“Before you marry a person, you should first make them use a computer with slow Internet service to see who they really are.” — Will Ferrell, comedian and actor Two weeks ago, my wife, Elaine, and I moved to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, just outside of Charleston. We loved living in Northern Virginia, but we wanted to move to a warmer climate. We weren’t disappointed. The beaches, the Charleston downtown, and the wonderful neighborhood in which we now live (Mount ...

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”— Sun Tzu from The Art of War, My wife, Elaine, and I recently moved from Northern Virginia to the Charleston, South Carolina, area. To say our move was chaotic is an understatement. The packing, moving, and unpacking (which is still ongoing) were and are stressful. This chaos of moving to another state got me thinking about the chaos that speakers have to deal with. This podcast episode offers valuable tips for speak...

“People don’t want perfect; they want real.” – Modern audience engagement trend Excellent public speakers keep up with the latest audience trends. This podcast explores three audience trends for which public speakers should take advantage. References Gallo, C. (2022). The Bezos Blueprint: Communication Secrets of the World’s Greatest Salesman. St. Martin’s Press. Discusses how tech-savvy leaders are using evolving platforms for storytelling.PwC (2020). The Future of Work: A Journey ...

“What you do for yourself dies with you. What you do for others is immortal.” — Albert Pike, attorney and writer On this Memorial Day, it is proper to remember those who have given their lives so we may enjoy our freedom. Memorial Day in the United States began as a way to honor and remember soldiers who died in military service, particularly those who died during the Civil War, both Union and Confederate. Those families touched by the tragedy of war no doubt have memories...

“It’s not the words that count, but the moment you made them feel something.” — Nancy Duarte, CEO of Duarte, Inc., and author of Resonate A compelling and under-discussed topic for public speakers is the power of micro-moments – how small interactions shape audience perception. These micro-moments have a significant effect on engagement with your audience. In this week's podcast episode, we will discover just what are micro-moments, where micro-moments happen in a presentat...

“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe.” — Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States In my weekly articles, I have extensively discussed how to create, practice, and deliver presentations. However, I have not often discussed what you should do before you create your presentation. Before creating your presentation, you should take three essential preparatory steps to ensure your message is relevant, practical, and engaging. These fou...

“If you listen to your audience, they will tell you what you need to know.” — Lee Clow, American advertising executive, best known for creating the iconic “1984” Apple Macintosh commercial. Speakers often consider what their audience can learn from them. Have you ever considered how much you can learn from your audience? This podcast episode explores three ways you can learn from your audience. References Gallo, C. (2014). Talk Like TED. Gallo explains that great speakers mo...

“When you position your customer [or audience] as the hero and yourself as the guide, you win the day.” - Donald Miller in his book Building a StoryBrand 2.0: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen Donald Miller’s book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen (Harper Collins Leadership, 2025), discusses making your client the hero of your interaction. You are the guide who leads them to the solution to their challenge. This is ...

"Designing a presentation without an audience in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it 'to whom it may concern.'" — Ken Haemer, Presentation Research Manager at AT&T This podcast episode covers the nitty-gritty of how to create, practice, and deliver excellent presentations. It contains practical processes for doing this you can implement immediately.

“Ideas are worthless unless you can make them heard.” — Phil Cooke, media consultant and speaker You were immersed in engineering or scientific matters in your engineering school or school of science. You then work in industry or government where you want to practice engineering and science. Somewhere along the way, hopefully early, you realize you must “sell” your ideas to get ahead. It comes as a shock. You thought all you needed to succeed was sound engineering or scienc...

“Champions don’t do extraordinary things. They do ordinary things better than everyone else.” – Tony Dungy, former NFL player and coach, best known for leading the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl win Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers football team, on taking over as head coach of the Packers, said, “I am not going to change anything. We will use the same players, the same plays and the same training system. But we will concentrate on becoming brilliant on ...

“The worst part of holding the camera up to speak is knowing that no one is really there to nod or smile back at you.” — Unknown This week, my son Frank returned from a six-month Navy submarine deployment. He is a nuclear officer on the USS Indiana fast-attack submarine. My wife Elaine and I are very proud of him for defending our great country. I thought about how my son and the other sailors on his boat must feel isolated being underwater for months. They have no contact with ...

“Everybody wants to win. However, there are few people who want to prepare to win.” - Paul “Bear” Bryant, legendary coach of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team Today’s professional speakers face several challenges that can impact their effectiveness and career growth. Here are three key concerns of today’s professional speakers and how to address them: ____________________________ References Gallo, C. (2014). Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the...

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker, renowned management consultant, educator, and author, As a professional speaker, you must manage various business aspects to build and sustain your career. We will examine three key business matters for you as a professional speaker in this podcast episode. __________________________ References According to insights in Book More Business, effective branding is essential for speakers to stand out in a compe...

“Everyone who got where they are had to begin where they were.” – Richard Paul Evans, American author best known for writing The Christmas Box As a speaker, you may often experience imposter syndrome, a psychological phenomenon in which you doubt your abilities and fear being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of your competence. In this episode, we will examine three key reasons why you may feel like an imposter and what you can do to overcome these feelings, supported b...

“Of all the talents bestowed upon men, none is so precious as the gift of oratory. He who enjoys it wields a power more durable than that of a great king.” -- Winston Churchill, British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (during the Second World War) and again from 1951 to 1955. In this world of accelerating technological speed, it would be good if we stepped back in time instead of stepping forward to reveal what thre...

"The future of public speaking is not about a solitary orator on a stage—it's a dynamic interplay between technology and human connection, where immersive digital experiences bring audiences closer than ever before." – Will Higham, behavioral futurist, author, and speaker known for exploring emerging trends in communication It is hard to imagine the transformation in speaking in store for us as we speak. This transformation is possible because of the rapid acceleration of technol...

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” — Walt Disney, American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur Self-motivation, overcoming obstacles, and becoming a better leader are crucial for public speakers. They directly influence your ability to engage audiences, inspire action, and maintain effectiveness over time. In this episode, you will discover why each of these areas is vital to you as a speaker: References In his book Drive: The Surpri...

“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” – William Arthur Ward, American inspirational writer In the hit cartoon movie Madagascar, there is a group of talking penguins led by “the Skipper.” One of the penguins asks, “Skipper, don’t you think we should tell them the boat’s out of gas?” The Skipper simply says, “Nah! Smile and wave, boys. Smile and wave.” As a speaker, how can you greatly benefit from smiling and waving to your audience? Smiling and waving before speak...

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” – Charles Darwin (1809–1882), naturalist, geologist, and biologist Have you ever considered that adaptability is key to you delivering an excellent presentation? How do you develop the ability to be adaptable “on the fly?” Seamlessly adaptable speakers can adjust their delivery, content, and engagement strategies based on the situation, ensuring their message r...