Arabella Macpherson

Arabella Macpherson Leadership and Communication Expert
Real Influence
Speaker | Facilitator | Coach | Author

At Resonate Communications Coaching, we believe in confident leadership through effective communication.

17/09/2026

AI is making me more productive.

It’s also making me more anxious.

Because suddenly everything feels like it should take two minutes.

That email. That proposal. That idea. That piece of content.

Except it doesn’t.

And before you know it, you’ve tried to do 25 things and finished half of them.

Today, I was feeling completely overwhelmed.

Then I got on stage.

Microphone in hand. Audience in front of me.

And almost instantly, I felt calm.

It reminded me of something I probably needed to hear:

Do more of what you’re brilliant at. Delegate more of what you’re not.

AI can help us do more.

That doesn’t mean we have to do everything.

14/09/2026

You don’t make decisions with logic alone.

You make them with emotion - then use logic to justify them.

That’s why leading with data, slides and evidence often doesn’t move people.

Try this sequence instead:

First, show them you understand what’s at stake.

Then tell them a story that makes the problem real.

Then bring in the data to confirm what they’re already feeling.

Story creates momentum.
Data confirms the decision.

Don’t lead with the spreadsheet.

Lead with what makes them care.

11/09/2026

My physio is super harsh with me… and I love it. 😂

“You’re not doing enough.”
“You’re not stretching.”
“Do the exercises.”

Why does it work?

Because I know he cares. I know he knows what he’s doing. And apparently, I quite like being told what to do. 😅

The bigger lesson: what motivates one person won’t motivate everyone.

If you want someone to actually take action, understand what fires them up - not what would work on you.

And yes… after filming this, I did my calf raises. 🫡

09/09/2026

Want fewer “no”? Ask the uncomfortable question earlier.

One of the biggest mistakes we make in sales conversations is assuming that silence means everything is fine.

It doesn’t.

Ask them directly:

“What concerns do you have?”

Get the hesitation, objection or uncertainty into the room while you’re still there to respond to it.

Because once they leave, those unspoken concerns can very quickly become a polite “no” in your inbox.

Don’t avoid the objection. Invite it.
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Comment 'Influence' and I'll send you the details of our upcoming Beta program!

It was the most honest line I have heard.In front of 2,000 people in person, then to millions more online Tim Minchin, a...
08/09/2026

It was the most honest line I have heard.

In front of 2,000 people in person, then to millions more online Tim Minchin, an Australian comedic singer, song-writer, said what most of think, but don't say.

"I really enjoy my work...but I've trapped myself into a career where I am just too scared to not work."

"It's been many years since I wrote for any reason but fear of a deadline."

And when prompted by the MC, the wonderful Leigh Sales, he added, "And cold hard cash. Mostly I've just chased the money. That's been my thing."

The audience laughed - thank God for comedians who can speak plainly.

If you live and work in a big city, the pressure is intense.

With global political situations creating an unpredictable market, many companies are responding with:
- restructures
- lay-offs
- automating roles

And many senior people are finding themselves jobless.

It's why I was chosen to speak at an international conference on becoming, "Irreplaceable in the Age of AI".

For those transitioning or those wanting to reinforce their role...

I am running a beta program on 'Real Influence': 6 weeks, online.

Beta means it's at a fraction of the price as I would love your feedback.

Why? Because it's time to make sure:
- You are confident
- You are heard
- You are respected

DM me if interested.

P.S. It's worth listening to Tim Minchin's song he sang - 'It's not perfect'. Such a simple, but killer song.

07/09/2026

What if your “difficult” person isn’t actually difficult?

They might just have a need they’ve never learned how to ask for.

I once worked with a client who was so brutal that a consulting firm was ready to walk away from its biggest account.

People kept quitting.

The problem wasn’t capability.
It wasn’t workload.
It wasn’t even really his personality.

He had spent years feeling overlooked and unrecognised.

So he found another way to matter:

He made himself impossible to ignore.

Three months later, he had apologised - and suddenly, people wanted to work with him.

We’re very quick to label behaviour:

Toxic.
High maintenance.
Impossible.
A nightmare.

But sometimes the better question is:

What need isn’t being met?

Because understanding someone is often far cheaper than replacing them.

And better still - have the conversation before the behaviour becomes the problem.

04/09/2026

You can’t influence someone you refuse to understand.

If everyone around you thinks like you, agrees with you and sees the world the same way you do, your ability to influence actually gets weaker.

That’s why I love the idea of “rainbow parties” - bringing together people with completely different points of view and getting curious about why they think the way they do.

Not to prove them wrong.

Not to win the argument.

To understand.

Because the moment you stop listening, you lose your ability to shift someone else’s perspective.

Get curious, not critical.

To influence well, you need to be willing to be influenced too.

How to beat the fraud complex.Isn't it sad how we find out more about people after their death than when they're alive?I...
03/09/2026

How to beat the fraud complex.

Isn't it sad how we find out more about people after their death than when they're alive?

I've been watching clips on Dolly Parton over the weekend.

Yes, she was a talented musician, killer businesswoman and massive philanthropist...

But what struck me the most was the amount she backed herself.

Whenever people made fun of her...
.she responded with, "Yes, and?"

If you ever get told you're too:
Open
Vulnerable
Direct
Data-driven
Warm
Money-focused
Distractable

Or whatever anyone throws at you...

Try the: "Yes, and...?" response.

Rather than jumping to defend ourselves, let's embrace ourselves.

We can all work on being better humans, but let's start with accepting where we are at right now.

It's the first step to backing ourselves.

Because no one can put you down if you own it first!

This was reinforced when I was in Toronto recently, speaking at the International Association of Business Communicators.

Becca Chambers spoke about being yourself in every arena.

She has built her following on LinkedIn from posting daily.

Each post she is unapologetically herself.

Thanks for the reminder Becca and Dolly - here's to embracing all of ourselves!

02/09/2026

You can change the way you communicate - without changing who you are.

“I’ve always spoken fast.”
“I’ve always stood like this.”
“That’s just how I talk.”

None of those things are fixed.

I’ve trained myself to slow down, remove fillers, improve my posture, strengthen my eye contact and finish my sentences with more certainty.

And I’m still me.

In fact, I’m a version of me that other people can access more easily.

That matters even more in a global workplace, where people are communicating across different languages, cultures and backgrounds.

Speak slower.
Speak more clearly.
Pause before you respond.
Finish your sentences.
Make it easier for people to understand you.

You don’t have to become someone else.

You just have to stop believing you can’t change.

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Sydney, NSW
2000

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+61404167663

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