Have you considered re-writing one of your previous stories? In today’s episode, Darren and Mark encourage you to examine your previous presentations with the goal of improving, enhancing, and re-writing. A re-write can elevate your content, enhance your performance, and most importantly amplify your impact. 

SNIPPETS:

• Great speeches aren’t written; they’re re-written

• Revisit previous presentations

• Watch videos of your speeches

• Review with a critical eye

• Identify what you did well, and areas for improvement

• Make review and re-write part of your routine

• Put ‘WORLD CLASS TIME’ on your calendar

• Start with one area…a story/idea/slide deck/segment

• Choose when to replace narration with dialog

• Examine characters and decide: ‘remove or remain?’

• Seek ways to enhance the audience’s experience

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

How do you find a balance between narration and dialog? NARRA-LOG! Like one of Mark and Darren’s clients, you may think, “That sounds like a NARROW LOG!” Today our co-hosts talk about bridging the gap between too much narration/not enough dialog…and vice versa…using that ‘narrow log.’ They give guidance on using both techniques effectively to build your unforgettable presentation.

SNIPPETS:

• Find the right balance between narration and dialog

• Look for key emotional shifts in your story

• You may need to reel in the dialog

• Avoid creating a soliloquy

• Don’t create a stage play

• Decide when narration serves best

• Choose two or three ‘dialog moments’

• In dialog, more than one character must speak or react

• Use dialog to increase conflict, show a revelation, and reveal the aftermath

• Reactions tell the story

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

Darren and Mark encourage their clients to review their scripts and ask, “How can I say this better with fewer words?” Today they discuss how having a better mindset can transform your presentation, improve your business, and make you unforgettable. 

SNIPPETS:

• Ask: What can I make, say, or do better?

• Re-evaluate your presentations, programs, and processes

• Revisit your digital footprint

• Cut superfluous content

• Consider the audience’s mindset

• Do a debrief

• Random comments can provide better options

• Find better marketing strategies

• Give your audience a better experience

• Build better relationships with clients and meeting planners

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

At some point, you may feel stuck in your business, doing the same thing over and over, without any measurable progress. Today Mark and Darren have an off-the-cuff discussion about ways to get breakthroughs on your path to becoming unforgettable. 

SNIPPETS:

• Reach your ‘enough is enough’ point

• Revisit your habits

• Adopt a new perspective

• Seek qualified help

• Find a mentor

• Be humble and sincere

• Be a sponge

• Join a mastermind

• Say ‘Yes’ when a pro offers to help

• Apply their advice

• Breakthroughs come from growth

Join us for Game Changers:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/workshops/game-changers-2025/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

We all want to get booked but we often lack the skills and knowledge to land the gig…on the best terms. Speaker bureau executive Jennifer Lier sits down with Darren and Mark to reveal the obstacles that keep you from getting booked, and the ‘must haves’ that will get you gigs and make you unforgettable. 

SNIPPETS:

• YOU are your company, brand, and product

• It’s hard for you to negotiate your own gigs

• Let your bureau be your advocate

• Bureaus will not seek you out

• Bureaus look for speakers delivering at 25-30 events annually

• Most bureaus look for speakers earning $7,500+ per speech

• Bureaus speakers with fees under $10K

• Treat the bureau as your partner

• Have non-branded marketing materials ready

• Have TWO shareable demo videos: 3-5 minutes and 30 minutes

• Have a website that aligns with your brand

• Bring the bureau a gig

• Give the bureau a reason to work with you

Check out Game Changers:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/workshops/game-changers-2025/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

To get more business, your prospects need to know you exist. Today, Mark and Darren talk with Hall-Of-Fame speaker and million-dollar business growth innovator Ford Saeks Ford offers practical, business building wisdom to help you get found, get seen, and get business. 

SNIPPETS:

• Be great on stage

• Master your craft

• Google yourself to see what your prospects see

• Have a solid digital footprint

• Use LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok

• Content is a commodity

• Don’t tie your identity to a delivery method

• Lead with benefits

• Help your audience to DISCOVER, UNCOVER and REVEAL

• It’s not about selling; it’s about serving

• Treat AI like an expert, monitor it as an intern

Discount Code: Ford20

Check Out Game Changers:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/workshops/game-changers-2025/

Your headshot is a critical component in your marketing material. So how do you look your best, and BE your best on camera? Darren and Mark get answers from Las Vegas-based celebrity photographer Jerry Metellus as they talk about the how and why of an unforgettable profile photo.

SNIPPETS:

• Amplify what already is

• Don’t be trapped in an image of what you think you should be

• Remember who you are

• Don’t become fake in front of the lens

• Maintain a positive demeanor

• When sitting for a photo, find the joy

• Your photo tells a story

• Your photo can be your ambassador

• Show up STRONG in your photo

• Let your brand show through you

• Interview potential photographers to make sure you are a good fit

Join us for Game Changers!

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/workshops/game-changers-2025/

A media interview is a wonderful opportunity to showcase your expertise and serve a broader audience. How can you get the opportunity, and what should you do to maximize that opportunity? In today’s episode, Mark and Darren talk with speaker, author and coach Pilar Ortiz, former TV reporter, news anchor, producer and director. Pilar gives sage advice for handling media interviews, staying top of mind with the media.   

SNIPPETS:

• Say ‘yes’ to the opportunity

• Prepare bullet points and practice out loud

• Be succinct and give short answers in soundbites

• Just answer the question and make it easy for the audience to

• Select THREE key nuggets

• Create a story for your interviewer

• Show the producer how your expertise and serve their audience

• Make your topic newsworthy

• Make yourself a resource by referring other experts

• Build relationships with media personnel

• Watch interviewers and familiarize yourself with their style

• Wear clothes that fit well

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

Your voice is your instrument, so how do you keep it in top shape? Today, Darren and Mark sit down with Millian Quinteros, a voiceover artist, audio producer, podcast consultant, and voice care/maintenance coach. Using his own story of struggling with vocal issues, Millian explains some common voice-care mistakes, and offers practical advice to help you keep your instrument well-tuned.   

SNIPPETS:

• The voice is the symphony of the heart

• Your voice tells people who you are

• Treat your voice like a professional

• Use vocal warm-ups and cool-downs

• Avoid alcohol and caffeine.

• If you partake, drink room temperature water at a 1:1 ratio

• Adopt proper posture when speaking

• Hum gently first thing in the morning

• Use diaphragmatic breathing in a steamy shower

• Hydration is key, with ROOM TEMPERATURE water

• When travelling, arrive at your destination a day early to acclimate

• Voice rest for a few hors can be very helpful

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com

Mark says, “One man’s mundane is another man’s magnificent.” We sometimes fail to see the magnificence in our stories because we’re too close to them. Today Darren and Mark explain why we may be too close, and suggest ways to broaden our perspective   

SNIPPETS:

• Start with a big block of clay

• We can be so close that we can’t identify the magnificent in our story

• Video-record yourself telling your story

• Present to a test audience

• Look at your story from the audience’s perspective

• Learn what your audience is thinking

• We can be too close to our favorite and signature stories

• Work with a qualified coach

• We can be so close that we miss ‘blind spots’

Work with Mark and Darren:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com/get-a-speaking-coach/

Check Out Stage Time University:

https://www.stagetimeuniversity.com