Interview on BlogTalk Radio

I'm being interviewed on the Passion Project show this morning at 9 am PST on BlogTalk Radio! If you don't catch the interview live (you can even call in with questions!), it will still be posted for you to access on the site (and below!).

Looking forward to sharing my passion for public speaking!

Do Nothing Day

As I'm celebrating "Do Nothing Day" today, I will leave you with some of my favorite silly and entertaining videos. If you can't take a day off, enjoy a couple of minutes of downtime with one of these. Have a great day!

Food Court Musical



Frozen Grand Central



Bill Gates' Last Day at Microsoft



OK Go -- treadmill dance

Let go of your ego

As speakers, we are often concerned with appearing perfect and flawless to our audiences. While we're focusing on ourselves and trying so hard to come across as witty, clever, brilliant and smooth, our egos are getting in the way of serving the audience.

Take a look at Lance Armstrong, 7-time winner of the Tour de France. How hard do you think it must be to take a back seat to a fellow rider? Whereas Lance is used to riding for the win, having his entire team support him, he just finished the Tour of California in the role of a domestique, a helper to teammate and Tour winner Levi Leipheimer.

For a competitive professional athlete who's used to being the star, it's hard to take a back seat to anyone. But an athlete in a team sport also realizes that there's a whole team working together, no matter who the star is.

As a speaker, you may feel like the star, but you are part of a team that includes your audience. Without an audience, there is no speaker. Without a speaker, there is no audience.

To be the most effective speaker and create a win-win situation where you get what you want (the audience to move on your call to action) and the audience gets what they want (relevant, useful, practical information), you must set your ego aside.

Play for the team, not just for yourself. That way, everybody wins.

5 ways to stop repeating the same mistakes

The other night I was having a conversation with a woman whose boss wants her whole department to get public speaking training. She doesn't believe she needs it because she never interacts with clients in person, only over the phone, and her communication is "fine."

My husband mentioned that his former boss asked him once if he had thought about taking golf lessons. My husband said, "No, I'm doing fine. I don't need any lessons."

His boss' reply: "You might be doing fine, but how do you know you're not just making the same mistakes over and over again?"

If you want to grow as a speaker, you have to keep practicing and you have to keep speaking to a variety of groups. There's no way around it. But you also have to evaluate yourself honestly and find ways to build on the skills you already have and keep improving, or else you will stagnate. You might be an "okay" or "fine" speaker, but you will never be a "great" speaker and possibly not even a "good" speaker.

Here are a couple of ways to find out how you're doing:

1. Get honest feedback

This is not as easy as it sounds. Especially if you're the boss! The people around you are most likely not going to want to criticize you, even constructively. Sometimes family members can be more honest than co-workers; after all, they have nothing to lose by telling you the truth!

A club like Toastmasters can be helpful for safe, encouraging feedback when you're just starting out, but keep in mind that clubs vary and that members can often be rigid about rules, and sometimes are not the best speaking role models themselves, especially the ones who never speak outside the club. (Here are two posts about Toastmasters that you should read before joining.)

2. Videotape yourself

Even if you can't get feedback from people you know, watching yourself on video will be an eye-opening experience. Watch the video at normal speed with sound, without sound, and fast-forwarded. You will discover all kinds of quirks and tics that you had no idea you were producing. Awareness is the first step to change.

3. Use anonymous evaluations

There are differing opinions on evaluations, and I've gone back and forth on the practice myself. (Here's a great compilation of responses on SpeakerNet News on how to handle negative evaluations.)

On the one hand, asking the audience what they got out of your presentation and what didn't work for them is a great way to learn if you're providing value to the audience and giving them what they need and want, especially if your questions are well thought out.

On the other hand, it's easy to dwell on the one or two negative comments instead of the 99 positive ones, and if you don't have enough confidence in your skills, strengths and personal style, you might begin to doubt yourself.

5. Take a public speaking class

Learning in an environment with other beginners or intermediate-level speakers is safe and supportive, and the only real pressure comes from your own desire to learn and improve. The instructor and other students are your evaluators, and because you're in a learning environment, everyone is motivated to improve and get out of their comfort zone.

5. Hire a coach

When you get to the point where you need a kick in the butt, when you need personalized and specialized help in expanding your skills or creating your presentation, coaching is the way to go.

