Tackling Tough Talks (at the Thanksgiving Table)
The holidays bring us together with family and friends we love and appreciate. Great! But sometimes these are the very same people with whom we disagree about, well, lots of things. The added pressures of “HOLIDAYS ARE SPECIAL AND GREAT” combined with pre-existing familial baggage make a potent recipe for holiday tension. I got to …
Do What Makes You Happy
I don’t know about you, but everybody I talk to lately is a little burned out, a little stressed, a little out of sorts. Maybe it’s the lingering effects of Covid and the uncertainty and stress that brings with it. Maybe it’s a tough time of year. Maybe we’re all going through some subterranean slow …
Three Things That Can Derail Your Presentation, and How to Avoid Them
There are so many things that can go wrong when you’re giving a talk. Let’s look at just three: 1) Your tech. The number one thing that throws speakers off their game is when the microphone or PowerPoint doesn’t work. 2) The room (real or virtual) isn’t what you expected. 3) Your time is cut …
Ignite CSP in the Media–Award-Winning Podcast!
Donna Peters has many accolades, and she carries all of them lightly. Most recently her podcast, The Me-Suite, has won the Best Business Podcast Award for 2020 and 2021. You understand why when you listen to her insightful conversations with a wide range of guests. She asks thoughtful questions, she’s a great listener, and wow, …
Are You Fine, Really?
We all know the ritual: two people see each other for the first time that day, or that week, or that month, and one says to the other: “How are you?” The other responds: “Fine, how are you?” The first person says, “I’m fine,” and everyone moves on. Recently I had this expectation upended. I …
Fakery and Facebookery
This short video fascinated the Ignite CSP team last week. Mark Zuckerberg sat down with another employee to hype…some video games, I think. Their conversation is something most viewers can immediately identify as “not authentic.” It’s scripted and highly choreographed, and the entire premise of the dialogue is dubious. What is their relationship? Why are …
The Danger of Public Speaking “Tips”
In many professions, almost every person above a certain level has had some kind of public speaking or presentation skills training. Maybe they have their own coach, or perhaps they attended a one-day workshop, but they walked away with some idea of what they could apply to be a more effective speaker. So far so …
“…To Make You Feel Special”
Recently I was chatting with a friend about intention (that’s just how I roll). She shared that she had spoken recently with a man whose job as an interviewer means he’s always talking to new people. His goal with each interview is “to make the other person feel special.” I just love this! What if …
What Do You Do Best?
At any given moment, we can read about/sign up for a course/commit to working at whatever we think is going to make us “better.” Want to get fitter? Read more? Write that novel? Start your own side hustle? Meditate daily? The world is ready to point out how you can improve. I’m curious about what …
Who Needs to Hear You?
A question I get a lot when coaching public speaking is: How do I reach everyone in my audience? What can I do to make sure every single person receives my message? Short answer: You can’t do it. Even in a small group, everyone there has different priorities, interests, and backgrounds. If you try to …
