Hook Them in 30 seconds
Blog Hook Them in 30 seconds You have 30 seconds to hook your audience. ⏰ That’s it. And you’re not going to do it by saying this: 👇🏻 *YOU*: “Good afternoon, everyone. My name is _____. Thanks for coming. I’m really happy to be here today. As you can see on this slide…” *YOUR AUDIENCE*: […]
The Professor We All Hated
Blog The Professor We All Hated “Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?” Remember that famous scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” when Ben Stein takes attendance? (If you don’t, watch it here.) He’s dry. He’s monotone. He’s exactly who you DON’T want to be as a speaker. When we focus intently on remembering what to say, we often […]
When You Lose Your Audience
Blog When You Lose Your Audience They’re sneakily texting under the table… Whispering to their coworkers… Digging for crumbs in the muffin basket. You’ve lost your audience.Now what? It can be disheartening and frustrating when you are trying to communicate important information and your audience tunes out. How can you regain control? Re-engage with *purposeful* […]
Stop Stumbling Over Your Words
Blog Stop Stumbling Over Your Words You know exactly what you want to say and have practiced dozens of times. But when it’s time to present… the words just don’t come out right. Why do so many bright minds stumble when they speak? ➡️ ➡️ ➡️ Your brain 🧠 is moving faster than your […]
How Cooking Stir Fry Made Me Comfortable On-Video
Blog How Cooking Stir Fry Made Me Comfortable On-Video The secret to getting comfortable talking to a camera? Cook lots and lots of STIR-FRY. 🥘🍚 At least that’s what I did. No, I wasn’t ever a chef on Food Network (although that would be a dream!). But the time I spent over a wok made […]
Crush Speaking Anxiety Like a Wet Dog
Blog Crush Speaking Anxiety Like a Wet Dog Are you anxious before you speak? Does your heart start pounding out of your chest and your stomach tightens in a knot as you think about everyone judging you?😟 The next time this happens, I want you to pretend you’re a wet dog. 🐶 That’s right – […]
Stories Can be Small
Blog Stories Can be Small When you think of a memorable story, what comes to mind? 🎥 Star Wars? 📚 The Green Mile? 🎭 Les Misérables? It’s easy to identify epic storylines that wow on screen or in print. It’s much harder to identify this caliber of personal story to include in your speech or […]
Cocktail Parties Are My Nightmare
Blog Cocktail Parties Are My Nightmare Fellow introverts: Do you dread a cocktail party full of strangers as much as I do? 🍷🫣🧀 Don’t get me wrong, I love an artful arrangement of smoked salmon and peppadew peppers on a toasted mini-baguette. But you can only shove so many of those in your mouth to […]
The Greatest Gift To Your Audience
Blog The Greatest Gift To Your Audience What makes you want to watch and listen to some people speak, but tune out to others? ❌ It’s not the laser focus eye-contact. ❌ It’s not the perfectly orchestrated hand gestures. ❌ It’s not the strategic pauses and strong projection. These are all necessary and powerful technical […]
The Truth About “Razzle-Dazzle”
Blog The Truth About “Razzle-Dazzle” Can you succeed as an introverted speaker if you just don’t have that 🎇“razzle-dazzle” 🎇? Yes, you can. In fact, you’ll be *more* successful in the long run than those who bank on flashiness to carry them through. When I was finishing my graduate degree in journalism, I attended an […]