My clients have worked with me to design conference seminars and trainings, to improve their effectiveness as communicators, to practice thinking on their feet, to prepare for job interviews, to create better PowerPoint presentations, to learn how to engage the audience, to find the essence of their message, to promote their businesses through speaking, and more.

They include pastors, real estate agents, graduate students, fitness trainers, consultants, doctors, executives, therapists, business coaches, and other self-employed professionals and entrepreneurs.

Here's a great post on who hires a coach.

Now, if you want to keep making the same mistakes over and over, and if you never want to challenge yourself to become better, don't do any of these things.

But if you think there's a chance that you might want to grow as a speaker and make the most of your gifts, pick one or a couple and start moving forward. Forget about "fine." Let's get you to "great!"

Tough Love Thursday: Drop the drama

"I HATE public speaking."

"I SUCK at public speaking."

"&#@$* public speaking!"

These are some of the comments I read on the Web every day. Stated with such vehemence and anger!

Once again, I'd like to remind you: You are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. How can you ever learn to enjoy public speaking if you constantly say you hate it? How can you ever improve at public speaking if you constantly say you suck at it?

You're human. You feel nervous. We all do. And you're normal. Some are more afraid than others, but as I mentioned in this post and this post, very few people actually have public speaking phobia or social anxiety.

So get out of your own way. Get over the drama and make a plan. You can't avoid public speaking forever, so why not make an effort to figure out how not to hate it and how not to suck at it?

Your life will be so much easier when you stop resisting, accept the discomfort, challenge yourself, and get past the hurdles you have created for yourself.

What actions have you taken to change the way you think about public speaking?

Setbacks are only temporary

In this article, I talked about my experience with panic attacks and how I learned to take control of them. At first, they were debilitating, and I was afraid to go anywhere that might trigger them. Once I learned the skills to overcome them, my life returned to normal.

Sometimes we overcome a physical or mental challenge only to be faced with setbacks. We believe we've left the problem in the dust only to have it return at a later date, maybe unexpectedly, or maybe triggered by a similar situation that created the first challenge.

I want to let you know that you can overcome it again! You beat it once, and you still have the skills and determination to beat it again.

It's scary to feel like you're not in control of your mind or body. It's scary when the feelings in your body and the thoughts in your mind seems to override all logic.

Don't give up, and don't give in. Get support if you need it. You're strong, you're powerful, and setbacks are only temporary. Keep fighting and you'll see what I mean.

Would you rent her balloon?

The passion! The enthusiasm! The contagious excitement!

Of course I'm talking about Virgania Horsen's Hot Air Balloon Rides commercial. Something's missing here, but what? Authenticity? Audience connection? Credibility? Sincerity? All of the above? Watch the video and tell me if you'd take a balloon ride with Virgania.



If you can't see the embedded video, watch it at NBC.com.

Who would listen to me?

There are so many reasons people avoid public speaking, but this is one of the more discouraging messages to tell yourself: "Who would want to listen to me, anyway?"

You should probably have a good reason to speak in public. If you don't have anything to say, you're right: no one will want to listen to you.

But your life experiences are unique and special and your own, and that's the benefit that any audience gets when listening to you. Your story is different.

Say you're asked to give a toast at a friend's wedding. Your stories and experiences with that friend will be like no one else's, and the way you express yourself is 100% you.

Even in everyday speaking situations like leading a meeting, going over a report with your department, sharing workplace tips with a new group of employees at orientation, or introducing yourself at your child's back-to-school night, you have your own twist and spin on things that others deserve to hear.

What makes anyone else more interesting than you? Confidence and self-esteem! If you feel that what you say has no value, you will impose that on your audience and they will agree with you. However, if you believe that what you have to say is just as important as anyone else's story, you become much more interesting!

Reframe the way you see yourself. You have something unique and special to share and a unique and special way of saying it. You have plenty to offer and plenty to say. Now you just have to tell yourself that -- and believe it.

For more on confidence, read my article "What's Confidence and How Do I Get Some?"

Here are a couple of blog posts on confidence:

Confidence or courage?

Having confidence in your message

Baby steps to fighting fear

Are you prepared to be wrong?

Are you prepared to be wrong?

For the five people in the world who haven't yet seen this video, I want to share Sir Ken Robinson's message on creativity (and the lack of) in schools. Sir Ken is a brilliant speaker and quite the comedian. This is a thought-provoking and entertaining presentation.

