Same presentation again? How do you keep it fresh and make it UNFORGETTABLE? Ask Kevin Burke who has performed as a Vegas Headliner, for a One-Man Broadway show over 4,000 times. Hear his inspiring journey and the lessons he learned along the way starting, out as a clown for Ringling Bros. Greatest Show on Earth.…
“You always say that my personal story is important, but I also hear that I need to make my message ‘audience-focused.’ That seems like a contradiction. How do I make that work?” That’s a valid question, and one that I’ve heard from experienced and emerging speakers alike. As I always say, “Your life tells a…
How can you deliver stories that pack an emotional punch…even if the story is simple, with only a few characters, and is fewer than 20 seconds long? Darren and Mark break down one of Darren’s shortest stories using the STORYTELLING DIAGRAM, showing how the combination of the setup, the characters, and the emotional shifts, can…
If we all decided to take stock of the time we invest in our relationships, compared with the time we invest in professional advancement, earning income, getting ahead, earning a recognizable name for ourselves, and achieving our ‘dreams’, what would we learn? I don’t know about you, but for me, that’s a seriously challenging question.…
Perhaps you’ve seen them; the presenters who wander aimlessly back and forth across the stage. Or those for whom EVERY talk is like a Ted talk because they’re rooted to an invisible red dot, regardless of the size of the platform. Today Darren and Mark reveal the truth…that the stage is not just a ‘speaking…
How can you live life in the ‘FRONT ROW’, instead of in the ‘CHEAP SEATS’ up in the balcony, all the way in the back…and be a source of inspiration for your audiences? Hall of Fame speaker Marilyn Sherman gets honest and open with Darren and Mark, sharing her slip-ups and her successes, as she…
How do you create a classic presentation, break down the tensions that exist between audience and presenter, appeal to various learning styles, give your audience a participatory experience, and generate business…ALL AT THE SAME TIME? In a conversation with Darren and Mark, Ed Tate unpacks the results-based techniques that he has used successfully for two…
What are some of the most memorable ‘AHAs’ that, when applied, can transform any presentation? Listen as Darren and Mark discuss seven of the most meaningful eye-openers that they learned, and now teach, born from a combined 50 years of professional speaking. These are the GAME CHANGERS that altered the trajectory of their careers, GAME…
Perhaps you’ve seen video clips. Maybe you were at a wedding or some other event and witnessed it, cringing. It’s possible that you have attended a meeting at work and squirmed in your chair as you watched someone struggle. Or maybe it’s happened to you. Your mouth is dry, tongue stuck to the roof of…
How can you WOW your audience with presentations that pack a PUNCH, and eclipse more famous speakers who share your stage? Darren and Mark chat with their mentor, the Wonder Woman of the platform, NSA legend, and Hall of Fame speaker Patricia Fripp, about her journey from hairdresser to speaker, to elite executive speaking coach.…
For more than 20 years, I’ve noticed that more and more, individuals have their heads buried in their mobile devices, even while in the company of others. On one occasion, I snapped a photo of the 9 other passengers who were with me on a rental car shuttle, and they were completely unaware…
How do you stand out on the platform, whether you’re one of 30,000 competitors with a dream of winning the World Championship of Public Speaking, a corporate presenter, a pastor, attorney, educator or TEDx speaker? Co-hosts 2001 Champ Darren LaCroix, and his coach, 1995 Champ Mark Brown, unpack 9 DOs & 9 DON’Ts that will…