The Speaking Club: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking

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 recognition, and driven by impossible standards she continued to maintain the façade of success, until her body caved in. After sacrificing her wellbeing and happiness at the altar of perfectionism, Louise had to begin a new journey to discover herself, how to manage the destructive thoughts that had made her ill, and to learn what actually made her happy. In this episode she holds nothing back, she's painfully honest, and shares the lessons she's learned so that you can navigate today's world of social media, the hard world of speaking, and achieve business success without losing your health or happiness. What you'll learn What's critical in creating a successful business. How questions help you manage your negative thoughts. Why it's important to identify what drives you. Why you should stay true to your own vision and plan. Why you should be first on your list of who matters. The power of finding time for your passions. How you can practice mental awareness to recognise and short circuit negative thinking, and the physical problems that follow. How to stay resilient as a speaker. Why being authentic as a speaker is critical to your success and audience engagement. Why stories are an essential part of your speaking toolkit. Resources: All things Louise: http://www.louiseladbrooke.com Twitter @LouiseLadbrooke LinkedIn Louise Ladbrooke Facebook LouiseLadbrookeSpeaker A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled – Ruby Wax Same New World – Taming the Mind – Ruby Wax How to be Human – Ruby Wax Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.

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 resilient in a world where it's harder than ever not to compare, where noise and distractions are invading our space almost 24/7, and where our minds and the way we think make the difference between whether we succeed, or we fail. What you'll learn Why we should think like a kid for business success. How visual cues can keep us on track Where our mind needs to be to increase productivity, creativity and the deep work that takes us forward. A framework for challenging our thoughts and beliefs so that we can be happier and get unstuck. The tactic for managing hot buttons, the comparison trap and being outside our comfort zone The hack for improving your golf score and moving forward in life Why just sharing your goals publicly is not enough to motivate you to take action. How thinking about death can supercharge our life Resources: The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle Loving What Is – Byron Katy The Work – Byron Katy Golf is Not a Game of Perfect - Bob Rotella Interview with Aron Ralston Tikker Watches Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.

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 through networking, building key relationships and by being interested in people. He also shares some brilliant speaking tips…so jump right in! What you'll learn How to build influence in the 21st Century. Why old school selling is dead and what we should be doing today. How speakers and businesses should use social proof. Why authenticity is critical to influence. Why speakers should show vulnerability. Why it's true that all the fortune is in the follow up and what you should be doing. Why you should always be specific about your audience and what you want. What makes a good business book. What makes the difference between a good speaker and a great speaker. The key factors of influence Why you should never second guess what your audience is thinking. Resources: All things Warren: http://www.warrencass.com Twitter @WarrenCass LinkedIn Warren Cass Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.

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 bureau, what you need to have in place to transition into paid speaking and loads more! If you are serious about progressing your speaking career, or you're curious to find out how the speaking industry works, then you'll love this show. What you'll learn The criteria speakers need to meet to get taken on by a bureau What not to do if you want to join a speaker bureau How to increase your chances of getting taken on by a speaking bureau Why it's counterproductive to talk about everything How becoming an expert on the right topic can accelerate your professional speaking career How a coach or mentor can fast-track your speaking career Speaker show reels…how long, what should be in it, what quality should it be? The difference between the European and American speaking market. Why you should establish yourself in the market where your audience is. Top tips for moving into paid speaking What is the typical first fee for speakers, and how high can you go! How important writing a book is to your speaking career. What makes the difference between a good speaker and a great speaker. What's the benefit of using a speaker bureau What the speaker fee is paying for What a typical day in a speaker bureau looks like Resources: All things Maria: https://mfl.global Twitter @MariaFranzoni LinkedIn/en/MariaFranzoni FB Group Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.

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 European music and clothing distribution company, before shifting gears to become the director of a global stationery and accessory business working with Disney and Nickelodeon, where he grew the business from a $5 million to $30 million company in a 5-year period, selling to over 30 countries, and achieving $1 million sales in one month. With industry awards behind him, he then co-founded two IT companies and got the first to £1m value within two years. Today, he alongside his other channels he teaches people how to setup and use social networks for their business through online coaching. What you'll learn Three tips for avoiding failure in your business How speaking can form the centrepiece of your business How you can source material for your presentations. How Warren uses 'pillars' to keep the audience engaged The difference between how you approach platform speaking vs keynote speaking The difference between webinars and straight public speaking Why LinkedIn is a great tool for speakers and how you should use it to get more speaking gigs. Why and how you should optimise your LinkedIn profile. Why you should have a business model on the back end of your speaking. Resources: All things Warren: http://warren-knight.com http://www.thinkdigitalfirst.com Twitter @WarrenKnight LinkedIn/en/warrenknight Titter Online Comedy Course for Public Speakers Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.

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 free advertising and social proof. Jo also shares what value a PR consultant can bring to the table over doing PR yourself. There are some brilliant tips and tricks for getting yourself in front of, and managing the media whether you're a speaker, coach, business owner or corporate leader. What you'll learn The difference between PR and Marketing What is a PR plan and who needs one? How to raise your profile through the media Why you should be strategic in approaching your publicity What's more important, print media or social media? Why editorial is one of the best forms of social proof What makes a good news story How using humour can make your press release stand out What journalists are looking for in a press release and how to write one How you can get the most value out of a PR Consultant How to get your press releases through to the right people at the right time How you can use surveys to get good PR How to handle reporters in a crisis Resources: All things Jo: http://wordworker.co.uk Twitter @WordWorker_Jo Facebook Joanna Smyth Titter Comedy Course Live Workshop Titter Online Comedy Course for Public Speakers Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.

