Newsletter
A shortage of women speakers?
I was surprised while I was listening to a podcast the other day when the hosts, who also run a pretty large marketing conference, said that 70-80% of the speaker submissions they receive are from men. They want to have an equitable lineup of men and women speakers, and they came pretty close at their…
Read MoreCreate speaking proposals to get the gigs you want
I was working yesterday on my goals for the rest of 2016 and realized that in addition to putting into action my plans for the rest of this year, I have to start thinking about the conferences I want to speak at and the podcasts I want to be on in 2017. This means that…
Read MoreHow to talk like a politician (and why you would even want to)
Talking like a politician seems like the exact opposite of what you would want to do, I know. But, hear me out. I’ve been working in politics, on and off, for over 12 years and have helped many candidates with their messaging and speeches. I’m also a political analyst on TV news, so I have…
Read MoreHow to Get Noticed in a Crowded Field
Have you seen the new Tony Robbins documentary “I Am Not Your Guru”? Or, even better, have you been to one of his live events? (Lucky you! It’s on my bucket list.) It’s fascinating to watch Tony ask certain questions to get people to think deeper about what’s really causing their issues. Some are there…
Read MoreDo you know your audience’s tragedy to triumph story?
As I’ve been watching the Rio Olympics, fast forwarding through the commercials to get to the action (sorry, NBC), I found myself rewinding to pause and watch the profiles of key athletes, like swimmers Katie Ledecky and Dana Vollmer and gymnasts Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas. Why? Because it makes the Olympics so much more…
Read MoreWant to get better at speaking? Watch the pros.
Last Friday, I was in Tampa watching Hillary Clinton address an energetic crowd of 3,600 people at a rally for her campaign. You can tell she’s done this a lot – she’s poised and in command of the stage and the audience. Regardless of your political leanings, here are some tips you can take away…
Read MoreWhere do ideas come from?
Have you ever had an idea, a this-is-it! idea that you got really excited about, whether for a new talk or a new product or a new business or a new way of approaching what you do? And then you come across another person or company that’s doing almost the exact same thing in the…
Read MoreWhat happens when you show up
I got 3 speaking engagements in the past week, with just a couple of short emails. No need for lengthy speaking proposals. No need to “prove” myself with a long bio listing all of my past speaking experience and qualifications. No need for a dazzling video. Easy, right? Well, yes, the emails were easy to…
Read MoreWhat should you do if people don’t like your talk?
I remember being angry while attending a conference about 10 years ago. This was a tech conference, so there were the usual software demos, technical speakers, and panel discussions on the latest and greatest in code techniques, databases, and programming interfaces. Exciting stuff, I know, although not typically the kind of content that will rile…
Read MoreWhat are you looking for?
A couple was traveling from one village to the next when they came upon a farmer working in his field. They stopped to ask him what the people in the next village were like. The farmer asked, “What were the people like in the last village?” The couple replied, “They were rude, unfriendly, dishonest people.”…
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