TO the outside world, the young woman had the perfect life; a dream job in the media and about to marry the man of her dreams.

But it was all a mask.

Behind the super-confident façade was uncertainty and self-loathing that led the young woman to drink.

It was only when her boss gave her a stark choice: go to rehab or pick up her P45, that she faced up to the fact she was an alcoholic.

In rehab, she met others like herself, and, for the first time in her life, didn’t feel so alone.

The case study is one that Joanna Crosse knows only too well – for it is her story.

As an expert in communication, Joanna’s role is to help people discover their true “voice”, boost their self esteem and achieve their goals.

Joanna, a former presenter on TVAM, began a new role working in training and coaching after her life-changing spell in rehab.

“I am walking my talk,” says Joanna, 52, who likes to be called Jo, and is a single mother of three who grew up near Harrogate and once worked for Yorkshire TV.

“It was when I was in rehab that I became really interested in personal development and what made people tick. It had a profound effect on me.”

While carrying on her career in TV journalism, Jo began working as a voice coach with media professionals. It was then she realised that almost everyone she worked with had a similar problem: low self esteem.

“Out of the thousands of people I have trained, I haven’t met somebody who hasn’t had some issue with confidence,” said Jo.

Although she has worked with some of the biggest names in broadcasting (client confidentiality prevents her from revealing names), Jo has also helped professionals in other fields such as law, as well as individuals who come to her for one-to-one coaching.

The problems can be many – from a terror of public speaking, to problems with being assertive with a boss or family member. But there is often one common denominator – a lack of self-confidence.

Which has inspired her to write a book, Find Your Voice, How Clear Communication Can Transform Your Life (Piatkus, £12.99).

Split into ten chapters, it examines how to discover your personal voice and gives lots of advice on presentation and interview skills, how to raise your profile, and tips on dealing with children and young adults.

It is peppered with inspiring tales from people too, detailing how they found strategies to overcome their problems.

Ironically, one thing Jo never lacked confidence over was her voice. But she did have low self esteem, which she tried to cover up through drinking.

“I know I came over as being very outgoing and confident, but I had crippling low self esteem,” she says.

Like many alcoholics, Jo didn’t realise she had a problem.

“Alcoholism is a disease of denial. I was a journalist in the halcyon days of the Seventies and Eighties when it was normal to work hard and play hard and live life to the full.”

Jo dispels many of the myths about alcoholism: “You don’t have to have a drink every morning, or from behind the net curtains. I drank openly, I went to the gym, I went swimming I went to work, I had a relationship; which masked that I had a drink problem.”

One of the most interesting chapters in the book concerns dealing with young people. As mum to Skye, 21, Merrick, 19, and Sedona, 15, Jo says she has had to find her “voice” as a single parent.

“I have tried to bring them up to be honest.

“My one big rule is don’t lie. I’d rather hear the worst thing than not hear it at all. It’s about communicating what ever is going on.”

Jo says the best thing about her work is helping people solve problems and move on with their lives.

She adds: “The most fulfilling part is that I see myself as a door opener helping them to see things differently.

“It’s a really liberating moment for somebody to understand the blocks they might hit again and again in the workplace or at home and understand why these things have been happening.”


Jo’s top tips for making the most of the year ahead

Finding your voice in 2010

A New Year offers new opportunities. Here are Jo’s top tips on making the most of 2010:

•Remember, whatever happened in 2009 is in the past. Appreciate what you have now and look forward to a new year and a new you

•Accept past problems as learning experiences and put your new-found insights into practice for 2010 •Write a list of areas in your life where you would like to make changes

•Get a sheet of paper with two columns – what’s working and what isn’t working

•Acceptance is always the first step and once you are willing to make changes or change yourself, the rest follows naturally

•Do you need to find more of your voice in personal or professional situations? Whether you’re dealing with teenagers or a difficult boss, you can make profound changes in those relationships by looking at how to be more assertive (as opposed to aggressive or passive) in your communication

•Whatever stresses and strains you’ve been experiencing, look at how you can find a better balance for your mind, body and spirit. One of the best ways of detoxing can be finding your voice in situations that you have been avoiding rather than confronting

•If you’ve been made redundant or are considering a new career, then don’t just put yourself forward for the same type of job that you didn’t really enjoy before. Review your CV and your skills and go for something you really want to do

•Remember, you and your voice are your unique selling points. Don’t try to be like somebody else, but be more of you


The truth behind the words

Find Your Voice by Jo Crosse, published by Piatkus in paperback, £12.99

Find Your Voice takes you on a journey far beyond the voice and words that enable you to communicate with others. Jo Crosse analyses the voice as an expression of who we are, and with experience and empathy, challenges you to understand how you can find your authentic voice. There is practical advice on how to understand and discover your personal voice, followed by chapters on dealing with professional challenges such as interviews, presentations and raising your profile through the media. One interesting aspect is how Jo continually encourages you to consider who you are whenever you are communicating, and to have confidence in doing this.

Jo’s wide experience in all forms of media and latterly as a voice coach enables her to blend the importance of self-awareness with the practicalities of professional life.

Interestingly, she deals with the communicative needs of certain, often neglected groups: adolescents and the post-redundant.

Find Your Voice gives comprehensive and practical advice on how to use your voice and improve your communication and for this purpose is an excellent handbook, but it also helps you discover your authentic voice and that is a gift unique to you.

Review by Wilma Burniston