The entire audience immediately broke into laughter. The speaker had quickly completed his first objective to capture our attention. His message of embracing change was inspiring, expertly presented, and probably exactly what the company wanted us to hear, but I was paying closer attention to the mechanics of the talk. I took note of what the speaker said and did that invoked laughter from my fellow professionals. I paid attention to the different components of his speech like the tone and pitch of his voice, his body language, how well it matched up with every individual point he was making, and how his ability to make eye contact well enough that seemed to make me feel like he was talking to me personally. This speaker was different from all the others I had heard, and I began to realize that it was his collection of personalized techniques like using the milk crate that had the power to separate great speakers from the rest.
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with ideas and a craving for more information about speaking. After the final applause, my coworkers all headed back to their respective cubicles. I, however, made my way against the flow of people to the stage. I wanted to have just a few minutes with the speaker to let him know how much I enjoyed it and how much I had learned. I waited patiently while he took the time to shake hands and converse with all the appropriate people. Very aware that something in my mind had shifted during the course of this man's presentation. You see, up until that moment, I had little clarity regarding my career and personal goals. I knew I wanted to accomplish things like everybody else. I knew I wanted to do something meaningful. Everybody wants that too, but I also knew that I wasn't there yet.
When he had finished with management, he made his way over to me. I thanked him for the inspiring talk and then confessed that I wanted to do what he does. I asked him if he would mind sharing one tip that could help move me in the direction of becoming a professional speaker. His advice, find mentors. He told me to seek out those who were already doing what I was dreaming of doing and to network with them. He said to write to them, attend their talks, and if appropriate, buy them a coffee or a lunch in exchange for one or two tips that had helped them while they were building their successful speaking business. By the time I left that room, the seed of an idea had taken root and from that moment forward, I believe there was a way for me to have a fulfilling professional life as a speaker.
I wasn't exactly sure what to do next or how to do it. All I knew for sure was that I had just met my first mentor and now I was on my way to doing what he was doing using knowledge, wit, wisdom, enthusiasm and humor to inspire and motivate nearly 150 adults all at one time. For the next several years, I set out to find local speakers to connect with. I attended their talks and learned what I could about their businesses. I found myself suddenly more aware of speakers and their presentations at work in the community and on television. Sunday morning worship services at my church had now changed for me. I found myself glued to the pastor's sermon, watching his every move and listening closely to how it was constructed. I bought coffee or lunch for any speaker who would give me the time of day, those with lots of experience and even those just starting out.
One of the most memorable cups of coffee I ever bought was for national radio talk show host Phil Valentine. In addition to being a sought after keynote speaker, he has written several books, has appeared on television and movies and is on the list of the 100 most influential radio talk show hosts of all time. At the time of this writing, he was also ranked number 39 on the heavy hundred list according to Talkers Magazine. I had the honor of meeting Phil while I was hosting my own weekend radio show at the Clear Channel WLAC Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. We met for breakfast at the world famous Pancake Pantry restaurant on 21st Avenue, Nashville, and I had the privilege of asking him many questions about being a speaker as well as a radio show host. Phil generously shared many tips and ideas with me, but the one thing he really emphasized was that whether you are a radio show host or a speaker, it's the passion you bring into your work that will have the greatest impact on your audience.
In Ian Hollander's book, Passion: How to Do What You Love for a Living and Wake Up the World With
Your Work, he describes what passion is. He writes, "The truth is passion is such a personal thing, an intimate exercise in expressing your authentic self. I believe whatever it is that burns brightly in you that you'd love to get up every day and do is simply waiting to wake up." Maybe you've had an experience that awakened your desire and ignited your passion to stand up and share something meaningful. Now you're reading this book so you can learn how to share what burns brightly inside of you with others. One of the first tips I have to share with you as you start your journey is the knowledge that it is absolutely possible to grow your business without quitting your day job. In the book Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job and Your Dream Job, author John Acuff advises launching your dream job or business while you're still employed.
He points out several reasons for taking this approach. It avoids freaking out your spouse and putting your marriage in peril. It sidesteps the financial risk of starting a new business and possibly destroying your dream and your life in the process, and it eliminates the loss of leverage created by conflicts between your new venture and the security of your everyday life. A speaking business really is one of those career shifts that can easily be started while maintaining full-time employment. This book is written to provide a step-by-step guide for taking your desire and passion and building them into a successful speaking career. It doesn't matter whether you are an absolute beginner, a gifted amateur, or a seasoned professional. This book is full of information, strategies and techniques you can use to get started or to enhance and expand the toolbox of techniques you already have. These are the steps I used to start my speaking career and I've loved my job ever since.
The short, bald-headed man who used the milk crate to create humor when he started his presentation was actually a man by the name of Alan Parise. At the time that I wrote this book, I could not remember his name, although I did remember his presentation. And then about a year or two after I published this book, Alan and I actually crossed paths and Alan is a professional speaker from the West Coast and he runs a speaker's coach camp and you can find out more about Alan at parisse.com, that's www.parisse.com and he spells Parise P-A-R-I-S-S-E.
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