with Henna Pryor, CSP
Henna Pryor, CSP, a two-time author, Keynote Speaker, Writer, and Workplace Performance Expert, joins the Six Degrees of Associations Podcast, presented by Big Red M, this week to talk about her professional journey leading up to the 2023 release of “Good Awkward” and her forthcoming book, “The Signal Gap: How to Boost Believability and Influence in the Age of Doubt.”
Her advice for associations navigating this skepticism: find ways to “dance with reality,” and now is not the time to cut corners and be lazy about aspects like graphic design and faux authenticity. For example, a written testimonial used to carry weight; now it can be faked by AI in seconds. What’s harder to fake, and therefore more valuable, is something like a video of a genuinely happy attendee with real background noise from the conference floor.
“Good Awkward” grew out of a simple observation: post-pandemic, people were feeling the discomfort of social interaction more acutely than ever, and no one had taken a close look at awkwardness itself as its own distinct emotion. Henna’s thesis: awkwardness isn’t a weakness to eliminate, it’s a catalyst for personal and professional growth. The book sold over 10,000 copies, entirely on word of mouth, without a mailing list.
Her forthcoming book, “The Signal Gap,” picks up where that leaves off. If “Good Awkward” is about finding the courage to take the risk and have the hard conversation, “The Signal Gap” asks whether that message actually lands.
Learn More:
- About Big Red M: https://bigredm.com/
- Henna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hennapryor/
- Henna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hennapryor/
- Henna’s website: https://pryoritygroup.com/
- TED Talks featuring Henna: https://www.ted.com/speakers/henna_pryor
- Six Degrees of Associations Interview with Courtney Clark: https://youtu.be/6VbEQH9kfPE