July was Freedom from Fear of Speaking Month and to celebrate, I invited a team of speaking experts to share their best tips and tricks for improving your speaking skills and overcoming speaking anxiety.
Wow! There was a lot of great information shared over the last 31 days. My guest experts shared their best tips, their personal stories, and some very sound advice. Not only was there a wealth of information on how to overcome your fear of speaking, but there was also content that provided tips for becoming a better speaker and also how to take your speaking into a more professional realm, should you chose to do so.
I feel so blessed to have attracted so many amazing speakers and experts into my life and for this event. Some let their fun side out. Some let their client-only secrets out. They were all generous, so I hope that you found their contributions helpful.
Was there something you particularly enjoyed or learned during Speaking Palooza 2019? Please share in a comment below!
Were you inspired to make changes, move forward or in some way take action to move further along in your Public Speaking Superhero Quest? I encourage you to write those things down, now, while you’re thinking of it. Here is a simple planner to help you do that. Refer to this planner often — at least every three months — so you can evaluate your progress and make adjustments to your plan as you go.
To refresh your memory, here is a cliffs notes version of the month-long event, with links back to each post.
July 1: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking: The Ultimate Guide
Article by Carma Spence
As the title of this post suggests, the content is pretty epic. In writing it, I was so surprised about the wide variety of options you have to help you overcome a fear of speaking. Some work from the inside out, others from the outside in. If you can’t find something that helps you in this post, I’d be flabbergasted!
Read more…
~ Carma Spence
(Tweet this.)
July 2: Get To the True Point and Speak with Greater Ease
Video by Joel Schwartzberg
Guest expert and Featured Speaker Joel Schwartzberg shared his one true point — how to get to yours! So many people struggle with identifying their underlying message, yet Joe shared a simple way to gain clarity around your point quickly and surprisingly easily.
Watch here…
~ Joel Schwartzberg
(Tweet this.)
July 3: Knowing Your Worth & Public Speaking
Video by Souldancer
As the author of Pay Me What I’m Worth, Souldancer has decided opinions on how to discover and own your value. In this video, we discuss how honoring your value in the world will help you be a more confident speaker.
Watch here…
When you have these, it is much easier to speak before an audience with sincerity, authenticity, and grace.”
~ Carma Spence
July 4: How to Structure a Presentation
Video by Patricia Fripp
There are several options for structuring an effective speech. In this video, Patricia Fripp shares the three most common and effective.
Watch here…
and you have focused on your premise or central theme,
you are ready to learn how you organize content into a strong structure.”
~ Patricia Fripp
July 5: Flying in Formation: Public Speaking for the Timid
Article by Dan Kusnetzky
Knowledge has the power to overcome fear. In this article, Dan Kusnetzky shares some solid advice for developing a presentation that you can have confidence in.
Read more…
The first step is to examine what is really occurring to determine
if the threats to our own personal safety are real or the result of
our creative ability to prevent personal failure or rejection.
The next step is to learn more about the topic we’ve been asked to address.
Experts often point out that knowledge counters fear.”
~ Dan Kusnetzky
Be sure to download the Speaking Palooza Planner & Workbook
so you remember all the a-ah moments you had and create a plan
for implementing them in your life and business.
July 6: My Best Speaking Tip
Video by Diane Conklin
The advice of “practice, practice, practice” isn’t sexy, but it is sound. In this video, Diane Conklin shares her personal take on practicing for a presentation.
Watch here…
so you become so comfortable with your talk that nothing can throw you off your game.”
~ Diane Conklin
July 6: Facebook Premiere: Three Actions You Can Take to Overcome Your Fear of Speaking
Video by Carma Spence
As I mentioned earlier, there are myriad techniques you can use to overcome the fear of speaking. In this video, I shared my favorite three. You can view an edited for YouTube version on this page.
Watch here…
~ Carma Spence
July 7: How to Connect with Native Ears by Non-native Tongue?
Article by Kailas Girase
Can you imagine the speaking anxiety you would feel if you had to give a speech in a language that was not your first one? In this post, Kailas Girase shares his tips on how to address that level of speaking anxiety.
Read more…
~ Kailas Girase
(Tweet this.)
July 8: The Best Content to Talk about as a Speaker
Video by Odette Peek
Many people struggle with what to talk about in their speeches. In this video, Odette Peek shares a simple framework for figuring out what to talk and how to develop a good speech from that content.
Watch here…
~ Odette Peek
July 9: How to Get Speaking Engagements
Article by Wendy Kinney
Once you’ve overcome the fear of speaking, you may decide to branch out and actively seek speaking gigs. But how do you do that? In this post, Wendy Kinney shares her step-by-step process.
