Christina Wodtke and Danielle Barnes join me to talk about their new book "Present Yourself" and their work with Women Talk Design, an organisation aimed at increasing diversity in public speaking. We went deep on public speaking, the importance of authenticity, storytelling, and finding your unique voice as a speaker. We also talked about the value of diverse perspectives in public speaking and the power of sharing personal stories to connect with audiences.

Key takeaways:

1. It's important to embrace your unique voice

Don't try to fit a stereotypical mould of a "good speaker" - authenticity resonates more with audiences.

2. Before you start speaking, make sure you know your "why"

Everyone has their own motivation for public speaking, and anyone can fall in love with it if they're doing it for a reason they care about.

3. Share your unique perspective with the world

Even if you feel that other people are already talking about your topic, or that it's all been said before, go and say it anyway. You're the only you.

4. Humans are hardwired to respond to stories

You can make your presentations more engaging and memorable by incorporating stories, even in stuffy business settings. Your audience will thank you for it.

5. It doesn't matter if you're talking to a big crowd, as long as you're talking to the right crowd

You don't need to be a big name to make a big impact. You just need to find the people who need to hear what you have to say. You can still make a difference.

6. Everyone has a bad talk but this is fine as long as you learn from the experience

Every speaking opportunity is a learning experience. Some of them will go great, some of them will go terribly, but you can learn something from all of them.

Check out "Present Yourself"

"Present Yourself is for everyone who has ever fought for an equal shot at the spotlight. Christina Wodtke, Danielle Barnes, and a diverse group of accomplished speakers share stories that will inspire you to communicate with authority. This self-guided, step-by-step framework features practical, actionable advice for authentic and effective public speaking."

Check it out on Amazon or the book website.

Contact Danielle & Christina

Catch up with Danielle on LinkedIn or check out Women Talk Design.

Catch up with Christina on LinkedIn or check out Elegant Hack for details of all the other books she's written.

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