Practice

There seems to be an inherent insecurity around being able to accomplish good public speaking consistently. Even people who are skilled speakers worry about “losing the magic” or not being “in the zone.” I get it—I’ve definitely had experiences when it feels like a talk I’m giving reaches a place it hasn’t gone before, where … Read more

There’s a difference. You can prepare yourself. You might memorize your speech, or choose your outfit. You could review your notes just before you go on. But preparing for your audience is different. It requires thinking about the entire experience from their viewpoint. What do they want to hear? How do they hope to feel … Read more

This post originally came out in August of 2020. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the concept of “good enough,” and you’ll see more about that in this space soon. (Thanks, KH!) We can’t be great at everything. It is reasonable, and smart, to decide to focus our skill and resources on getting really … Read more

“The last thing in the world that I want when I’m onstage is to be boring.” A client said this to me recently during  a conversation we were having about the challenge she’s facing as she tries to shift the presentation culture of her nonprofit. “When we talk about this, they say all the right … Read more

I’m rethinking what this blog might be. I love writing for you, and I’m curious about what you find interesting and useful. Monday’s and today’s posts are new ones, and Friday’s post will be a rerun. If you have ideas about what you’d like to see in this space, please drop me an email! One … Read more

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.” Spock, the rational … Read more

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! You know those actors you really love? The ones who make you cry. Who inhabit their characters … Read more

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! We got to work with a small group of people recently who were all practicing short introductions. … Read more

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! They say that, when you start running for exercise, you need to give yourself ten minutes to … Read more

Putting in the work. Bit by bit, over days and weeks and months, we can get better at something. Problem is, we often don’t think about putting in the work until it really matters—and then it’s too late. There are so many things we’ve learned this way, though. When we were small, everything was like … Read more