Kathryn Janicek

Speaking to a group? 5 questions to empower yourself and be less nervous

Whenever we’re speaking — whether it’s to our internal teams, to clients, during an online webinar, at an event, or in the media — developing a solid mindset is critical to presenting powerfully and memorably.

But that needs to happen before we even step into the room, be it virtual or in real life. And it’s on you to make it happen.

Often, I see speakers act passively as soon as someone invites them to speak. Maybe they’re struggling with imposter syndrome. Perhaps they don’t want to be perceived as a diva or high maintenance. Or they don’t know they have the right to ask questions to prepare them for the event.

If you’re about to speak and do not have all the information about your audience or the event itself – you’ll be more nervous, and the audience won’t get the total value of what you can give. That’s a waste of your time.

Why mindset is essential to being prepared to speak

We cannot create a presentation in a vacuum. It doesn’t make a powerful lesson for the audience – and it makes us more nervous. You can command the room before the room even exists. And how do you do that? By asking these 5 questions of the session organizers.

Who is the audience? Mainly female? Male? Doctors? Customers? Vendors? What is their level of understanding? Should you explain certain concepts? The audience information helps you reach them more effectively. You’ll be more memorable and more likely to accomplish the mission of your talk if you speak to your specific audience.

How many have confirmed so far? This is particularly helpful when presenting a live webinar. Are you talking to dozens? Hundreds? Will this be recorded and sent around to thousands? This is important to know so you can avoid sounding dated when the majority of the audience is listening. For example: you may want to avoid saying, “Good morning!” if the majority of the audience watches later.

Will we have a handheld or lav mic? If you’re speaking on stage, you’ll want to practice your body language. Knowing if you’ll be holding a mic or if one will be attached to you is important. It’s also helpful when making wardrobe decisions. There are outfits that make it more difficult to attach a lavalier mic. If you get there and have to make a last-minute clothing change, that can mess with your mindset minutes before jumping on stage. Ask the question before you get there.

Are we sitting? What kind of chairs do you expect on stage? Barstools can be a speaker’s worst enemy. How will you sit? Will you stand and lean? If you’re wearing a dress or skirt that’s shorter… a barstool is going to make you feel pretty uncomfortable. Know before you go so you can alter your wardrobe. You can even ask to change to regular chairs. You’re not a diva. You’re empowered to make you and your fellow presenters more effective.

Is there makeup? Or are we doing our own? You’ll need at least a little powder so you’re not shiny on stage. I was on a big stage a few days ago training executives before their annual meeting. Some had makeup, others didn’t. You could tell. Those without powder looked nervous. Know beforehand if you’ll need to take care of this yourself.

Why mindset is only part of the solution

If you have all the information before speaking, you will create a more valuable presentation for the audience – because you’ll know who the audience is! Plus, you’ll feel much more comfortable about your content.

I hope this helps you become more empowered to ask the right questions, so you show up with more focus, clarity, and energy.

But that’s only half the battle when it comes to amplifying your thought leadership. We also need to talk about the specific tactics to keep your audience and make sure they remember your messages. I address that in my weekly newsletter focused exclusively on public speaking and media interview tips. To get the next issue in your inbox, subscribe here.

These are challenging times. Your team needs you to be a leader now. But, to be there for them, you must take care of yourself first. I’ll be back next week with more tips for strengthening your mindset so you can communicate with power no matter the situation.

P.S. Want more tips? Be sure to sign up for my LinkedIn newsletter where you’ll get exclusive tips on strengthening your mindset to become a better communicator. Click here to subscribe to Thought Leaders Amplified on LinkedIn.

P.P.S. I created a training for health care professionals who need to discover their message and story, deliver it clearly, succinctly, and confidently, and present in a way that intrigues, entertains and keeps the audience’s attention. Share it with your friends in health care. Check it out even if you’re not in health care. The tips and tricks are universal. Click here to learn more.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are three more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  2. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  3. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

Stop touching your face in Zoom meetings

Body language is essential to get right whenever you’re presenting.

Even though we’re only seeing the top third of your body on Zoom (or Microsoft Teams or Google Meet), how you appear up there matters.

This is especially true when you need to be perceived as a leader.

This is not about lookin’ good.

It’s about gaining the trust of your audience.

Whether you’re giving a sales presentation, talking with a client, leading a meeting, or giving a media interview — here are three things I highly recommend you stop doing.

Touching your face

When we touch our face it tells the audience we’re nervous or uncomfortable.

