2024-01-08 18:10
Hey you! You're a windbag. 😮💨🌬️🌬️🌬️Sure, you're an esteemed expert and authority in your field.You're sought out for the val… Read More
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Speak Schmeak Blog
coachlisab.blogspot.com
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presentation prep reset
Tips, techniques and insights about public speaking and speakers.
2023-09-14 16:54
If you're not nervous, your presentation might suffer.It doesn't mean you have to be shaking in your boots to give a good performance (because that's not good for anyone), and it doesn't mea… Read More
2023-08-21 17:24
When we were in LA recently, I made my husband drive around the block into an alley with this blue wall, and then take about a hundred pictures of me so I could make graphics like this one… Read More
2023-08-14 17:29
I was once reading a conversation started by a Black person about anti-Black hate crimes, and I thought it would be helpful to mention antisemitism and the hate crimes that Jews experience.W… Read More
2023-08-07 17:36
Me: Introduces the Van Gogh of slides.Audience: So, about those quarterly reports.When you're using slides, you have to balance visual engagement and relevant information. ⚖️A s… Read More
2023-07-31 17:35
Are you a "real" writer? A "real" artist? A "real" speaker?🤔I've published a nonfiction book, a microfiction story, and I write practically every day, as well as competing in writing… Read More
2023-06-22 02:52
You're not going to build public speaking confidence before you do it. That's not the way it works.You have to actually do the presentations, build the skills, get the experience, survive an… Read More
2023-06-21 19:56
You're a business leader in the cutthroat corporate world, and presentations are one of your battlegrounds. You may or may not love giving presentations, but they're a critical part of getti… Read More
2023-06-14 18:10
Do you hate the expression "fake it till you make it?"To me, the issue isn't so much with the idea of "faking it" as it is with "making it."Honestly, I fake it all the time. When I attend an… Read More
2023-05-24 06:12
You hate bringing attention to yourself. Taking selfie pics and videos makes you want to hurl. I get it.But if you're an entrepreneur, you need to be seen and heard. And those images and vid… Read More
2023-05-24 06:02
Here I am looking "unprofessional." And giving a presentation. 🤯Even *I*, with my "live and let live" attitude about what constitutes professionalism, never dress like this to presen… Read More
2023-03-14 17:13
I needed to get a question answered by the DMV and was dreading the phone call, predicting that the person would be curt, “by the book,” or just unhelpful.I was SO mistaken.The l… Read More
2022-12-21 18:01
My experience at the DMV yesterday was very different from the "olden days." Even though my transaction was a bit complicated and I had several several wait times in between staff inter… Read More
2022-11-05 23:49
I was in a workshop on cybersecurity while attendees flooded the chat with links to random "cybersecurity" products.Oh, the irony.🙄It was literally impossible to determine if any of… Read More
2022-10-02 18:45
I read a post recently that said "It makes me sad that nobody invites me on podcasts, I have so much value to offer."Sometimes it feels like you're at the world's mercy. Like everyone i… Read More
2022-10-02 18:36
Do 🚫NOT🚫 assume that your message makes sense.This fundraising email I received makes a couple of assumptions:1️⃣ I know what GOTV and EOQ mean. And no, these ac… Read More
2022-09-18 18:07
One perfect lime. The only lime our tree produced all year.To be fair, it's a dwarf lime tree in a pot. So we don't expect dozens of limes.We might feel disappointed about "only one lime." B… Read More
2022-09-03 19:54
She complained that I said "pee."Once upon a time, an audience member e-mailed me to say that my language was inappropriate and to demand that I send an apology to the audience of 22 women.(… Read More
2022-07-29 01:22
Things no one expects you to know (without at least some research):1. How to pronounce "floccinaucinihilipilification"2. How to make Kung Pao chicken3. Every word in the Constitution of the… Read More
2022-07-17 05:56
Nobody is ever ready for the people who are going to make the biggest impact.Nobody is ever ready for the outspoken thought leaders with the nontraditional ideas and the bold presence.They m… Read More
2022-07-08 17:28
Guess what! You don't have to start a revolution! The revolution is already happening.There are plenty of people out there, established groups and organizations that you can join. There's no… Read More
2022-06-01 18:12
This mama Dark-eyed Junco has been building her nest in a potted plant just outside our front door for a couple weeks. She's been building it in secret; we literally never see her there but… Read More
2022-04-16 19:46
I just had the most amazing conversation with Karen LaMarsh for her Real Life Startup podcast, and it made me realize why I enjoy being interviewed so much.Sure, we all want to build our cre… Read More
2022-04-10 18:30
What's your biggest concern about speaking? (You don't have to answer out loud.)Whatever it is, I have 4 simple solutions that will address it!The first one is preparation. I know everyone h… Read More
2022-04-10 18:13
