Gutsy Presenter: Recent Episodes
Scott Stiefvater & Jennifer Beaumont
Gutsy Presenter (formerly Re:Speaking) is a podcast for professionals who want to improve their presentation and public speaking game. In each episode, presentation coaches Scott Stiefvater and Jennifer Beaumont explore a specific presentation-skill topic through playful conversation sharing personal stories and practical tips along the way.
In the final episode of the Gutsy Presenter Podcast, Jennifer and Scott each share their top three presentation tips. Be Gutsy!
It is easy, in many cases, to do all your presentation prep-work in a bubble. Jennifer and Scott discuss how and when to invite a second set of eyes into the mix so that you maximize your prep-time and gather the valuable input you need to create a compelling presentation.
How do you want to be perceived? It's a good question to ask before giving a presentation. Jennifer and Scott discuss the concept of presence, why it's important, and a few exercises you can put into practice to make yourself more intentional about how you come across to your audience.
Can you learn something about presentation skills from watching a television show? You can if that show is Shark Tank. Jennifer and Scott discuss Shark Tank and the many lessons you can learn from observing both the entrepreneurs as they pitch and the sharks as the listen and respond.
We could all use a pep talk from time to time, so there's power in being able to provide one to others. Jennifer and Scott discuss the underlying structure and qualities of an effective pep talk. And because they are essentially mini-presentations, what you learn here about pep talks will help you with presenting in general.
We usually talk here about being a great presenter. It's time to flip things and talk about being a great audience member. Jennifer and Scott discuss all the little things you can do as a listener to bring out the best in the person presenting to you. It's all about presentation karma and paying it forward.
In almost all presentation scenarios, the presenter takes questions from the audience. Answering those questions well isn't really about having all the answers. Jennifer and Scott discuss the qualities of a good answer and what you can do as a presenter to produce more of them.
There are numerous ways you can hurt your credibility when presenting; using the wrong word is one of them! Jennifer and Scott discuss her list of "bad" words – the ones you don't want to use if you want to maintain a strong presence.
What the heck is PreSales? You can think of it as the Mt. Everest of presentation environments. Jennifer and Scott are joined by Adam Freeman, PreSales leader at The Access Group and co-host of the Two PreSales In A Pod podcast, who explains what it takes to get to the PreSales presentation summit.
Many of us dream of getting on a TEDx stage to share an important idea with the World. Renée Dineen didn't just dream; she made it happen. Jennifer and Scott chat with Renée about her TEDx experience, from submitting applications and landing a spot to walking out on stage and giving her talk. Whether you aspire to be a TEDx speaker or not, listen and learn about delivering a high stakes presentation.
Getting to the next level in your speaking skills requires practice, but how do you find the motivation to stick with it? Jennifer and Scott discuss goal-setting and how to keep yourself accountable and committed to improving.
You can see when a presenter is being governed by their writing mind. Jennifer and Scott explain what the writing mind is, how it can hold you back when speaking, and ways to overcome it as you prepare for and deliver presentations.
It can happen to the best of us presenters; we are trying to inspire but we get stuck presenting the minor details and lulling our listeners to sleep. Jennifer and Scott discuss this common pitfall and how to both recognize when you are getting into the weeds and also how to get back out.
Have you ever started a presentation by subtly lowering audience expectations? Jennifer and Scott talk about this tempting habit, the mindset behind it and how to shift that mindset so you always start strong.
Speaking and breathing. You can't do the former without the latter. But how and when you breath has a big impact on your state of being, your presence and your sound when you speak. Listen as Jennifer and Scott talk breath.
Enough is enough. Death by PowerPoint must end and Slide Bursts are the way out. Jennifer and Scott reveal how showing slides in bursts can better serve your audience and help you to truly stand out as a presenter.
Speaking with both control and expressive energy can be a challenge. Gutsy Guinea Pig, Ashley Faus, demonstrates how awareness goes a long way in striking this difficult balance.
Speaking "off the cuff" is a frightening idea for many. Jennifer and Scott discuss how to exude confidence and maintain control in situations where you are put on the spot to speak.
It's not that you gesture too much; it's more about how you gesture. Jennifer and Scott talk hand gestures with this episode's Gutsy Guinea Pig, Laura Browne (www.careertipsforwomen.com). We discuss what makes for good and not-so-good gestures and reveal a helpful technique for you to become more intentional with your gestures while speaking virtually.
