As speakers, we don’t want anything to distract our audience from our talk. How about your belly button? Is your belly button showing when you speak? A retired Hollywood costume designer surprised us with feedback about visible belly buttons! Tight-fitting … Continue reading
We can learn a thing or two by watching the hand gestures of opera singers. The Aria I was watching “The Devil’s Violinist” movie about one of the most famous violinists of all time – Paganini. Boy, talk about playing … Continue reading
One of the surest ways to establish your credibility as a speaker is by becoming an author. Having books available to offer your audiences enables them to “take you home” and remember your presentation. However, so many people want to … Continue reading
Recently I was reminded of an essential truth about speaking. We want to be speaking from the heart. The important reminder about speaking from the heart happened during a meeting where participants were practicing their “core idea” speeches with the … Continue reading
I’ve always said, with deep conviction, that conquering the fear of public speaking changes lives. Not only do I say conquering the fear of public speaking changes lives. I’ve seen it! Over and over and over again, thanks to Toastmasters. … Continue reading
Here is a recipe for preparing and delivering a presentation that can render you and your message unforgettable. The three ingredients An unforgettable presentation has one or all three of these ingredients: Uncharacteristic of the person or situation Unusual Unexpected … Continue reading
I have a love-hate relationship when it comes to PowerPoint. Not just for myself but for all of us presenters. Designed and used correctly is an excellent embellishment to a talk. More times than not, that isn’t the case. … Continue reading
As speakers, we want to be our best when on stage. Especially if delivering a pitch about our product or service! What can you accomplish in a one-minute pitch? A lot. We want to sparkle not just in what we … Continue reading
Speakers seem to think that any sort of PowerPoint will enhance their presentation. This is so not true! In fact, a PowerPoint show can ruin a talk, lull the audience to sleep, and render a presentation useless. Presenters use too many … Continue reading
In two weeks, two situations arose that safety pins could solve. Microphone Battery Pack The first incident was a popular guest speaker who did not have any means by which we could attach the battery pack so she could wear … Continue reading
My colleague, Circe Denyer, and I started a Toastmaster club, called Stagemasters, in 2017 with a TEDx style speaking focus. TED and TEDx Focus The mantra of TED and TED is “An Idea Worth Spreading.” I learned from my TEDx … Continue reading
Many years ago I was serving as the Toastmaster at a meeting. Dinner was first. Then I got up to do my duty. I joked, smiled, smiled, smiled. Really hammed it up. You know how us Toastmasters can be. This … Continue reading
What you use to power your PowerPoint show matters. The Stuff of Nightmares When I was the Training Coordinator at UCLA, a PowerPoint show kept shutting down and starting up during a class. It was just awful – not only … Continue reading
On January 28th, 2017, I stepped on a TEDx stage and delivered “an idea worth spreading” What are TED and TEDx? I found that many people that I shared my good news with had not heard of TED or TEDx. … Continue reading
I recently participated in a memorial service for a fellow Toastmaster. Remembering Dick Churchill The gentleman who passed on November 18, 2016, is Richard (Dick) Churchill. He was a member of Toastmasters for close to 50 years.* He even met the founder … Continue reading
