I want to speak, but I don’t know what to talk about… I don’t have any interesting stories to use… I really don’t have any experiences others would be that interested in hearing about… All LIES!! Listen, you have SO much speech content inside of you that you’d be AMAZED. You don’t think you have […]

Yesterday I had the opportunity to record a PSA (public service announcement) at WLRH radio station. It’s located on the beautiful campus of the University of Alabama in Huntsville. I’ve done radio interviews before, but never did a PSA – til now! I love being able to cross off “firsts”! 😉 Here are a few […]

  Even though in-person events have returned (thank God!), virtual events are here to stay. Virtual events are a different animal from in-person events, and that includes audience engagement. You have to be intentional about HOW you engage them, WHEN to engage them, and the WHY behind your engagement tactic. Yes it’s that deep. After […]

A situation many speakers find frustrating is looking out into the audience and seeing faces glued to cell phones. You’ve taken the time to prepare this talk, and their attention is on a device instead of you. Like it or not, mobile phones are everywhere now and you can pretty much expect at least one person to look […]

“Is it ok to use notes?” “What’s the right way to use notes when speaking?” These are the two most common questions I hear when it comes to speech notes. First, let me make it clear that it IS OK to bring your trusty notes with you. I have been to conferences where I was […]

If you’ve ever looked out into your audience and noticed confusing looks on their faces – it can feel unsettling to you as a speaker! You’re wondering why they look that way. There are a host of reasons, but here are three major ones:  Your speech has no real structure and is going all over […]

In William Safire’s book “Lend Me Your Ears,” only 7 of the 217 speeches listed end with “Thank You.” This tells us that there are waaaaay better choices for wrapping up your speech! There are quite a few ways that I teach my clients. Here are six of them: ✅Quote: Use a quote that connects […]

I was speaking to a friend recently, and she said something that made my ears perk up. We were discussing one of her challenges when it comes to public speaking. She said, “I feel like I have to say things differently for a white audience…code-switching. But I want to speak how I really want to […]

You’ve just begun your professional speaking career – CONGRATULATIONS!! You’ve created your presentations that you’re ready to get paid for, started looking for events/organizations you can speak at, and have been passing your business card to anyone and everyone you come in contact with. Sooo…why are the engagements not happening? It could be for any […]

I attended the Power Networking Conference in Houston at the end of June. This is an annual event created by Dr. George Fraser – master networker, entrepreneur, and author – where the brightest business minds converge in one place. I attended the dynamic “Art and Science of Sales” workshop by Linda Clemons, a sales and […]