When I work with my clients, I often ask them, “Who’s a speaker you admire?” At least 90% of them say, “Barack Obama.” In this short list, I’m taking a look at the speech that put President Barack Obama on the map and showing you the elements that make it a great speech.

If you need to improve your public speaking skills, you may want to join Toastmasters, or you may want to hire an executive coach. Which is better - a speaking coach or Toastmasters? Both have their benefits. Here are some facts and observations about each; you get to decide.

Among some of the best places to practice public speaking, one of my favorites is Pecha Kucha. This in-person presentation show features presentations of 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each. The slides auto-advance, so the speaker has to keep up - and get their message across in 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

An election year is the perfect time to become a confident speaker. Hey, lucky you - 2024 is an election year! Volunteering during election time is a great way to be a part of the democratic process AND become a confident speaker. It’s more fun and supportive than you might think. Let me show you!

Someone recently asked me how they should explain a gap in their resume during an interview. My biggest takeaway from that question is that we, as people, are always learning.

Creating a message can be difficult and time-consuming, taking up time that could be spent on other, more important tasks, such as actually writing or practicing the speech. My pro tip is to remember your purpose.