Please, Tell Me What You’re Selling! (Hint: It’s Not About YOU)
A Common Selling Mistake Last Wednesday afternoon, I attended a typical networking event. I listened to people share their version of an ‘elevator’ pitch - their 30-second 'commercials.' Point of clarification - they were supposed to be 30-seconds long. And, as I...
Use THE CODE to Increase Your Influence as a Speaker
Have you ever listened to a story and felt an emotional connection to the speaker, but didn’t know why? It was because you experienced THE CODE. What’s THE CODE? It is biochemical responses in your body when you hear a sensory-rich narrative. Research proves that...
These Frauds Can Help Your Speaking
Speaking Lessons From a Success Expert I’m a big fan of Darren Hardy. Who’s he? He’s the former editor of SUCCESS magazine. He is a modern-day expert on success. He’s interviewed and studied many of the world’s most successful people. With such a background,...
Want to Improve Your Speaking Skills? Do This….
A Unique Speaking Opportunity I got the email on April 11 - ‘We'd like to officially invite you to give a DisruptHR Talk on May 2.’ Cool! I get to do the talk! But then, reality hit. I thought, ‘I get to do the talk that I’ve never done before. With those PowerPoint...
Great Speakers Are Lifetime Learners
Key Speaking Lessons From World Class Speakers Last weekend, I had the honor of emceeing an event for speakers. Its called Lady and the Champs. The 'Champs' are three former World Champions of Public Speaking turned professional speakers. The 'Lady' is Hall of Fame...
Forget the Resolutions! It’s About Commitment!
New Year's Resolutions New Year’s Day. Time for rest, relaxation and resolutions. Resolutions? Really? I’ve always been confounded by this concept. Just because the calendar turns to a new year, why does a goal suddenly become more important? Isn’t your desire or...
Avoid This Costly Mistake – If You Want to Be Paid For Speaking
Are You Speaking For The Right Reasons? Have you ever received bad advice about speaking? My prospective client Mr. Stevens did. He wants to become a paid speaker. A speech coach told him, “You should find a hot topic, one that people are paying good money for. Build...
How Are Sporting Events Like Public Speaking?
(Even if you’re not a sport fan, please play along with this opening scene. It relates to speaking……..) A Tension-Filled Sporting Event Picture the scene. It’s the last few minutes of the Super Bowl — THE biggest sporting event in America. There's a tie score. The...
How to Avoid Losing Audience Interest in Your Stories
Are you overloading your stories? When crafting your stories, do you know the answer to these questions: How much material should you include? How much is too much? Excess information is a common problem in business storytelling. That's because audience attention...
Are You Giving Your Audience What They Need in Your Speech?
Are you Willing - And Able - To Throw Out Your Speech Script When Necessary? The introducer stood at the front of the room. She said, “Because the program has gone over time, our featured speaker only has 15 minutes with us.” She then introduced Tiffany, who...







Michael’s mission is to help leaders, managers and sales professionals communicate with more confidence, impact, and influence. This passion is born from his own communication difficulties early in his career.
Fortunately, he discovered that public speaking is like riding a bike, swimming or driving a car - it’s a learnable skill. Once he discovered this ‘secret’ he became a voracious student of the craft. He took courses, studied some of the world’s best speakers and storytellers and continues to study presentation and business storytelling skills.
He is hired by companies and organizations, leaders, managers and sales professionals, and TEDx speakers to help them become more confident, impactful and influential communicators.

