The Speaking Club: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking

Carl Reader started his working life as a hairdresser on a Youth Training Scheme, which didn't last long. From there he shifted, by accident into accounting, starting at the bottom and rising to take over the business. His unorthodox background, entrepreneurial spirit, thirst for learning and passion for shaking things up, has helped him achieve success in the most traditional of professions in so...

QJ, (yes that is his name…I asked him), started life as a musician, although classically trained, his dream was to become a rock star. Through following this dream, he discovered a new passion…putting on and filling events that entertain and inspire. It turns out he was pretty good at it too…from the first gig he put on at his school, to the 1000 plus seater events he was later to stage, to the wo...

Shelly O'Donovan has spent many years in the public policy arena, working with corporations to shape their strategy and building bridges between the commercial interests of organizations and government affairs. During her time working in government relations, public policy, lobbying, grassrootsadvocacy, legislative and regulatory processes, and policy maker engagementshe has seen the gamut of body...

Julie Holmes didn't have a typical path to sales, and for years she did all she could to avoid having anything to do with it. With a degree in public speaking, and some diverse jobs under her belt, she entered the corporate world as a software consultant implementing software systems for big players like Oracle and JD Edwards, before moving into marketing and eventually the dreaded sales in her ow...

Chances are all the films you love, all the books you devour, have pulled you in because you can relate not only to the character and their journey, but to the underlying messages that apply universally to all human beings. There are recurring symbols and motifs weaved into the fabric of stories from 'The Three Little Pigs' to 'Harry Potter', that signal, repeat and reinforce the themes that write...

Margot Leitman is the founder of the storytelling program at Upright Citizen's Brigade, five-time winner of The Moth, and a winner of the Moth GrandSLAM. She is also author of 'Long Story Short – The only storytelling guide you'll ever need.' Given that the best stories are personal ones, it seemed like a no brainer to get Margot on the show to share how she creates and tells award winning stories...

Jeremy Nicholas gave up on a career in engineering before he'd even started, choosing to pursue his passion for radio, (even though his Mum said he was boring). He spent many years in broadcasting, also doing voiceover work, (you will recognize his dulcet tones if you are a FIFA Football video game fan), and trying his hand at stand-up comedy, before transitioning to a career in speaking. He is kn...

This show is like attending a mini-masterclass from a Hollywood expert. Michael Hauge has been involved with creating compelling stories for years. Mention Michael's name at any exclusive Hollywood party and everyone knows who he is and how he supercharges the power of story in their scripts.   He's written best-selling books on screenwriting, how to pitch your story in Hollywood, and a great new...

This is the start of a storytelling themed month, here on The Speaking Club. I have some amazing guests coming up, all experts on storytelling, and with different expertise to share. On top of that, I will be sharing tips to help with your storytelling and public speaking, starting with this show, where I'm answering a question I get asked often… how can I find stories to share? If you're like man...

Richard Wiseman is a man of many talents…he started off in magic and still acts as a creative consultant to the world's best magicians and illusionists, TV shows, and movies…and if he's not advising on them he's presenting them. He is a Professor of Psychology, and his research has been published across the world, alongside being a 10-time author of some of the most popular business psychology boo...

Lee Jackson is a Past President of the Professional Speaking Association, a motivational speaker, author and coach who knows his onions. He regularly coaches experts on how to design their slides in a way that connects with regular people.   Speaking to teenagers and young adults, was a challenge that Lee conquered early on in his journey, and one which laid the foundation for the speaking and coa...

Malcolm Gregory hasn't always been a confident speaker, and in his early days he was keen to avoid doing presentations because he didn't feel that he fitted the mould. Eventually, he discovered the secret to unlocking his confidence as a speaker and has used speaking to stand out and win business ever since.   Malcolm has developed a reputation known for his ability to "dispel complexity and reduc...

Accountants can sometimes have a bit of a reputation, and Mark Lee has certainly got one! After 30 years in the industry, sprinkled with some magic, he switched from advising businesses on accountancy, to speaking to accountants about business. Today, he is one of the biggest influencers in the profession, he is also Treasurer of the Magic Circle, a coach, mentor and writer, all of which he does a...

