Did you know that MOST people are used to NEVER being listened to. There's a reason for this: most of us never took a class or training on HOW to listen well. Well I took a 2-day listening training, and I'll sum it up for you in a few minutes (saving you a lot of time, you're welcome!)As you become a better listener, your world and your career opens up in a really remarkable ways, you learn a lot more, and you make other people feel amazing so then they listen better too! ---------------- Want more resources to help you be a better public speaker? Go to www.speaknextweek.com

For me, doing stand-up comedy 10 years was a great tool to be a better communicator. And it also taught me a trick that's great for you to help boost your confidence. I call it "open mic-ing." Whether the thing that's intimidating you is public speaking, speaking up in meetings, raising your profile, or recording yourself on video to send with emails, this trick will help you get more comfortable FAST! This will help you say yes to more speaking opportunities, even when it feels scary. And speed up your progress using a trick I call "open mic-ing" as a way to practice and improve. ⁠I still use this trick to get confident at new things (like posting videos on social media), because I still struggle with perfectionism and self-doubt, and I always will. So you're not alone! And why should that stop you from reaching your goals and amplifying your voice? It shouldn't!

Did you know that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a deep struggle with depression and suicidal tendencies throughout his life? I did not. I want to share this with you, including an amazing clip from his final speech, and share what I've learned about how our mental health challenges make us better leaders and public speakers! From the episode: "As a leader, in your life there are people who you lead, people who you serve, people who you love; those people need all parts of you. Not just your confidence but your vulnerability too. They need you to manage your own mental health so you can show up for them. And you need that too. And more importantly, you deserve that!" Article Link: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Depression and Empathy That Contributed to His Humanity MLK's final Speech: "I Have Been the Mountaintop" 3-minute video clip

I've loved movies since I was a kid, and loved recapping them others who haven't seen them yet. It's where I first learned how to be a storyteller! And how I learned 2 keys to telling good stories: know your audience and pick one scene not the whole thing! Stories engage your audience because you're being real with them and we all love stories. But stories also engage you in what you're saying because you're no longer being "business-y" or overly polished - you're just being yourself and sharing something you're passionate about!

From Colin -- I've been a fan of Diana Kander ever since I read All In Startup back in 2014. Her latest book is all about pitching and presenting, and she actually charts out the proven flow of a pitch that is surprising, memorable and gets you the deal. This book taps into so many thing I consult with leaders on, I had to have her on to share Diana and her book with you! ---------Notes: ~5:00 The Mug Moment! ~7:00 The Forgetting Curve “Our research revealed that within an hour the audience forgets 50% of what you said, within a week they forget 90%. If you want them to remember more than 10% (which might not even be the 10% you want them to remember) you have to spike their emotions during the presentation.” ~21:00 The importance of being a lifelong learner… “Think of something you’re awesome at, and I challenge you to go read a book on it and not 5 things you can be doing even better. That’s how we grow. As soon as you’re satisfied, you start stagnating.” ~24:00 Colin and Diana talk about our initial exploratory/sales calls, and what we’ve both learned about how most people make this pitch in the wrong order. ~26:00 mark, there's a really cool little moment where Diana clearly thinks of something she wants to say and she swallows it to keep listening!! All kinds of meta. ~28:00 Diana offers YOU the listener, unprompted, a special surprise gift! You can find Go Big Or Go Home, by Diana Kander and Tucker Trotter, ⁠on Amazon⁠ and at ⁠DianaKander.com⁠. ------------- Colin Ryan is a humorous financial speaker who partners with universities and businesses to help more people manage money and achieve financial success. More about Colin at: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/colinryanspeaks

The first 30 seconds of your speech are the only chance you have to truly grab and maintain your audience's attention. This is based on a concept by Diana Kander and Tucker Trotter's concept "The Golden Window." Which they write about in the upcoming book Go Big Or Go Home. I'm always committed to showing you EXACTLY what to say, so I'll give you a perfect example: how we recently made an investor pitch for a trash/recycling container ENGAGING and FUNNY. If we can do that on that dry a topic, think how good we can make your next pitch! Go to SpeakNextWeek.com for more information.

