I am a big fan of the HBO series, In Treatment, in which an NYC therapist, (played by Gabriel Byrne) grapples with his patients' issues as well as his own.  Each week features three patient sessions and then one of Byrne with his own therapist (the amazing Amy Ryan)....

I am an irrational dresser. In fact, I am sure that I join the ranks of millions who only wear the really nice clothes we own for special occasions. And by really nice I mean the ones that either cost a lot or that originally cost a lot and I got on sale (which would...

The answer is Yes and No.  Is that clear enough? No. Never memorize an entire speech.  While some people contend that memorizing a speech allows the speaker to connect with their audience and to avoid falling into the trap of using clichés and slang, we often see the...

Great speakers know how to find the "low middle" of their vocal range.  Most of us speak in our high middle when we're talking in a business meeting, say, and we rarely change octaves when we speak in public.  If anything, our nervousness can cause us to speak at an...

“Questions tempt you to tell lies, particularly when there is no answer.” - Picasso In a mock press conference I asked my client a question for which he did not have a ready answer.  As his mind raced to come up with a coherent response, his nerves got the best of him...

Shift your thinking about how you practice before you go live and you will exponentially improve your outcome. At the start, most of us (and I am no exception), feel vulnerable when we present for others.  It is unnerving.  "Am I doing a good job?"; "Are they...

 I confess that I am cooking-challenged.  The only way you know it’s time for dinner in my house is when the smoke detector goes off.  But that doesn’t deter me from trying new recipes.  I seem to fall for the ones that say “Simple! Easy!” Just the other day I tried...

The other day I heard my phone ring as I was coming in the door.  I ran to the phone and looked at the caller ID and saw that it was a Boston area code, but not a number that I recognized.  I was instantly excited.  I was sure it was a new client calling to book a...

We have all heard this a million times: "Relax…be yourself….you'll be fine." But when you are preparing to speak and your heart is pounding against your chest and you can’t breathe, relaxing seems like the last thing you can do.  And when I am in a stressful state,...

The U.S. Secretary of Labor was scheduled to speak next, but was running late.  The conference host had graciously apologized and recommended that no one leave their seats as the delay would be no longer than ten minutes. I took advantage of the down time to peruse...

As we planned for our latest Speaker Bootcamp, my business partner, Barbara,  wanted to use the Marianne Williamson quote that begins "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." (See full quote below). ...

I was talking with one of my MBA students at Wharton the other day about how to stand out in a crowd.  He is graduating in May and is in the midst of job interviews, but much to his chagrin, he has not received an offer.  Yet several of his classmates are gliding...

Being one of the most competitive people I know, I am deeply grateful for the non-competitive spirit of my 25-year yoga practice. It is mine. It is unique. It has changed and so have I. There are no rewards for doing the pose more photographically than anyone else in...

Can notes written on a simple 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper undermine a presenter? YES, when the nerves of an otherwise great communicator are belied by one of the 25 (shaking) muscles in our hands. We recommend using oversized 5x8 index cards for your presentation...