Public Speaking for Leaders and Professionals Colin Ryan

A true story to remind you that we’re all pretending!

Key Ideas:


What will be your next “15 feet of courage?”
Public speaking is not about being perfect, it’s about creating a connection with your audience.
The skill of connection belongs in our work, on our teams, in our relationships and in our relationship with ourselves.
Next time you speak, don’t focus on getting every word right. Focus on understanding your audience and saying something that will create a genuine connection with them.

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Do you have a speaking opportunity coming up? Would you like to feel amazing after your next talk? Download our free guide at speaknextweek.com or speak to Colin personally to get a free recommendation on what you can do next to become a stronger public speaker.

Did you know that MOST people are used to NEVER being listened to. There's a reason for this: most of us never took a class or training on HOW to listen well. Well I took a 2-day listening training, and I'll sum it up for you in a few minutes (saving you a lot of time, you're welcome!)As you become a better listener, your world and your career opens up in a really remarkable ways, you learn a lot more, and you make other people feel amazing so then they listen better too!

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Want more resources to help you be a better public speaker? Go to www.speaknextweek.com

For me, doing stand-up comedy 10 years was a great tool to be a better communicator. And it also taught me a trick that's great for you to help boost your confidence.

I call it "open mic-ing." Whether the thing that's intimidating you is public speaking, speaking up in meetings, raising your profile, or recording yourself on video to send with emails, this trick will help you get more comfortable FAST!

This will help you say yes to more speaking opportunities, even when it feels scary. And speed up your progress using a trick I call "open mic-ing" as a way to practice and improve.

⁠I still use this trick to get confident at new things (like posting videos on social media), because I still struggle with perfectionism and self-doubt, and I always will. So you're not alone! And why should that stop you from reaching your goals and amplifying your voice? It shouldn't!

Did you know that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a deep struggle with depression and suicidal tendencies throughout his life? I did not. I want to share this with you, including an amazing clip from his final speech, and share what I've learned about how our mental health challenges make us better leaders and public speakers!



From the episode: "As a leader, in your life there are people who you lead, people who you serve, people who you love; those people need all parts of you. Not just your confidence but your vulnerability too.

They need you to manage your own mental health so you can show up for them. And you need that too. And more importantly, you deserve that!"



Article Link: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Depression and Empathy That Contributed to His Humanity

MLK's final Speech: "I Have Been the Mountaintop" 3-minute video clip

I've loved movies since I was a kid, and loved recapping them others who haven't seen them yet. It's where I first learned how to be a storyteller!

And how I learned 2 keys to telling good stories: know your audience and pick one scene not the whole thing!

Stories engage your audience because you're being real with them and we all love stories. But stories also engage you in what you're saying because you're no longer being "business-y" or overly polished - you're just being yourself and sharing something you're passionate about!

From Colin -- I've been a fan of Diana Kander ever since I read All In Startup back in 2014. Her latest book is all about pitching and presenting, and she actually charts out the proven flow of a pitch that is surprising, memorable and gets you the deal. This book taps into so many thing I consult with leaders on, I had to have her on to share Diana and her book with you!



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~5:00 The Mug Moment!



~7:00 The Forgetting Curve “Our research revealed that within an hour the audience forgets 50% of what you said, within a week they forget 90%. If you want them to remember more than 10% (which might not even be the 10% you want them to remember) you have to spike their emotions during the presentation.”



~21:00 The importance of being a lifelong learner… “Think of something you’re awesome at, and I challenge you to go read a book on it and not 5 things you can be doing even better. That’s how we grow. As soon as you’re satisfied, you start stagnating.”



~24:00 Colin and Diana talk about our initial exploratory/sales calls, and what we’ve both learned about how most people make this pitch in the wrong order.



~26:00 mark, there's a really cool little moment where Diana clearly thinks of something she wants to say and she swallows it to keep listening!! All kinds of meta.



~28:00 Diana offers YOU the listener, unprompted, a special surprise gift!



You can find Go Big Or Go Home, by Diana Kander and Tucker Trotter, ⁠on Amazon⁠ and at ⁠DianaKander.com⁠.



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Colin Ryan is a humorous financial speaker who partners with universities and businesses to help more people manage money and achieve financial success.



More about Colin at: https://www.colinryanspeaks.com



Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/colinryanspeaks