Whether you have ambitions to speak at a conference and grow your business, give a TED talk, or raise money for your favorite non-profit, you need strong, well-organized material. But most speakers overlook a compelling title, which is a major factor in booking a presentation,...
Over twenty years ago, director Ridley Scott’s film Gladiator won the Best Picture Oscar. It’s a great movie, but the Director’s Cut holds many gems that were edited out when the film was released. At one point, Proximo, the Gladiators’ promoter, says to his champion...
This musical artist began performing at age ten in a Czech polka band and worked odd jobs until he established himself as a songwriter in Nashville. Success as a performer didn’t come until his mid-forties. Then he hit the road, averaging over one hundred live dates...
Every day, stories of villains dominate traditional and social media. Yes, we need to be informed, but at what cost? What struck us about last week’s tip about the “amazing” Grace Hopper is that neither of us had ever heard of her. Yet, almost everyone knows...
In the early 1950's, Grace Hopper was a computer science pioneer and the first U.S. Navy Head of Programming. She also invented the term “bug.” While teaching math, her students complained about being graded on their writing in a math class. Hopper’s position was clear--...
Humor is dicey in any presentation, but a wonderful addition if done well. A recent episode of the Emmy award-winning series Hacks features this challenge. Jean Smart* plays Deborah Vance, a once top Vegas comedienne on the way down. At her lowest point, Vance is delivering...
Making sense of numbers in a presentation is one of the most difficult things to do. Did you use too many or too few? Did you notice eyes glaze over after that PPT slide with graphs? Are you concerned that no one will remember your...
Amor Towles writes in his book The Lincoln Highway a charming piece about a boy experiencing stage fright. Young Woolly has inherited the task of reciting the Gettysburg Address in front of his entire family. He’s petrified, but sister Sarah teaches him the speech line...
When you sing along with Peggy Lee’s song “Fever” don’t you have to do the finger snaps? Lee wrote and sang two hundred and seventy songs and excelled in multiple styles, including Jazz, Blues and Pop-- a rarity for a female performer in the 1950’s....
Summertime affords us increased opportunities to improve public speaking skills. For more advanced presenters, there are conferences, conventions, and other large venues. But don’t overlook smaller, low-ante networking meetings, lunch-and-learns, or weddings and social functions for wetting your speaking whistle. Try out new ways to introduce...