Professionally Speaking

Michael E. Lara, MD maintains a private psychiatry and psychopharmacology practice in Belmont, California, where he specializes in the treatment of mood, anxiety, and memory disorders.

He earned his undergraduate and masterʼs degrees at Stanford University and Harvard University respectively, then his doctorate of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. Dr. Lara completed his residency training in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford University Hospital and Clinics. Dr. Lara is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Lara has been the recipient of several research awards in the areas of cross-cultural psychiatry, including the University of New Mexicoʼs Annual Award for Best Original Research in the Area of Cross-Cultural Psychiatry (2001). He has participated in several key clinical trials, as well as served as an invited presenter at numerous national and international medical conferences. He is the principal author of "Understanding the Role of Culture on Treatment Adherence" in the comprehensive textbook, Best Practices in the Behavioral Management of Chronic Disease.

Pro-Track Profile

Dr. Lara signed up for the the Northern California National Speakers Association (NSA) Pro-Track training this year.

You can reach Dr. Lara at 650-592-1229 or on his website www.mlaramd.com.

To hear what he told me about how his medical interests fit with professional speaking and his expectations about the 2009 NSA/NC Pro-Track program, click on the podcast icon below.

Representing data in a unique and compelling way

This brief presentation by Hans Rosling revolutionized the way I understand statistical data. He gave this presentation at the TED Conference in February 2006. The TED Website explains:

Rosling is professor of global health at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, his current work focuses on dispelling common myths about the so-called developing world, which (he points out) is no longer worlds away from the west. In fact, most of the third world is on the same trajectory toward health and prosperity, and many countries are moving twice as fast as the west did.

What sets Rosling apart isn’t just his apt observations of broad social and economic trends, but the stunning way he presents them. Guaranteed: You’ve never seen data presented like this. By any logic, a presentation that tracks global health and poverty trends should be, in a word: boring. But in Rosling’s hands, data sings. Trends come to life. And the big picture — usually hazy at best — snaps into sharp focus.

Rosling’s presentations are grounded in solid statistics (often drawn from United Nations data), illustrated by the visualization software he developed. The animations transform development statistics into moving bubbles and flowing curves that make global trends clear, intuitive and even playful. During his legendary presentations, Rosling takes this one step farther, narrating the animations with a sportscaster’s flair.

The good news is that since Google bought the rights to Professor Rosling's Gapminder software, anyone can create these animated demonstrations of their own statistical data and use them in presentations. What's not to like about that?

It's worth downloading the Hi-Res version to get the impact of the charts on a full screen, or click on the icon below to watch the low-res version.

At the recent San Francisco Writers Conference I attended an excellent introduction to podcasting. The class was taught by Britt Bravo.

Britt specializes in telling, and helping others to tell, stories about creating social change. She writes for two blogs, produce two podcasts, and teaches people how to blog and podcast. Her local paper, the East Bay Express, named her the Best Podcaster/Blogger Most Dedicated to Social Change in 2007.

Britt speaks and leads workshops about blogging, podcasting, how nonprofits can use social media, and how people can create work they love. She has spoken and done trainings for events like the Bioneers, Stanford Women’s Leadership Conference, Making Media Connections Conference, Writing for Change Conference, the United Way of Kern County’s Professional Development Conference for Nonprofits, and the FIELD project’s Scale Academy grantee meeting (a program of the Aspen Institute). Britt interviews individuals involved in creating positive change for her Big Vision Podcast.

I caught up with Britt after her class at the Writers Conference. She shared her insights on podcasting and why some writers have difficulty getting up to speed with the world of blogging and podcasts. To hear what she told me, click on the podcast icon below.

Following Ted Sorenesen's moving keynote address to the 2009 Ragan Speechwriters Conference, Laure Vincent of MasterCard Worldwide won the first Annual Theodore C. Sorensen Speechwriting Award for best organizational speech of the year. The text of her speech, written for Walt Macnee, President, Global Markets, MasterCard Worldwide is

available here.

It was delivered to an audience of 2,000 in Sao Paulo, Brazil on August 28, 2008.

I caught up with Laurie after the presentation and asked her how she felt about winning the award and something about the background to the speech.

To hear what she told me, click on the podcast icon below.

After videotaping the Sorensen keynote I took the opportunity to engage in some good old-fashioned audio interviewing. There was a line of well over 150 people - half the audience - waiting patiently for Mr. Sorensen to autograph copies of his latest book, Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History

I asked some of these speechwriters from around the country what they thought of the keynote speech they had just heard.

To hear what they had to say, click on the podcast icon below.

Last month I attended an introductory evening on Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). It was taught by Jeff Slayter of the World's Hidden Masters publishing company.The course promised that the techniques were for applying NLP, easily and professionally in business. To survive in a retracted economy only those with top leadership skills and extraordinary ability to create results will thrive.