A Conversation with America's Joy Magnet, seasoned TEDx speaker and Media Appearance Coach... Shari Alyse! “I got off the stage after my second TED talk, and I beelined it for the ladies restroom. After like 30 seconds of crying, I exhaled, and I literally put my arms around myself and I said, ‘I’m so proud of you. Not only did you do it, but you can show up for any challenge in your life.’ And the learning experience for me there was find joy in the process, the creation and the actually stepping out and doing it.” - Shari Alyse ------------------- How are your skills in the 3 areas of leadership communication? If they're anything less than 10,10,10, feel free to check out our free 3 part video series that gives you the mindset and practical techniques to elevate your CONFIDENCE, your PRESENCE, and your INFLUENCE: ACCESS THE TRAINING BY CLICKING HERE.

You're about to learn one of my favorite $10.00 words/phrases: Choice Architecture. This is the overlooked key to inspiring, motivating, and influencing your people to take action. Whether it's your team, an individual, a potential client or partner, this will definitely help you like it's helped me! ------------ Do you have a speech coming up that you want to do a GREAT job with and leave a lasting impression as a result? (And you'd much prefer that to being, let's be honest, forgettable?). Take a look at our rapid-results coaching programs: Speak Next Week | Make Your Next Talk Your Best Talk (In Just One Hour) Speak Like A Leader -- become a confident & memorable public speaker (in hours not years)!

Think about the bad listeners in your life. Picturing them? **If you can't picture one, it's you ;) Now think about the good listeners in your life. They have your respect, your appreciation, your trust. They have influence! They lead through their ability to listen! Here is a fun way to be one of those influential listeners in someone else's life. There is no better feeling than when someone takes the time to truly listen to us.

I get it - public speaking is uncomfortable. But have you ever turned down speaking opportunities you know would be good for you to take? It might be because you've put that audience on a pedestal. No matter how impressive or intimidating the people in your audience are, they shouldn't be on a pedestal. They don't belong there! Here is: a funny story about a shirt that doesn't fit, and a great exercise to calm your nerves and speak more effectively.

Happy new year! Welcome to hustle month, where we refocus on getting our message out there and showing up in-person and online for our people. Is there something you want to share in a talk or post on social media but your inner critic / perfectionist / impostor is getting in your way? I was coaching a comedian turned speaker who is create his story-rich, humorous mental health keynote, when we came up with this amazing this amazing mental trick for dealing with a negative self-talk. He has so many great stories they don't all fit in his keynote, but that little voice in his head is telling him not to share the extra stories with the world via social media in case they aren't "perfect yet." I've been there! Have you? If you can you relate (or know someone who will), then try this!

When I did a training for 13 peer financial counselors (students who provide financial counseling through one-on-one sessions and workshop presentations), I sent them a pre-training survey and almost every single student shared some version of "ENGAGING the audience is my biggest public speaking challenge right now." Here's a great way to do it - use humor. It'll engage your listeners. It'll enhance your message. And it's so much easier than you think! Here is a simple trick to weave humor into your conversation and your presentations.... without sounding forced at all. Enjoy!

Lynn had 10 minutes to speak during a 3-day learning and development conference for her entire faculty at her school. It was a tiny window in order to recruit the faculty to be MAVENS who recommended students utilize her financial literacy resources. Any speaking opportunity has high stakes because being forgotten is a huge missed opportunity. So how do you stand out, be memorable, and convince your listeners so effectively that they utilize your solution AND recommend it to others? By telling a CLIENT TRANSFORMATION STORY that sells your program for you, makes an emotional connection, and sticks in their minds long after they hear it. Here is how created a story that did that in just one hour. I can't wait for you to meet the main character of her pitch: Maria! ------------------------------- Would you like to learn how to tell your own CLIENT TRANSFORMATION STORY? Our free video series will help you share your WHY and communicate your message in a fun, memorable, and impactful way -- and in a lot less time than you think! Go here to learn more: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com/sfl

She was 4'9", she spoke 5 languages, and she was my grandma! And she taught me two lessons that have shaped me both as a person and as a speaker. These two lessons will show you, like they have for me, how to become a far more confident and compelling communicator and relationship-builder. You will love these 2 hilarious stories (with a bit of heart thrown in there too)! I hope you enjoy getting to know Edmay Henwood! ------------------------------ Are you asked to speak and give presentations in your profession, or about your personal experiences? Would you like to feel confident, be concise, and inspire your audience to engage in your story and take meaningful action? This free video series will help you share your WHY and communicate your message in a fun, memorable, and impactful way -- and in a lot less time than you think! Go here to learn more: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com/sfl

