When we reminisce about Hollywood, it’s often the stories that movies tell that captivate us the most. Screenwriting teacher Robert McKee eloquently states, “Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact.” Storytelling: The Cornerstone of Effective Leadership Many of us […]
Read More...How You Can Build an Amazing Relationship with Your Audience Every Time
Building an extraordinary relationship with your audience is vital for the success of your presentation. This relationship hinges on two crucial elements: intellectual and emotional connection. While logic engages your audience’s thinking, it is emotion that motivates them to take action. The intellectual connection stems from the content you present and the logical reasoning you […]
Read More...How Do We Become a Hero for More than One Day? Robert Fripp Tells You How
As you may know, my brother Robert Fripp played on David Bowie’s Heroes. In our presentations on How to Be a Hero For More Than One Day, I ask Robert questions and he gives brilliant and thoughtful answers. PF How do we become a hero? RF Practice! We practice acts of heroism. Two approaches: the extensive […]
Read More...How Often Have You Hear Imitation is The Sincerest Form of Flattery?
No, it is NOT! How often have you heard, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” and believe it or questioned it? This is only the first part of a quote from Oscar Wilde. It’s absolutely clear what Oscar Wilde meant (so many forget the second half of the quote) when he wrote “Imitation is […]
Read More...Want to Know a Terrific Technique That Transforms Speaking and Writing?
As a speech coach, I introduce my clients to the importance of using parallel structure in speaking and writing. Parallel structure, also known as parallelism, is the repetition of a grammatical structure within a sentence or multiple sentences. This technique can make your speech or writing more memorable and easier to understand. When you write […]
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, I believe they are attempting to sound humble. However, it only […]
Read More...Why Do Middle Aged Executives Do This? It Makes Me Want to Scream!
Yes, it makes me want to scream! Because “super” is not really super. It appears that a huge amount of the population has come to believe that everything even slightly pleasant, wonderful, important, revolutionary, impressive, or valuable is now super. How about super-exciting, super-good, or super-great? Our language is full of hundreds of descriptive words. […]
Read More...The Best Way to Build Your Consulting and Speaking Business – Expert Advice
A great way to build your business is to collaborate with other speakers and consultants. Yes, you can combine your communities and mailing lists; however, what you learn from smart partners is invaluable. Here is advice you can benefit from that comes from the consultant’s consultant. Alan Weiss, Ph.D., CPAE, CMC is the author of […]
Read More...Gary Was Not One of the Guys
Can you relate to his situation? The executive assistant ushered me into a very impressive office with a great view. Her well-dressed and handsome boss Gary stood up to welcome me. Gary is a successful banker, and we had recently met at a conference where I delivered a speech titled How to Inspire Action and […]
Read More...Beware. You May Become a Sloppy Speaker and Not Know It
You will not improve what you are not aware of. We can blame a couple of years of near isolation and less in-person meetings. Without knowing it, you may be turning into a sloppy and non-specific speaker who dilutes their message. As an executive speech coach, my job is to help my clients sound as […]
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