Design Your Best Year Ever: How High Performers Turn Intention into Income

Every December, I hear the exact phrase from talented professionals and speakers: “Next year is going to be my best year ever.”
Naturally, I am one of them! However, I am smart enough to know that hope is not a strategy. High performers do not drift into exceptional years. They design them.

If we want the coming year to outperform the last, we must begin with the end in mind. Decide, in advance, what success looks like for you. Not vaguely. Most experts will tell you to focus on how much you want to earn. I am going to encourage you to focus on what work energizes you, and what drains you? Clarity at the beginning increases the likelihood you will make good choices.

One of the most powerful confidence builders I know is the calendar. My late friend Jeanne Robertson taught me a lesson I have shared with executives and speakers for decades: schedule your life before you plan your work. In January, block your vacations, family celebrations, and personal priorities first. Then sell what is left. When you control your calendar, you stop reacting and start leading. That sense of control translates directly into confidence, credibility, and better decision-making.

One highlight for me was saying “No” to speaking engagements because my brother was in town.

For experts, consultants, and speakers, the most innovative way to design a breakthrough year is to turn your expertise into multiple income streams.

Ask yourself: Does your knowledge travel well? Can it be delivered as a keynote, a workshop, a virtual program, coaching, or consulting? The more formats your expertise fits, the more opportunities you create. Versatility is not optional; it is a competitive advantage.

Build your future on what you already know best. When new speakers tell me they want to be “a motivational speaker,” I ask, “Before you were a speaker, what did you do?” Your career, experience, and hard-won lessons are assets. Your most compelling stories and strategies already exist. Use them and deliver them in a way that inspires your audience to take action.

As you evaluate opportunities, remember my three-part filter. Every “yes” should deliver at least two of these: money, experience, or education. If a chance gives you all three, accept gratefully. If it offers only one, decline politely.

Disciplined decisions prevent burnout and build momentum.

Consistency, not brilliance, is what wins year after year.

Consistent outreach. Consistent visibility. Consistent improvement.

People trust and remember what they see repeatedly. Relationship capital compounds over time, and your next opportunity may come from someone who saw you deliver value years ago. Last September, I spoke in Hawaii for a client who booked me 21 years ago. Next week, I will conduct a sales presentation skills training at a company’s January Sales Meeting. Guess what? One of the executives was in my training for another company 21 years ago. That must have been a good year!

We do not get the year we hope for. We will get the year we design.

Your best year is not an accident. It is a decision—followed by disciplined action.

This year, if you want help upgrading your speaking skills, let’s talk.

“Patricia showed us what it means to hold an audience in the palm of your hand—and then told us exactly how to do it. We laughed, learned, and walked away committed to the power of our own presentations. She teaches more than public speaking; she teaches how to put ‘wow’ into every message. If you want better communication from your leaders and associates, Fripp is for you.”
– Renee L. Werth, Vice President of Education & Events, Michigan Credit Union League

 

 

Read More...

Do You Know How Long Before True Performers Earn their Success?

One December evening, with some of my closest friends, Joe Veneto, Marilyn Sherman, and Ford Saeks, I watched Frankie Moreno at his Christmas show at Myron’s Cabaret Jazz.

As seasoned professional speakers, we were not simply entertained. We were reminded of something essential.

True performers earn their success over decades, not moments.

Frankie’s career began long before Las Vegas headliner status.

He grew up in Santa Cruz. CA and every day he practised signing before he went to school.

At age ten, he appeared on Star Search, singing and playing piano on national television. The show aired after his eleventh birthday, which is why many people remember him as “11.” He did not win. And that is precisely the point.

What he gained instead was far more valuable than a trophy.
Experience. Exposure. And the discipline of performing under pressure.

That early foundation led to international touring as a teenager, to recording albums, to performing with orchestras, and to steadily building mastery. Years later, millions saw his versatility on Dancing with the Stars. As a longtime fan, that remains my favorite video because it revealed not just talent, but total command.