Read more…
~ Wendy Kinney
(Tweet this.)
July 10: Don’t begin your Speech with an Open!
Article by Maurice DiMino
How you start your presentation colors how your audience perceives the rest of the presentation. However, so many people don’t actually know where to start or how to lead into their message the right way. In this post, Maurice DiMino shares his personal take on how to solve this dilemma.
Read more…
~ Maurice DiMino
Be sure to download the Speaking Palooza Planner & Workbook
so you remember all the a-ah moments you had and create a plan
for implementing them in your life and business.
July 11: The Psychology of Public Speaking: 3 Tips (& 3 Spoilers)
Article by Ryan Van Cleave
Understanding the psychology of your audience can help you prepare a more effective speech. In this post, Ryan Van Cleave shares lessons he’s learned about people through his many years of speaking experience.
Read more…
—and the more I got to like and appreciate public speaking—
the more I found value in pondering Big Idea issues.”
~ Ryan Van Cleave
July 12: Be Authentically You
Video by Steve Gamlin
Authenticity is one of the three main characteristics of effective and successful speakers. In this video, Steve Gamlin shares his thoughts on the importance of being authentically you on the stage. He includes some tips on how to do that, as well.
Watch here…
~ Steve Gamlin
July 13: 14 Tips to Grow Your Business While Finding Joy with the RIGHT Public Speaking
Article by Shel Horowitz
In this article, Shel Horowitz shares 12 tips on giving the talk and two bonus tips on getting gigs.
Read more…
~ Shel Horowitz
July 13: Twitter Chat: Ask Me Anything … about public speaking
With Carma Spence
Hosting a live Twitter chat is an interesting — and frustrating — experience. In this post, I gathered together the questions and answers in a coherent order.
Read more…
~ Carma Spence
July 14: Learning to Speak Up: An Interview with Sabrina Schottenhamel
Article by Carma Spence
Not everyone is born with the innate desire to be a speaker. But, like so many things in live, the speaking bug can bite pretty much anyone. In this interview, Sabrina Schottenhamel shares her journey from extremely shy child to growing a speaking business.
Read more…
~ Sabrina Schottenhamel
July 15: Is there a formula for a great talk?
Video by Davide DiGiorgio
There are a lot of “gurus” selling their “winning formula” for a great talk. But is there really a winning template that you can use to be a great speaker? In this video, Davide DiGiorgio share his — rather contrarian — views on the topic.
Watch here…
you come across as contrived and the audience misses out on your amazing speaking superpowers.”
~ Davide DiGiorgio
Be sure to download the Speaking Palooza Planner & Workbook
so you remember all the a-ah moments you had and create a plan
for implementing them in your life and business.
July 16: Voice, Presence and Public Speaking
Article by Dr. Elizabeth Carter
Your voice affects how people perceive your presentation. In this pots, Dr. Elizabeth Carter shares an excerpt from first book on leadership, in which she talks about how to “Put Your Best Voice Forward.”
Read more…
then we must make sure our words are clear, concise, and confident.”
~ Dr. Elizabeth Carter
July 17: How to Overcome Speaking Anxiety in 10 Minutes or Less
Video by Dana Pharant
Dana Pharant, a former Dominatrix and current Badass Business Coach, is not your ordinary mentor. In this video she shares her unqie outlook on fear and how to overcome it with a simple — and quick — mindset retraining technique.
Watch here…
~ Dana Pharant
July 18: How To Be a Better Public Speaker
Video by Kelly Swanson
Kelly Swanson, author of The Story Formula: Connect and Engage through the Power of Strategic Storytelling, shares her best tips on how to be a better speaker in both video and text.
Watch here…
~ Kelly Swanson
(Tweet this.)
July 19: Storytelling Secrets: Other People’s Stories
Article by Mark Davis
We all know that storytelling is an important speaking tool, right? But what if you don’t think you have your own stories to tell that are relevant to your presentation? It is possible to use other people’s stories. In this post, Mark Davis shares his advice on how to find and use other people’s stories in your speeches.
Read more…
These make the stories compelling.”
~ Mark Davis
July 20: Getting Paid Bookings
Video by Cindy Ashton
My good friend Cindy Ashton has been a consummate professional speaker for a long time. Now she helps others hone their skills and share their message to the right audiences. In this video, she shares her best advice on how to get paid speaking gigs.
Watch here…
~ Cindy Ashton
Be sure to download the Speaking Palooza Planner & Workbook
so you remember all the a-ah moments you had and create a plan
for implementing them in your life and business.
July 21: Eye Contact
Article by Christine Maier
Sometimes you can “know” something without really “knowing” something. In this post, Christine Maier shares an experience that really brought home how important eye contact with your audience really is.