What if you dreamed of speaking in front of people, but were terrified of public speaking? What if you had a vision of impact, a powerful message to share and a business ready to scale, but you were blocked by your dread at facing an audience? When I met Michele several years ago, she was courageously told me of the extent this fear was interfering with her career.  Believe it or not, her voice shook so badly she struggled to speak up even in a Zoom meeting! With that as our starting point, we could only go up! After working with Michele and designing a plan for Michele to turn this key weakness into a key strength, she did the hard work and the results are truly astounding! Michele is the founder of Cloud 9 Life Coaching. She is a Certified Intuitive Relationship Coach & Spiritual Mentor, and thanks to her hard work, she is now a confident, powerful and in-demand public speaker at conferences across the country. Public speaking nervousness, fear of rejection, impostor syndrome, fear of failure... all aspiring speakers and leaders wrestle with these. Which is why I'm lucky to have Michele share with you exactly what she did to go from stage fright to stage fearless. ***We geek out on Michele's coaching work till minute 13, and that's where her incredible public speaking story starts!*** ------- Would you like to fix your biggest public speaking barrier in one hour? Go to www.speaknextweek.com, answer a few questions, and we'll get you moving forward with excitement, confidence, and a real strategy to make public speaking not only your friend, but your secret weapon for growing your career, business, and client list.

As a leader, as an expert, telling a story about a mistake, a disaster, a glorious miscalculation on your part actually makes you seem more confident, not less. Not only that, it's going to create trust in your team and audience that leads to greater interaction in the room and a safer and more creative atmosphere. In other words, it will create the exact kind of open communication that so critical to leadership and conveying a message that gets results. But ONLY if you use this one technique when you tell it… ------------- Would you like to make your next public speaking opportunity 30% better in just one hour? Whether it’s a talk, webinar, podcast interview, media appearance, panel guest spot, key message to your audience, or something else, we can show you how to take it from good to GREAT in just one hour. To get support, go to www.speaknextweek.com, answer a few questions about your upcoming opportunity, and my team will respond within 24 hours. And if you’d like to improve your public speaking skills, get paid to speak, or spread a message your passionate about, go to www.speaknextweek.com, scroll to the bottom, and grab our free guide “Mastering the 3 C’s of Great Speaking” to level up your public speaking skills today!

Joe Fingerhut is a friend, a fellow speaker, and a unicycle-riding Japanese-speaking juggling motivational speaking Renaissance man. Joe shares: What's it like speaking in front of 3,000 people. What he tells himself the moment before he goes on stage. The inspiration for, and evolution of, his popular and inspiring "How Can I?" message. How all leaders and speakers can use their spotlight to shine it on others. Learn more about Joe at JoeFingerhut.com

Here is an incredibly valuable communication lesson for content experts and leaders.... that I learned from my hilarious and sarcastic my mother-in-law!, her Alexa, and Kevin Costner.

"Most elevator pitches are designed to impress, and they fail to intrigue." I made that one up on the spot and I'm proud of it! When you let go of "saying the right things" and "what I should sound like" you open up all kinds of fun and interesting lanes to engage and hook your funder or listener in a whole new way. Here is a surprising story I helped a client create to sell her brand in a totally unique way.

"Simon Sinek doesn’t make money selling his book. Simon makes money selling his ideas through his books and his speeches. It's his books that get him invited on stages. And those stages are where he makes all of his money." - Michael Delon ------------ Publisher and credibility marketing expert Michael Delon shares with you how to create your book, get get booked on more stages and gain more clients. Michael Delon is the founder of Paperback Expert. In this interview we talk about: His journey out of “prison” aka a job where he sold services and made no sales to his dream job helping others make an impact.The role of a book in building your brand as a speaker, and getting more speaking opportunities.The importance of not just marketing, but CREDIBILITY marketing.The amazing story of how he convinced a personal injury attorney to bring his baseball glove into his next TV interview, and helped him eventually write his bestseller book. At the end of the day, Michael’s main message in this conversation is this: “Be yourself.” It’s the most simple and also the most difficult thing to do, and always a reminder we need to hear, especially from successful and genuine experts just like Michael. You can find out more about Michael at: www.paperbackexpert.com