His main theme is that "We are educating people out of their creative capacities."

I especially want you to pay attention to this message: "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original."

He talks about how children start out with no fear of being wrong or making mistakes: "Kids will take a chance. If they don't know, they'll have a go. They're not frightened of being wrong."

As children grow up, they become ingrained with the fear of making mistakes, and when this fear moves in, creativity moves out.

The implications for us as grownups and speakers are clear: We fear making mistakes, we fear being wrong, we fear looking foolish, and as a result our presentations are boring, ordinary and safely "within the lines." We do what everyone else is doing for fear of standing out, drawing attention to ourselves and possibly being shot down in the process.

Take heed of Sir Ken's message. If you want to make a difference in the world, or even in just one person in one audience, you can't give people the same ol' same ol'. Safe is not interesting, it's not engaging, and it's certainly not life-changing.



If you can't see the embedded video, click here to go to the TED site.

How Public Speaking Makes You Richer, Thinner, and Better in Bed!

I have issues.

When I read subject lines or sales pages that include phrases like "Earn 7 Figures in 7 Days" or "Instant Payday" or "$20 Million a Month" or "Explode Your Profits," I get riled up.

I get especially riled up when I read about public speaking courses, books, techniques and "proven systems" that promise to make you a highly paid speaker even if you have no experience and no topic to speak on. What?

Yes, I'm going to come out and say it: It bothers me that marketers prey on people's insecurities and desire for instant success and fool them into thinking they can make a million dollars or become a sought-after speaker with no effort, no skill, and no risk (quoting Seth Godin).

People can be gullible and people can be desperate. That's what the marketer is hoping for.

So is it actually possible to become rich, skinny and great in the sack through public speaking? Let's break it down.

When you build your skills as a speaker by practicing and gaining real-world experience, you also build your confidence. A confident, self-assured speaker might be respected and admired as an authority or expert, making you sought after in several ways.

Building your speaking skills can bring more respect from colleagues and supervisors. You might find yourself taking on more responsibilities and becoming the boss' "go-to" guy or gal when you exhibit the confidence and authority that comes with improving your skills as a speaker. Can this lead to career advancement and greater income? Sure -- why not?

When you have confidence, you also become more attractive to potential romantic partners. Unfortunately, becoming better in bed isn't about you. It's about your partner, learning about and becoming sensitive to her or him as a person with specific wants and needs. Oh wait -- that's also a skill you develop as a speaker: learning about the audience and serving their needs before your own. Hmmm. We might have something here.

I can't say that increased confidence and self-esteem from public speaking will make you thinner, because a person who feels confident and likes her or himself is less likely to be obsessed with body image and weight. However, keeping up your stamina for speaking engagements is easier when you're fit, so whether you're thin or not so thin, it's a good idea to exercise and increase your energy level so you can handle all the speaking gigs that will come your way as you build your success.

Convinced?

Becoming successful at public speaking is not easy. It takes practice, it takes hard work, and it takes commitment to excellence. If you're willing to do the work, though, and learn everything you can about being your best, you will become a better speaker. And who knows? Maybe money, romance and a hot bod will follow.

But if not, I hope you still find satisfaction and enjoyment in connecting with and engaging an audience, providing valuable, relevant and useful content, and inspiring people to take action in whatever topic you choose. Public speaking is fun, it's an awesome way to express yourself creatively, and your passion and enthusiasm can't help but rub off on your audience. Go for it!

For more thoughts on this topic, read:

"How Public Speaking Makes You Richer, Thinner and Better in Bed!" by Laura Bergells, Olivia Mitchell, Michael Cortes and Jeff Bailey.

Learning to speak is a process

When you're first learning about public speaking, your mind is overwhelmed with new information. As I mentioned in this post, your brain is going a mile a minute with the following thoughts:

What did I just say?
Look at the left side of the room.
Smile.
It's hot in here.
Am I pacing? Stop pacing.
Stop fiddling with the remote.
What comes next? What comes after that?
Push the button for the next slide.
I'm running behind. Should my activity take five minutes or three?
That person's not paying attention. How do I get her attention?
Slow down.
It's cold in here.
Uh oh, crutch phrase.
I need a drink of water.
Look at the right side of the room.
What was the name of the guy who asked that question before?
Why did I wear these shoes?
Increase volume.
Was that clear? Maybe I should explain it again.
Speed up.
Decrease volume.

