Last night I watched Ron Chapman deliver a wonderful speech about what we can learn from dog shows. Yes, dog shows. His point was that in a dog show we are not comparing a pug to a labrador, rather, we are judging whether that pug is the best version of himself compared to whether the labrador is the best version of herself. The point he made was that each of us is the best possible version of ourselves, therefore it’s foolish to try and be someone else.
Read MoreMost speakers, with enough practice, can overcome the common pitfalls of a bad presentation: using too many “ums” and “ahs,” using too many notes, not moving around the stage, figuring out what to do with your arms, etc. But even the most experienced speakers struggle with something that keeps their presenting from being truly great: authenticity.
Read MoreIn 1995 I took my very first speech class (in high school), because I needed an elective. The truth is, I was dreading it! I’m a hardcore introvert and my preferred natural state is at home and not talking to anyone, much less an audience. But that class changed my life forever, and it showed me public speaking isn’t just something introverts can learn to do
Read More
