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.
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