It’s Halloween – or almost, depending on when you’re reading this – in the US, and it’s a big deal here. I read somewhere that it has become a bigger holiday than Christmas for retailers – can that be true? I got to thinking about the scariest moments public speakers have, naturally enough, and compiled […]
When I first got the email from Scott Eblin, a friend and sometime client, about his new book, Overworked and Overwhelmed: The Mindfulness Alternative, I was happy for him and secretly hoping that he wouldn’t ask me to do anything hard for him, like actually read the book. You see, I’m way too overworked and […]
I was talking this week to a very nice group of folks who were prepping me for a speech to their organization in December. We first talked about the audience, their issues, what they needed to hear, and what was keeping them up at night. Then, we discussed logistics. And during the course of this […]
One of the wonders of the digital age is that video for speakers is now relatively cheap, easy, and of high quality. To be sure, there is still enormous art involved in getting good video for that speakers’ sizzle reel or for your website. But to get video for the purposes of review is no […]
Most countries have a political spectrum that divides along conservative v liberal lines. In the US, it’s the Republicans v the Democrats; in the UK, it’s the Tories v the Laborites; in Game of Thrones, it’s King’s Landing v Winterfell, and so on. Now, some recent research helps us understand what underlies the differences between […]
Is it good to be a perfectionist? Perfectionists would say yes, of course; it leads to better results in work and life. The psychologists say it leads to misery, and a higher risk of suicide. A specialist in the field, Professor Gordon Flett of York University, has written a book on the subject, and a […]
Why turn down the lights? What follows is a rant. If you’re not in the mood, skip this post. You’re standing in the wings. You’re a speaker about to speak to an audience of 1,000 souls at a conference with all the bells and whistles that technology and a good staging company can provide: IMAG […]
I usually write about the challenges of professional and executive speaking, but there’s one speaking gig that presents difficulties even most pros don’t have to face: preaching. Preachers face the same audience (mostly) week after week, year after year, and have to somehow persuade them to listen afresh every Sunday. Even assuming you get a […]
It’s time to start trusting your unconscious mind. Most of us get the occasional hunches, intuition, or gut feel – and we either act on them or don’t. When we don’t, we usually regret it afterward. If only I had put my entire paycheck on red like my gut was telling me! OK, so don’t […]