What struck me that Friday night, as it does every time I watch Frankie, was not only his musical brilliance.

It was his ease with the audience.
His storytelling.
His timing.
And his unmistakable joy on stage.

That level of presence does not come from talent alone. It comes from the opportunity to prepare again and again.

This is where I often think of my brother, Robert Fripp, legendary guitarist and a founding and only ongoing member of King Crimson. Robert has taught for decades that you must first master the techniques of your craft completely. Only then can you abandon them and allow your uniqueness to emerge.

The paradox is powerful.

You practice relentlessly so you can forget the mechanics. You rehearse until your body knows what to do before your mind interferes. You build muscle memory so thoroughly that, in performance, you are free.

That is precisely what I teach my executive speech coaching clients.

Know your speech so well you can forget it.

Open your mouth and trust that it will come out the way only you can deliver it.

Frankie Moreno did not become great because he won a contest. He did not.
He became great because he kept showing up, kept practising, and kept performing at a professional level for years.

You may recall the post I shared after I spoke on stage at the Fort Lauderdale Improv. I once asked the Improv founder, Budd Friedman, “Is there such a thing as overnight success?” He smiled and said, “Yes. However, there is no overnight success.”

As I often tell my clients, talent creates access. Discipline creates longevity.

Frankie Moreno is living proof.

And for every singer, musician, speaker, leader, and executive who wants to be memorable rather than merely competent, that is the real success story.

That is why we must love what we do. The journey to mastery is long and sometimes painful. Celebrate even small successes. Learn from mistakes and failures. Enjoy the journey.

If you need help with your journey to mastery, let’s talk.

“The information in FrippVT is as valuable as any college course I’ve taken. This is a resource that everyone should be aware of.

The investment is worth 10 times what I paid and has been life-changing. My fees, recommendations, and referrals have increased dramatically. I am delighted.” Mitzi Perdue, author of How to Make Your Family Business Last

 

Read More...

Why the Best Business Deals Are Won Before the Numbers Are Negotiated

Why the Best Business Deals Are Won Before the Numbers Are Negotiated

When my friend Michael Sipe, a brilliant mergers and acquisitions specialist, was building his reputation as a business broker, I helped him craft speeches to market his expertise. Mike has always understood something many professionals overlook:

Most business deals are not won on price. They are won on positioning, perception, and personal chemistry.

Read More...

You May Be Shocked at What the Sales Manager Admitted

A few years ago, during a presentation-skills training session, the sales leaders sat in the room and heard what I was teaching. After the first lunch break, the national sales manager walked to the front of the room, looked at his sixty top associates, and said, “At lunch, the executive sales team and I decided we have no idea how we managed to sell anything before we met Patricia.”

As you can imagine, that got everyone’s attention.

He explained, “It takes us a year to earn the opportunity to deliver an hour-long presentation to a small group of executives from one of our prospects. At that point, a new client relationship is worth between five and ten million dollars.”

Read More...

The Appalling State of Applause

The Appalling State of Applause

At the National Speakers Association, we joke that everyone—including the salad chef—gets a standing ovation. Funny, yes. Accurate, no. Most conferences are far more restrained.

My other association family is the Professional Speechwriters Association, and this year’s conference was one of the best I have ever attended. Early on, we heard from a moderated panel of four seasoned speechwriters discussing the challenges of working in today’s politically charged environment. Their insights were thoughtful. Their stories were brave. Their message was organized, polished, and delivered with clarity.

As they finished—before the Q&A—I was ready for thunderous applause.

Read More...

When You Open Your Presentation This Way It Is a Certain Crowd Pleaser

Do you want your audience to lean in from your very first sentence?

One technique that works with many presentations is to begin with a surprising statistic or a little-known fact that makes your audience think, “Really? Tell me more.”

Many of my speech coaching clients are leaders, engineers, and technical experts. Buried deep in the body of their presentations are fascinating statistics or insights that could instantly capture attention.

