It’s that time of year again, when Randy Ford and I sit down and share the best and worst of speaking from the year. We share our own wins and sins, along with those of other speakers. The DNC took place in Chicago, so, of course, we had to pick on the public speakers in our hometown.

Nothing sucks the air out of a presentation like a long, boring introduction Here are the best 3 tips for introducing yourself. Kick off your speech and get your audience engaged. Your audience needs to know why you’re the expert - not your entire resumé.

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!

Writing a pitch can be difficult, but something my good friend Derrick Wolbert passed on to me was to make them lean back in their chairs. What he meant was, you want them to be in awe. This visual stuck with me and I believe it sets a great goal for anyone preparing to give a pitch.

I got to speak on Josh Hall’s podcast about one of my favorite things - helping people get more comfortable with public speaking and pitching. In this episode you’ll hear us discuss why you should never kick off with a qualifier or apology; where to find breathing exercises, and the benefits - yes - of public speaking and why it matters.