Public Speaking
The Tyranny of “Or”
Before attending “Stars on Ice” last weekend at the Honda Center in Anaheim, I asked myself, “Am I going to love this? Do I love figure skating for the competition or the artistry?” I had been glued to all the hours of televised coverage of competitive figure skating: the Olympics, the Worlds, the Nationals—all of…
Read MoreThe “Free Skate” Is Not Really Free
Breathless and inspired, I watched every hour of coverage of the biggest annual event in figure skating: the World Championships. Best in the world. Foreshadowing the 2022 Olympics. What strikes me, now that I’m deep into coaching speakers for TED Talks and other speaking occasions, is there is an order to the skating program, just…
Read More4 Steps to Managing Anyone
These steps have not changed throughout my many-year career. Managing means getting results through people. We do this all the time. If you are alive, you have already been a manager. You’ve managed delivery people, repair people, pets, children, in-laws, spouses and more. One myth is that you need to throw money at people to…
Read MoreCan Your Serious Speech Be Fun?
Last month, my blog was “Do I Have to Be Funny?” My conclusion is “Not necessarily – – but it wouldn’t hurt!” The gift of laughter connects you to your listener. Here are three humor techniques you can incorporate into your driest information: 1. The act-out This technique is widely used in comedy. You’ve even…
Read MoreDo I Have to be Funny?
“Do I have to be funny?” the speaker asked. “Only if you want to get paid,” the speaker agent snapped back. We were at the annual convention of NSA – National Speakers Association – with 1200 people in the room. It’s a whole new world. People want to be entertained. The truth is if you’re…
Read MoreFlashback Friday: What’s Your “Why” Story? It’s Your Legacy.
It’s time for Flashback Friday! The following is one of my favorite blog posts from 2017. It received great response and it’s something I coach my clients every day, so I’m sharing it with you again. If you had 10 minutes to speak about what has been most important in your life, what would your…
Read MoreYou Can Lead a Speaker to a Speech…
My TEDx event at Loyola Marymount University is fast approaching on October 27. I’m the speaker coach for all nine speakers! And I’m the emcee! The speeches are written, edited, fine-tuned. Now the work begins. I say “You can lead a speaker to a speech, but you can’t make them learn it.” And you need…
Read MoreDoes the coach need a coach?
So the coach needs a coach…really? YES! Over a year ago, I was asked to do a SUE Talk—not TED—SUE. It stands for Successful Unstoppable Empowering women—and they are. As the website says, “Join us for one incredible evening of bold, passionate and inspiring talks by successful, unstoppable and empowering women changing the face of…
Read MoreMostly, Your Stuff is for Your Book . . .
Years ago, I asked, ”What’s a keynote?” My client answered, “We just want the funny, pithy parts.” I’ve never forgotten that. And now, in the age of TED Talks with an 18-minute limit, it’s even more relevant. Attention spans have shortened. You cannot afford potential eye-rollers, like “Let me tell you the whooole story from…
Read MoreResist the Urge to Overshare
Ever thought “Why is she telling me this?” “Why am I listening?” “I want the last 10 minutes of my life back.” My client was at a conference. She introduced herself to the woman sitting next to her – – and the floodgates opened. The woman started talking about her hip! And her surgery. And…
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