A colleague of mine told me I left her hanging when I stopped posting my #ThisIsWhatProfessionalLooksLike campaign. She said that I had been on 🔥🔥🔥 and then everythin… Read More
2022-04-10 18:01
Not every hobby needs to be a business.I've made jewelry for as long as I can remember. It's a creative outlet for me, and I can't not do it.In 2004, I got laid off for the third time in fou… Read More
2022-03-27 20:39
It never occurred to me until about 10 days ago that I could put a shower cap on and keep my hairdo for an extra day!Is anyone going to think I'm an idiot for not having thought of this befo… Read More
2022-03-27 20:34
Are you a curious person? Do you always need to know WHY? WHAT? WHO? WHEN? WHERE?When a car starts up at 11:30 p.m. in my neighborhood and drives away, I wonder why.The other day I stood ben… Read More
2022-02-26 20:50
Let's talk about real distractions:❌ Wordy and poorly designed slides❌ Jangling change in your pocket❌ Constant fiddling with hair and jewelry❌ A monotonous or gr… Read More
2022-02-26 00:15
We are obsessed with transformation. And I'm in the coaching world, so I should know!Everywhere you look, there's another quote encouraging us to keep going, keep striving, bec… Read More
2022-02-12 22:20
1. I often add new things to my business while forgetting to subtract, which makes my business cluttered, complicated, and messy. I'm grateful to my coach for setting me straight this week.2… Read More
2022-01-13 21:31
I was brought to tears this week listening to a client talk about her current situation.Like many in the speaking and training industry, which is deeply intertwined with the hospitality and… Read More
2021-12-08 23:58
This is a quote from a card in the Oblique Strategies deck created by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt. The deck was created with a variety of prompts and constraints to help artists and musician… Read More
2021-11-30 23:08
Athletes know that a major component of being successful in sports is having the right mental attitude or mindset. Presenting is a lot like playing a sport both in the physical and mental pr… Read More
2021-11-05 19:50
Tag and share with your peeps!InstagramFacebookLinkedInFree ebookPresenting for HumansInterviews/podcastsYouTube Channel Read More
2021-11-03 15:47
2021-10-28 15:52
Our bath towels have been looking ratty for a while. I don't care so much about my own use, but I've been looking for a new set for when guests come over.There are so many deals on towels ou… Read More
2021-10-27 16:49
Who needs a speaking coach in your back pocket? 🙋🏽♀️🙋🏼♀️ My Unlimited Quick Results Laser Coaching program is for exp… Read More
2021-10-26 15:34
I need to have a chat with you about platitudes."Don't sweat the small stuff... and it's all small stuff."Who decides what's small in YOUR life? What might seem small to someone else might s… Read More
2021-10-19 21:03
"Emotion in business is unprofessional.""Black women's natural hair is unprofessional.""Tattoos are unprofessional.""Facial hair is unprofessional.""Poor grammar/spelling is unprofessional."… Read More
2021-08-19 20:04
Have you seen the new Subway commercial featuring Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady?The dialogue goes like this:Brady: This new turkey Cali Fresh is incredibleStephen Curry: You eve… Read More
2021-07-30 17:42
I, like most people these days, avoid commercials as much as possible by streaming and recording shows and movies. But from time to time, I catch a glimpse of something as I'm skipping throu… Read More
2021-07-28 18:51
Remember how boring "vocab" was when we were in school? Learning the meanings of endless words that we probably would never use? I don't think of vocabulary very often, but since my dad… Read More
2021-07-22 19:00
I haven't been completely honest with you.I've been posting a lot lately about body positivity and age positivity because so many women hold themselves back from getting in front of an audie… Read More
2021-07-15 18:30
Remember last year, when no one could get their hair cut or colored professionally? There was a huge panic among women...especially around those silver roots😱👩🏼… Read More
![Stop Hiding [part 2]](https://cdn.blogarama.com/images/posts_thumbs_site_id/674/67358-1376406377.w320.jpg "Stop Hiding [part 2]")
2021-07-14 18:30
"Forgive the no-makeup face!""Please don’t judge the 'fresh face.'""Ignore the no-makeup morning face.""Forgive the 'I work from home' messy bun and lack of makeup."Have you apologized… Read More
![Stop Hiding [part 1]](https://cdn.blogarama.com/images/posts_thumbs_site_id/674/67358-2032605354.w320.jpg "Stop Hiding [part 1]")
2021-07-13 16:30
I consider this to be a horribly unflattering picture of me. Not only is my hair thinning, I have a couple of bald spots that happened spontaneously a couple of years ago that never grew bac… Read More
2021-07-07 01:49
Do you see my tattoo? Most people don't.My first two tattoos were on my back, and after listening to me whine about wanting another one for, um, several years, my husband gave me a gift cert… Read More
2021-07-07 01:27
I had a revelation a couple of years ago. The people I was trying to reach with my public speaking coaching services didn't know they were speakers! 😂Turns out that a lot of people w… Read More
2021-06-24 18:03
It all started with a Gmail address.I received an email from a woman who asked me if I was interested in a learning platform for my clients, and requested a conversation. She referred to "we… Read More
