Build a More Creative, Agile Mind For Speaking Brilliantly With Less Prep

Can we create a period of time in our next meeting where no idea can be criticized -- even internally by ourselves?  One method is to advocate a “my first thought is the best thought” period of time.  It will probably be hard.  We will probably say, “I have no ideas.”  But we do.  It’s just that a part of us is shooting them down before we can even recognize them.  Improvisers learn to trust their brains to produce interesting ideas.  One of the ways they do this is by learning how to turn off the inner critic. 

Our inner critic is a wonderful ally when we are making finishing touches on any kind of presentation or project.  Our ability to analyze, scrutinize, and edit ideas is vital. But too often, our critic wants to be in charge all the time.  This inner voice can then destroy creative moments that require some risk as we open ourselves up to new mindsets. 

I’ve found that most of the intelligent, successful people I meet have a tough time asking their inner monitor to take a break.  I’ve also found that my clients get much better at this with practice.  In my public speaking seminars this is vital, toward helping my clients feel comfortable answering questions or otherwise speaking without much prep. 

If you’d like to find more creative ideas and be better at thinking on the spot, take periods of time where you run with your first thought.  Brainstorming in this way, “my first thought is the best thought…. at least for now,” helps us create more novel connections between different parts of our brain.  Your inner critic may think these ideas are “stupid, obvious, politically dangerous, or impossible.”  That’s ok. During this short practice period, our critic is on a forced sabbatical.  We can then exercise our minds to build greater creative abilities. 

© 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

Give the most important career gift -- skills in public speaking

If you Google billionaire Warren Buffet you will find many articles about his belief in public speaking training. In one interview he said, "That public speaking course gave me the most important degree I have. It’s certainly had the biggest impact in terms of my subsequent success." 

Looking for a career-related holiday gift? Give the gift of a life-changing workshop! https://lnkd.in/dbdWtkE  

There are lots of advantages of a workshop over private coaching. Here's one: 
Managing nerves: We’ll take you through progressive exercises that reveal your strengths. As you present to partners and the entire room, you’ll gain confidence for more challenging exercises. You’ll see that you can manage your nerves and even speak without notes! There is nothing like speaking in front of a group to simulate the challenges of actual presentations. One on one coaching can’t replicate this. Working within a supportive group is the fastest way to conquer nervousness. 

Join us in January!

 © 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

The Power of Story

Over the last few years I’ve been teaching myself how to make stop motion films.  It’s the perfect way to learn my camera since my Barbie actors are very patient with me. I  also can be extremely precise in my storytelling since I can control every frame as I edit. 

I’m still a beginner in all technical elements but I have a huge advantage in this competitive field since I’ve been studying stories all my life, starting in grade school. 

My first two stop motion films were recently accepted as official selections in two film festivals.  I was so thrilled to see my films on the big screen that I flew out to Idaho and drove to Milwaukee.  It was great fun to spend those weekends watching movies and analyzing them. 

No matter the budget (there were some Hollywood type films in the mix), the most important element of a film (or book or play) is the story.  Some films followed story conventions (immerse us in the struggle, avoid detours that don’t make sense) and I could feel how deeply they impacted the audience.  Some lost their way and were far less effective.

After my screening, many audience members gave me a “thumbs up.”  Many talked about how the story had impacted them.  I’m sure that was the only reason I got into the festival.  My films are still flawed technically.

My passion for fictional storytelling is a perfect complement to my work with individuals.  Their goals – sharing their mission, their product, or their resume – can be achieved through the right story, told in the right way.

Won’t you join me in exploring the art of storytelling?  Next class in Chicago is January 9-10, 2020. © 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

Help your audience create the right story.

This wonderful film reminds me that our mind prefers stories and we will create them whenever we can throughout our day.

Making sure to use stories and keeping our concepts understandable (simple isn't easy!) will please any audience.

 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

Emotional intelligence + Brain Science = a help for public speaking

Almost all of my public speaking clients express one common fear – that they will forget their presentation.  This universal terror explains why too many presenters read their wordy powerpoint slides to their audience. 

Emotional Intelligence and brain science can explain what’s happening.   Our nervousness triggers our flight/fight response.  Our amygdala “hijacks” the neocortex, including the language centers of the brain.  Now we can’t remember what we were going to say.