Good luck trying to remember your content with all of that going on.

Don't be so hard on yourself. When you're just starting out, pick one new skill to practice each time you speak, and focus only on that.

If eye contact is difficult for you, work on that for the next few presentations. If your voice projection is weak, make that your focus for a while. If stories and analogies are lacking, just practice those for a while.

Nobody is born with all the skills in place to be a successful and engaging speaker. It takes a lot of practice and a lot of real-world experience. It takes a while to be able to put all the pieces together in one presentation.

And, for that matter, even the pros continue to practice their skills and keep working to improve every time they speak. We're never done learning and growing.

So take it easy on yourself. Keep your expectations realistic about what you can accomplish in each presentation. Focus on one skill or strategy each time. When you feel more comfortable, start adding to your toolbox. Before you know it, your body and mind will be working together unconsciously and automatically to put all the pieces together.

Take your time. It's a process.

Thought Trap #8: Emotional Reasoning

Thought Trap #8: Emotional Reasoning

Continuing on in the series on Thought Traps.

You allow your negative feelings to color how you see the world by thinking, "I feel it, therefore, it must be true." You mistake emotions for reality: "I feel nervous about flying, therefore it must be dangerous."

Now here we get to the heart of many anxiety issues, not just public speaking. Emotions are powerful. They create physical sensations in the body that convince us that we should be afraid. Emotions and physical sensations together will often override the logical brain that knows there's no danger. We basically become prisoners of our emotions.

For example, after my car accident 18 years ago, I suffered from panic attacks for several months before I was able to get them under control with the help of a therapist. One of my triggers was claustrophobia.

I might go to a movie and end up in a middle seat in the middle of a crowded theater. In my mind, I would start thinking, "It's awfully crowded in here..." Physically, I would feel my adrenaline rising; my arms and neck and chest would feel hot and cold at the same time; the hair would stand up on the back of my neck. I would start looking around for an exit. Logically, was I in danger? No, but my fear and anxiety about feeling trapped, together with the physical results of the adrenaline rush would convince me that I needed to flee.

As someone with public speaking anxiety, you might feel similar sensations. Or you might feel shaky in the knees, or your heart might beat fast and your breathing might be shallow. Whatever your symptoms are, remember that your emotions are not fact. They feel real, but they are lying to you and creating a physical sensation that is not necessary -- because you are not in danger.

First, allow your breathing to slow down. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth to a slow count of six for each breath.

Tensing and releasing your muscles can be very helpful for relaxing your body; even tensing and relaxing your hands and feet can work, especially if you're sitting at a table and your hands and feet can't be seen.

Reframe your thinking; it's important that you listen to what your logical brain has to say. It's okay to feel the negative emotion, but say to yourself, "I feel scared, but it's just a feeling, not reality. It's uncomfortable, but there's nothing to be afraid of."

What's the likelihood that you really will pass out or do something embarrassing? Very little. Allow your logical brain to have a say in this. Tell yourself "I'm not in danger. I'm nervous and my body is reacting to my fear, but I can handle this."

Are you making assumptions, for example, that you need to be perfect or that you need to be completely in control? These kinds of assumptions will add to your anxiety, by creating more fear about letting down your audience or allowing them to see you as human and flawed.

Depending on your level of anxiety, these practices may not be easy, but the more you use them, the more you will be in control of your emotions and your body, and the less your emotions and body will control you. I recommend the book, Overcoming Panic, Anxiety, & Phobias: New Strategies to Free Yourself from Worry and Fear, if you want some good strategies to combat more serious anxiety.

Here again, are some additional suggestions on how to approach these negative thoughts once you become aware of them (from a Mother Jones article about cognitive therapy and thought traps):

1. Write it down. Writing automatically provides perspective and helps reveal distorted thinking.

2. Identify the distressing event. What's really bothering you?

3. Identify your negative emotions.

4. Identify the negative thoughts tied to your emotions.

5. Identify distortions and substitute the truth.

And my addition:

6. Take action. What will you do differently next time?

1,000 victories

Yesterday Pat Summitt, long-time coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols, became the first Division I basketball coach -- male or female -- to reach 1,000 victories.

