Hey Reader,

Are you celebrating “International Sloth Day” today?

Me neither (but I'm slowly getting around to it)

Let's move on to some insights...

Most of us would rather be in the casket than give the eulogy.

Seinfeld said that years ago, and it still holds up.

Public speaking scares people more than snakes. More than heights.

More than a text from your boss that just says "got a sec?"

But here's the thing. "Stage fright" isn't about your speaking skills.

It's about being ‘judged’.

Your brain thinks 40 people are grading you on a clipboard.

(They're mostly thinking about lunch.)

I could go on about “mindset”. But I'd rather hand you the "Fix".

It's boring. It works.

Rehearse. A lot.

How much? Theater folks have a rule of thumb…

For every minute on stage, two hours of rehearsal.

Yep. Two hours. Per minute.

I know. You just did the math. A 30-minute talk means 60 hours.

You're already working on a fake cough to get out of it.

Same. But hear me out...

Does that talk mean big money? Worth it.

A career jump? Worth it.

A shot at a famous stage with a red circle on the floor?

Clear your weekends.

Giving the same talk every week?

Still aim for hours getting it 'down'. Even if it's a sales talk to your staff of 10.

They'll feel the energy.

And you never know when the big bosses are quietly lurking in a muted Zoom square.

Here's why it works.

Fear comes from the “unknown”.

Once you KNOW what you'll say and HOW you'll say it, most of the dread just packs up and leaves. I'd put it at 70% GONE, easy.

HOW you rehearse matters too!

Reading your speech out loud while you wander to the fridge doesn't count. We all do it. That's just snacking with ‘narration’.

Make it “Real”! Use the voice you'll use in the room.

Stand up!

Figure out where your hands help. Then figure out where they just flap around like you're landing a plane.

That's rehearsal. Mumbling at the fridge is just ‘practice’.

Do it enough, and the words stop being something you have to remember. They just become something you say.

Go scare the dog with your opening line tonight!

P.S. Want a second set of ears that isn't a kitchen appliance? Grab a free 15 minutes with me. Tell me where you freeze up, and I'll hand you tips you can use in your very next rehearsal. (link below)

Stellar Quotes

“The rehearsal is the work, the performance is the relaxation.”

Michael Caine

“I never could make a good impromptu speech without several hours to prepare it.”

Mark Twain

I once blew an air horn in a hockey coach's ear.

I was dressed as an “Ape” at the time.

Let me back up…

Very early in my Radio career, the station needed a “mascot”.

Somebody came up with the "K-Hit Ape."

I was low man on the totem pole. I was also fit from all my Martial arts training. So guess who got the suit!

The costume was amazingly “ape-like”.

It was also a sauna with arms. I'm sure I lost a ton of weight after every event. Think hot yoga, but in fur.

My biggest gigs were Tucson Roadrunners hockey games.

Minor league team. Thousands of fans.

I wore a bright red K-Hit T-shirt over the fur. If you've seen “Go the Gorilla” at Phoenix Suns games, that was my job. (Just a couple of decades earlier!)

And I took it seriously, Reader!

I jumped over two rows at a time. I picked pretend nits out of people's hair. Fans kept trying to ‘feed me’ through the mask. Popcorn. Peanuts. Especially BEER!

(The ape did not need beer. The ape needed a fan and a towel.)

One night I was on the other team's side. A guy had an 'air horn' in his lap.

I motioned for it. (The K-Hit Ape never spoke.) He handed it over.

I reached over the glass behind their bench. I blasted it right in the coach's ear. Then I tossed it back.

The coach whipped around with glaring devil eyes. The poor guy waved his arms, yelling, "It wasn't me, it wasn't me!" I was already up the stairs.

Another night got scary…

A drunk fan wanted my "ape head". I felt the tug and broke the rule.

"Knock it off!"

He kept yanking. Then he tried a chokehold. Bad idea.

That's perfect for an arm throw. He flew over my shoulder and landed two rows down. I waited for security. He'd had enough and just left.

My Program Director saw the whole thing. I figured I was fired!

Instead, he slipped me 100 bucks and said,

"Don't ever do that again. But I've never seen an ape fight!

That was the funniest (bleep) I've ever seen!"

Here's what gets me. Thousands of people got every ‘bit’ that ape did.

Zero words.

People read your body and energy before they hear a word.

Half-commit and they feel it from the cheap seats.

People can feel when you're holding back.

A half-hearted ape is just a sad man in a hot rug.

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​Diversions

Your Thoughts

I’m planning an “Ask Me Anything” workshop around speaking and vocal confidence, but I want YOU to help me build it.

If I hosted a free “Ask Me Anything” workshop on communication skills… which topic would help you MOST right now? Building vocal confidence Getting over stage fright Speaking clearly without rambling Sounding more confident on video

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