Great presentations are not one-way monologues; they are inclusive. Jennifer and Scott discuss what it means to be inclusive as a presenter, the mindset you need to have and specific techniques for making your presentations, workshops and meetings more inclusive.
After a riveting discussion about guinea pig ownership, we actually coach Gutsy Guinea Pig, Joel Perez (apoyocoaching.com). Watch as we discuss framing yourself in your webcam, directionality, and how periods and pauses relate to being intentional.
Talking and listening – they seem like opposites, right? Jennifer and Scott discuss how listening plays a critical role in speaking, how it comes in different forms, and a few things you can do to become a better listener.
Telling a story off the cuff is tough but Kate, our Gutsy Guinea Pig for this episode, does it like a pro. Jennifer, Scott and Kate talk storytelling and how to keep in control to keep things concise. Enjoy the storytelling insights.
All of us get a little wordy at times, maybe some of us more than others. Jennifer and Scott explore the forces that cause us to get long-winded and how to think and act differently to reign in our thoughts and words.
It isn't really the skill of speaking that's difficult; it's overcoming bad habits that makes things challenging. In this episode, Gutsy Guinea Pig Gail Nott (www.lift4coaches.com) addresses some very common, not so desirable speaking habits with a lot of grace and guts.
A lectern. Your notes. Even a pen. They can all serve as barriers between you and your audience. Jennifer and Scott discuss how to use these tools so that they don't diminish your connection with your listeners.
Dan Mo is not only gutsy, but growth-minded. As Jennifer and Scott offer Dan a little feedback, they discuss how to avoid funny microphone sounds, the importance of facial expressions and the rewards of being a life-long speaking-skills learner.
Introverts can't be great presenters? What about shy people? Jennifer and Scott discuss the difference between introversion and shyness, sort out the common myths about both, and share a few ways to overcome your shyness when you present.
Our Gutsy Guinea Pig for this week is Hammad Siddiqui, a LinkedIn expert (linkedin.com/in/hammadcoach). Jennifer and Scott discuss all sorts of things with Hammad, from the British Foreign Office to the Pottery Barn catalog. And we talk about speaking stuff too.
It's not a past-ation or future-tation. It's a PRESENTation. Jennifer and Scott discuss what it means to be mindful and present as a presenter – what it looks like both in a conference room with a smaller audience and also on a TED stage with a larger one.
This is the first episode in which Jennifer and Scott coach a guest. We call it a Gutsy Guinea Pig episode and we'll be doing these every other week moving forward. Our first Gutsy Guinea Pig is Daviana, our summer intern. Watch and gain some great insights into how to start a presentation.
Presenting as part of a duo or trio can be tricky. Jennifer and Scott share some best practices for avoiding common pitfalls and maintaining a smooth and impactful presentation experience for the audience.
Interruptions will happen, but sometimes we presenters create the conditions for them to happen. Jennifer and Scott discuss how to minimize interruptions and how to deal with them gracefully when they do come.
Farewell Re: Speaking. Hello Gutsy Presenter! Welcome to the next chapter in Scott and Jennifer's mission to help others speak in a way that better connects us all. In this episode, they introduce the October launch of the Gutsy Presenter academy and then discuss how pre-show check lists and rituals can put you in the best position to succeed when you present.
It's important to gather feedback as a speaker. Jennifer and Scott discuss why it's important and how to both gather and give feedback in a way that truly lifts the spirit and performance of the receiver.
In speaking, control and confidence is related, but how exactly? Jennifer and Scott discuss the relationship and what it means for those of us who want to feel and exude more confidence.
Slide design is largely about process. Jennifer and Scott discuss both process and principles for designing slides from scratch or de-cluttering existing slides.
Slides have largely become a crutch and a barrier in our presentations. Jennifer and Scott offer a way to think about slides that will help you put them back in their place and make them a valuable supplement to your talks.
Sales presentations are more about listening than telling. Jennifer and Scott discuss how to avoid droning on about your product or service and how to engage your listener in a conversation that closes the deal.
Boring topic = boring presentation, right? Of course not. Jennifer and Scott discuss both the mindset and practical techniques you need to make any topic interesting.
It's time to discuss the corporate world's F-word: feelings. Jennifer and Scott explore the topic of emotion in speaking including how people who struggle with coming across as analytical and flat can foster more expression.
