A special contributor to The Tribune Newspapers, writer Richard Asa, contacted me recently. He was writing an article on fear of public speaking at family events, such as weddings and funerals. I shared some ideas that I thought might be valuable. Public speaking when the public is family can produce anxiety for some people. Many of…
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“Has anyone ever been in prison?” These were the words that opened W Mitchell’s talk to NSA Houston Chapter in September 2010. Words spoken quietly in a voice vibrating from deep within his chest. Words not spoken immediately. W Mitchell wheeled himself to the center of the staging area, sat deeply into his wheelchair and…
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My webmaster Kenan Branam happens to be a thought leader about the internet and the future of humanity. He is always trying to make sense of the world and how we humans live in it. This cold drizzly Houston morning in December we chatted about a new program I am creating called Your Life…
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Storytelling is the way to capture attention, engage listeners, free your self-expression, persuade listeners and make your ideas stick. I believe that storytelling is the most valuable presentation skill you can learn. My friend Doug Stevenson is a master at teaching storytelling for business purposes. Doug has written a definitive article on how to…
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Once in a while, an idea comes along which changes all the other ideas that I am teaching. I met that idea this week at The UP Experience in Houston. Among the cadre of sixteen awesome speakers, who were all thought leaders in their fields, was Dr. Brené Brown. Dr. Brené Brown is a writer, researcher,…
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By now you know that I believe in telling stories to make talks interesting, engaging and compelling. Did you also know that telling your story relaxes and calms you, and it frees your body to express more naturally and creatively? I used to think that I did not have any stories to…
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Sean Buvala at storyteller.net has written an awesome post on using stories for apologies and healing. He says that “Storytelling can be used for many different applications. One of the most difficult, but needed, application of storytelling is to express reconciliation, repentance and recompense.” Sean lists five steps that help create a story of redemption:…
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When you want to compel attention and help people change their thinking, use the element of mystery in your speaking. Mystery is a story that takes your listeners on a journey to solve a problem or improve a situation. The clue to a mystery is “Huh? Ahh!” Try saying these two sounds aloud. Make the sound “Huh?”…
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This story is about the importance of sharing your gift even when you are afraid. Gabe is a young woman with a neuromuscular disease. As a child she was bullied in school. She became despondent about life. Her parents got her a dog, Izzy. As time passed, Izzy developed a similar disease. Gabe nurtured Izzy and…
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I’d like to tell you a story. It’s a story that helps people see what is different about the Zimmer Method for presentation, public speaking and performance. It’s a story about my client, Tyrone and his success. Tyrone Moncriffe is a criminal defense attorney who was one of the first lawyers I trained. When…
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