She's won eight national championships in her 35-year career at Tennessee. In 1976, she played on the first U.S. women's Olympic basketball team. Only two coaches have come anywhere near her 1,000 wins: Bob Knight with 902 and Jody Conradt with 900 -- both retired. She's achieved 1,000 victories with only 187 losses, unprecedented in the sport.

So what do people say about the reasons for Summitt's success over the years? In the following video, you'll hear "commitment to excellence" and "works hard at becoming better all the time."



In this article, you'll read "tireless attention to detail," "getting it done," and this: "How do you get to 1,000? Because you worked just as hard before this one as you did before victory No. 248. Or 561. Or 739."

In this interview, Summitt says she learned from her father that, "Hard work never killed anyone," and from her mother, "Hang with winners." She says, "Intensity's a good thing," and talks about her passion.

Regarding her young team that includes seven freshmen, she says, "We may be young and we may be inexperienced, but our goal is to be in St. Louis at the Final Four,” she said. “We have a vision and that’s where we want to be.”

Pat Summitt has her players; she can't win without them, and they can't win without her.

You have your audience; without them, you're not a speaker and without you, they're just a group of people sitting in a room! A speaker and an audience are a team, interacting with each other, having a conversation, and building a relationship. An audience brings your presentation to life, feeding back the speaker's energy and passion and contributing to your success.

Are you committed to excellence?

Will you work just as hard to give a great 1,000th presentation as you did your 12th?

Do you demonstrate your passion for your topic and appreciation for your audience?

Do you have goals and a vision of your success?

---

Phone interview about 1,000th win

ESPN article about 1,000th win

Pat Summitt's impact on women's basketball

Can you be prepared and still be spontaneous?

I've heard many speakers say that they create their presentation at the last minute, don't practice, and basically wing it, all because they don't want to lose spontaneity. They're afraid that if they practice, they will sound rehearsed or worse, memorized.

Is it possible to be prepared and still be spontaneous? Of course it is!

I'll share my method of preparation just as an example. Each of us has our own method for preparing and practicing, so I'm not saying you should do what I do. I'm just saying that this is what I do and how I remain spontaneous.

Most of my presentations are workshops or seminars, so I'll discuss this presentation style instead of a speech/keynote.

If I'm lucky, I get to research my audience in advance and can start my preparations already knowing something about what their needs are.

I start with a basic outline: an opening, a body with three main points (to begin with), and a closing. I flesh out my main points with sub-points, supporting stories and data.

If I'm creating a PowerPoint, I will often use the story template from Cliff Atkinson's book "Beyond Bullet Points." The story template is similar to a regular outline, but also builds a series of opening and closing slides to set the scene for the presentation.

I usually start this process about two months before the event, if I have that much time. I like to walk away from it several times during planning and not think about it for a few days while it settles into my subconscious.

When I come back to the outline, I start looking at activities and audience interactions I can add to help illustrate my points. I look for the best places to ask questions, to record audience reactions on my flip chart, to break into pairs or groups, and to add any games or fun activities.

I prepare my opening and closing last, after the body feels mostly complete. If I'm unable to research my audience in advance, I use part of my opening to ask questions and learn about the audience. If I'm creating a PowerPoint, this is when I start looking for images.

About two weeks before the event, I start practicing and editing. I make notes about timing, stories, examples, and other triggers that will help me remember what I want to say. During this time, I also collect any props, toys or visual aids I'll need. I cut anything that's too long or extraneous to my main message.

I practice from the outline or bullet points, but I never write out exactly what I'm going to say or memorize exact paragraphs or wording. I know the material inside out, but the outline is what triggers my thoughts. I also don't practice every day. I like to leave a day or two in between practices, so that my brain gets a chance to absorb the content during my sleep and when I'm not actually thinking about it, and I feel fresh when I look at it again.

In the last couple of days, I will practice the presentation three or four times total, making sure I have a time cushion for the inevitable questions and activities that go longer than expected. I don't practice gestures or movements. I feel that those will come naturally in the moment, especially in a workshop or seminar setting where theatrics would be out of place.

I prepare the opening and closing carefully and practice those sections for maximum impact. The last thing I want is a weak opening or a forgettable closing, so these sections are the only memorized part of the presentation.

The rest of the presentation doesn't fully come together until I'm with my audience. After all, a presentation is a living thing. It's a conversation that requires both parties to give it life.

