How to Write a Speech to Announce Layoffs
Delivering bad news about layoffs by any other means than face to face speech can be dangerous. I was an inspirational speaker for a franchise event where I learned that the CEO had laid people off via email only a week earlier. The crowd was still boiling with anger – and it was obvious. News, both good and […]
Top Motivational Speaker Meeting Energizers
This article was originally published on 1/18/13, but has since been updated with new and more relevant content. Meeting energizers boost enthusiasm and learning potential. Energizers are short activities designed to raise the energy levels of the group. They help people get to know each other, encourage team building, networking and learning. When audiences are sleepy […]
Delivering A Motivational Speech can be Awkward
Recently I gave a motivational speech for a safety conference in Ohio. After they read my introduction and called me up, I stumbled onto the stage, tripped over the microphone cord and landed on my knees. I stood up as over 1000 people stared at me with disbelief, concern and fear. As a motivational speaker, this is […]
How to Write a Service Industry New Hire Orientation Speech
Welcoming new staff members is critical to their success and buy-in to the job. Filled with anxiety, doubt and have lots of questions, new hires need direction and confidence that they are in the right place. Immediately put them at ease with an engaging motivational speech. The biggest mistake managers make with new hires is they jump […]
Adjust your Humor Style to your Audience
I was a motivational speaker for a large healthcare organization. Just before the speech, several staff members came up to me laughing under their breath suggesting I should poke fun of the CEO because he was passing gas in the coffee room. I asked, don’t you think he would be publicly offended? They unanimously reported that he, along […]
How to Handle Stage Fright
I have been a motivational speaker for over 15 years. One of the most common questions I hear is how do you handle stage fright or the anxiety and nervousness that comes from speaking in public. Nervousness and the fear that comes with it is not a welcome thing for anyone who performs in public. When you experience fear […]
Meeting Planners: How to Fill Up the Front Row
For over 15 years as a motivational speaker, I have observed audiences come early to an event so they can get the best seats in the house- at the back of the room. Obviously, you learn more, can see better and have more interaction from the front of the room. So why do people insist on sitting […]
Why Women Make Better Business Leaders
Career choices for women used to be limited; now women can do pretty much any job that men can. Why then are only 12 of the fortune 500 companies run by women? A compelling video created by the Online MBA, shows how the numbers confirm that women are not making it to the top and yet would […]
The Most Valuable Lesson You Can Teach a Girl
When I picked up my son from school, I stood next to the group of moms who flank the front door of the classroom to surround their kids when they emerge from school. I overheard a little girl run up to her mom crying. Through her sobs, she pointed and claimed a little boy threw sand in […]
Health & Wellness Motivational Speaker Jillian Michaels
Last night I was in the audience as health and wellness guru and motivational speaker Jillian Michaels give her motivational speech Maximize Your Life as part of her tour across North America. The event took place at the Jubilee auditorium in Calgary, Alberta. It was a fun night with my mom and my sister, which started with a fabulous meal at […]