We want to come across confident so our audience trusts us and the company we represent.

Touching your hair

When we fiddle with our hair or move it away from our face, it again makes our audience less confident in us.

Make sure your hair is always away from your face and it doesn’t move into your eyes so you don’t have a tendency to touch it.

Looking at other monitors

You wouldn’t stare out of the window or at your phone during an in-person meeting, would you?

This is why we shouldn’t look away from the person we’re meeting with and at another monitor.

You’ve seen it, you’ve felt it, you know how rude this is.

Making these small tweaks makes a huge impression on audiences.

Whether it’s an audience of one or many.

One specific VP told me recently his team is much more engaged now when he speaks.

And it happened right after he enacted the “stop touching your face” (for him, he touched his beard a lot) and “stop looking at other monitors” rules I created for him.

He says his team is more engaged.

That’s all it took.

Worth a try, right?

P.S. Want more tips? Be sure to sign up for my LinkedIn newsletter where you’ll get exclusive tips on strengthening your mindset to become a better communicator. Click here to subscribe to Thought Leaders Amplified on LinkedIn.

P.P.S. I created a training for health care professionals who need to discover their message and story, deliver it clearly, succinctly, and confidently, and present in a way that intrigues, entertains and keeps the audience’s attention. Share it with your friends in health care. Check it out even if you’re not in health care. The tips and tricks are universal. Click here to learn more.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are three more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  2. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  3. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

How do you communicate when you’re stressed out? 3 wellness tips to practice today

This is an emotional time.

We could be approaching WWIII, and you might be feeling many things intensely.

This morning, I’m sitting in a hotel room getting ready to help clients present on stage during their annual meeting, and it’s hard not to be distracted by the news.

If you’re in a high-pressure job, you need to be “on” despite everything happening around you. Maybe you’re coming out of a tense finance meeting or just performed surgery – and you need to lead a webinar or do a keynote.

It could also be personal. You could have a sick child, or you just finished helping your parent move into a care facility.

You need to be “on” to be the leader your team needs, but you’re not sure how you’re going to keep going forward and commanding the room–be it on Zoom, in a conference room, or auditorium packed with 5,000 people. The audience will know if you’re not 100% present.

Why mindset is key to being a great communicator

The key to being a great communicator is the right mindset. I’ll be talking about that every week–empowering you to show up as the leader you are or aspire to become.

First up, let’s talk about overall wellness. While I’m not a medical expert, many of my clients are physicians – and I listen closely. Plus, I know firsthand what happens when I don’t take care of myself.

Here are my three tips that I train my clients to follow – and that I try to practice every day:

Exercise → Get out all that nervous energy. You will not be motivational, inspirational, or present if you have all the unneeded nervous energy going on in your head. Some of the most prominent thought leaders I train exercise each day. They know the science behind it and have felt their lives drastically improve because of it.

Especially on days when you’re performing in front of an audience – walk your dog, hit the Peloton, or do yoga. It doesn’t have to be a 45 minute HIIT class. It just has to be something that gets out the extra anxious energy each morning. Even better if you can add at least five minutes on a meditation app.

Stop sugar → Lower your anxiety. I train people worldwide, and the one thing that gets the most grunts from audiences is when I mention avoiding inflammatory foods. They just can’t handle it. Some of the most successful people I work with changed their lifestyles and now perform at a much higher level.

Sugar causes inflammation in your body. More inflammation leads to more anxiety (and a host of other issues like dementia). Curb your inflammation, and you’ll have less brain fog and anxiety – and become a more inspirational thought leader. If you’re anxious about world events or something going on personally – it’s even more important to cut out inflammatory foods.

Breathe → Slow down and make others less anxious. Sometimes we breathe more rapidly when we’re nervous, making our audiences anxious. If we relax and change our mindsets — we put our audiences at ease, and they’re more likely to trust our information. Before you walk on stage or start an online webinar, take a deep breath to reduce your cortisol levels and lower your heart rate. But let’s be very specific here. It’s a deep breath in from your nose, and then a longer exhale out of your nose. Do not fall prey to rapid breathing. Slow it down.

Look up these two experts for the science behind it: James Nestor and Wim Hof. I’m grateful that my personal trainer introduced me to this. It’s helped me personally and professionally. I can handle intense situations much better now.

Why mindset is only part of the solution

Doing those three simple things every day will empower you to show up with more focus, clarity, and energy. But that’s only half the battle when it comes to amplifying your thought leadership.

