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Even the most practiced speakers can feel nervous when the spotlight turns on. At a recent Toastmasters International Speech Contest, I watched 7 exceptional speakers take the stage to confidently deliver high-quality speeches. And I noticed 2 of them showing visible signs of nervousness, in the form of a shaking hand… and yet, they kept […]

Speak from the heart? Sure. But speak with strategy, too. In every presentation, I hear so many people say that they are just going to “speak from the heart.” But what does that really mean? Does it mean that you’ll let your heart decide the content in the moment where you step in front of […]

Preparing for an important presentation? The truth is, impactful presentations don’t happen by chance—they happen with preparation and practice. The more intentional you are about what you say and how you say it, the more likely you’ll leave your audience engaged and inspired. In my latest video, I talk about what goes into delivering a […]

  “People don’t usually talk to us the way you just did.”   Back in February, I got into a bit of a hairy travel situation while attempting to travel home from Calgary, with a serious dumping of snow over multiple days in Eastern Canada that wreaked havoc on any and all flights going in my […]

Who hasn’t felt a little (or a lot) nervous before public speaking, with the thought of “what if I mess up?” loop playing in your head? But here’s the thing: those nerves don’t have to take over. With 3 steps, you can turn those nerves into confidence and deliver a presentation that leaves your audience saying, “Wow, they nailed it!” Check out this 1.5 minute video to learn how!

At around dinnertime on a recent work trip in Columbus Ohio to deliver a presentation and communication training program, I faced the “Big Dilemma” of traveling alone: Should I eat alone at a restaurant, or get room service takeout to bring up to my hotel room? It seemed like such a straightforward question. But it […]

  “What quality makes a GREAT speaker?” I ask this question in many of my corporate training programs, and my audience usually provides a variety of interesting responses — including ONE particular quality that is brought up each and every time. They’re not wrong. But they’re not 100% right either. There’s one very necessary question […]

I get that this blog generally isn’t the place to share gardening photos. But hear me out… In past years, I would always plant a small garden in my backyard. I would plant “a bunch of stuff” (that’s my technical gardening term for cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and whatever else I was ready to experiment […]