This Moved Me

If we're going to take big risks - and sometimes fail - we better enjoy the experience! #LEAP2020

Leaping requires risk... and sometimes those risks flop. On stage. THEN WHAT?! In this third episode of the series on Leaping in our Speaking, listen in for how to work through it so that we continue to LEAP. #LEAP2020

Risk is an essential part of speaking. It engages the audience, and pushes us BOTH to new heights. To begin to take more risks in our speaking, we’ve got to first do this:

About a week ago, I got to see Oprah in action. #DREAMCOMETRUE. And today is MLK day. A day I cannot let go by without paying homage to his mission, his words - and his ability to lead and create needed change. These two amazing humans are very different leaders in their own right. And sitting in Oprah's audience I had a big AHA about what real leadership looks like - and what our audiences need from us. So - check out this week's episode to hear more about what MLK and Oprah can teach us as we bring our messages out into the world more this year!

Over and over again, I hear even my experienced speakers say things to me like… Thanks for the nudge, I need to get out there more. And - I have been quieter than I want, I need to speak up. And - I have been struggling with some self-doubt, thanks for the encouragement.   And part of what I LOVE to do, is help people take bigger LEAPS in their speaking. To not think small, think big. To move beyond the expected, to tell the story you’ve been secretly working on but aren’t sure you can share....    In 2020 - We will take bigger leaps TOGETHER!  And we'll start with this 4-part series on what Leaping in our Speaking really means.  ARE YOU READY?!

So - today I’m talking about a BIG IDEA that’s deeply embedded in my Speaking Story course that is open right now… and that is this:    Speakers are Leaders and Leaders are speakers…    But what about the need for STORYTELLING as a leader?  We have something to say - but a story to tell?  And, are we willing to tell it?    I want to make an argument for you why storytelling is THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL IN YOUR SPEAKING TOOLKIT. 

I believe in the power and value of story. But what's the real VALUE of a story? I’ve helped people tell a story that landed a multi-million dollar deal. I’ve helped people tell a story that went viral on YouTube and Facebook. I’ve helped peoples stand in their own vulnerable story, and watched it move an audience - impact people - CREATE the emotion and feeling that ushers in change. So - let's talk about the REAL ROI on a powerful story. www.speakingstory.com

Enrollment is open for the Speaking Story course -all about helping you connect with and convert your audience through story. Doors close September 18th - join now! www.speakingstory.com

I’m a BIG BELIEVER in editing! Editing is one of those skills as a speaker we don’t often talk about - but I think of editing as a leadership tool. It forces you to decide not just what you’re going to say -= but what you aren’t. It forces you to amok some decisions about what’s most important, most needed.    And as I was thinking about how editing interacts with storytelling - I kept thinking of a few “extra” things that seem to creep up in people’s stories, and that just don’t help you make your point well. They get in the way - they slow you down - they confuse the audience - they make it harder to deliver - they keep you from really excelling at this art form.    So - let’s dive in…. 3 things you need to cut from your story: 

This episode is brought to you by my NEW MASTERCLASS - “How to captivate your audience with story - without feeling like a failure on stage”… You know that feeling, right? - that feeling like you just didn’t CONNECT, things didn’t CLICK, that moment didn’t land… I have been having so many conversations with these amazingly brilliant people who are out there and just feeling like something’s not working…And getting things to work for you is my speciality. :) So, I want to invite you ALL to join me for this FREE MASTERCLASS going on starting on September 4th for a really limited time… jam-packed resource for those of us who want to move our audiences… and there’s ONE THING you need to master to really do it well… So, join me at https://www.captivatemasterclass.com I’d love to see you there! Ok, let’s dive in to this week’s episode! On today’s episode we’re going to be talking about the biggest hangup I see again and again with speakers as they begin to develop their story… And I want to get it out there so that

There are some pro strategies I've seen the pro storytellers use that ANY of us can use... and it will greatly affect the impact of your stories! Check them out:

One of the biggest questions speakers ask themselves before starting a talk is… which story do I tell? We know stories are essential and powerful - but WHICH story can determine how well your audience connects with you, and your idea. Check out this week’s episode to learn the 8 qualities that can help you assess your story (plus - a free download to help you!).

