Ep. 260 WHY COMPETE?

Rotary Speech Contest, Story SLAM, MOTH, Last Story Standing, World Championship of Public Speaking, and more. Speech competitions abound, and today Darren and Mark are joined by Stage Time University faculty member Mike Davis as they face the question: “Why compete?” Their answers provide the myriad benefits of competing.    SNIPPETS: • Get better faster,…

Ep. 250 IT’S TOO LATE!

Speakers sometimes ask for help making tweaks, adding humor, or finding more powerful stories…a few days before their presentation. All too often, it’s just too late. Today, Darren and Mark share their experience with speakers who have waited too long, explain the benefits of getting help early, and offer advice on how to avoid waiting…

Ep. 247 FOUR STANDING OVATIONS

How do four inexperienced presenters, who have never delivered a presentation to an audience of 1,000 people before, each get STANDING OVATIONS? Mark and Darren review their recent experience coaching four CEOs to deliver deeply personal 8-minute stories to their peers in the Young Presidents’ Organization. The lessons learned are invaluable and will help you…

Ep. 234 THE POWER OF COMMUNITY

In addition to being part of speaking communities, we, as presenters belong to professional, social, charitable, faith-based, and other communities. Today Mark and Darren discuss the power of community, examining the ways that communities make us grow…and change. They offer advice on collaborating with your community, growing your community, and even leaving your community. Using…

Ep. 233 UNFORGETTABLE RESEARCH With Vince Antonucci and Chris McGuire

Thorough research is an invaluable part of preparing unforgettable presentations. There are myriad ways to access information, and so much information from which to glean. Where do I look? How much should I use? How can I verify? Darren and Mark discuss these questions with…and get answer from…researcher/author/speaker Vince Antonucci and comedy writer/TV producer Chris…