We also need to talk about the specific tactics to keep your audience and make sure they remember your messages. I address that in my weekly newsletter focused exclusively on public speaking and media interview tips. To get the next issue in your inbox, subscribe here.

These are hard times. Your team needs you to be a leader now. But, to be there for them, you must take care of yourself first. I’ll be back next week with more tips for strengthening your mindset so you can communicate with power no matter the situation.

P.S. Want more tips? Be sure to sign up for my LinkedIn newsletter where you’ll get exclusive tips on strengthening your mindset to become a better communicator. Click here to subscribe to Thought Leaders Amplified on LinkedIn.

P.P.S. I created a training for health care professionals who need to discover their message and story, deliver it clearly, succinctly, and confidently, and present in a way that intrigues, entertains and keeps the audience’s attention. Share it with your friends in health care. Check it out even if you’re not in health care. The tips and tricks are universal. Click here to learn more.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are three more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  2. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  3. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

A lesson from Elton John

Elton John finally made his way back to Chicago.

This was a show originally scheduled for 2020.

Like a lot of concerts, it was delayed because of the pandemic.

As the months passed, I didn’t think he would actually make it back.

As you may know, Sir Elton recently had COVID.

Was he going to be too nervous being in a big crowd again? Would he be fully recovered?

Instead, what I witnessed was a man who put every ounce of his being into the show.

From the first second to the last – he had endless energy.

He was like a kid.

And so were each one of the band members.

Many of whom are in their 70s.

But each one acted like they were… maybe 25.

So much energy and so much enthusiasm.

These legends have been playing on stages worldwide for decades.

We all would have been fine if they phoned it in.

But instead, they played like they were still earning our respect as musicians.

They genuinely acted like they were excited to be there.

Elton waved to the crowd for 2 1/2 hours like he was your grandpa and you were driving up to his house after he spent two years in quarantine.

Energy. Excitement.

Right from the top, no time wasted.

Preparation.

Practice.

True professionals.

They get it.

There isn’t time to warm up.

Once you hit the stage, you have to be ready.

To entertain.

To captivate.

This comes up with my clients all the time.

When they first call me, they explain how they were great in the middle of a podcast or another interview, but it took them time to warm up.

But we live in a world where we don’t have time to warm up.

If we don’t catch people right off the top, they will start checking their email or move to a different podcast.

We must captivate and entertain from the top.

Capture the audience and make them want to stick around.

Elton didn’t need to do that.

Nor did his 74-year-old percussionist, who has played for every major act in the world.

Yet, they acted grateful to be on the big stage.

The next time we’re on a stage or in the media – we have to act like we’re grateful to be there and that it’s not old hat.

We have to prepare and be ready on the first beat.

This is not a normal conversation.

This is something that takes a different level of preparation.

That first soundbite has to be a headline.

It has to encapsulate all of the excitement going on in your organization.

It’s an important lesson to learn from these pros.

They’re teaching us night after night, how to perform to make our audience keep coming back for more.

P.S. I had great seats (thanks to my United Center/Chicago Bulls client). If you want to see video from the show, I shared it here on LinkedIn.

P.P.S. I created a training for health care professionals who need to discover their message and story, deliver it clearly, succinctly, and confidently, and present in a way that intrigues, entertains and keeps the audience’s attention. Share it with your friends in health care. Check it out even if you’re not in health care. The tips and tricks are universal. Click here to learn more.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are three more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  2. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  3. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

They’ll love your snow stories

Have you ever met a really BORING person?

Been on a first date and wondered how someone could really be that bland?

Are you sitting in a Zoom meeting right now listening to a person go on and on… about nothing?

Or worse… are you afraid you might be that person?

The best piece of advice I give thought leaders I work with before they do a media interview or speech is:

Have a relatable story.

You MUST have a story people can relate to if you’re going to attract people to you, speak in public, or if you’d like to sell your brand by using the media.

No producer or writer is going to publish a story about your grand opening or sale.

But if you have a story, like you’re donating 40% of opening day profits to a charity that’s in the news… or there’s something special about the owner… you have a much better chance.

Numbers are great – but stories are even better.

You may have a great success story at your company. Numbers are way up. Bosses are happy.

The way to break through to an audience and show what those numbers really mean is to tell a story. Explain what those numbers mean.

Talk about how many people you were able to hire because numbers are up. Highlight a person you hired and their family.

You need a compelling story of human interest.

Remember: the media has a job to do.

They need to make sure their audience watches, reads, sticks with them even after a commercial, learns something and keeps coming back for more.

