The Blog / Archive

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! Anything you frequently do leads to habits. You probably brush your teeth, wash your hands, and get in to your car the same way every time. You take the same path through the grocery store. Habits–you don’t have to spend time thinking about how to do them every time they come up, which is a good thing. Your gait feels completely natural … Read more

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. This post was originally published in August of 2021. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! I attended a funeral last week. The woman who passed away was a family friend, someone important to me. The funeral was held in the city where I grew up, about two and half hours away. The funeral was held in person as well as streamed on the church’s Facebook page. I had … Read more

I’m taking a sabbatical from writing new blog posts. You’ll be seeing some re-runs and old favorites for the next little while. You can always write me back with suggestions or ideas just by responding to this email! Many people find silence difficult: a pause of even a few seconds can feel awkward and interminable. As a result, they keep talking, to fill the void. The immediate goal, to avoid silence, is met. But what’s the unintended consequence? The other person can have a hard time getting their voice heard. If this is an ongoing relationship, the more quiet person … Read more

One area we often coach in public speaking and presentation skills is pace, and specifically, speaking quickly. There’s a lot to be said about the reasons for different vocal speeds, why it matters, etc. But the point I want to make today is this: when you slow down, you make fewer mistakes.  That’s it. When you slow down, you give yourself a millisecond to choose a better phrase, to avoid an “um” or a “kind of,” to remember your next point, to read the room, to pause. It’s like driving in an unfamiliar neighborhood. If you don’t know quite where … Read more

I am a big fan of the writer and thinker Seth Godin.  His approach to marketing, in particular, is refreshing and innovative. One of the questions Seth asks is: “Who is this for?” It can apply to a product, a service, or an experience. “Who is this for?” It helps the creator get very specific about what they’re making, how, and why. Similarly, when you are preparing a speech or a presentation, it’s a great idea to start with this question. “Who is this for? What do they want to get out of this experience?” The answers will help you … Read more

I want to take this space today to celebrate Ignite CSP senior coach Neela Munoz—it’s her birthday! In honor of this special day, I’m sharing a video Neela created to help our clients stop underselling one of their most unique attributes–their names! Happy birthday, Neela! We love you!

There are great reasons any speaker might have notes, slides, or a podium to speak from. But in each case, these should be tools to help the speaker deliver their message, not a way to hide from the audience. Do you rely on your slides to carry the bulk of your talk? Are they loaded with text “so you can remember what comes next”? Do you prefer to carry notes, even when you have thoroughly prepared? It’s natural to want to avoid the vulnerability that comes from speaking in front of a group. But paradoxically, the slide deck, the podium, … Read more

When we ask the nearest person for their feedback, there is no guarantee that they are knowledgeable about the things we want to know about.  Usually, they will still agree to weigh in.  This is how bad advice gets traction in the world. Here were a couple of things I heard recently that this blog does not endorse: “You looked nervous!”  How is this helpful? Either they were nervous, which they already knew, or they weren’t, and now they feel like they’ve messed up. Being nervous is perfectly normal, and it’s not the job of the feedback-giver to talk about … Read more

You know that I like to think about communication as starting from the mental (intention) and moving to the physical (alignment). But it’s also true that changing your body can affect how you feel! (We’re complicated creatures.) When you’re nervous, what do you do? Many people focus on why they’re nervous, maybe going over the anxiety in their minds. Instead, try focusing on how it feels in your body. Nervousness can make us “implode” physically: the chest caves in, shoulders slump forward, chin down, arms across the middle, brow furrowed. We’re trying to protect ourselves from whatever’s bothering us. To … Read more

Yesterday I wrote about the classic three-point talk and its benefits. Today I’m going to give you a technique to use to deliver your next three-point talk. It’s the Overlapping Circles technique, beautifully sketched by me below: One way to help your audience follow your talk is to physically locate the different elements in different spots onstage. Generally, I like to think of center stage as “home base.” It’s the place on stage where I can best see the audience (and they can see me). I’ll start and finish my talk here. I’ll also use “home base” as the spot … Read more