2021-05-18 21:27
I loved this conversation between Eddie Murphy and Jerry Seinfeld on "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee."Those of us who have the most experience speaking and entertaining on stage know this… Read More
2021-04-17 19:44
The other day someone commented on a post I wrote, saying, "Public speaking is easy if you love what you're speaking about and know it thoroughly. Then you just can't wait to stand up and te… Read More
2021-04-17 19:39
Were you a fan of the TV show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" I missed it the first time around; having been out of high school for some time when it came out, I didn't find a show about high sc… Read More
2020-11-05 18:00
Have you noticed presentations getting shorter? I have!Because speakers are onscreen, sitting at desks, or on the couch, or in the kitchen while we're presenting, it's much easier to switch… Read More
2020-08-28 18:38
Every day, I see more of my friends and colleagues speaking out against injustice, finding their voices, and speaking their truth.Just yesterday I wrote about a conversation with a friend wh… Read More
2020-08-26 03:53
I had an enlightening conversation with my acupuncturist yesterday about the uncertainty of life, that triggered a revelation I want to share with you as a lesson for public speaking.But fir… Read More
2020-08-22 20:17
Equating racism with hate is a red herring for white people. (Or maybe just liberal "enlightened" white people.)Making hatred the defining characteristic of a racist person allows white peop… Read More
2020-08-19 18:12
Nerd alert! 🤓 I have become obsessed with the process of bone healing!On July 4, I lost my footing on the stairs in my home and suffered a compound fracture in my right leg, an "open… Read More
2020-06-10 22:01
Equating racism with hate is a red herring for white people. (Or maybe just liberal "enlightened" white people.)Making hatred the defining characteristic of a racist person allows white peop… Read More
2020-04-30 21:42
"It's always easier to just say no. It's always easier to say 'We can't do it.' Because when you say 'We will try to do it,' now you're changing things, and whenever you change, there's… Read More
2020-04-28 19:15
🔸What are you holding back on releasing to the world because you're still getting ready... to get ready... to get ready?🔸Are you delaying the release of a new program, a new… Read More
2020-04-22 17:37
Even if we've mastered our perfectionist tendencies, these new challenges of presenting virtually seem to be bringing them all back up again. (At least for me... 😬)So I'm launching a… Read More
2020-04-11 20:10
One of the things that presenters love so much about being in front of a live audience is the instant gratification of your audience's responses.We're in direct contact with the emotional im… Read More
2020-04-09 23:53
People are busy. People are overwhelmed. People have too much on their plates. And yet, the complaint is often laced with pride.We can't wait to tell everyone how busy we are. "How are you?"… Read More
2020-02-24 01:37
After yet another request from a women's organization asking me to speak for free, I wrote this post on Facebook. I then posted it on Instagram and Twitter, and as an article on LinkedIn. My… Read More
2020-02-20 20:57
Hey peeps! I created a new free offering last year and I want to make sure you got yours!In case this fell through the cracks, here's the info on my new-ish Easy Speaker Proposal Template an… Read More
2019-12-30 03:10
Will you have a speaking engagement between now and April?Will you be:🔸Speaking to the board of your organization?🔸Introducing your business at a networking event?🔸Sh… Read More
2019-12-27 19:41
It's two days after Christmas, and I'm working.Am I a workaholic? Nope.Am I under the thumb of a mean boss? Nope. (My boss is pretty swell, actually.)Am I working by choice? Absolutely!Becau… Read More
2019-12-04 21:03
One of my clients just emailed out his speaking schedule, inviting colleagues to attend. I was mistakenly added to the group—wrong Lisa!Here's what I saw:29 speaking engagements... ove… Read More
2019-11-29 21:08
I hope you're enjoying the long weekend (if you're in the US)! I realized that my friends in other countries now do Black Friday, even though there is no Thanksgiving on the preceding Thursd… Read More
2019-11-20 22:04
Like many people, I'm very happy in my comfort zone. I mean, it's comfy, right? That's why we stay there.At the same time, I know that if I don't force myself out of my comfort zone, I won't… Read More
2019-09-18 20:13
Not Alex Honnold...Raise your hand if you watched "Free Solo," the documentary about Alex Honnold's untethered climb of El Capitan's 900-meter vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park.No… Read More
2019-09-17 06:14
So... this is weird. I just realized something yesterday when going through the surveys I've sent to my peeps about what kind of help they need with their public speaking.What do you think s… Read More
2019-08-30 23:21
"You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world's problems at once. But don't ever underestimate the importance you can have, because hi… Read More
2019-08-27 20:17
I started working with a client last month who was tapped to give a presentation at a leadership conference within her industry. The audience was made up of younger versions of herself (don'… Read More
