The Blueprint For Finding Your Voice
“Let rhetoric, then, be a power of seeing what
is capable of being persuasive on each subject.”
—Aristotle9
Like many steps on one’s quest for excellence, the pathway to becoming a powerful speaker does not proceed in a straight line. There is some progress, then apparent regress, where effort doesn’t necessarily generate results. Nevertheless, one tries to keep moving forward.
Here are some highlights from my own odyssey from fumbling for words onstage to owning the stage with confidence and becoming a professional speaking coach.
The Turning Point: A Quest For Excellence
Once I left rock music to become a global data center manager at Merrill Lynch, clear communication became even more crucial. Imagine stock traders unable to trade due to technical failures, and you are the one responsible for fixing it fast. You need an authoritative voice. Yet, I wasn’t a drill sergeant. Past verbal failures—stumbling over words in school, freezing on stage, fumbling in job interviews—haunted me. Fear of disapproval, misunderstanding, and even ridicule gnawed at my confidence.
Leadership became my testing ground. If I wanted to be a powerful speaker and a trusted leader, I had to master communication. I enrolled in a Dale Carnegie public speaking course culminating in a speech contest. Winning it was a breakthrough, teaching me that fear can be managed and even turned into an asset.
In 1992, I joined Toastmasters International, where I practiced, received feedback, and refined my style. Over the years, I pursued further training, earning a World Class Speaking Coach certification under World Champion speaker Craig Valentine. It was about more than just speaking well; it was about purpose, passion, and impact.
Today, I’m an active member of Darren LaCroix’s Stage Time University and Craig Valentine’s Speak and Prosper Academy, continually refining my craft. Thanks to coaching mentors such as Ford Saeks, Chris McGuire, Sam Richter, and many others, I now get paid to speak and coach, incorporating storytelling, humor, and structured techniques I once lacked. (I also gained great value from Brian Johnson’s Heroic program, Donald Miller’s Small Business Flight School, and Benjamin Hardy’s Rapid Transformation.)
When I lead group coaching sessions, I start by describing what’s in it for the attendees. I share a quotation fromDeliver Unforgettable Presentations, by Patricia Fripp, Darren LaCroix, and Mark Brown: “Developing good public speaking skills is the best way to promote your product, service, or company.”10
Going from fear to confidence to mastery has been long and arduous for me, but it has also been incredibly rewarding. Not only have I improved my own communication skills, but I have experienced the joy of helping others turn their fear into confidence when speaking before a group. You’ll learn about several success stories in chapters 3 through 9.
Breaking Through To Become A Voice Of Reason
In the mid-1990s, I took on the daunting challenge of hosting and producing a Manhattan cable TV show,The Voice of Reason, which explored how reason shapes a richer, fuller, happier life. Each week
