Tag Archives: Nola Beldegreen

Roundup: Long Lots, Music, Drag …

Posted on May 21, 2024 | 6 comments

The Long Lots School Building Committee meets tonight (Tuesday, May 21, 7 p.m., Town Hall Room 201).

The one agenda item is to “provide general status updates and outline next steps in the project process.: There will be public comment, as time allows.

The Long Lots School Building Committee meets tonight.

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“06880” reported yesterday that Experience Camps raised over $150,000 at Sunday’s Day of Champions, to support their summer programs for children who have lost parents or siblings.

The actual total was $157,129 (and still rising).

But that wasn’t the only fundraiser the Westport-based organization held.

There was another Day of Champions in Sharon, Massachusetts. It was anchored by Tracy Hoffman — sister of Westporter Melissa Post.

And it brought in another $112,000.

Congratulations to all the champions, in both towns.

Sunday’s Day of Champions. And this is not even all of them!

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This winter, “06880” highlighted Nola Beldegreen’s work as an executive coach, specializing in speaking and communication skills.

Specifically, the Westporter helps teenagers and young adults overcome phone anxiety. Many are hesitant — even fearful — to talk on the phone with strangers.

Or even people they know.

The other day, she was a guest on Erin and Sara Foster’s “The World’s First Podcast.”

On Sunday, Sara told her nearly 750,000 followers:

Last evening, Sara Foster posted on her Instagram story to her 748K followers about the podcast episode that I did: “We recorded this episode a few weeks ago and I just listened to it. Loved it. Will be so helpful for so many you!”

Click here to listen. Then tell your friends about it.

By voice or text.

Nola Beldegreen

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Jackopierce — the duo with 1987 Staples High School graduate Cary Pierce and his Southern Methodist University classmate Jack O’Neill that has shared stages with Dave Matthews, Counting Crows, Sheryl Crow, Lyle Lovett, Matchbox Twenty and Widespread Panic — continues to release new music twice a month.

Among the tunes gaining plenty of traction: “Need You Most.”

Click here to listen. Click here to read all about Jackopierce.

Jackopierce: Cary Pierce (right) and Jack O’Neill.

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Speaking of music: This Thursday’s Jazz at the Post honors “The Night of the Cookers.”

The evening celebrates the 1965 live LP of the same “Cookers” name, featuring trumpeters Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan. This time, trumpet masters Joe Magnarelli and Andy Gravish showcase the spontaneity and majesty of that historic moment in jazz history.

Joining them are saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall, pianist Michael Cochrane, bassist Yuriy Galkin and drummer Steve Johns.

The Staples Jazz Ensemble kicks things off, at 7 p.m.

Shows are May 23 (7 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner from 6:30; VFW Joseph J. Clinton Post 399; $20 music cover; $15 veterans and students). Reservations are strongly recommended: JazzatthePost@gmail.com.

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Just in time for Pride Month: Westport’s 3rd annual drag show is back.

The 18+ event is called “Chic + Cheeky.” Sponsored by Westport Pride, it’s June 14 (7 to 9 p.m., MoCA Westport).

Headliner Patty Bourree is “a chic chanteuse and mouthy comedienne known for her big voice, hilarious parodies, vintage style and bad attitude.

Tickets include hors d’oeuvres (7 to 7:30), drinks, and photos after the show. Click here to purchase.

PS: “Dressing fashion forward is a must!”

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Mary Ann Batsell died unexpectedly on Friday.

The Westport native, who lived in the area for over 70 years, will be remembered for “her love of the beach, her gardens, her tireless energy and her wit,” her family says. “She had a generous heart, and was always willing to help others.”

She is survived by her daughter Lori of Anna Maria Island, Florida; sisters Sara of Fairfield and Jalna of Norwalk; brothers Rene of Woodinville, Washington and Jonathan of Westport, and her long-time companion Joseph Nazzaro of Westport.

Friends may call at Harding Funeral Home on Thursday (May 23, 4 to 7 p.m.). A funeral mass will be held at Assumption Church on Friday (May 24, 10 a.m.).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Connecticut Audubon Society, 314 Unquowa Road, Fairfield, CT 06824.

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Sivan Hong explains today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo:

“These fox pups (there are actually 3) have been living right outside my kitchen for 2 weeks.

“We have only seen the mama at night. But these guys play for hours during the day like a bunch of puppies, getting into everything. Too cute!”

(Photo/Sivan Hong)

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And finally … in honor of next month’s show at MoCA (story above):

(You know what’s a drag? Reminding readers that “06880” relies on contributions. But we’ll keep doing it, because … funds. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Calling Nola Beldegreen!

Posted on January 31, 2024 | 23 comments

A few years ago, when I was coaching the Staples High School boys soccer team, we headed to Maine for our annual summer “bonding trip.”

I drove one car; a recent graduate drove the second one. Along the way, I watched in the rear view mirror as he took a wrong exit.

“Call their car!” I said to the player riding shotgun.

“I’ll text,” he replied.

“No, call. It’s quicker!” I said.

“Dan, we don’t call,” he countered. “We text.”

Setting aside for a moment the irony of that remark — We do not use phones to make phone calls — it was a profound moment for me. I realized how different communication is these days.

And how much has been lost by a generation that does not like to talk, in real time, person to person.

Or — to go further, as Nola Beldegreen does — by a generation that actually fears speaking on the phone.

