I started speaking at conferences back in 2007, which is something I never intended to do. I was invited to present at a blogging event, and since at the time I was terrified of public speaking, I said yes just to confront my fear.
A decade later, I’m a pretty good presenter. The combination of knowing what I’m talking about with absolutely no fear of being on a stage goes a long way.
That said, I know there’s a difference between a presentation and a performance. That’s the next level in public speaking that professional speakers train for.
I’m not really interested in becoming a professional speaker. I do want to become a better communicator, though, whether on stage or on video, so I attended a 3-day intensive on presentation skills in Los Angeles last weekend.
The host of the event, Victoria Labalme, is a former actress — and even studied under famed French actor and mime Marcel Marceau. This was an opportunity to learn techniques for intentional movement and physical performance as part of a compelling presentation.
Of course, half the event was dedicated to creating the content of the presentation, which is essentially what I’ve been teaching people for the last 11 years. It would have been easy to tune this stuff out, or even skip out on the parts I’m considered an expert in.
Nope … I not only paid careful attention, I absolutely loved her take on how to create compelling content. She didn’t teach me anything new on the topic, necessarily — but I gained a different perspective on several concepts. If you’re on the path to mastering a particular topic or skill, gaining new and different perspectives is a big part of getting there.
If your reaction to information about your area of expertise is “I already know this,” you may be selling yourself short. Mastery always remains a bit further down the road.
I love learning brand new things, like movement and delivery techniques for becoming a more compelling presenter. But the only time you’ll hear me say “I already know this” is when it’s a topic or skill I don’t really care about mastering. Otherwise, you owe it to yourself to learn from everyone you can.
Speaking of mastery, I’ve got two books on my shelves with that title. They’re both excellent, while coming at the topic from two completely different perspectives. So yes, I recommend you read them both if you haven’t yet (Amazon Associates links):
Keep going-
Brian Clark
Further
further: resources
Plant Power
Matt Frazier not only survives on a 100% plant-based diet, he thrives as a high-performance athlete. Even as plant-based diets for athletes have become more commonplace, people still wonder how that looks and feels.
The Healthy, Practical Plant-Based Diet: A Typical Day
Weight, What?
New research suggests that it’s not necessarily about how much you weigh when it comes to health; rather, it’s about how much you exercise.
Not Exercising As Bad As Being Obese
Rad Medicine
If you don’t have a medicine ball, you might want to get one. They’re not super expensive, are easy to store at home, and once you get one you’ll have it for life. Here are 7 effective exercises you can do with a medicine ball.
7 Exercises You Can Do With a Medicine Ball
Live Forever
“The only way to get people to live for a thousand years or more is to develop advanced technologies that can manipulate our bodies down to the cellular and molecular level. So the question is whether humanity will develop the necessary technologies over the next 30 years.”
If You’re Alive in 30 Years, Chances are Good You May Also be Alive in 1000 years
Confidence Game
You want to appear confident, and be persuasive. And yet, that desire may lead you to be the exact opposite.
Four Words And Phrases To Avoid When You’re Trying To Sound Confident
Franklin Mint
You’re probably familiar with Ben Franklin’s old saying “Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” It’s actually true.
7 Ways Science Proves Early to Bed and Early to Rise Really Works
The Italian Job
My business partner Sonia has spent the last year living in Rome, so color me jealous. Here’s an account from a different region of Italia.
Just Back From … Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Home Away
We kicked off the year talking about travel as personal growth. Not a vacation, but instead the transformative experience that comes from being enveloped in a different culture. And what better way to intersect your wealth with your travel than owning a second home in a completely different place?
Five countries where you should buy a second home
Open for Growth
Personal growth doesn’t happen in our comfort zones, but we tend not to like uncertainty, discomfort, fear, instability, drastic change or chaos. What if instead of seeking comfort and security, we leaned into the challenges that arise?
The Way of Openness: Moving Away from Comfort & Security
Death and Taxes
An excellent meditation on the fear of death, as reflected in the worries of the author’s 6-year-old child. It’s oddly comforting. As one commenter puts it, “Now write something comforting about taxes.”
further: sharing
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