My first suggestion: “Your comments would be more dramatic, memorable, and attention-getting if they were moved to the beginning. Before the ‘Welcome to…’ or ‘I am …’ or ‘Thank you for …’

My second suggestion:
“Add an emotion to your statistics or insights to bring your audience into your presentation from your first remarks.”

Read More...

Memories of a Motivational Speaker

Perhaps you can relate?

After forty years in the same home, I finally decided it was time to tackle my office.

Yes… the drawers, the boxes, the files I promised myself I would “get to one day.” That day has arrived, and with it comes a mixture of nostalgia, discovery, and a surprising sense of renewal.

My speaking career spans even more years than my address.

Tucked away in one filing cabinet is a treasure trove of letters from clients. Thank-you notes from keynote speeches, enthusiastic follow-ups from sales training, and heartfelt messages from executives I coached. Some I remember vividly. Others… well, let’s say it has been a delightful reminder of how busy those decades were.

Read More...

No Overnight Success—A Reminder for Us All

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking for the Florida Speakers Association.

What a treat to discover their meeting was held at the fabulous Fort Lauderdale Improv! The venue itself inspired me to share one of my favorite stories and offer a suggestion every speaker can use.

For those unfamiliar, Budd Friedman was the founder of the original Improv Comedy Club in New York.

Opened in 1963, it became a legendary stage for stand-up comedy, which helped to launch the careers of Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin, Jay Leno, Bette Midler, and many others.

In the early 1990s, Budd spoke for the Learning Annex in San Francisco. I was thrilled to hear him and, as usual, sat in the front row. My advice to the Florida speakers—and to any professional—is this: when you hear someone famous speak, ask them an interesting question.

That’s precisely what I did. I asked, “Mr Friedman, is there such a thing as natural talent?”

He smiled and replied, “Yes. However, there is no overnight success. Jay Leno had natural talent, and it still took him 15 years to become established.”

Read More...

Where Words Come to Life

Last week, I attended the Professional Speechwriters Association World Conference. What truly made it unforgettable was the setting: Planet Word in Washington, D.C.

If you’ve never been, Planet Word isn’t just a museum—it’s an experience. It’s a living, breathing celebration of words, ideas, and human connection. From the moment you step through its doors, you can feel the energy of creativity in the air. Every exhibit invites you to play with language—to speak, listen, and rediscover the joy of communication.

Housed in the beautifully restored Franklin School, a National Historic Landmark, Planet Word blends 19th-century grandeur with cutting-edge interactive design. It’s a place where architecture meets imagination, where technology and history work together to tell the story of how language shapes our world.

For a gathering of professional communicators, it couldn’t have been more fitting. We were surrounded by inspiration. The walls spoke—sometimes literally, and reminded us that every great message begins with curiosity, courage, and craft.

Read More...

Want to Know Why Your Weak Words Are Taking Away Your Power?

My speech coaching clients frequently hear me say, “Are you going to do it, or kind of do it? Remember, you do not ‘kind of’ or ‘sort of’ do anything.”

Even seasoned executives who should know better use these weak words and phrases. Often, they’re trying to sound modest or approachable. Unfortunately, what actually happens is the opposite—they lose power, clarity, and credibility in both conversations and presentations.

What Are Speech Qualifiers?

Speech qualifiers are words and phrases that soften or weaken what we say. You know them well: “kind of,” “sort of,” “maybe,” “probably,” “just,” “a little bit,” “try,” and “I think.”

They might sound harmless, even polite. However, in leadership and sales, these words quietly erode your authority and undermine your message.

1. They Undermine Your Credibility

When you say, “I kind of think we should move forward,” you may believe you’re being cautious. What your listeners hear is uncertainty. Leaders are expected to be clear, confident, and decisive.

In Deliver Unforgettable Presentations, I remind professionals that every time they speak, they are either enhancing or lowering their reputation. Qualifiers suggest you don’t fully believe in your own message—and that perception is costly.

Think about the leaders who inspire you most. They don’t hedge their ideas. They speak with clarity and purpose. Confidence builds trust; uncertainty erodes it.

Read More...