I competed in a dramatic speech contest in 8th grade. I chose to perform the old Abbott and Costello act, “Who’s on First,” and strangely enough, I decided to perform both parts. It pretty much went as you’d expect; it went badly. However, I walked away with something more valuable than a trophy, and it came in the form of 4 words written by one of the judges. “Good voice, try radio.”
Though I never tried radio, I assumed if I had a good voice, I should pursue public speaking, which lead me to become an award-winning member of the Southern Illinois University Speech team. Coupled with my Speech Communication major, I’ve been deeply attracted to the art of public speaking ever since.
Eventually, I became a State Farm Insurance corporate trainer, which was more fun than working at Disneyland™. In 2008, I started a presentation skills development training company, where I’ve helped thousands of insurance professionals, emerging leaders, leaders, engineers, students, and entrepreneurs develop powerful public speaking techniques that improve personal and organizational results.
I have seen firsthand where people fall short in public speaking, and how those deficiencies limit them, and the organizations they serve.
In 2023, I put my public speaking skills to the test by attempting to break the Guinness World Record™ for Most Speeches in 24 hours. Months after my attempt, I was certified by Guinness as the new record holder for delivering 32 speeches, breaking the old record by 2.
Click on the image to see a PDF of the article from GuinessWorldRecords.com:
I am the author of the book, Developing the Talented Public Speaker in You, which serves as our course text in the Present Like a Pro workshop.
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I also wanted to share a foundational principle I think anyone looking to excel in public speaking should follow… it’s not about you… it’s about your audience.
During my quest to become the Guinness World Record™ holder for Most Speeches in 24 hours, I came across 5 different audience members whose contributions and stories touched my heart. I vowed, if I ever break this record, I am going to track down each of them and get a picture of us together holding the Guinness World Record™ certificate. Those pictures are listed below.
