How to Avoid These 3 Barriers That Keep You From Succeeding When You Speak
Speaking Success Barrier #1 — Attention Spans According to research from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the average attention span of audiences has decreased 31% since 2000. When we are giving speeches or presentations, this presents a problem in...
One Key Change to Unlock Success in the New Year
Are you willing to move? Are you willing to move to a new place that will help you overcome current obstacles and set you up for a higher level of success? If so, the time is now. Not Your Traditional Move The type of move I’m talking about is not the traditional...
2 Tips for Your Speaking Success in 2022
In the last week, I’ve received several articles centered around the idea of “22 tips to help you succeed in 2022.” I appreciate the cleverness enthusiasm of the authors. They have outstanding ideas, some of which I may implement. But, there is a problem. 22 is too...
3 Keys to Make a Positive Impression in Every Networking Event You Attend
The Pain of Traditional Networking You’re at a networking event. It’s time for each attendee to stand up and introduce himself. The first person stands up and says, “Hi. I’m John with Acme Financial. We offer life insurance, IRAs, and tax planning that helps...
5 Universal Laws to Ensure Your Stories Engage Listeners Minds
“The purpose of story is to elicit emotion” ~ Michael Hague, author and Hollywood screenwriting consultant Stories that have survived for centuries, best-selling movies and books, and viral YouTube/Instagram/TikTok videos each have one common characteristic - they...
Are You Making This Costly Assumption About Speaking?
A Change in the World of Speaking Feedback from my recent workshop attendees is clear. The biggest needs for virtual presenters is: They want to know how to create audience engagement from start-to-finish They want the tools to create better audience feedback...
There’s No Disputing THIS Evolution
An Evolution Everyone Can Agree On Evolution is obviously a term that can create controversy and contention. And that's not the purpose of this post. There is one type of evolution that is indisputable and that is the evolution of your speeches and stories. Memorable...
Create Deeper Interest With This Key Story Element
Why Most Stories Don’t Connect An important aspect of stories is the goal of the main character. What does this individual want to achieve? Too often, speakers present this ‘finish line’ in vague terms: - A financial advisor tells the story of a couple who want to...
How to Increase Your Story’s Impact
Story is Everywhere Every day, it feels like people are doling out advice on why you should tell stories and how to do it. As a result, many people are now telling their stories in professional presentations and networking events. And they’re not getting the results...
Stop Telling Just ANY Story
3 Keys to Crafting Stories People WANT To Hear Maybe it’s because of the work I do — presentation skills and storytelling coaching — but it feels like everywhere I look, someone is promoting storytelling. Organizations like TED and TEDx are built upon the power of...
Public Speaking Tip – How to Discover the Heart of Your Story
THE Key to a Memorable and Impactful Message One of the most vital skills in public speaking is to deliver a crystal clear main point. Without clarity, you lose your audience and your influence. If you want to get to the heart of your story and connect with your...
Is It OK To Cry When You Speak?
It All Depends One question people often ask is, "Michael, is it OK to cry when I speak?" My initial response is, "It depends." It depends on whether your tears are under control, or your tears are controlling you. Talking About Painful Experiences is...
Your Most Important Connection When You Speak
So Obvious I Missed It For years, I have challenged clients to strive for connection with their audience. If you connect with the people sitting in front of you, they’re more likely to hear your message and act on it. Makes sense, right? There’s one problem with...
Why All This Talk About Storytelling?
STORYTELLING IS EVERYWHERE It seems like every time you turn around, someone new is extolling the virtues of storytelling. And this inspires the question, “Is storytelling really that important?” It is, and there’s plenty of research to back this fact. For example,...








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.

