The Mike Drop Moment

Mike Ganino

How do you tell your story? Own the stage? Give a killer speech that captivates the audience? Use the power of public speaking to boost my brand? These are the kinds of questions that leading public speaking + storytelling coach, Mike Ganino, plunges into on The Mike Drop Moment. The Mike Drop Moment is that space where you show up unapologetically you and say the exact thing that your audience needs to hear to have an aha moment. It’s that moment when everyone is in awe of your authenticity. It’s that moment that every public speaker, storytelling, and entrepreneur craves when they hit the stage. Mike brings you bold conversations with public speaking powerhouses, expert advice from personal development leaders, and mini public speaking + storytelling masterclasses to give you real-life valuable takeaways so you can craft a speech, a story, a business, and a life that the world can’t stop talking about. Discover why Fortune 500 CEOs, TEDx speakers, bestselling authors, and 7-figure entrepreneurs turn to Mike Ganino to find their voice, tell their story, and create a movement. Your audience is waiting. Isn’t it time to find your #mikedropmoment?

  1. 01/29/2025

    51: Behind the Scenes of "Make a Scene": Stories, Tears, and Celebration

    This week, I’m inviting you into a truly special moment—the Make a Scene book launch party! We celebrated in style here at the Mic Drop Method World Headquarters in Los Angeles with friends, family, clients, and colleagues. There was sangria, a red carpet, and so much love in the room for this book, and I’m thrilled to share part of the experience with you. In this episode, you’ll hear: A live reading from the book (including the emotional dedication to my daughter, Viviana).Stories behind the book’s creation—like how an E.T. backpack at the airport gave me the sign I needed to keep a chapter.The evolution of Make a Scene through multiple drafts and plenty of late nights.Why this book isn’t just for keynote speakers but for anyone who’s ever been told they’re too much, too quiet, or just not enough.This book—and this party—are about celebrating your voice, your story, and your power. I hope it inspires you to step up, speak out, and, of course, make a scene. Grab Your Copy of Make a Scene You can pick up the book at MikeGanino.com/books or wherever you love to shop for books. And if you’ve already read it, please leave a review! Reviews help get the book in front of more people, and I would be so grateful for your support. Episode Highlights: [00:02:00] Behind the scenes at the book launch: sangria, snacks, and celebrating with loved ones.[00:06:45] Reading the dedication to Viviana—cue the tears![00:10:30] The E.T. chapter: How storytelling connects us and why it almost didn’t make it into the book.[00:18:00] The book’s journey: discarded drafts, celebrity references gone wrong, and finding the perfect balance.[00:25:00] My favorite quotes in the book—from Taylor Swift to Lucille Ball—and why they inspired me.[00:30:15] The acknowledgements: A thank-you to everyone who stood by me and helped make this book a reality.Connect with Me: Website: MikeGanino.comInstagram: @MikeGaninoFacebook: Mike GaninoDon’t Forget to Subscribe & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, hit subscribe and leave a review! It means the world to me and helps more people find the podcast. Final Note: The stage is set, the spotlight is ready, and your audience is waiting. Let’s step up, speak out, and make our scenes together. Ready to step into your legend era as a public speaker? Get in touch! Join me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mikeganino Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

    30 min
  2. 01/16/2025

    50: Make A Scene: Behind the Book with Erin King

    This episode is something special. My good friend Erin King flips the script and takes over to celebrate the launch of my new book, Make A Scene: Storytelling, Stage Presence, and the Art of Being Unforgettable in Every Spotlight. This book is the culmination of years of coaching, performing, and helping people like you become unforgettable. In our conversation, Erin and I dive into: The rollercoaster process of writing Make A Scene, including the lessons learned from throwing out two completely finished versions.The Five Stage Languages—voice, verbal, physical, visual, and emotional—and how they can help you connect with any audience and make your message land.My Rapid Prototyping Protocol for rehearsing like a pro, balancing preparation with authenticity so you can own the stage.The deeper emotional work behind reclaiming your voice and showing up as your full self.Erin shares what it’s like to work with me as a client (spoiler: there were tears), and we discuss how every moment—on stage or in life—is an opportunity to make a scene. Timestamps: 01:14 Celebrating the Book Launch 02:17 Mike Ganino's Journey and Achievements 03:08 Challenges and Insights in Writing 17:43 The Five Stage Languages 25:35 Introduction to the Five Stage Languages 25:59 The Revolutionary Rehearsal Process 27:21 Rapid Prototyping Protocol 35:40 Staying Active in the Scene 41:37 Reclaiming Your Voice 52:22 Final Thoughts and Acknowledgements Links and Resources: 🎉 Order Make A Scene📖 Learn more about my work: mikeganino.com🤝 Support Baby2Baby: baby2baby.org – A portion of proceeds from this launch is going to support vulnerable children affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.💡 Follow Erin King for more insights: ErinKing.comKey Quotes from the Episode: “Nothing happens if we can’t communicate. The best ideas don’t always win—the best-communicated ones do.” – Mike Ganino“Rehearsal isn’t about memorizing words; it’s about embodying meaning.” – Mike Ganino“Energy doesn’t lie. When you do the work to uncover your voice, people feel it.” – Erin KingTake Action: Grab your copy of Make A Scene and start making your mark in every spotlight.Share your favorite moments from the book on social media using #MakeAScene.Leave a review on Amazon and help this book reach more people ready to show up and shine.This isn’t just a podcast episode—it’s an invitation to step into your power as a communicator, storyteller, and human. Tune in, take notes, and let’s make some scenes together. 🎙️✨ Ready to step into your legend era as a public speaker? Get in touch! Join me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mikeganino Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