All you need to do is learn a few tricks to do it the right way.

Here are a few quick thoughts I shared on YouTube.

And think about how a story connects you to people in your day-to-day Zoom meetings.

I was on a call with an exec of a Fortune 100 company last week.

He showed up in a baseball cap and a hoodie.

Not his normal wardrobe.

He told me he had just finished shoveling his wife out of the driveway.

And then he drove her to work.

She’s a nurse.

At that moment, I knew I wanted to work with that exec – and I even happily altered my price when we negotiated my contract.

Give your audience an authentic story that makes them feel something and you’ll have a better chance of seeing your story in the media.

They may even become open to negotiating their prices because they just like you.

P.S. Creating a story that stands out is the critical component needed to grow your business or practice and ensure you get an ROI on your time and energy. I shot a YouTube video on this. Check it out here.

P.P.S. I created a training for healthcare professionals who need to discover their message and story, deliver it clearly, succinctly, and confidently, and present in a way that intrigues, entertains and keeps the audience’s attention. Share it with your friends in healthcare. Check it out even if you’re not in healthcare. The tips and tricks are universal. Click here to learn more.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are three more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  2. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  3. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

The ripple effect of communication issues

How are the people inside your company communicating with your customers?

Or future customers?

I was on a call with a $12 billion company today.

I’m sharing this in case you have the same issue.

They hosted their annual meeting recently.

Many of their execs had to give presentations and they quickly realized… several of them were having issues presenting and getting their message across.

These are well-regarded individuals inside a Fortune 100 company.

They’re smart and know the industry in and out.

But they have an issue.

And it’s costly.

They are not confident or convincing when it comes to presenting.

So they called me.

They need to be prepared before they present again in a year – but more importantly, the concern is:

How are they communicating on a daily basis?

In front of customers? Potential investors? Their team?

There’s a ripple effect when it comes to communication.

Whether it’s your receptionist who takes inbound calls and walk-ins, your sales team, all the way up to your leadership — your message should:

  • establish trust,
  • be confident,
  • show empathy,
  • and it should make people want to do business with you!

If your message is being miscommunicated, at any level within your organization, that’s a potential client or customer — gone.

Potential referrals — gone.

Potential media or speaking opportunities — gone.

It’s all interconnected.

As you’re reading this, think to yourself for a moment.

Could you possibly have a communications issue inside your company?

Don’t dismiss someone as having stage or Zoom fright.

They may have a bigger communications issue.

It’s fixable and a little work now will save (and make) you a lot of money quickly.

P.S. Worried your organization is struggling like this Fortune 100 company? I created a training for health care professionals who need to confidently show up on camera, attract more patients, move up in their careers, and let their expertise shine. Share it with your friends in health care. The tips and tricks are universal. Check it out even if you’re not in health care. Click here to learn more. Want training that’s more specialized for your industry? Let’s connect and make it happen.

P.P.S. I just published a new video on YouTube sharing with you some easy adjustments to make before recording a video or going live. This might be something you haven’t considered. Check it out here.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are three more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  2. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  3. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

The missing piece to your marketing strategy

You know how important video is to connect with your audience.

I don’t need to convince you.

The stats are all there.

Video will make up 82% of all internet traffic this year.

How do you make sure your messaging doesn’t get lost?

You’re heard? Remembered?

How will you ensure your goal – the reason you want to get a message across – comes through?

I was training the CEO of a nationally known public company this week.

He was creating a video message for his employees.

He has the fancy equipment and team.

But he was missing the right words to reach his team.

And the tone and cadence.

The pieces to really move them.

Inspire them.

Make them act.

Video is powerful.

But you’re even more powerful.

So, what could you be missing from your marketing strategy?

Authenticity.

Vulnerability.

YOU.

Without YOU, video is weak.

This goes for Zoom video meetings, media interviews, website videos, social media videos and internal videos for your employees.

Don’t leave out YOU next week.

Your audiences came to the YOU party.

They chose to work with YOU.

Don’t disappoint.

P.S. If you would like help on how to be a more effective thought leader in video, in the media, and on stages, book a free consultation with me here.

P.P.S. I’ve created a special program just for healthcare professionals who need media training so they can confidently show up on camera, attract more patients, move up in their careers, and let their expertise shine. If that’s you or you know someone who can benefit from this, click here to learn more.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are three more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  2. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  3. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

How to Make Sure Your Message Takes Center Stage (and not this)

The key to any speaking opportunity – whether that’s speaking on Zoom in a meeting, on stage, in the media, in your website videos, or in job interviews – is to keep the audience focused on your message and nothing else.