Most presentations are forgettable because they are safely within the norm. Jennifer and Scott discuss how to take risks as a presenter so that you stand out without getting fired.
Managing time can be a perplexing presentation challenge. Jennifer and Scott discuss how to address common time-related issues like starting on time, ending on time, and having your time allotment cut short at the last minute.
The volume of our voice affects our presence and the ease with which our listeners receive our ideas. Jennifer and Scott discuss volume in both virtual and in-person situations, using a microphone and raising your volume without hurting your voice.
Your posture is central to exuding a strong presence when you speak. Jennifer and Scott talk about posture, what makes for good posture, what it means to be "grounded", and share various ideas for building a good posture habit.
As professionals, we're told to be armed with a canned, sell-yourself script. Jennifer and Scott reveal two options to the traditional elevator pitch, options that will have you standing out from the crowd.
Jennifer and Scott discuss the often overlooked and undetected problem of mumbling, it's causes and how to enhance vocal articulation.
Jennifer and Scott talk about what it means to uptalk, how uptalking erodes a speaker's credibility and what to do to overcome this common habit.
Jennifer and Scott discuss the frustrating habit (for both speaker and listener) of speaking too quickly including what to do and how to think in order to break the habit.
Jennifer and Scott discuss why filler sounds and words happen, how they hurt our impact, and what to do to overcome this bad speaking habit.
In this episode, Scott shares his story of a big mindset shift he experienced – one that changed the way he sees and approaches developing and delivering presentations.
In this episode, Jennifer shares her story of overcoming paralyzing speaking anxiety and how that led her all the way to becoming a presentation coach.
In the previous episode, Jennifer and Scott discussed how to practice for a specific presentation. Now they explore how to practice your delivery skills and change your speaking habits for the better.
You have your content planned and maybe some slides. How do you practice for your presentation? Jennifer and Scott discuss how to secure your content for easy recall without getting stuck on scripted rails.
You've finished developing your presentation content. Now it's time to design slides. Jennifer and Scott discuss how to start the process, how to design efficiently and how to think about slides so that they serve your audience well.
Jennifer and Scott are joined by Amy Wong (alwaysonpurpose.com) to discuss the challenge of delivering hard news in a presentation. Amy shares her wisdom on the topics of trust, communication and leadership.
You've brainstormed ideas for content. Jennifer and Scott now discuss what to keep in mind as you organize your ideas and develop key messages.
Now that you have your core message, it's time to brainstorm. Jennifer and Scott discuss why brainstorming is vital and how to make it quick and productive.
In the previous episode, Jennifer and Scott introduce the first two steps of presentation creation. In this episode, they discuss step 3: defining your core message so that your presentation is both creative and clear.
Jennifer and Scott share their disdain for the common practice of starting in slide software and reveal the best first (and second) step for planning presentation content.
Jennifer and Scott take a deep look (no pun intended) at eye contact, spar over its definition and discuss why some speakers act like sprinklers.
Jennifer and Scott discuss what personal brand means, why it matters and ways to gather input about yours.
Jennifer and Scott discuss the specifics of crafting an engaging and memorable story about how you or your company helped a customer succeed.
Jennifer and Scott discuss the power of personal stories, how to find them and how to craft them to keep them short and impactful.
Jennifer and Scott share thoughts and formulas for crafting presentation endings that clarify and inspire.
Jennifer and Scott discuss the icky feelings you get when you first start video critiquing yourself, how to overcome them, and the importance of professional input when you are working toward correcting bad speaking habits.
Jennifer and Scott share interesting stories and differing perspectives on the common practice of having a Q&A session at the end of your presentation.
Jennifer and Scott discuss the awkwardness of presenting online and share ideas that will help you to be more authentic when doing so.
Jennifer and Scott offer some wonderful ways to think about gesturing with your hands and provide a few exercises to practice.
Jennifer and Scott turn their focus on how to dress up both you and your background for maximum Zoom impact.
Jennifer and Scott demonstrate how to fine-tune your webcam angle and lighting so that you look marvelous while speaking on Zoom.
Jennifer and Scott share stories of skis and motorcycles as they discuss how best to deal with the fear and nerves we are all apt to experience as speakers.
Jennifer and Scott discuss what makes (and what doesn't make) for an engaging opening to a presentation, and how you might want an opening before your opening.
Jennifer and Scott provide a quick introduction to the Re: Speaking video podcast series.