book: The Frog in Your ThroatPodcast: Cocktails and ConspiraciesInstagram: instagram.com/speakingwithsherThis podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes and does not constitute an attorney-client relationship or legal advice. The views expressed by guests don't necessarily reflect those of the host(s).
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