Molly Turner 
– and Molly. Thanks for tuning into Longitude Sound Bytes Extra, where Jaena and I share observations and highlights of the latest Longitude Sound Bytes series. Jeana, I can’t wait to “present” today’s episode with our listeners.

Jaena
Very witty, Molly. I definitely spent some time thinking about my own presence on our first Extra episode we recorded last month. So I particularly enjoyed and learned a lot from the series number eight of the Longitude Sound Bytes.

Molly
Yeah, it’s been really great to test out this kind of conversational recap format with these Extra episodes, and now we’re going to have another shot at it, and we can’t wait to share our reflections and kind of summary of the great episodes of the series.

Jaena
I completely agree. I just want to reiterate how proud I am of these Extra episodes. Thanks to Ipek for reaching out and connecting me and Molly together. I couldn’t stop listening to it, Molly, I was just so proud. I just want to give a quick shout out that it is Molly who does the editing on this podcast that you’re hearing right now. It’s a bit more of a mayhem than what you might hear. I felt more nervous than I’d like to admit to you last time, but also mostly, my tongue kept tripping over my new orthodontic aligners I got put in. However, I will stop negatively evaluating myself now so I can be “present.”

Molly
Witty, as well, Jaena! Plus, I see you’re already using some tips Professor Janet Rarick shared with Longitude fellow Shvetali in the first episode of the Presence series.

Janet Rarick
Creating presence is a dynamic process, where you choose to open up your attention to the here and now. It is important to let go of judgment and critical thought. Evaluating yourself or others takes you right out of the present moment.

Jaena
For any listeners intrigued by this process of creating presence, Janet beautifully narrates you through an exploration of the present in Episode 61. Molly, can I safely presume you’ve had to have some experience with the Alexander Technique as a musician?

Molly
I have had quite a bit of experience with the Alexander Technique. And I’ve actually worked with Janet while I was at Rice in some group settings. Alexander Technique is a kind of overarching philosophy, and one of the core tenants has to do with presence. And in her episode, she explores some of those introductory things about just noticing your weight in the chair, noticing the sounds around you, and how you feel in your space. And that can really bring you to the present moment, which is great for musicians, actors. and dancers, which the Alexander Technique was initially designed for. But it’s great for anyone because we all sit as humans. We all walk around as humans. And so that’s what Janet was talking about there.

Jaena
That’s a great point you bring up there, Molly. I feel like I’ve been sitting around a lot during this current time, especially finding myself constantly immersed in the virtual world for work, school, volunteering, you name it, even my social life. But surprisingly, one’s presence can leave a resounding impact, or lack of it, on the internet, as Fatmanur and Zehra share in Episode 64.

Fatmanur Erdogan
In today’s world, having a presence is perhaps one of the most critical success factors. Consider this. With the rise of technology and digital tools, there are so many more people competing for your attention, that unless you have a presence, it is tough for you to be heard.

Molly
Thankfully, Fatmanur also shares three ways to develop a presence with us, even in the rising competition to be heard. Her foremost point is that we should all have a worldview of our own by fostering confidence in our thoughts and work, the better our presence will become. But I think building confidence is always easier said than done, Jaena. How do you build confidence?

Jaena
That is a great question, Molly. And I think I actually utilize many different methods to build my confidence. However, these two points always seem to be present, the first being: trying to stay true to myself. Now, while that sounds philosophical and fancy, it’s mainly because that’s where I feel the most productive and efficient, since there’s no extra step filtering through my thoughts or actions to fit certain perceptions or expectations. Actually, I really love this idea of authenticity that Karen and Priya talk about in Episode 62.

Priya Prasad
To me, the word presence means being authentic, giving off that vibe so that others around you form an impression of you that matches your true self.

Molly
This totally relates to the music and performing arts world too because every single time we get on stage or do a rehearsal, we’re just so transparent about our feelings for the music and our own experiences, and how that comes through the music.  What was that second point you were talking about when building confidence, Jaena?

Jaena
Practice is a really big one for me. I’m sure that’s a familiar term to you, and to athletes and students studying, to all of us, but I dedicate time and energy to familiarize myself on the topic I’m aiming to build competence around. So for example, as a flutist, I aim to be able to play through any flute repertoire from memory, standing on a chair, balancing on one leg, and with my eyes closed, before I feel confident enough to perform those works in public.

Molly
Jaena and I are a little biased, because we’re both coming from a performing arts background. But it doesn’t matter if you’re on stage, or making an important pitch for your company, or running a huge race. The versatility of presence and how we prepare for presence is worth noting,

Ato Boldon
I’m sure that everybody’s preparation methods were different. For me, I can tell you that my confidence came from my preparation. And that’s why I’ve had success as a coach because the same way I used to be about my own scholastic life and my own athletic life, it’s exactly what I pass on to my athletes now. It matters because it’s the one thing that I know that I can count on. If you have had great practices, you’re going to be fine.

Jaena
You mentioned the versatility of presence, Molly, and Ato and Maddie couldn’t agree with you more in Episode 66. I’m also so happy Ato talks about incorporating preparation in a multitude of fields because presence itself can be exemplified in a number of ways as well.

Molly
And to share our last highlight of the Presence series, Episode 63, featuring President Jim and Jesse, it perfectly sums up the applicability and importance of presence for everyone in the room, from students, to Olympic athletes to even the president of IBM.

Jim Whitehurst
And I’ll take one example though I think there are a lot of different circumstances where we can think about as leaders how we model behaviors. The CEO who is an extraordinary person was scribbling notes, and scribbling notes and scribbling notes and asking questions. And after he left, we were continuing the conversation and one of the bankers says yeah, that was really extraordinary to see him scribbling notes. And I was used to him doing that. So I said, Well, what do you mean by that? And he said, you know, most senior leaders aren’t willing to take notes like that, because that conveys there are things they don’t know or things that they need to write down to remember. And, you know, I reflected on that and thought, well, that’s kind of crazy because we’re all trying to learn things.

Molly
Jim’s impactful story of the Delta CEO taking notes in a meeting following 9/11 shows us a simple yet resounding example of one’s presence impacting others in the room. Something even as simple as just taking notes is a great reminder to us all that we can take control of our own presence and the way it affects the people around us.

Jaena
This takes us to the conclusion of the second Longitude Sound Bytes Extra episode. Molly and I hope that we’ve highlighted the versatility and multiple forms of presence, and how it can present itself in our lives. And to remind you that the Presence series is full of exercises shared by our guest speakers and Longitude fellows that you can try in the comfort of your own home.

Molly
Thank you for joining us today.

Jaena
And we can’t wait for you to tune into the next series of Longitude Sound Bytes: Optimism!