I bring my notes to the workshop and refer to them as necessary, using a document stand off to the side. My notes are never more than one page, sometimes double-sided. With notes, I'm assured that if I lose my place I can always find it again! My notes also remind me to mention things like my newsletter signup or upcoming events.

That's it, in a nutshell. I find that practicing and presenting from a simple outline and giving myself plenty of time to absorb the material allows spontaneity, but the presentation is still well-structured and prepared.

What are your tricks for being prepared but still being spontaneous?

Every presentation is an opportunity to improve

I spoke to someone yesterday who favors big audiences, like I do. Both of us agreed that big audiences give us lots of energy, which we then feed back to them. It's exciting and stimulating to speak to a big group. I have a big personality, and a big audience allows me to be "big" onstage.

However, this person also mentioned a couple of small presentations coming up to groups of about 25, and he felt he didn't have to work as hard or practice his presentation as much. In his mind, these groups are less important and less valuable to him than the large groups, so he tends to wing it more and spend less time preparing.

To this I say: Every audience is an opportunity to improve your skills. Every audience is an opportunity to do better than last time. (Here's an example from a previous post.)

Whether an audience is big or small, or your presentation is ten minutes or 90 minutes long, every audience deserves your best.

I understand that you might be looking for the value of the audience to your own needs -- future bookings, new connections, potential clients, career enhancement. Which is probably why you agreed to the speaking engagement in the first place.

But don't forget that your primary purpose is always to give value to the audience.

Stop thinking about what you can get from the audience and start thinking about what you can give.

And if you, like some people, feel that a short presentation is less desirable or valuable than a long presentation, again, remember that it's all about value. You can give plenty of critical tips and information in a ten-minute presentation. Your audience doesn't care what else you know. They care about what you're there to tell them now.

Don't waste time talking about how much more you could tell them, and don't waste their time by throwing together something quickly and thinking it doesn't matter.

Every presentation is an opportunity for you practice your skills, understand audience dynamics, try out new stories, experience different venues, get used to different time frames, grow your strengths, and learn from your mistakes.

No audience is less valuable than another. No presentation is less important than another. Every presentation is an opportunity to improve.

How can Olympic athletes help you become a better speaker?

As you know, I find athletes' mental and physical preparation practices to be a great model for speakers. So here's an article from the BPS Research Digest blog about Olympic athletes' mental strategies, and there's some great learning here for speakers. (The abstract is here, with additional notes.)

Athletes have some of the same insecurities as speakers; for example, one athlete in the study says, "In some circumstances my intention is not to do the best but to avoid making a bad shot. That is when I make a bad shot. When I think about avoiding the error, I make the error."

How many times have we talked about this kind of self-fulfilling prophecy, called "ironic effects" in the article.

On the positive side, "several of the athletes said that during the days before an event they attempted to recreate the emotional stress of a real competition. They also said they prioritised relaxation time, set themselves goals and mentally rehearsed success."

Sound familiar?

"The athletes also reported devoting considerable time to post-contest evaluation, especially so as to learn from their mistakes."

Go check out this article at BPS, and look at these blog posts to see how athletes' mental and physical preparation can help you improve as a speaker:

Cool as a cucumber or sweaty like a racehorse

Pressure to perform

Psych yourself up... or out

Concentrating or worrying?

Experience vs. practice

Visualization is for the body as well as the mind

Are you playing like a champion?

Lessons from the Olympic Trials (four parts)

Pressure

A philosophical approach to failure

I do and I understand, Part 1 and Part 2

Public speaking touchdown

Leave it all on the field

In honor of yesterday's very exciting Super Bowl game, I'm republishing a brief post from 2007, inspired by a football game.

---

I don't watch football, so I don't know the strategy, but while snacking on a lovely Boddington's ale and some fries Sunday in a local restaurant, I caught a few highlights of the weekend football games.

I noticed that, when the player with the ball runs for the end zone, he runs as fast as he can, even if no one is after him. You might have noticed this in other sports as well. Why run as fast as you can, even if you know you won't be caught?

Because you're giving it all you've got, or in sports terminology: "leaving it on the field."

When you run like that, you're committed. You're motivated. You're willing to do whatever it takes.

How about you? Do you walk away from every speaking engagement knowing you gave it your all?