How do you transform a FRAUD INVESTIGATOR into ‘The FUNNY FED?’ What’s the magic behind taking a so-so story, and making it hilarious? How can you deliver serious messages with humor and hilarity? Mark and Darren hear first hand from Hall-of-Fame speaker and renowned humorist Tim Gard about the how to find funny in everyday…
How do you perform at 100% when PowerPoint fails, you’re not physically at your best, the meeting planner is pulling their hair out, you have to follow a powerful presenter, or you have a family or business challenge? In this must-listen episode, Mark and Darren get answers from “America’s Stress Coach”, psychologist, author & speaker…
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.…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
It’s not what you think. You’ll probably be surprised. No, it’s not your amazing opening, your signature story, your dazzling slides and infographics, or your challenging call to action. It really isn’t ‘YOUR’ anything! It belongs to your AUDIENCE! Darren and Mark explore the significance of the thought process in the minds of the people…
What does it take to own the stage with energy as high as Mt. Everest, and lie face down on the platform, in a shocking pink dress, and sneakers? It takes a supreme level of confidence, extreme comfort in your own uniqueness, and a commitment to being fully YOURSELF. Darren and Mark sit down with…