MC with MEi

Welcome to MC with MEi: The PodCourse!! I have remixed and remastered the first 20 episodes of the podcast into what they were designed to be ultimately; an on-line course. This is now a 20 Session on-line Course where each session is an easy-to-digest 20 minutes or so. Each has a short intro as not everybody approaches sessions the same way and I wanted to make sure that no matter where you happen to start or jump to, there are road markers along the way keeping you up to speed.

Episodes 1-12 are dedicated to preparation; we cover everything from basics to specifics.

Sessions 13-20 are the many different functions you may be hired to cover. We look at scenarios and dive into real life case studies from actual events. They are all real because they are all either events I was responsible for or I attended.

You DO NOT need to listen to each session in order; it will all depend on your level of expertise going in. If you are starting out, that's AMAZING!! This is so much fun what you want to do!! So I suggest that if you are new and really want to know this biz, listen to sessions 1-12 in order, then 13-20 can be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Best part is that because they are on most pod-catchers you can subscribe for free and then download them all and therefore save on data while listening to these in any order and as often as you like.

Please never hesitate to reach out to me with questions, requests or any related inquiries via my website www.masterofceremonies.ca. While there check out the videos, pictures and testimonials; everything there is from something I have worked on and have included somewhere in this course.

I'm also on Twitter @mcwithmei.

Above all, have fun!

Christopher Mei

We are NOTHING if we can't tell a good story. Now this is not one that starts "Once Upon A Time...". No, this is taking an audience on a journey so that there is a payoff for all in attendance at the end...and for the event coordination committee or Chair. The audience finds a concrete meaning in why they were there and wish to attend next year, and that is where you as a Master of Ceremonies Specialist are always more valuable than any amount you could ever be paid. There is storytelling everywhere...today I lift the covers off some of the areas where story telling is right there hiding in plain sight. Then we get onto how you can harness this amazing power and wield it to be the best option for any event as their Master of Ceremonies.

Knowing when to take that moment for pause is critical. It takes discipline and a fine trust in yourself as a speaking specialist. If you can harness the "power of the pause" then you can control a room. Too long and you lose an audience. Never take one and you lose an audience. It's like finding the sweet spot in gear 1 of a standard transmission; when you can roll the car you can control the car even on the steepest of hills. If you can craftly weave a "period of pause" to drive home a point or get a rooms attention....you my friend are a master of ceremonies Specialist! Lets figure out how.....

Testimonials are your calling card to the next interest in you. When you shop, you normally start your look based on a testimonial: tv or radio ad, word of mouth, flyer, coupon. But bottom line is that you buy because someone told you they'd bought it and liked it. The testimonial from those you have worked for is like that commercial; that celebrity endorsement. You earned it so feel confident asking for it...then post it! Everywhere. Today we open with a testimonial sent to me from one of the events I had just hosted and told you about in the latest "Dailies". Then we break down how it got there.

There are so many techniques and approaches to overcoming the nerves that accompany public speaking. Today I cover one of those and it ties back to this week's theme of "delivery". Yesterday was "To Read or Not To Read"; today is using the leverage of your notes or script that you have as the Master of Ceremonies. You will be shocked to find how you can use the magnitude of your responsibility as the very tool to overcoming the nerves you may feel when approaching your responsibility. Have an awesome weekend!! If you're gigging tonight or this weekend, let us know about it on Twitter @MCwithMEi or at www.masterofceremonies.ca.

I little play on Shakespeare is good for the soul :-). Too often we see speakers reading straight from their pages; all we see are head-crowns and rarely any eyes. Eye contact is essential for that connection with your audience, but so is getting the material right. What do you do? Everyone struggles with this so today we discuss what balance ratio is optimal for you to be able to read what needs to be verbatim without LOOKING like you are reading at all. It's a similar illusion to how Michael Jordan looked like he was actually flying in the air while launching for a dunk.

There are as many fraudulent speakers out there as there are organizations. I would wager that for every organization that hires a speaker and then vanishes without paying, there is a person who claims to have an amount of experience that is exaggerated or embellished. The issue with fraudulent speakers is that many don't think what they are doing is wrong so they get the gig and fail and they never hire again....we all lose. Today is as much for the ORGANIZER as it is for the speaker. Do Your Homework! Now sing with me "We Won't Get Fooled Again! No No!" Enjoy today's "Daily".

The Concert Event known as "Grenville Pinto and Friends" had its second date this past weekend. 2 weeks ago it was a sold out affair in Hamilton, Ontario....this time we hit Toronto. The cast was a helluva-lot bigger and the song selection was bigger. Plus the venue was a lot larger as well so we had to really bring our A+ game to 1-keep it on time, 2-keep it compelling and engaging and 3-create an atmosphere that no-one wanted to leave immediately afterward from but instead stay and continue to celebrate in the entrance atrium. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!~ This episode is an example of why I love to do what I do....and you will too.

A local branch of the Canadian Passport Office had their annual Holiday Party and it required that I dedicate all I outlined in 2 of my PodCourse Sessions: "The Small Event Made Massive" and "The Corporate Holiday Party". If you have not listened to those 2 episodes yet, I'd invite you to do so. This way when you listen to this "Daily", it will make perfect sense and you may even have the "A-Ha Moment" you were looking for. (Hint: 30 people but a dance floor that stayed hopping 'till 12:30am)

Somehow I got locked out of my account for a couple of days but it has been resolved. Please enjoy this one-time-only "Saturday Edition" of the "Philosophy Friday". This is the end-off-week session where we simply discuss the psychology behind speaking in front of people, regardless of the size of the gathering. Have a GREAT weekend!! See you again on Monday!