Professionally Speaking

Sociological Images reports that, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data rating the best jobs in America, an I.T. industry Systems Engineer (SE) comes out in first place! (Click to enlarge) Who woulda thunk. I spent six years as an SE with Sun Microsystems from 1992 - 1998 working...

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Thanks to Scott for sharing this link to 50 great examples of data visualization and tools for creating your own visualizations, covering everything from Digg activity to network connectivity to what’s currently happening on Twitter. Another source that I blogged about back in 2006 is Gapminder. As I said at...

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Vickie Sullivan is internationally recognized as a top market strategist for experts. Specializing in branding for high-fee professional speaker markets, she has launched thousands of thought leaders since 1987. Vickie’s groundbreaking work has earned her an appointment on the Women’s Leadership Board for the Kennedy School of Government at...

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Here’s a speech I gave at the Speakers Forum - an advanced Toastmasters Club that meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Concord Police Station, Concord, California. In this 5-7 minute presentation I discuss the differences in pronunciation and meaning between English and American uses of the...

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Thanks to Sociological Images for an eye-opening display of vintage ads for cocaine and opium products. This is normal today That was normal back then They note that what is considered socially “acceptable” changes over time: ..it’s no secret that products with cocaine, marijuana, opium, and other now-banned substances were at one...

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Jack Sramek is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a former Marine Corps Fighter Pilot. He flew 125 combat missions in Vietnam as a member of the famous “Blacksheep Squadron” and served as the personal aide to Lt. General Lewis W. Walt, commander of all Marines...

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“I think heckling is something the people of Britain can well be proud of…” - Joseph Strick, documentary film maker, 1966 A BBC documentary film caught priceless moments in the 1966 British election. Politicians mixed it up with vocal members of the electorate who have no compunction about joining in the...

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Nancy Duarte (whose company designed the slides in “An Inconvenient Truth”) did a riveting analysis of Steve Ballmer’s Windows 7 launch speech transcript. She color-coded Apple campaign references; unnecessary filler words or phrases; confusing words, phrases or statistics; Ballmer’s references to himself; upgrade fixes problems, and bold statements with no...

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No sooner had I posted the announcement about going to the 2010 Ragan Speechwriters Conference than word came from the organizers that the event has been canceled due to the snowstorms that have hit the Washington DC area. I was looking forward to presenting at the event and meeting colleagues....

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I’m off this week to the 2010 Ragan Speechwriters Conference in Washington DC. It’ll be my fourth conference and the second one at which I’ve presented. As in 2009, I’ll be podcasting interviews with attendees and presenters and grabbing some video with my Flip video camera to post to YouTube....

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Candid Camera Springwise reports that a wearable camera has been developed in the UK which can document a person’s life. Promising “Memories for Life” the Vicon Revue has been created as an aid for people with memory loss. The device can operate either on a timer—taking photos every 30 seconds—or it...

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How to augment your live presentation using social media Effective public speaking is a challenge for many executives. They must prepare interesting content, overcome stage fright and deliver a speech that will hold the audience’s attention. As if that wasn’t difficult enough, they are increasingly likely to find themselves looking out...

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In order to gain a competitive edge it is essential for professionals to strive for both professional and personal excellence. Frauke Schorr’s work focuses on professionals who struggle and need outside expertise to bring their careers, businesses, and teams to the next level. As part of her PhD in Organizational Psychology...

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One of the best, free, resources for speakers is the weekly SpeakerNet News email newsletter sent each Friday to more than 9,000 professional speakers, consultants, trainers, and authors. Each issue features items sent in by the newsletter readers, including: Tips on subjects like sales and marketing, travel, technology, great resources, saving...

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I need your help. On Friday February 12th I’m presenting at the Ragan Speechwriters Conference in Washington, DC. The title my talk is Beyond the Auditorium: Magnifying the Impact of a Speech with Social Media. While I hope some readers of Professionally Speaking will be at the event, I’d like to...

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“We must always remember that the act of speaking professionally is only a part of our individual journeys. It is not a destination.” - Phillip Van Hooser The Evolution of a Professional Speaking Career Since 1988, NSA President Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE, has spoken, written, coached and consulted on...

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Here’s a nice way to celebrate the end of one year and the start of another. This awe-inspiring video of the known, material, universe deserves 5 minutes of your time to watch in HD and full-screen mode (click on the second box from the right in the menu bar...

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Janet Hebert has been a ranch hand (her parents raised prunes on over 100 acres in the Coyote Valley), an elementary school teacher, a full time single mom for her two children Katie and Jeff, and a caregiver for her own mother. Janet has been speaking for the past...

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Confessions of a Public Speaker There’s no shortage of books on how to write speeches and speak with confidence. But there are precious few on what it’s like to stand on the podium and deliver a talk, let alone what it takes to make a living as a speaker. Scott...

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I met with Krim Stephenson who presented at the December lunch of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the IABC on the topic of social media - beyond the hype. Krim is a principal in the Arlington Mill Group. A former journalist with Bloomberg News and communications leader at Microsoft, he...

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