She should know. The longtime Westporter and an executive coach, she specializes in speaking and communication skills.

Nola has noticed the strong aversion by Generation Z — roughly those ages 12 to 27 — to phone calls. A recent New York Post story says:

The very thought of making a call is often accompanied by a sense of dread and impending failure for some.

Most subject matter experts believe this apprehension to phone calls is associated with social anxiety. Social anxiety stems from the fear of judgment or humiliation.

Gen Z uses phones for many things. A phone conversation is not one of them.

Texting and using apps such as Snapchat prevents mistakes from being made. Texting allows Gen Z to proofread and keep track of their conversation.

Texting also gives them time to respond appropriately without awkward silences and prevents any unforeseen mishaps. This eliminates chances of being judged or humiliated.

Texting is also quicker. It allows Gen Zers to quickly send off a text and walk away while waiting for a response.

Texting allows multi-tasking, whereas phone calls mean focusing your whole attention to what is happening on the line.

So Nola — who was an interscholastic forensics competitor at Rutgers University, Dale Carnegie instructor, and Glamour and Gourmet Magazine sales and events person — has added young people with phone anxiety to her roster of executives and sales teams who need communication coaching.

Her own “aha!” moment came at a meeting with 2 young people, both of whom were silent. She realized that although they sat together, they were texting each other — not talking.

Reiterating the Post article, Nola believes that removing a screen — FaceTime, Zoom, or text bubbles — creates anxiety in young people.

Spoken conversations are not part of Gen Z’s “daily repertoire,” she says.

“People get nervous. ‘What should I say?’ they ask. You can edit text. You’re not on the spot with having to respond immediately. If you’re not conditioned to that, it can be daunting.”

One client was stressed just calling for a haircut appointment.

Nola and I remember our own phone conversations.

“Hello, Mrs. Welker,” I’d say. “Can I please speak with Glenn?”

“He’s finishing his chores,” she’d say. “I’ll get him in a minute. How are you doing, Danny?”

Today’s young people did not grow up having those types of conversations with people they don’t know well. They feel uncomfortable talking on the phone — and their fears extend to speaking with their own peers.

But those types of conversations are important in both the professional and personal world. So Nola helps Gen Z-ers learn to have them.

In 6 sessions, she teaches clients how to initiate and receive phone calls with ease. That means organizing thoughts and ideas, then “sharing them extemporaneously, back and forth.”

Each session builds on the previous one. She likens her work to a personal trainer, who helps build biceps or quads.

Phones used to be located in specific places: kitchens, bedrooms, offices.

Now they are mobile. Calling or answering in a crowded, public place can add to anxiety. That’s “not good for mental health,” Nola says.

In today’s lonely, disconnected world, one-on-one phone conversations can be “warm, rich and exciting.” They are “powerful skills that can last a lifetime.”

So how does Nola work with clients?

Some of it, ironically, is by Zoom.

But many of those conversations are by phone. Like any fear, the best way to overcome it is to face it.

And where do most of her clients come from?

You guessed it.

Word of mouth.

(To learn more about Nola Beldegreen, click here. You can email her: nola@nolabeldegreen.com. And — of course — you can call by phone: 212-381-0856,)

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Nola Speaks. Her Clients Do Too.

Posted on April 23, 2021 | Comments Off on Nola Speaks. Her Clients Do Too.

Nola Beldegreen was a champion college forensics team member. “I won trophies for public speaking the way other people competed in tennis,” she says.

But not until she took a Dale Carnegie course — while working for Glamour magazine — did she really learn to speak for herself.

She became a Carnegie instructor. It was still her avocation — by now she was in sales, traveling the globe for Gourmet magazine — but Nola realized the importance of the spoken word in business.

Nola Beldegreen

After she left Conde Nast to raise her 2 daughters, Westport neighbors recognized her talents. She helped them prepare for wedding toasts, job interviews, and any other type of public speaking.

She’s turned that into a business. Nola works with executives and students, in areas like talking points, presence, delivery, messaging through inflection, intonation, pauses, tone and nonverbal language.

Specifically, Nola covers areas like using stories to inspire, leave voicemails that sound professional, lead without sounding “bossy,” remember people’s names, and speak with certainty.

She helps them listen better too. “When you listen well, you know what you’re going to say next,” she notes.

Nola worked with an executive whose mind went blank when she was asked spontaneous questions, a high school student whose mother worried that his avoidance of eye contact — and lack of personality — would hurt him in college interviews, and shy people, who want to become better conversationalists. With everyone, the key is to find a speaking style that’s right for them.

During the pandemic she shifted from personal sessions that taught clients how to feel comfortable in face-to-face meetings, to Zoom sessions that taught them how to feel comfortable Zooming.

Nola worked with people who had lost jobs, and now had to interview without picking up on the verbal cues and body language they’d always been used to.

Many of her clients are young. College students, and those just starting out in the business world, often lack the conversational skills of previous generations.

“The text world is so different from other conversations,” Nola points out. “They need to know how to organize their thoughts and ideas, before they go into a meeting.”

Young people often need to learn conversational skills.

Her goal is to give clients confidence and strength in their presence and speaking skills. It’s the same, she says, as gaining strength at the gym.

She usually spends 6 hour-long sessions with clients. That’s a lot less time than it takes to get physically fit.

And you don’t even need to shower.

(For more information click here, email nola@nolabeldegreen.com, or call 212-381-0856. Hat tip: Susan Wexler)

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