The Speaking Club: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking

Ever feel like your message gets lost in a sea of jargon?  Do you struggle to turn complex ideas into stories that actually land?  Or maybe you're great in a room full of people, but put a camera in front of you and suddenly you forget how to be yourself?  If any of that sounds familiar, you're in the right place! In this episode, I'm chatting with Loreta Tarozaite. Loreta is a former TV journalis...

My guest today is Heather Lillico. I was so inspired by an article I read from Heather on the Tiny Buddha website, where she outed herself as a nutritionist who out of the limelight was actually struggling with an eating disorder, that I was curious to find out more. What I discovered is that her journey of managing and mastering anxiety is not only inspiring, but could really help those of you wh...

In this quick tip episode, I'm tackling something that holds many speakers back —decision-making. Whether you're using speaking to market your business, win clients, or land paid gigs, hesitation can cost you big time. Every day you wait, someone else is taking the stage. In this episode, I cover: Why making decisions feels so challenging. The results I've seen when speakers go all in. Practical w...

I saw Lee Warren speak at the Professional Speaking Association summit and he was one of the star turns of the event. The theme was standing out, and his talk was aimed at helping speakers to do exactly that, for the right reasons.  Lee was a magician by night and a sales director by day before he fell into professional speaking. That was 15 years ago and he has been speaking consistently since th...

Many experts and authors that reach out to me are frustrated that they are struggling to build a following.  They often compare themselves to others and think they aren't connecting with people because of their persona, or their style, but that's not it. There is a reason that others, often less qualified, are reaching and engaging more people and in this show, I'm going to share what that is with...

The road to making speaking a sustainable business is littered with people who quit because the journey was so much tougher than they ever anticipated.  There are lots of people dangling the golden carrot of gigs worth thousands, and becoming a six figure speaker … and it is absolutely possible, but those who make it are a fraction of those that start out. One of those few, is my guest today, Arel...

What should come first, your book or your talk? That's one of the questions I posed to Azul Terronez, book coach to some of the best known thought leaders around.  Azul is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author and book coach who specializes in helping leaders write and publish books that elevate their brand. As the CEO of the six-figure company Authors Who Lead, he has enabled Wal...

I want to share something that I know will get you more speaking gigs and ramp up your confidence for outreach. It's relevant for live events, podcasts and any other type of  It's very simple yet so many people struggle to execute on it, but hopefully this episode will give you inspiration and some concrete steps to take to implement this in 2025.  In this show I'm covering:   The secret ingredien...

One of the questions I get asked most is how do I get booked consistently for paid speaking gigs. I have my views on this from a speaker and speaking coach perspective, but I wanted to get a view from someone with another angle. That's why I invited Seth Dechtman onto the show. Seth works with event planners for some of the biggest organisations and conferences. He knows exactly what they are look...

"I've been booked to do a fireside chat at a conference, have you got any tips?" This is a question I got a few weeks ago from one of my Green Room clients, and she actually had the event this week.  In response I shared with her some tactics she could use before and during the event to ensure she influenced the direction of the conversation to where she could share her message effectively and mak...

I'm going to be real here.  When I look back at my life from my death bed, I am not going to say … "if only I'd spent more time on Linked In".  Most of the people I speak to would be happy to spend less time on social media and free themselves from the guilty feeling that they should be doing 'more'!  But the truth of it is that social media is important in a number of ways to building and growing...

"I've been approached to speak at an event, but they have no budget for speaker fees, should I do it?" … is a question I get asked a lot.  So, I say … "Firstly, that's not a question I can answer for you … but here's some ideas for how you can assess the value of an opportunity for you and your message, and how you can make low fee or free gigs pay." And those ideas are what I want to share with y...

Trigger Warning - this show briefly discusses difficult topics including self-harm and suicide. Gethin Jones is a survivor, but what few people would have believed, (including Gethin), was that he would also become an international speaker and thought leader.  Growing up in the care system, he spent a total of 8 years in prison, battled intravenous heroin addiction, and was trapped in destructive...

Business Book publisher and business author Alison Jones said "for business book writers a signature talk changes the game." Arel Moodie, Professional Speaker, Disney Show Host and Founder of Talkadot said: "If you feel like you are not getting booked enough. You need a signature talk. If you feel like you are constantly chasing clients and they aren't chasing you. You need a signature talk. If yo...

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." That's a famous and overused quote from Maya Angelou - that really applies to speakers.  Because people won't remember your name or the exact words you say, but they will remember how your message made them feel. And that is what I want to talk to you about to...

The definition of 'self-expression' is the expression of one's feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through words, choices or actions, especially in writing, art, music, or dance. Sounds easy doesn't it?    The trouble is that we are all so bogged down with messages about how we should look, think, speak, and act; that it can make it difficult to let go of expectations and simply be ourselves… and for wo...

This show was prompted by the question of a podcast listener, but reflected a recurring issue with people that I work with.  My clients have written great books, become accomplished experts in their field and have a big message to share, but when it comes to sharing their views in person or on stage, a number of them begin to doubt themselves. It shows up in the content they share and how they sha...

Do you feel resistance when you hear the word marketing? So many people do. They have hang ups and beliefs about marketing and it can get in the way of them being able to achieve success in their business and as a speaker.  I get it though, marketing can feel complicated, overwhelming and confusing. But it doesn't have to feel that way. What if it could feel clear, and light and simple? Because ma...

Have you got dreams of turning your years of experience, knowledge and wisdom into a new career as a speaker? Well that's exactly what Dr Rhona Morrison did.  She is a retired Forensic Psychiatrist, who worked in the NHS for 32 years, and the author of 'I don't talk to dead bodies'.  Her book takes you beyond the sensationalist headlines to show you just what happens in a world where mental illnes...

Just recently I've had people reach out to me with a bleeding neck, and what I mean by that is … they have a huge speaking gig less than three weeks away and they haven't got a talk to give. So in this quick tip show, I want to give you a heads up on the problems with winging it and what to do instead.  In this show I'm covering: Why people wing their talk. The problems with winging it.  The possi...

Imagine the scenario, you've turned up to a speaking gig, or important presentation and your stomach is playing up, or you're feeling foggy, and it's not because you had a heavy night out. It's just that it happens, and often at the most inconvenient times, and you don't know why, and your Doctor hasn't been able to tell you either.  So instead of feeling energised and ready to wow your audience,...

The question I hear most frequently from people, whether they're starting out on their professional speaking journey, or they have been going at it for a while is this one … "How do I get paid to speak consistently?" All they're getting is the odd few gigs, then tumbleweed. They want a pipeline of speaking gigs but they don't know how to build it, or they're trying and failing miserably. That's wh...

I was at the Speaker Summit and Speaker Awards in London a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted to share some of the advice and tips from the experts there on the day.  In this show I'm covering: The questions that can uncover speaking leads everywhere How to turn your LinkedIn profile into a gig magnet Standing in front of other people's parades Make sure they remember your name Speaking like a cond...

Please be aware that this episode does discuss the topics of death and suicide. Each of us has a story to tell, but for many people no reason compelling enough emerges for us to embark on the journey to sharing that story with others.  But for some people, there comes a time where something happens and it ignites a burning desire to share their story, so that others can learn what we've discovered...

This quick talk tip will help you avoid procrastination, move closer to your dreams and keep going when things feel tough.  In this show I'm covering: A reframing for the Field of Dreams Why we procrastinate when making decisions The antidote to inaction The greatest place to be in relation to making a decision The lesson from Steve Jobs Why you shouldn't make assumptions about your audience. Thre...