Here’s the truth: If you can’t see the magic in the every day, you won’t have a story to tell. But when we can see wonder and magic in the every day - and articulate its meaning - the stories will leap out at you, and those stories will move people.

So, yesterday I got a message from a friend of mine showing me the results of his 23andMe report.... saying that he was genetically predisposed to a fear of public speaking. (And he speaks quite a bit.) Hmmm! Interesting! By the end of the day, another 3 people had reached out with their own results on this same thing. (23andMe - nice marketing!) So... I HAVE OPINIONS!

People ask me all the time:  How long should it take to prep for this big talk? My answer is typically: More than you think.   With incredibly busy lives, juggling way more than one thing at a time - prepping for our talks often gets squeezed. Add onto that the mental and emotional challenge of developing a talk… well, avoidance and procrastination can take on a life of its own.  I get it! It’s not easy to create space when the more seemingly urgent can easily jump to the front of the line. But often the last few days and hours and moments before a talk, we are then faced with that moment of regret… I wish I would have taken more time for this. I wish I would have practiced this more. I wish I knew this better. I wish…. No more wishing! It’s 2019 - let’s do things differently this year.

JOY.  There were all kinds of signs pointing me to JOY: a journal that jumped out to me at the craft store; our Christmas card; a talk I heard; my latest Netflix craze watching Marie Kondo “spark joy”… The universe has been laying down little pebbles for me on this one.  But what does JOY have to do with you - and what does JOY have to do with speaking?  I think Joy is an essential element of speaking that MOVES people. Not convinced? Take a listen:

Movers, today is the final idea about how we can bring our idea to life through our Speaking Stories course that goes live Oct. 30th! If you are listening to this it means that the cart is open! After I talk with you about what it is - and why it is - I hope you’ll join us over the next few weeks while we bring our stories more to life and to your audience so it’s out there moving the world! Go to www.speakingstory.com to sign up!

Bringing your story to life…  To do that, we need to believe some things - deep down - before we can take the stage with courage and authenticity. Last week I talked about Six Rookie Storytelling Mistakes (and what to do instead). But this week - in anticipation of the Speaking Story course that opens for enrollment this coming Friday - we are diving into three beliefs all of my speakers wrestle with to some level or another (and from one day to another)!

One of my favorite parts of doing workshops is when I help people discover the ‘THING’ that makes their voice unique. The thing that is essential to them. The thing that, despite our misguided efforts to polish up, layer up and perfect our role as “speaker” (whatever that means!)… well, it still eeks out. :) Which, honestly, is a wonderful wonderful thing, and the HEART of AUTHENTICITY! I call it your Speaking Superpower. If we can own it - it’s powerful.    Part of owning it is sharing it!…So here goes: 

To my delight, authenticity has been a buzz word and goal of speakers for a long time. As “talks” have become a preferred and powerful platform for LEADERS (not just professional and motivational speakers), the door has opened to more and more people to share their stories in their own way.    This, my friends/speakers/movers!, is a wonderful thing! As a presentation coach whose mission is to create talks that move the world (not to create talks that are perfect and overly polished and ‘right but boring’) - I LOVE that audiences want more than just the standard chicken-dinner presentation.    They want REAL.  They want BRAVE.  They want… YOU.    That’s the good news.    But it also means that more and more of us are finding ourselves up in front, and the bar is higher. Leading. Speaking. Daring.    And in that big moment…  sometimes WE DON’T FEEL LIKE OURSELVES. It can sometimes feel like we’re playing a role, or being a “character” of a speaker.    Who do you become up on stage?    Hopefully, you are YOU…You