Preparing to Speak

- I am not a seasoned public speaker. It makes me nervous. I have long had a fear of it. But I am learning to enjoy it. It all comes down to preparation.

- DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE (or at least the VERY LAST minute)

- Pick a topic you have talked about before and are passionate about.

- Break it down into a pain, a story and a solution.

- Create an outline first and slides second.

- Ask the audience questions. Get them involved.

- Plan everything but also plan for spontaneity

- Limit the text on each slide. Use slides as a guide to keep you on track, not as the entire content.

     - SOMEONE SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE SLIDES AND NO EXACTLY WHAT YOU SPOKE ABOUT!

- Do something fun, entertaining or unexpected.

- Write and re-write. Practice by yourself and for someone else. And edit again. Time it. 

 

On SMMW 15

- So awesome. 

- Everyone going to be there.

- This time I’m going to have friends with me — RECOMMENDED for shy, antisocial types!

- Go to stuff, but don’t feel like you need to go to everything!

- BE SOCIAL!

- Have a plan!

- Planning on quick “Pubcast” style interviews.

- No real expectations, except that I expect to enjoy myself!

 

On Vacations, Relaxing and LETTING GO

- I’m going to get as much work done as I can before leaving

- I’m going to do as little work as I can when I’m there

- Seeing the sights with my family

- Not going to be cooped up in a room

- I will do less. Something will slip. And it will be OKAY.

- It’s also why I have a team. My business will not implode.

- If you don’t have a team now, work towards having one — or work towards having some sort of backup plan when you’re away — so you can enjoy it!

 

On how you must be motivated by more than money

- Baseball season

- Every decision I make is with this time of year in mind (partnerships, public speaking, traveling, commitments)

- You must decide what motivates you. Envision what you desire and envision the motivation — the big way — and allow it to guide you.

- This weekend, my boys’ baseball seasons officially get under way. And our lives are about to get crazy.

- I work from home because of this time of year.

- I started my own business because of this time of year.

- I rarely travel because of this time of year.

- I have created a scalable business that requires less of my time, less maintenance, less production because of this time of the year.

 

On creating an environment that is perfect for production

- I have a cluttered desk.

- I share an office with my family.

- The office has a glass door and sits immediately outside the entryway to the house from the garage.

- New office is downstairs, away from everyone.

- New office will combine video studio, audio studio and writing/production.

- New office will have one big, empty white wall for recording, carpet for sound absorption.

- New office will have a standing desk, beanbag chair and treadmill.

- New office will be DECLUTTERED and have only what I need to be productive.

- It doesn’t mean designing a new room. But create a space for production, free of distractions.