WHAT UP GREENBLASTERS.
Lemme tell you about my DAY yesterday.
TL;DR:
I ran a 3-hour Networking workshop for around 60 people
I ran a 90-minute version of my Powerful Pitch webinar
I ran 4× 30-minute “coaching round-tables” for ~10 people each
I’m fucking WIPED today.
Me between event 2 and 3 yesterday 🥲
I can barely type this, because of how slow my brain feels.
There were SO many gems from yesterday, that I can’t possibly share them all here.
(I’m gonna slow-drip them to you over the next couple weeks, like a coffee percolator of public speaking wisdom into your brain-pot.)
(Is this metaphor too weird?)
But the main lesson I is one I talk about often, and needs it’s own Greenblast, you can all learn how to perform at your best onstage, no matter how long or arduous your day is:
Speaking takes stamina
The reason I was able to do those 3 different events yesterday, and do them well, is because:
I’ve built an insane amount of SPEAKING STAMINA over my years as an actor, teacher, & public speaking coach.
(I’m totally tooting my own horn. But it’s true)
The reason I say this is to help you appreciate the fact that:
The physical and mental energy it takes to hold the attention of a room needs training. A lot of training.
The good news? The training is simple (if not easy):
Read out loud, a lot.
Sing a lot (yes, even if you “can’t sing”)
Exercise a lot.
And get up onstage a lot.
Let’s go over them one by one, why they’re important, and what to keep in mind while doing these:
Read out loud
Reading out loud for speakers is like running for soccer players:
i.e.: it’s probably the single most important exercise you can do other than the thing itself.
By grabbing some piece of text:
a paragraph from a book
a newspaper article
a LinkedIn caption
the back of a cereal box for fucks sake
You can work on the “mind-mouth” connection that it takes to say, out loud, what is in your brain.
Best practices:
Speak LOUDLY and CLEARLY
Practicing exaggerating your emotions
Repeat any places you stumble
Stand up and move around
Use your free hand to gesture, and switch hands
Sing
“But Will, I hate singing.”
Find a YouTube vocal coach, and do one of their “follow-along vocal warmups.”
This will help build all the strength and openness you need to haver a rich, warm, multifaceted and powerful voice.
Best practices:
Listen to the YouTube coaches. They’re the experts here.
Do this every day for a week, and see how you feel.
Try it before a call or meeting (thank me later).
Exercise
“But Will, I hate exercising!”
Ok, I’m sure very few of you would actually say this, because:
Almost everyone I talk to knows the value of regular exercise, especially those of us who sit at a laptop all day, hunched over like Mr Burns.
So, lemme give you a specific recommendation:
YOGA.
breath capacity
body awareness
emotional regulation (works against stage fright)
“movement smoothness”
coordination
“groundedness” (ability to connect to the floor)
Best practices:
Do this daily.
Or as close to it as possible.
That’s all.
And finally:
Get up onstage
Volunteer to do a presentation at work.
Sign up for a pitch competition, like this one in Toronto.
Do stand up at an open mic night, like this.
Join Toastmasters if you have to (as a last resort lol).
Get up there, and get your reps in.
All of this will massively improve your PUBLIC SPEAKING STAMINA, leading to better performances, and increased capacity for being onstage.
Use it please. I love you all.
That’s it! Please reply HUMAN if you see this, I get so lonely over here 🥲
Greenblast… out 🚀
