Updated 11/6/22 There are lots of reasons you might feel drawn to speaking: Because you love it, it excites you, you have things you’re dying to share, you want to make it your career. You may also have books to sell and a business to grow, and talking to lots of people at once is…

I work with people of all backgrounds and businesses who have something to say and are dying to say it. They want to do media and launch podcasts, give talks and write books. They want to “put themselves out there.” If there were two words that literally every person says to me, it’s that they…

If you’re a speaker, or would like to be, chances are you watch other speakers with a very keen eye. Maybe you scrutinize the bio. Watch the way they carry themselves on stage. Maybe you judge them based on how relatable they are, or how useful their content is. And if we’re being honest, you…

I was at a party last year that was attended mainly by authors, agents, and PR people. And one of the authors heard that I helped people create their TEDx talks. “Isn’t TED kind of played out,” she said, poking at her gin and tonic with a straw. It wasn’t a question. “Why do you…

You have a big talk coming up. So you say to yourself, I’m going to sit down right now and write it. You type one sentence: “Good afternoon.” You delete it. You wonder if you’re a fraud. You wonder why you’re doing this. You wonder what to have for dinner. Then: Oh would you look…

There’s nothing like getting tapped to speak at an event or conference—it’s not only nice to be asked, but it speaks volumes about what people think of you: That you have something of value to share with their community, and they want it. That said, there are three questions I ask myself before I accept,…

Of all the people you’ve seen get up in front of a room to speak, how many do you really remember? Very few. And chances are the ones who made an impact probably made you laugh, too. Solid content gets a nod. But funny gets rave reviews. Funny gets asked to speak again. And again. Here’s…