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 been performed in the UK, Japan, and Canada. With a long background in business, I also know when and how to use humour appropriately in that environment, and as a Speaker, humour is one of the most important tools I have. In this week's episode, I'm sharing the foundations of using humour, so that you can start to experience the power and joy it brings into your public speaking. What you'll learn: What makes something funny The THREES formula and the ingredients every joke should have Where to find ideas for material How to create material Where you should use humour in your talks My top three comedy performance tips My Golden Rules of Comedy Resources: Seth Meyers Golden Globe Opening Monologue Ken Robinson TED Talk Cracking Speech Mate – How to use humour to make you an amazing speaker Comedy Writing Exercises: Rant and reverse Rant Pick something that winds you up, (it could be related to your speaking topic, or something completely different). Write or rant for five minutes on that subject, make sure you record yourself if you're talking. If you start to dry up, use these statements to keep going: It's not as if… If I were in charge… I'd be lying if I said… The real challenge here is… It would serve them right if… In another universe… Reverse Now talk about the same subject for five minutes as if you thought it was the best thing since sliced bread and all the reasons why. Here are some ideas for statements that will help you with this part: I get tingly all over thinking about it because… If it didn't exist then… I love it when… If I were in charge… People who don't understand should… Questions are the Answer Take a specific topic Ask questions to start looking at that thing in new ways. How would you describe the thing to an alien – remember they won't know our language, so you may need to explain a lot. You might find some new things about your topic which are absurd, that could be mined further for a joke. Find an analogy – what are other things this thing could be like in different industries, countries, cultures, professions etc. If you go off at a tangent that's fine, going down rabbit holes when you're writing comedy is just the right thing to do. My Comedy Golden Rules: Jokes must always go from good to bad, or bad to worse Be Specific – the comedy is in the detail Apply attitude to everything you write Write as you talk Leave a beat before you deliver the punchline Don't talk over the laughter If you are 'it' you can talk about 'it' Use the THREES formula Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.

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!). In this episode, we delve into her passions, and mine her speaking experience for a raft of useful and enlightening nuggets for wherever you are on your speaking journey. What you'll learn Why humour is useful for working with people on deep topics. How adopting the mind-set of a clown can help you become a better MC. The benefits of using improve tools in your speaking, life and business to create bigger profits. The difference between great speakers and average speakers. The first thing you should consider when preparing a talk. Why using stories makes your talk unique. Why adding humour should come from your truth. How to make sure you start your talk with power and impact. Resources: All things Emma: http://www.truth-works.co.uk See Emma's Improv Group 'The Banana Bunch' Twitter @Stroudemr Facebook Emma Stroud Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.

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 some fantastic tips for new, and experienced Speakers alike. Only listen to this show if you want to make some serious progress with your speaking this year! What you'll learn The four pillars you need to work on to become a great speaker How to manage your state before speaking Why you need to treat speaking as a heightened form of conversation Why your content should be full of attitude. How adding humour to your speaking can increase your bookings and fees Why a Question and Answer session should be the last thing you do How to make sure you can always answer the questions Why MC and Speaker roles are totally different Top tips for adding humour to your presentation Why you should always have a notebook with you. Top tips for becoming a paid professional Speaker Resources: Cracking Speech Mate – How to use humour to make you an amazing speaker – Sarah Archer All things Celia: http://celiadelaney.co.uk Twitter @Celiadelaney Facebook Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.

With a powerful wit, and larger than life personality, Ashley Frieze has been making audiences laugh since 2003. His comedy songs and observations on the music world are a joy to behold, and his ability to hold the audience in the palm of his hand with or without his guitar, speaks to his skill as a compere and his adaptability as a comic. In this episode, not only is he taking us behind the scenes to have a peek at the life of a gigging comic…he's sharing some absolutely golden tips for how you can bring humour into your toolkit, whether as a speaker or a people manager in the world of business. What you'll learn Why comedy is an important cultural tool Why questions are the gateway to engaging content How to find ideas for humour Why acting confidently works to build your confidence How you can set yourself and the room up for success The different ways of being an MC The power of being present in comedy and speaking and tips to help you achieve this How humour can help you manage people more effectively Ashley's secrets for speaking success How you can use the tricks of a comic to increase the impact of your message Why getting booed onto the stage can be a positive experience. Resources: The Serious Guide to Joke Writing – How to say something funny about anything – Sally Holloway Cracking Speech Mate – How to use humour to make you an amazing speaker – Sarah Archer The Confidence Gap – Russ Harris All things Ashley: http://www.ashleyfrieze.co.uk Twitter @Ashleyfrieze & @Ashleyjokes Instagram @Ashleyfrieze Thanks for listening! To share your thoughts: leave a comment below. Share this show on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. To help the show out: Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and review really help get the word out and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes.