You have really been enjoying yourself at the party. Your neighbor and host, Deepak, has created a wonderful, celebratory atmosphere. You and 40 others share his joy as he sends his son Ram off to university, with a full-tuition scholarship, to study engineering. Deepak stands and taps the side of his glass with a spoon.…
“Business is a dance between the practical and the creative,” says today’s guest. Mark and Darren sit down Grammy-Nominated musician, Freddie Ravel who toured with Brazilian master Sergio Mendes, directed the legendary band Earth, Wind and Fire. Hear his story of how performing for Dr. Deepak Chopra lead him to become an internationally acclaimed Keynote…
On a visit to India a few years ago, my wife Andrea and I saw Krishna’s Butterball in Mahabalipuram, India. I could describe it as a large rock, and you could probably visualize it. However, if I were to say that Krishna’s Butterball is an IMMENSE chunk of rock, so massive that we were dwarfed…
“Your last words LINGER.” So says Hall of Fame speaking legend Patricia Fripp. You may have delivered a presentation containing hilarious humor, powerful stories, and relatable characters. But do your last words include an ASK for your audience? Darren and Mark unpack the critical role your ask can play, and reveal ways in which a…
In 1970, the film HERCULES IN NEW YORK was released, and it starred an inexperienced 22-year-old Austrian bodybuilder whose name was listed as ARNOLD STRONG “Mr. Universe”. It was the first film for the young man whose given name is Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film isn’t a critic’s favorite but it has become something of a…
Do your first words FASCINATE, or FRUSTRATE? Your opening lines can make or break your presentation, and your audience will either tune in, or check out. Darren and Mark offer a number of opening techniques which, when used well, will engage your audience immediately, and help to make your talk UNFORGETTABLE!
Perhaps you’re thinking about working with a Speaker Bureau. What do they need from you? In what ways can you help them to help you? How can you forge and nurture a mutually beneficial relationship? Mark & Darren get answers from former Las Vegas entertainer, speaker spouse, and speaker bureau executive Jennifer Joseph Lier. Find…
What does it take to be successful in one speaking market, then to radically change lanes and become equally successful in a completely different market? Darren and Mark get the answers from Emmy-winning Hall-Of-Fame Speaker Mark Scharenbroich, as he dispenses almost 40 years of wisdom and experience in this humorous heart-to-heart. Learn how awareness of…
So you want to give a TED or TEDx talk. What do event organizers and TEDs coaches look for? What are the DOs and DON’Ts of a successful talk? Darren and Mark chat with experienced TEDx coaches Cathey Armillas and Mike Davis as they pull back the curtain and give the answers to those questions…
WHO ARE YOU? In 2013, I had the privilege of visiting South Africa for the second time in six years. During my 10-day visit, I was asked to speak at several schools, from various economic and social backgrounds and these school visits confirmed one of my ‘Markisms’…a principle that I’ve been teaching for years…“your audience…
Be honest. You’ve seen them. PowerPoint slides with images taken from a Google search. Clip-art that has been on the Internet for years. Stock photography that looks very familiar. Now be REALLY honest. Perhaps you’ve USED a few. Here’s the harsh truth: Clip-art is to your slides what knock-knock jokes are to your presentation. In…
A recent Saturday provided some glorious weather. It was PERFECT for…doing yard work; at least I’m sure that’s how my wife Andrea saw it. In truth, cutting the hedges was MY idea, and it meant pulling out the extension cord reel to accommodate my electric hedge trimmer. The reel had been sitting atop a high…