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FYV #46 - The Power of a Simple Nod

Foster Your Voice Podcast with Kristi Foster

Release Date: 11/24/2025

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Foster Your Voice Podcast with Kristi Foster

Jurors don’t get real breaks. Not mentally, not emotionally, and certainly not socially. In this episode, we explore how cognitive fatigue shows up inside the courtroom and why even small, intentional pauses in your delivery can dramatically improve juror engagement and listening stamina. You’ll learn how micro-pauses, grounded transitions, and light moments of levity create essential “brain rest” for jurors—without derailing your momentum or weakening your command of the room. This episode reframes pauses from something to fear into one of your most strategic storytelling tools....

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Foster Your Voice Podcast with Kristi Foster

This episode begins with a lighthearted story about outdoor walks and ends with a powerful lesson on nonverbal communication. Kristi explores how a small, intentional gesture—like a nod—can change the emotional tone of an interaction and deepen connection. Whether you’re walking past a stranger or speaking to a jury, your breath, presence, and micro-movements tell a story. In this episode, you’ll learn how to use breath, facial expression and tone to support your full nonverbal communication strategy so your interactions with jurors feel calm, credible, and human.   In this...

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Of all the five vocal building blocks—pitch, pace, melody, volume, and tone—tone is the one most often overlooked. Yet it’s also the one that communicates the most: your intent, your sincerity, and the emotional meaning behind your words. In this episode, Kristi unpacks why tone matters so much in the courtroom, how it shapes jurors’ perceptions faster than words, and how you can start using it intentionally to build trust, credibility, and connection.   In this episode, you’ll learn: Why ignoring tone leads to miscommunication and lost juror connection. How the brain...

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Breath is more than survival—it’s leadership. In this episode, Kristi pulls back the curtain on how trial attorneys can use breath not just for vocal power, but for nervous system regulation and courtroom leadership. From gospel singing roots to practical techniques like box and triangle breathing, you’ll learn how intentional breath control can steady your system, shape juror perception, and give you the stamina to lead with authority in high-stakes moments.   In this episode, you’ll learn: Why courtroom breath needs to be more like a singer’s breath. How your autonomic...

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Silence might feel like the last thing you want in the courtroom—but when used strategically, it’s one of the most powerful tools in your communication arsenal. In this episode, we explore how silence works on both the jurors’ brains and emotions, why it helps information stick, and how you can use it to project calm authority. You’ll walk away with practical ways to turn pauses into moments of connection and persuasion. In this episode, you'll learn: Why silence isn’t empty—it’s full of processing and meaning. The neuroscience of cognitive load and how pauses help jurors...

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This episode begins with a lighthearted story about outdoor walks and ends with a powerful lesson on nonverbal communication. Kristi explores how a small, intentional gesture—like a nod—can change the emotional tone of an interaction and deepen connection. Whether you’re walking past a stranger or speaking to a jury, your breath, presence, and micro-movements tell a story. In this episode, you’ll learn how to use breath, facial expression and tone to support your full nonverbal communication strategy so your interactions with jurors feel calm, credible, and human.

 

In this episode, you'll learn:

  1. How breath anchors your nonverbal cues and helps you stay grounded as you communicate

  2. Why a single nod, paired with steady breathing, creates subconscious rapport

  3. The neuroscience behind mirroring and how jurors (or any audience) naturally respond to your presence

  4. The difference between authentic and performative nodding

  5. A quick self-check exercise to sync your breath with your gestures

 

Key Takeaway:

Connection doesn’t require grand gestures. With a steady breath and a simple nod, you can make your listener feel seen, respected, and safe—whether you’re in conversation, on a walk, or in front of a jury.

 

Favorite moment:

“When paired with calm eye contact and a steady breath, your nod helps your listener feel you’re with them—not above them. That’s the kind of interaction that builds trust.”

 

Links & Resources:

  1. Dan Harris' on-screen panic attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qULQ6Qum3P0

  2. Dan Harris' TEDTalk excerpt: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1379570276542029

 

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If this episode helped you, share it with a colleague who’s ready to stop performing and start connecting.

 

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