Archive for the 'Confidence Building' Category

Psst…hey you…yeah, you…do you want to know a secret about someone many people consider one of our country’s greatest public speakers? Okay, here goes…even though he was very eloquent and his words changed history, he often felt pangs of nervousness and anxiety when he stood up to speak. In fact, when he first began speaking, [...]

“Wow…how exciting! I never win anything!” That was Donna Katoke’s reaction when I told her she was the lucky winner of the Apple iPad drawing from our fall public seminar promotion. Donna is a graduate of our Encore! Elegant Skills for Powerful Presentations program.
As the Director of Workforce Development at the Department of Human Resources [...]

I once knew a man who had such a serious problem with mumbling that everyone called him ‘Mumbles.’ He spoke in his own private language, sounding as if his mouth was filled with a mixture of peanut butter, guacamole, and oatmeal. Sometimes you could understand the beginning of his sentence, but by the time he [...]

On Monday, September 21st, my business associate and friend Dawn Josephson received the call of a lifetime. “Hi Dawn…This is Karen from the White House. I’m calling to see if you and your son can attend an event with us this Wednesday the 22nd. President Obama will be in attendance, and he’d like you to [...]

I recently had lunch with a friend who I haven’t seen in a long time. It was a wonderful reunion and great to catch up with her. As we sat and talked I realized that my friend spent a great deal of time apologizing. Once I heard this pattern emerge I listened more carefully. Here’s [...]

I have been going to the same dentist for ten years but we’ve never discussed what I do for a living. In fact, every time I go I make it a point to get out of there as fast as I can. But on Monday we engaged in post-Thanksgiving chit chat, and I was delighted [...]

Part 2 of 2 
 
In Part 1 of this blog we talked about the importance of teaching children public speaking skills and using The Fun Theory to make the experience enjoyable and effective. The last thing anyone wants is to raise a child who suffers from glossophobia – the fear of public speaking. Today, as many as 75% [...]

I first understood the power of storytelling early in my career when I was an actor in a small children’s reader’s theater company called the Peanut Butter Readers. Our small troupe toured in schools and libraries throughout New England and Canada dramatizing classical and modern stories. One of our favorites was Where the Wild Things Are. I have a long history with this enchanting story and I’m looking forward to seeing it on the big screen this weekend.

I took a walk today at Lake Lagunitas, one of my favorite Marin County hiking spots. This lake is part of the Marin Municipal Water District and supplies good old tap water to our entire county. It is a beautiful spot—a hidden jewel of raw wilderness just a short drive from the bustling small towns [...]

I am pleased to announce that Donne Davis, founder of the GaGaSisterhood (“Where Grandmas bond, brag and benefit”), has won free attendance at our Encore! Elegant Skills for Powerful Presentations seminar that is occurring today and tomorrow, September 29 and 30 at the Crown Plaza Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto, CA.
 
Congratulations Donne for winning [...]