Read more…
making connections in person can be intimidating at times.”
~ Christine Maier
July 22: How To Be an Authentic Speaker
Video by Norma Hollis
Yes, another expert is talking about authenticity — its that important. In this video, Norma Hollis shares not only why authenticity is important, but how to really bring it out when speaking.
Watch here…
Because they can read right through inauthenticity.”
~ Norma Hollis
July 23: Narrative Storytelling: An interview with Maria Ross
Article by Carma Spence
In this interview, Maria Ross reveals the elements of a good story and how you can also apply them when speaking.
Read more…
~ Maria Ross
July 24: Speaking Is Like Riding a Bike
Article by Mikael Hugg
Are you shy? Then you’ll want to read Mikael Hugg’s contribution to Speaking Palooza 2019. He shares his journey from shy youth to professional speaker.
Read more…
~ Mikael Hugg
July 25: A Caveman’s Guide to Public Speaking: Fight, Flight or Freeze
Video by Alyson Connolly
It is natural to feel some anxiety when getting up to speak. Our brains are hardwired to feel fear in unknown or uncertain situations. In this video, Alyson Connolly shares how the fear reaction developed and how to overcome it.
Watch here…
~ Alyson Connolly
Be sure to download the Speaking Palooza Planner & Workbook
so you remember all the a-ah moments you had and create a plan
for implementing them in your life and business.
July 26: The 4-Word Secret to Confident Speaking
Video by Dr. Laura Sicola
Becoming a more confident speaker could be just one mindset shift away. In this video, Dr. Laura Sicola shares her advice on how to make that shift and become a better speaker quickly.
Watch…
~ Dr. Laura Sicola
July 27: Knowing How This Fear Started Won’t Help, Taking Action Will
Article by Marla Genova
Have you ever thought to yourself, “If I only knew why I was afraid of public speaking, I could overcome it.” In this post, Marla Genova shares why this might be a misguided path to fearless speaking.
Read more…
If you’re defining yourself by your past, you’re going to create more of your past.”
~ Marla Genova
July 27: YouTube Premiere: Fear-Free: 11 Ways to Overcome Your Fear
Video by Carma Spence
As I’ve mentioned before, there are numerous ways to overcome fear. In this video, I share 11 of them.
Watch here…
~ Carma Spence
(Tweet this.)
July 28: Are You Camera Shy? How To Get Over Your Fear of Being on Video [Ultimate Guide]
Article by Carma Spence
Video has become such an integral part of daily life, so it is not surprising that it is also an incredibly valuable tool for marketing yourself and your business. However, many entrepreneurs don’t leverage this tool because of a fear of being on camera. In this post, I help you understand that fear and how to overcome it.
Read more…
~ Carma Spence
July 29: 10 Top Tips for Making Speeches
Article by Max Atkinson
In this post, Max Atkinson, author of Speech Making and Presentation Made Easy, shares his best tips for giving good speeches.
Read more…
~ Max Atkinson
July 30: Stunning Presentations Require Stunning Slides
Article by Trevor Perry
Don’t distract your audience from your message with bad slides. In this post, Trevor Perry shares his simple three tips for creating stunning slides that support your presentation.
Read more…
~ Trevor Perry
July 31: Would You Really Rather Be Dead Than Do Public Speaking?
Article by Felicia Slattery
Speaking is a skill you can learn, which means the fear of public speaking can be overcome. In this post, Felicia Slatter shares three practical ways to get over your fear and start speaking to advance your career or business.Read more…
~ Felicia Slattery
(Tweet this.)
Be sure to download the Speaking Palooza Planner & Workbook
so you remember all the a-ah moments you had and create a plan
for implementing them in your life and business.
My guests weren’t the only ones having fun putting on this event. I got to exercise my creative muscles with some promotional videos that brought joy to my heart to create. I hope you enjoyed them, too. If you missed any, I’ve posted them below for your enjoyment.
Share Speaking Palooza 2019 to Win Prizes!
Discover the fabulous prizes and learn how to enter here. Contest ends August 3, 2019.
About Carma Spence
Award-winning speaker and bestselling author of Public Speaking Super Powers, Carma Spence knows that introverted and shy people can be decent speakers. She is fiercely committed to helping her clients unleash their inner content creation superhero and confidently communicate their message so that they can create a meaningful legacy. She helps them see what is possible and guides them on the journey from where they are to where they want to be, Vanquishing Mind Goblins along the way.
Her strength and courage were hard-won. She has survived an abusive marriage; an attack by her boyfriend; and being hit by a car (three separate times). This mix of experiences makes Carma a good mentor to those struggling with owning their gifts.