2019-08-07 22:28
Listen in on my conversation with Angela Lussier about ditching perfection and creating connection as a speaker! Read More
2019-08-01 23:29
Last week, as many of my speaker colleagues packed and prepared to attend our annual convention, I saw a repeated refrain in our comment threads, all a variation of:"I have to get a blow out… Read More
2019-07-17 18:59
A few years ago, I was taking my usual shortcut through Earl Warren Showgrounds on my daily walk, when I was stopped by a family in an SUV. They had a couple of questions about the Fiesta ro… Read More
2019-07-03 21:34
One of my clients has been working her way through the upper levels of her organization with a culture-changing idea for her company. She flies jumbo jets, and her idea would impact all pilo… Read More
2019-06-26 21:52
Once upon a time, I was getting on the freeway at an onramp near my home, and for the nth time, was nearly sideswiped by a car entering in the lane next to me. This onramp has two left turn… Read More
2019-05-25 19:53
TEDxUCLATED talks are the "it-girl" of speaking. Everyone wants their presentation to be as cool as a TED talk, as profound as a TED talk, and as viral as a TED talk.I'm a huge fan of TED ta… Read More
2019-05-03 02:31
Twice in conversations with a client, she's told me, "I'm not a writer." And yet, she is a writer, because she writes!Perhaps I'm oversimplifying a bit, because I suppose there's a differenc… Read More
2019-04-12 00:13
I finally got around to finishing the original season of the podcast "Serial," in which the case of convicted murder Adnan Syed is re-evaluated in detail by investigative journalist Sarah Ko… Read More
2019-04-08 20:26
Hey y'all! I'm giving away 100 digital copies of Presenting for Humans: Insights for Speakers on Ditching Perfection and Creating Connection!I'm celebrating the second anniversary of publish… Read More
2019-02-23 22:41
I frequently hear colleagues and friends complain about all the money they’ve spent on coaching or training with disappointing results.Literally never have I heard someone complain abo… Read More
2018-12-29 21:10
We all strive to be confident speakers; it's a standard by which we judge our own levels of experience and practice. However, it's possible to be too confident, to become complacent over tim… Read More
2018-12-02 19:38
Many of my speaker colleagues reject the use of slides. They say slides are boring, prevent engagement, and distract the audience away from the speaker's message. And yep, they do. Especiall… Read More
2018-10-17 05:21
You're probably hearing a lot right now about using your voice. With elections coming up, it's important to be reminded that our voices—via our votes—really do make a difference… Read More
2018-09-26 19:05
In 2016, Michelle Dobyne and her neighbors escaped from their burning apartment building. Michelle, who had been cooking breakfast at the time, gave an animated and upbeat interview with the… Read More
2018-08-09 21:48
My clients will frequently say to me, "I don't understand why I'm so nervous. There must be something wrong with me." Well, if it's wrong to be human, I guess we all have something wrong wit… Read More
2018-06-21 23:26
“I was so happy with how Freaks and Geeks came out, that in my head I thought 'my career is basically over.' I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish, and everything else is gravy.An… Read More
2018-06-08 20:02
If you don't watch figure skating (and even if you do), you may not understand the importance of the triple Axel in competition.First of all, it's the only forward-facing jump in the skaters… Read More
2018-04-12 00:49
"Perfection is finally attained, not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away."~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, aircraft designer and auth… Read More
2018-02-10 20:53
Maybe you've heard the song "Anything You Can Do" from the musical "Annie Get Your Gun." It's a classic duet with the characters Annie Oakley and Frank Butler attempting to prove their abili… Read More
2018-01-05 20:57
When's the last time you said "I can't believe I did that" (and not about something naughty, like toilet-papering your neighbor's house when you were thirteen or shrinking your best friend's… Read More
2017-12-27 17:48
Happy holidays, friends!I hope you've been enjoying the season. I was out of it for a couple of weeks dealing with the Thomas Fire, but I finally got myself back into work and life mode in t… Read More
2017-11-06 15:12
I was recently contacted by a woman who manages a small team of young, inexperienced salespeople. She was primarily concerned with their lack of self-awareness; their behaviors in front of c… Read More
2017-09-24 21:56
For those of you who are of the opinion that talking on the phone while driving (sometimes with yelling or fighting kids in the back seat) makes more effective or productive use of your time… Read More
2017-09-02 19:00
Are you thinking about joining the Presenting for Humans Success Circle, but not sure if it's right for you?Perhaps I can help you decide with these ten reasons I think the program is worth… Read More
2017-07-28 19:17
I forgot my stuff.I had a workshop Friday morning, and I thought I was ready, but I wasn't.I had finished my slides, I had finished my notes, I had printed my handouts.I always have my tools… Read More
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