Preparing to Speak
- I am not a seasoned public speaker. It makes me nervous. I have long had a fear of it. But I am learning to enjoy it. It all comes down to preparation.
- DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE (or at least the VERY LAST minute)
- Pick a topic you have talked about before and are passionate about.
- Break it down into a pain, a story and a solution.
- Create an outline first and slides second.
- Ask the audience questions. Get them involved.
- Plan everything but also plan for spontaneity
- Limit the text on each slide. Use slides as a guide to keep you on track, not as the entire content.
- SOMEONE SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE SLIDES AND NO EXACTLY WHAT YOU SPOKE ABOUT!
- Do something fun, entertaining or unexpected.
- Write and re-write. Practice by yourself and for someone else. And edit again. Time it.
On SMMW 15
- So awesome.
- Everyone going to be there.
- This time I’m going to have friends with me — RECOMMENDED for shy, antisocial types!
- Go to stuff, but don’t feel like you need to go to everything!
- BE SOCIAL!
- Have a plan!
- Planning on quick “Pubcast” style interviews.
- No real expectations, except that I expect to enjoy myself!
On Vacations, Relaxing and LETTING GO
- I’m going to get as much work done as I can before leaving
- I’m going to do as little work as I can when I’m there
- Seeing the sights with my family
- Not going to be cooped up in a room
- I will do less. Something will slip. And it will be OKAY.
- It’s also why I have a team. My business will not implode.
- If you don’t have a team now, work towards having one — or work towards having some sort of backup plan when you’re away — so you can enjoy it!
On how you must be motivated by more than money
- Baseball season
- Every decision I make is with this time of year in mind (partnerships, public speaking, traveling, commitments)
- You must decide what motivates you. Envision what you desire and envision the motivation — the big way — and allow it to guide you.
- This weekend, my boys’ baseball seasons officially get under way. And our lives are about to get crazy.
- I work from home because of this time of year.
- I started my own business because of this time of year.
- I rarely travel because of this time of year.
- I have created a scalable business that requires less of my time, less maintenance, less production because of this time of the year.
On creating an environment that is perfect for production
- I have a cluttered desk.
- I share an office with my family.
- The office has a glass door and sits immediately outside the entryway to the house from the garage.
- New office is downstairs, away from everyone.
- New office will combine video studio, audio studio and writing/production.
- New office will have one big, empty white wall for recording, carpet for sound absorption.
- New office will have a standing desk, beanbag chair and treadmill.
- New office will be DECLUTTERED and have only what I need to be productive.
- It doesn’t mean designing a new room. But create a space for production, free of distractions.