What to do?

Practice!  When we practice we create stronger synaptic pathways in our brain related to our message.  We’ll be more able to access our message since it has a stronger structure in our brain.

Find ways to relax.  We can: 

·       Take a supplement like kava (both relaxes the brain while enhancing focus)

·       Practice deep breathing

·       Use a visualization (our memories of great times in beautiful places can help).  As we relax the amygdala stops firing and we can regain access to our higher thinking brain.

More ideas coming soon.
© 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

Practice better articulation everyday

I think I have pretty crisp pronunciation but my phone doesn't. When I slow down and over-articulate, I get fewer text errors with autocorrect. Try it. It's a great way to practice and improve our articulation -- a great part of executive presence.

© 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

One of this week's class participants asked me to look over her powerpoint deck for an upcoming presentation.  I made suggestions, mostly to remove wordy slides that could be replaced by simple photos to remind her of her content.  

But what could she do with the graphs that were very wordy but  filled with terrific information?  Speakers too often read slides like this to their audience.  I suggested that she give audience groups or pairs  a great open ended question and have them read and discuss the slide in small groups. 

This slide isn't that complex but if I ask a question such as, "Which vocal situation are you most often experiencing?" I can keep my presentation interactive and still give my audience all this info.

I could ask --  

"How might we simplify and summarize this advice for most vocal issues?" (This is a question I ask myself.  I would probably change this slide which seems unnecessarily repetitive).


Whenever we have a dense slide containing great info, we can see if we can create a moment of discussion.  If our audience is large, allow the group to discuss in pairs.

We want to avoid reading our slides.  Instead, what juicy question might you ask your group if you were presenting this slide?  


 © 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

Fantastic presentations on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Here are some images from a fabulous class this week.  So much fun and so much learning!

© 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

Any truth to this? If so, what can we do about this gender gap? 

In terms of presentations, letting go of perfectionism can help both men and women be more dynamic and speak more "off the cuff."© 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

Create New Vocal Habits

Our workshops explore all areas of nonverbal delivery. We've trained actors for years and can help you find your own unique dynamic style.  
(Tap on photo to make it larger.)      

  © 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

How we coach executive presence.

In our workshops we explore one major aspect of executive presence: the ability to claim space in the room or at the table. 

For each person it will look different since one important aspect of EP is being authentic.   

Central to executive presence is the ability to communicate to large or small groups. According to John Beeson, author of The Unwritten Rules: The Six Skills You Need to Get Promoted to the Executive Level, “Not only is public speaking an important executive requirement, but your ability to “stand and deliver” to an executive group or large audience is frequently viewed as an indicator of your ability to handle pressure.” 

Even if you’re communicating in smaller groups, our workshops will help you stretch into your most dynamic self.

 We help you explore your projected voice, a relaxed but strong upright posture, confident eye contact, concise but engaging stories, compelling word choices, and enthusiasm. 

Everyone can develop more executive presence.  

If you have EP you will always be more engaging and impactful when communicating with others. © 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

Ray was a financial auditor with a dry sense of humor. Aside from increasing his volume and adding some gestures, Ray didn’t need to radically change his natural style. Staying true to his own personality made Ray more comfortable and also more engaging. Both introverts and extraverts can be compelling speakers. 

© 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

To be a dynamic speaker, our goal is to make our audience feel smart, not to try to look smart ourselves. Listening is HARD work. Eliminating jargon, euphemisms, and abstract, vague business cliches brings an immediacy and humanity to our presentations. In our digital age, we need the simplicity of great ideas, not wordy abstractions.

© 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved

Be A Servant Leader Speaker

I, (Laura) talk with many people, especially fantastically talented women, who hate public speaking. "I'd rather just serve others from the back of the room," is a common lament I hear. I remind them of their great value, both in their knowledge but also in their attitude. They have the heart of a servant. It is an ideal mindset of a public speaker. Speakers who seek to serve their audience are (or learn how to be) concise, considerate, and passionate about offering a group what they need.  Remembering that our job is to serve can also help reduce the normal nervousness of public speaking.

© 2019 Laura Lewis-Barr all rights reserved