    54 min
  3. 03/01/2023

    49: Long Story Short with Margot Leitman

    In this episode, we talk about storytelling from all perspectives -- how to find your story, how to shape the story, and what it takes to tell it on stage. My guest this episode is Margot Leitman. Margot Leitman is an award-winning storyteller, best-selling author, speaker and teacher originally from Matawan, New Jersey. A leading expert in the growing field of storytelling, Leitman has written two books on the subject: the best-selling, Long Story Short- the Only Storytelling Guide You'll Ever Need and her latest What’s Your Story? A Workbook For the Storyteller in All of Us both from Sasquatch Books.  Her comedic memoir, Gawky…Tales of an Extra Long Awkward Phase is available from Seal Press/ Perseus Books. ​ She has written for NBC, DreamWorks TV, the Hallmark Channel and the PixL Network and a variety of print and online sources including Cosmo and Backstage Magazine. In 2016 she worked as the west coast story scout for This American Life. Margot is a five-time winner of The Moth StorySLAM, and was the Moth GrandSLAM winner in New York City achieving the series' first ever score of a perfect 10. Her stories have been featured on NPR's  “The Moth Podcast,” “Good Food," “Unfictional,” "Strangers," and is a frequent contributor to the popular podcast “RISK!" Leitman is the founder of the storytelling program at the UCB Theatre, where she has performed in dozens of shows over the years and is a frequent monologist at their flagship show "Asssscat." Margot travels all over the world as a public speaker, storyteller and teacher. Internationally she has performed and taught at the SPOKEN FEST in Mumbai, India as well as a six-week teaching residency at the Blue Room Theatre in Australia. In her spare time Leitman is an amateur baker, avid yogi and a devoted bibliophile. A proud graduate of the Ithaca College Theatre Department, Leitman now resides in Los Angeles. Links https://www.margotleitman.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/margotleitman/ Books Long Story Short https://amzn.to/3m8XmM9 What’s Your Story https://amzn.to/3SzgDCF Ready to step into your legend era as a public speaker? Get in touch! Join me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mikeganino Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

    47 min
  4. 01/18/2023

    44: Transformational Training with Maggie Bayless from ZingTrain

    In this episode, I chat with Maggie Bayless – Founder of ZingTrain, about her entrepreneurial journey of 30 years where she has built training organization that's delivered for hundreds of organizations, including banking, real estate, health care, manufacturing and non-profits. Maggie’s entrepreneurial journey taught her how to turn failures into positives, or at least how to look deeper and say, “What's the lesson here? How can we improve, improvise, make something different?” Her decades of running a training and seminar-based business shaped the cultural impact of training and seminars on every organization she worked with. From workshop design to making sure that when someone leaves the room, that they are actually improved afterwards. Maggie brings an honesty to her training that people appreciate by saying, “This is what we do, this is what's working, this is what's not working. Here are some things we've tried that didn't work. Here are some things that aren't working as well as we'd like them to be, but we think are important and we're continuing to push on.” Find out more about Maggie IG: https://www.instagram.com/zingtrain/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/ZingTrain/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zingtrain-zingermans-training-inc/ Web: https://www.zingtrain.com Ready to step into your legend era as a public speaker? Get in touch! Join me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mikeganino Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

    50 min
4.9
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

How do you tell your story? Own the stage? Give a killer speech that captivates the audience? Use the power of public speaking to boost my brand? These are the kinds of questions that leading public speaking + storytelling coach, Mike Ganino, plunges into on The Mike Drop Moment. The Mike Drop Moment is that space where you show up unapologetically you and say the exact thing that your audience needs to hear to have an aha moment. It’s that moment when everyone is in awe of your authenticity. It’s that moment that every public speaker, storytelling, and entrepreneur craves when they hit the stage. Mike brings you bold conversations with public speaking powerhouses, expert advice from personal development leaders, and mini public speaking + storytelling masterclasses to give you real-life valuable takeaways so you can craft a speech, a story, a business, and a life that the world can’t stop talking about. Discover why Fortune 500 CEOs, TEDx speakers, bestselling authors, and 7-figure entrepreneurs turn to Mike Ganino to find their voice, tell their story, and create a movement. Your audience is waiting. Isn’t it time to find your #mikedropmoment?