Stop Trying to Be Smooth. It’s Backfiring, with Henna Pryor

Ever replay an awkward moment in your head… for 3–5 years? Me too! And according to communication expert Henna Pryor… you might be doing it ALL wrong. In this laugh-out-loud and wildly insightful episode, Henna (hennapryor.com) breaks down why awkwardness isn’t something to avoid. It’s actually a powerful tool for connection, confidence, and growth. From career pivots to cringey social moments, we dive into how self-awareness, authenticity, and a little willingness to feel uncomfortable can completely change how you show up. We also tackle Henna’s concept of the “signal gap”. Why what you say isn’t always what people hear, and how closing that gap can make you more believable, trustworthy, and impactful in every room you walk into. In this episode we talk about: Why awkwardness is actually a social superpower The biggest lie you tell yourself after a weird interaction How to recover from awkward moments (and look MORE confident because of it) What the “signal gap” is, and why it’s killing your communication Simple ways to build confidence in everyday, low-stakes interactions Why authenticity is the key to trust in a skeptical world Bottom line: Awkward isn’t the problem. Avoiding it is. Chapters 00:00 Career Pivots and Personal Growth 06:15 Understanding Awkwardness in Social Situations 18:29 The Signal Gap: Building Trust and Believability Want more from Henna? hennapryor.com @hennapryor on linkedin and IG Inc column: Linkedin Learning courses: Henna Pryor, CSP is a dynamic Workplace Performance Expert who speaks and writes about performance mindset, interpersonal dynamics, high-impact communication, and embracing bumps in a world that keeps optimizing for smoothness. She is a regular Expert Columnist for Inc. Magazine, 18x award-winning author of Good Awkward , and an in-demand global keynote speaker. Her playful personality and insightful talks blend 2 decades of working with corporate leaders and teams with a fresh, science-based approach to taking more strategic risks and bo

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Stop Trying to Be Smooth. It’s Backfiring, with Henna Pryor is an episode from Igniting Courage with Anne Bonney by Anne Bonney.

This episode is 33:32 long.

This episode was published on Apr 13, 2026.

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