Do you hold the position, earn the salary, or command the respect you believe you deserve? If not, I encourage you to dress and speak for the role you aspire to, not merely the one you currently have. When I was growing up, my mother gave me great advice. “Patricia, of course, it is the […]
Read More...Success: One Frippicism at a Time – Take Every Crumb They Throw You
Opportunity does not knock once. It knocks all the time, but we do not always recognize the sound. Early in her career, TV host Joan Lunden received great advice from Barbara Walters. “Take every crumb they throw you, and handle them magnificently.” You never know which magnificent crumb is going to be your big break. […]
Read More...How You Can Create a Great Story with a Message Every Time
What makes a Hollywood movie great? Exactly the same principles that will make a good keynote speech great. A great story with a message. Screenwriter Robert McKee says, “Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience.” We all love stories because when told well, have larger-than-life characters, […]
Read More...How to Be a Better Public Speaker by Developing Storytelling Ability
When you improve your storytelling ability your presentations can be powerful and persuasive. When we think of Hollywood… what we usually remember most vividly are the moving, dramatic, and funny stories that movies tell. Screenwriter Robert McKee says, “Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They […]
Read More...Life Lessons From the Movie Stars and Hollywood – #4
Write your own personal definition of success. My friend the late John Cantu was a humor writer and was co-producer at the legendary Holy City Zoo comedy club in San Francisco. Many great comedy stars got their start there. When he counseled young comedians and new speakers about their success, he always says “Don’t compare […]
Read More...Life Lessons From the Movie Stars and Hollywood- #3
There are many life lessons we can learn from movie stars and Hollywood. Be willing to pay your dues. My friend Scott McKain used to review films for WISH-TV in Indianapolis where he lives. He insists that one of the nicest guys in Hollywood is John Travolta. Two decades ago, Travolta seemed to be a […]
Read More...Life Lessons From the Movie Stars and Hollywood – #2
There are many life lessons we can learn from movie stars and Hollywood. Set your own values. When I was 23, I became one of the first women in the new industry of men’s hairstyling. My boss, Jay Sebring, was the hairstylist to the stars. I would pick up the phone and find Steve McQueen […]
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