There are a lot of things steering your audience away from you and your message.

A busy background.

Disrupting noises.

Or even a pair of glasses.

It’s one of the biggest questions I get:

“What do I do about my glasses?”

They’re not asking whether they should wear them…

But really – what to do about the fact that they’re distracting.

The light from their room is bouncing off the lenses…

They know they need help.

I struggled with this for so long – I just ditched my glasses for years… which has made it pretty hard to see my slides when I’m training.

But I figured out some tricks.

And I’m going to share a little bit with you now.

(If you want to go more in-depth with me, click here to watch this video I just shot.)

Do you have big thick frames?

Or are they too small and cutting off your pupils?

While glasses may sometimes feel like an afterthought, they could be detrimental to your overall message.

You want your audience to connect with your eyes.

The eyes are the window to the soul (or so I’ve heard).

This is also why it’s important to look directly into the camera. You’ll appear as if you’re looking right into the eyes of your audience.

This takes practice to get it down and not let your eyes wander off and look at all the other people on the call.

When you let your eyes move from person to person or somewhere else in your room, you may appear to be insincere, detached, uninterested, insecure, and even shifty.

When someone can really look into your eyes — they feel more connected to you. AND TRUST YOU MORE.

That’s why I care about this.

It’s not about looks.

I care that you connect with more people.

And they trust you.

P.S. I left out one of the other big no-no’s when it comes to making sure you connect with your audience and stand out. I’m talking about lighting. I just published a short video telling you all about it. Click here to watch.

P.P.S. I’ve created a special program just for healthcare professionals who need media training so they can confidently show up on camera, attract more patients, move up in their careers, and let their expertise shine. If that’s you or you know someone who can benefit from this, click here to learn more.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 3 more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  2. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  3. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

How to be more entertaining & interesting in 2022

I just spent a month working from Florida.

It’s nice to get away from the Chicago cold.

Plus, my mom lives there.

Have you ever noticed how honest your family is?

Your colleagues may not tell you about your flaws… but, man… your family will.

When I was young (and sometimes still now), my mom would say, “Kathryn, the Reader’s Digest version, please!”

Reader’s Digest is the largest subscriber-based magazine in the world. It features short stories, jokes, and advice.

I loved reading it when I was younger. But I couldn’t for some reason, tell a story succinctly like the “Reader’s Digest version.”

It’s easier when you write. When you write, you can go back and edit yourself. I highly recommend that and we’ll talk about how to in a moment.

When we’re telling our story on stage, in the media, on a panel, during a wedding toast, in a job interview, or even just on a date, we don’t have that editing function always working in our brain.

We can drone on and on… which isn’t good.

If your editing skills aren’t honed, you could be seen as boring, annoying, and worse: it could actually cost you that job, date, or client you’re hoping to land.

Preparation is key.

Don’t go into any important conversation or interview without first outlining what questions you may receive and how you should answer them to make your audience act.

Write your story, toast, elevator pitch, speech, or those job interview answers out. Once you see it on the page, it will become more apparent what can stay and what needs to go.

What are you headlines? The soundbites people will remember? The quotes they may tweet? What are the takeaways?

Practice your story over and over, and do it out loud.

Find someone you trust to tell you the truth.

Tell the person you’re practicing with to stop you where they get bored, where they feel they had enough… and where they are no longer entertained.

Record yourself.

Play it back.

Listen to your delivery.

Watch your body language.

You’ll notice your energy wane when you’re no longer interested.

If you’re bored – that’s a good signal to cut that piece out.

Be okay with the editing.

Develop a thick skin, but also stay vulnerable. This is your story. Your baby. Your life history. It’s important to be passionate about your story, but at the same time, be okay with the editing.

Know when to let go of what’s not as engaging to other people.

When the mission is to engage, entertain and teach — edit yourself down to what’s essential and entertaining.

You have one shot to keep your audience.

 

While I have you…

I’ve created a special program just for healthcare professionals who need media training so they can confidently show up on camera, attract more patients, move up in their careers, and let their expertise shine. If that’s you or someone you know who can benefit from this, click here to learn more.

If you’re looking for tips, tricks, and techniques on public speaking, landing media interviews, or creating a message that stands out, check out and subscribe to my YouTube channel. I’m dedicating 2022 to publishing up-to-date and timely videos for you.

And whenever you’re ready… here are two more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  2. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.