Here's Jeff's infomercial:

World’s Hidden Masters is a leadership training organization offering cutting edge education for group and corporate settings. The content of our workshops are a culmination of a decade of world travel interviewing the top executives, coaches, investors and professionals on the models and systems they have found to be the most effective in creating results in business and financial growth through investments. Using a combination of proprietary models in business & financial systems, neuro linguistics, executive leadership tools, collaborative systems & movement analysis, we train executives, investors and professionals on how to create unexpected and sustainable bottom line results in their businesses and investments.

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Jeff is holding another introductory evening in San Francisco at 6:30pm on February 24th.

I asked Jeff how and why NLP is useful for professional speakers. To hear what he told me, click on the podcast icon below.

Charlie Krackeler has been a professional speaker since 1990. His background as a successful real estate practitioner, manager of a large real estate brokerage office and the Director of Training for one of the nation's largest real estate companies led him to become of California's most popular continuing education seminar speakers.

Charlie holds a Master of Science (MS) degree in law and public policy from California University of Pennsylvania. And, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in history from Gonzaga University. He is a real estate broker, active investor, expert witness in real estate related cases and a mediator. Charlie has had more continuing education programs approved by the California Department of Real Estate than any other single individual in the State of California, and was rated a top evaluated speaker by the California Association of Realtors State Faculty five (5) years running.

From 2004-08 Charlie was elected and served as President of the California Real Estate Education Association (CREEA). In his continuing education seminars and negotiation seminars he has become known as one of the real estate industry's most popular and entertaining seminar leaders. He is a regular on KRON Channel 4 news giving updates on the real estate market and hosted a popular radio program on a major bay area station.

Extra curricular activities Charlie enjoys include running, tennis, animals, fine dining and of course gossiping.

Mr. Krackeler's company, Charlie Krackeler Presents, is an approved provider for real estate seminars by the Department of Real Estate on a diversity of topics. Charlie's dedication to education, self improvement, achieving personal goals and being at the top of your game regardless of one's chosen path, is what puts Charlie at the top of his game. Real Estate Professionals and Speaker Colleagues have given him the official nickname of the "C.E. King."

Charlie Krackeler can be reached at (650) 941-4321 or by e-mail [email protected].

I asked Charlie to explain how speaking has helped his real estate business and what he is looking forward to learning from the 2009 NSA/NC Pro-Track class. To hear what he told me, double-click on the podcast icon below.

Catherine Athans, Doctor of Clinical Psychology, is the author of several well-received books. She is a frequent guest lecturer on topics, which enable people to improve the quality of their lives. The recipient of several humanitarian awards, she is the founder of the Morgan Manor Foundation. Morgan manor donates to and supports the working poor in Santa Clara County, California. Dr. Athans wrote Make Your Dreams Come True Now! to supplement her series of lecturers entitled, How to Manifest Your Wishes, Dreams and Desires

Make Your Dreams Come True Now! supports our journey of discovery in terms of:

Let go the lies - distinguish face from fiction.

Get back on the path to love.

Benefit from great teachers' principles.

Learn universal principles that operate just under the surface of life.

Grow in your family relationships and have more satisfying social relationships.

Find the healing power in your words.

Re-establish hope for your life.

Gain the life that God - the Source - meant for you to have.

In 2003, Catherine was a delegate to the global Peace Initiative for Women at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. There she lectured on How to Teach Children Peaceful Means of Communication.

She can be reached at [email protected]

Pro-Track Profile

To hear her discuss her book and experience with the NSA/NC Pro-Track Program, click on the podcast icon below.

During my recent visit to the Toastmasters Conference in Oakland I was pleased to run into the 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking - Ed Tate. Ed won Toastmasters highest award - a world-wide contest open to all 175,000 members of Toastmasters International. He's now an internationally known keynote speaker and fellow member of the National Speakers Association. He's earned a reputation as the "speaker who energizes, educates, and entertains." He has spoken professionally in 46 states and 10 countries, and on 4 continents. Ed is also a successful trainer and author.

I took the opportunity to ask Ed what are the three most important pieces of advice he has for business leaders who speak. I also asked him if he could remember the first time he delivered a speech. To hear what he told me, click on the podcast icon below.

The 2008 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference taking place November 16-19 in Sacramento, is focused on understanding the nature of individual and organizational behavior and decision making and using that knowledge to accelerate our transition to an energy-efficient and low carbon economy.

The Conference brings together a diverse group of policymakers, social scientists, program implementers, media, and energy experts to explore the practical application of social and behavioral insights to address our climate challenges. The goal is to achieve viable solutions for meeting long-term energy and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets by improving the design, adoption, and continued effectiveness of policies, programs, technologies, and individual/organizational actions.

I met with an attendee, Mike Olson, who gave me an update on the importance of the behavioral aspects of climate change and energy consumption today. He highlighted why it's important to make energy efficiency fun and the role communications plays in making people aware of the issues. To hear what Mike had to say, click on the podcast icon below.