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Carving Words
When I first started public speaking, I admired other speakers who were able to “wing it”, coming up with an incredible speech on the fly, in the moment. Somehow these speeches seemed more relevant and authentic, but also more impossible for me to ever achieve. Unfortunately (so I thought), I wasn’t very good at winging…
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Lean Into the Fear
Nearly fifteen years ago, in a small classroom on the edge of Santiago, Chile, I had a life-altering experience: I spoke in front of people without my knees turning to rubber. Until that day, every experience of public speaking had produced a kind of allergic reaction: my mind would go blank, I’d sweat profusely, and…
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How to Sell Your Idea
One of the most difficult parts of bringing a new idea to life often isn’t coming up with the idea itself, it’s getting others on board. Just because your idea makes perfect sense to you doesn’t mean that anyone else will instantly get it. Helping people cross that bridge requires a lot of effort from…
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Speak to Show You’re Listening
In crowded airspace, some of the best, most well-considered voices too often stay silent. Why bother adding to the noise? If you’re not willing to join the yelling match, how will your voice ever be heard? You might not have the loudest voice, and might not have access to the biggest loudspeaker, but that doesn’t…
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The notes that you missed
Chances are we didn’t notice. Playing in piano recitals as a kid, any missed note would throw me off entirely. I’d stop to correct it, or smile sheepishly towards the audience, as if to assure them that, yes, I realized I had messed up. The voice of the critic often follows right on the heels…
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Speaking in Your Underpants
If you’ve ever asked for advice on how to overcome pre-speech nerves, no doubt you’ve heard the sage advice: “Just imagine your audience is wearing nothing but underwear.” Helpful advice? Maybe for some. What’s interesting to me though, is how this advice masks what’s really going on when you step on the stage. When you…
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Let “Maybe” Open the Door
Some would say that maybe is a weak word for public speakers. It lacks confidence, and shouldn’t be uttered from the stage. I’m here to confess my undying love for the word. I love saying maybe when speaking, as much as I love hearing it in others’ talks. Why? Maybe conveys humility. The word acknowledges…
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Answer “Why”, Win Your Audience
Remember that kid who sat in the back in math class who, in the middle of the teacher’s explanation of some theory, would raise his hand and ask, “Why is this even important?” The teacher, sensing the underlying defiance of this free-thinker, would fumble some answer, trying to avoid the “just because” response. (I, for…
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Introducing Toastimer
William Morris once said, “If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” Useful and beautiful. It’s this aspiration that drives great web design (and great speeches too). The best web tools are…
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Don’t Aim at Success – My First Tapestry
I recently heard about Tapestry, which is an app with an interesting take on visual storytelling using words, photos and the simple “tap”. The combination of text, visuals and pacing caught my curiosity. It’s kind of like a slideshow (sans cheese) that you view on your phone. Below is my first test drive of the…