How do you nurture self-belief? Viv talks to the bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson, about cultivating gentle trust in ourselves. The Pulitzer prize-winning writer of narrative nonfiction, whose latest book, Caste, explores the inner workings of an American hierarchy, talks to Viv about bringing your absolute all to the stage and creating an experience of communion with the audience. Such deep and generous sharing in this space is balanced, though, with a word of caution about keeping precious projects close in early stages, protecting them from those who might discourage you when they’re most delicate. Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is available for preorder. @vivgroskop

How do you keep going when your mouth turns ‘sticky’? Viv talks to the award-winning writer, Claire Fuller about lessons from life, digging back into tales from when Claire worked in marketing and a pitch ran aground. Offering tips and tricks for persevering through awkward moments, Viv celebrates Claire’s honesty for admitting when things haven’t gone well and also for celebrating the moments that most definitely have. They talk about carving out a writing career later in life, while working and bringing up children – ‘do it now, don’t wait for perfection’ - and the importance of helping others in the spirit of Viv’s Lift as you Climb. Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is available for preorder. @vivgroskop  

Launching series 20 with a splash of colour and pizazz, Viv talks to fashion label guru, Marielle Wyse, about finding that thing you love and doing with all your heart. Having worked in TV documentaries, Marielle took time out to look after her small children and then found a spark, pursuing her own childhood passion for clothes and making, setting her on a new, exciting path, founding Wyse London. Marielle advises remembering the thing you used to run to as a child and reveals how the Covid lockdowns transformed her fashion business into an Instagram-first platform where she got to talk directly to her customers. Her lessons are the about the winning combination of joy, passion and focus. And not forgetting from her TV days the power of the edit and when to stop. And move onto the next thing. Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is available for preorder. @vivgroskop

What is the secret of fearlessness? How do you focus if you’re feeling nervous?   In this final episode of the How to Own the Room masterclass series, we dive back into the back catalogue for key tips and tricks on How to Be Confident. Actress Petra Massey (Sandstrom, Miranda) is best known for clowning and physical theatre - she carries herself with a profound inner confidence, and talks to Viv about channelling fear through her body in a productive way.  Another counter-intuitive trick for confidence, is using advocacy to empower others. Vanessa Sanyauke, CEO of Girls Talk Global, explains that when you act as an advocate for other people, it gives you a chance to use your voice and remind yourself of that true unshakeable confidence. As a performance poet, storyteller, best-selling author and co-writer on Beyoncé’s visual album Black is King, Yrsa Daley-Ward performs a lot of her own words on stage and for film. She compares her performance to a jazz improvisation, that is more honest and authentically her. Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is available for preorder. @vivgroskop

In this week’s round-up of all the best tips and tricks for confidence and performance, we continue with the theme of preparation. Talking to actress Nicole Ansari (Deadwood) and her husband Brian Cox (Succession), Viv discusses their definitions of owning the room while involving other people. Former TV presenter turned best-selling author Dawn O’Porter talks very movingly about how easily we can get distracted by what is not working, while entrepreneur Sharmadean Reid, one of the first black women in the world to raise over a million pounds in venture capital for her digital platform Beautystack, talks about how she stays prepared and focused. Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is available for preorder. @vivgroskop Quick LinksGet Embed PlayerShare on SocialDownload Audio File