This Moved Me

It's Mini Moved Me day! Today I want to talk with you about a little memorizing trick I use when I'm trying to get the content of my talk to move from my head and really sink into my body.

I wrote this piece over on my This Moved Me Facebook page, and it resonated. I wanted to record this to share with more of you - and to remind us all how powerful our voices are.

I wrote this piece over on my This Moved Me Facebook page, and it resonated. I wanted to record this to share with more of you - and to remind us all how powerful our voices are. 

Margi Simmons and Elena Imaretska - two brilliant and creative speakers - both call the Brave New Workshop their professional home. The Brave New Workshop is an improv theater that may sound familiar to you because they are famous for being the longest running improv comedy troupe in the country.

Super cool, since Margi spent years on that stage. And Elena spent years dancing and performing. They both have respective chops as performers and creative leaders that make them "expert."

But they also do this work because they believe something much deeper happens when we take the risk and step out on stage. The skills and mindset and courage that improvisors are challenged to show are the same skills that can help us become great leaders - and, of course, great speakers.

So, I got to sit down with them both at the BNW's new amazing space (so, sorry for the echoey sound) - and talk about how we can take the innovative mindset out on stage with us.

Margi Simmons and Elena Imaretska - two brilliant and creative speakers - both call the Brave New Workshop their professional home. The Brave New Workshop is an improv theater that may sound familiar to you because they are famous for being the longest running improv comedy troupe in the country.

Super cool, since Margi spent years on that stage. And Elena spent years dancing and performing. They both have respective chops as performers and creative leaders that make them "expert."

But they also do this work because they believe something much deeper happens when we take the risk and step out on stage. The skills and mindset and courage that improvisors are challenged to show are the same skills that can help us become great leaders - and, of course, great speakers.

So, I got to sit down with them both at the BNW's new amazing space (so, sorry for the echoey sound) - and talk about how we can take the innovative mindset out on stage with us.

Rita Boersma has been with me since the beginning. Literally! She was my first guest way back in 2014 - and I thought it was time to bring her back to the forefront. Why? Because Rita is someone who brings her talent and insight so beautifully to her creations that I'm often in awe of what she can do. She is brilliant and funny - as a writer, a speaker, a coach and an improviser. And together, we've made some cool stuff. So if you're new to us here at This Moved Me and haven't gone all the way back to the beginning - enjoy this little gem... the sound system wasn't up to par; the equipment was mediocre; but the conversation was rich. Enjoy!

Rita Boersma has been with me since the beginning. Literally! She was my first guest way back in 2014 - and I thought it was time to bring her back to the forefront. Why? Because Rita is someone who brings her talent and insight so beautifully to her creations that I'm often in awe of what she can do. She is brilliant and funny - as a writer, a speaker, a coach and an improviser. And together, we've made some cool stuff.  So if you're new to us here at This Moved Me and haven't gone all the way back to the beginning - enjoy this little gem... the sound system wasn't up to par; the equipment was mediocre; but the conversation was rich. Enjoy! 

In this republication of one of my most popular episodes EVER on This Moved Me, Hank Fortener and I delve into HOW he creates talks week after week with the same kind of passion and intentionality that he brings to each talk. Hank is a talk-crafting master, thanks to the thousands of hours he has spent building and re-building talk after talk. In this slightly longer episode (I just couldn't cut anything!) - Hank shares his insights, ideas and approaches to crafting a talk.

In this republication of one of my most popular episodes EVER on This Moved Me, Hank Fortener and I delve into HOW he creates talks week after week with the same kind of passion and intentionality that he brings to each talk. Hank is a talk-crafting master, thanks to the thousands of hours he has spent building and re-building talk after talk. In this slightly longer episode (I just couldn't cut anything!) - Hank shares his insights, ideas and approaches to crafting a talk.

So today's Mini Moved Me is all about two very simple ways you can break through that 4th wall and set a tone of connection with your audience.

1. Seek out the people in your audience who can bring the rest with them - and then share something together. For me, for years, it was finding the 7th grade boys who know how to do the worm. They do the worm, we cheer them on, and now we're buddies. Now we have a common connection.
2. And secondly, make sure you get out from the front table and make it your deal to get really curious about the people in the room. Get their advice, find out who they are and what they're thinking. (You will know based on more than just what they say, btw. Their body language will say it all.)

Two easy things. I've got a bunch more strategies - but this is supposed to be a "mini" moved me, so we'll have to say them for later.

And of course, you can check out the reminders I got from the Rob Bell experience a few weeks ago: Space, Resonance, Wisdom, and Co-Creation.