29-year old, Shurooq Al Banna, is the first Arab to compete in the finals of the Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking contest. She is a Master of Strategic Marketing graduate from the University of Wollongong in Dubai. Her prize-winning speech, Finding the Pearl, touched on the importance of looking past people’s external appearances to find…
How can Benjamin Franklin and Lil Wayne teach you how to find your voice and be an outstanding presenter? There are no cover bands in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Comparably, there are no “cover speakers” in the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame. A “cover speaker” is a speaker who uses other people’s…
This week, I am honored to present an interview with nationally acclaimed leadership and communication expert, Christie Ward, Leadership Facilitator and Principal of the Impact Institute™. Since founding The Impact Institute in 1999, Christie has focused on communication, leadership and team-building topics that result in more productive teams and effective leadership. She is known for…
“Ed, you are 100% responsible for this problem!” “What! Let me get this straight! I’m 100% responsible and you are 100% innocent! Is that what you are saying?” “Yes!” “Then there is no point in continuing this conversation!” “Click!” I hung up the phone in anger. By the way, the opening dialogue is not how…
How would you like to inspire your next audience like your favorite clergyman, coach, or keynote speaker? Well you can with my latest lesson: The Secret of the inspirational Speech – From Descriptive to Generative It is said that the inspirational speech is the highest form or oratory. It ranges from a clergyman delivering a…
Let’s address The 9 Rules of Feedback: How to Give It, Receive It and Apply it. One of the fastest ways to improve performance is to provide feedback, but it must fit the situation. It can’t be too vague or else people won’t take action. It can’t give too much or they will feel overwhelmed,…
Let’s say you’ve got a very important presentation that’s due this week. The more you prepare, and the closer you get to the deadline, the more nervous you get. How can you control your nervousness so it doesn’t sabotage your presentation? How do you get those butterflies to fly in formation? I’m going to share…
“I believe that we aren’t half afraid of dying as we are that no one will remember we were ever here.” – LaShunda Rundles, 2008 World Champion of Public Speaking I first heard those words on August 16, 2008, in Calgary, Canada. I was in an audience of nearly 2000 people for the coveted Toastmasters…
I’m going to predict your future for 2013. Forgive me in advance if this is rubs a bit too close to the bone. It’s not meant to be offensive, but it is meant to be objective. (I’ll explain in a second.) You will break your resolutions by the end of January. You will make the…
Have you ever wondered how you can toot your own horn, get ahead in your career and become more valuable in the marketplace, all without annoying people? Today I will share with my readers the secret of how to accomplish this. I’m the former training director for the Denver Rocky Mountain News. They used to…