In episode 019, I gave you what I believe are the essentials for humour, and in this show, I've got some more of the good stuff for you.   Most people are worried that using humour is risky, that it will sound forced, and that if they do a 'joke' and the audience doesn't laugh, it will undermine their credibility. That's why in this show I'm sharing tools and techniques that you can use in a very...

How do you find the fortitude, determination and resilience to keep going in the face of adversity? How do you show your vulnerability in a way that inspires others and builds your credibility? Harriet Waley-Cohen has transitioned from addict to entrepreneur, from unhappily married wife to successful single mum…overcoming even more struggles along the way. Today, she speaks to young people in orde...

What does it take to make your dream come true? How do you cope with being in the ocean alone for nearly four months? What happens when you get a lung infection at the top of Mount Everest? These are just some of the things that my guest James Ketchell shares on this show.   From nearly losing a foot in a motorbike racing accident, to completing the ultimate triathlon, whilst being "crap at runnin...

With a successful business, national awards raining down, and her very own billboard, anyone would have thought that Louise Ladbrooke was living the life so many people dream of. However, despite the invitations to speak in Europe and alongside the likes of Gordon Brown, she was feeling anxious 24/7, in fear of being discovered for the fraud she felt she was. Addicted to the drugs of praise and re...

I've spent years and years fascinated with the impact of how we think on how we behave. I've read and researched the gurus on resilience, I've spent time and money on training and courses, and consciously, or unconsciously, I've cherry picked the things that I think work best for keeping me mentally tough and on track to achieve my goals.   In this episode I'm sharing my eight hacks for staying re...

Like many successful entrepreneurs, Warren Cass has tasted both success and failure, and he has many stories to tell. Acknowledged as a networking wizard, Warren believes his super power is bringing people together, and in his book 'Influence' he aims to share strategies for networking in the 21st Century. In this episode Warren talks about his journey to speaking, how he built his influence throu...

The speaking industry is growing massively, but Maria Franzoni has been booking speakers for over 20 years! An owner of her own bureau, MFL, and a founding member of the European Association of Speakers Bureaux (EASB) , Maria Franzoni is a formidable influence in the space. In this show, she takes me behind the scenes of speaker bureaux, what they are looking for in speakers, how to approach a bur...

Former Hip Hop dancer, Professional Speaker and Entreprenur, Warren Knight has a vision is to help 100,000 global businesses successfully sell more products and services by 2020. To achieve this, he uses speaking, and writing to show organisations how to use technology to build brand awareness and new revenue streams.   At 22, Warren got a grant from the Prince's Trust and started a successful Eur...

As well as being an in-demand PR Consultant, Jo Smyth is a funny lady, and this is one of my favourite interviews. As an ex-journalist and newspaper editor, she pulls back the curtain on life as part of the media, gives her view on the state of the news today, and tells some funny stories along the way. She also gives us the lowdown on how to use PR effectively to raise your public profile and get...

If you want to get better as a speaker, being able to make your audience laugh, will help increase the power of your message, and will set you apart from the crowd. I've been writing and performing comedy for nearly 16 years. I've performed all over the UK, including solo shows in Edinburgh. I'm an international playwright, and my comedy drama 'Dearly Beloved', published by Lazybee Scripts, has be...

Emma Stroud's photo on LinkedIn is currently her dressed as a Banana…that might give you some insight into the lady herself. Not the typical background for an executive coach or host of global events, she has been a funny actress, a clown, and she is currently improvising in the centre of London. But it's this cocktail of comedic exploits that makes her stand out, (even though she is teeny tiny!)....

Being a professional actress, with a training business, Celia Delaney made a smooth transition into public speaking, but it wasn't until she added humour into her presentations that her professional speaking career really took off. Now, between speaking events, she can be found making people laugh with songs and jokes on the comedy circuit! In this episode, we cover a lot of ground, and there are...