The A-Ha! Method Podcast

Recommend watching this one as a video: *For Spotify listeners, you can watch the video of this episode directly on Spotify. **For those listening on other platforms, you can watch the full video and our improvised presentation here: ⁠https://youtu.be/Wg43wCApMrI Rachel Medanic is the Host of the Agile Vocalist Podcast, which focuses on sound in the performing arts and features the stories of artists with a California connection who work and create in sound. Agile Vocalist is a way for performing arts lovers to be curious, get inspired by creative careers, and to explore how sound connects all of us to our humanity. In this mini episode, Rachel joins Dayna to take a risk and play Powerpoint Karaoke - something outside her comfort zone - but she watched some of the other Powerpoint Karaoke videos and was up for the challenge. We work well together to give an improvised and inspiring (and not salesy at all!) presentation about Taking Risks. We also debrief at the end and talk about our experience of taking a risk and trying this challenge. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can learn more about Rachel Medanic and the Agile Vocalist Podcast here: - Website: https://agilevocalist.com/ - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RachelMedanic - IG: @vampituity - https://www.instagram.com/vampituity/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Up for the Powerpoint Karaoke Challenge? Email us at info@speakersalliance.org, or reach out to us on Instagram (@speakers_alliance) or Twitter (@SpeakersAlly). For more information about Powerpoint Karaoke and how you can play on your own, you can go to https://www.powerpointkaraoke.com/

Cait Donovan — burnout expert, speaker, author, and host of “Fried - The Burnout Podcast,” — joins Dayna and Gabe to discuss burnout, boundaries, speaker burnout (yes, it's a thing!), and how you can take better care of yourself right now. As a speaker, you may find that you're overexerting yourself and saying "Yes!" to every speaking gig you get asked to do because you don't want to miss out on anything or decrease momentum. However, you have to know when is the right time to say yes to a speaking gig and when to say no. Cait talks in this episode about how resentment is your superpower, and if you're feeling resentful about a situation or a request, then it may be better for your well-being not to take it. We also discuss evaluations and how to deal with those negative comments that may hit us so hard and get us down or in our heads. The key is knowing yourself and recognizing what you need to bounce back from the negative feedback, especially if you have another speech or presentation to give soon! Burnout is not new, but it's a big buzzword these days because it's affecting so many people, especially as we navigate through COVID-19. We hope this episode encourages everyone who is dealing with burnout or feeling the effects of burnout to talk to someone and get the help they need. Cait is so real and vulnerable, and we appreciate her sharing tips for how we can better take care of ourselves right now - as speakers and as human beings. Please take care of yourself and your well-being, listeners and friends! Show Notes: Check out Dayna and Cait giving an improvised presentation about self-care (keyword is improvised!): https://youtu.be/_62Hjx-KagI Cait's website: https://www.caitdonovan.com Cait's Podcast - Fried. The Burnout Podcast - https://www.friedtheburnoutpodcast.com Cait's Resentment is Your Superpower Course and other courses - https://www.caitdonovan.com/store 1:1 Coaching and Support to help you break the burnout cycle - https://caitdonovan.mykajabi.com/coaching Follow Cait on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitdonovan/ Follow Cait on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cait_donovan/ Video Snippets: If you are listening via Spotify, you can watch this podcast as a video! Not everyone is going to like you as a speaker - https://youtu.be/petzZgsC8tA Connect your message to your audience! - https://youtu.be/ZYj3xpAyTQI Sink little anchors into anchors into your audience's brain! - https://youtu.be/3QvvvUmaxHM Bounce back from negative presentation feedback - https://youtu.be/DrtXz8rkDIA

This episode is a MUST LISTEN for anyone who leads or facilitates virtual meetings! Melissa Dinwiddie - Founder, CEO, Lead Curriculum Designer & Facilitator at Creative Sandbox Solutions - joins Dayna and Gabe to discuss ways to make virtual meetings, trainings, and events more fun and engaging, which is so needed right now! We have been doing the virtual meeting thing for over 2 years now, and they aren't going away any time soon! Melissa is a pro at creating excitement and engagement in every event, and she shows us how to sprinkle in connection, interactivity, and fun into your virtual meetings so that you don't lose your attendees to their emails, social media, or many other distractions! We highly recommend watching this podcast on Spotify, because Melissa shows some cool slides on her video as she provides her awesome tips and tricks to better meetings. If watching on a different platform, please check out the Youtube videos in the show notes so you can see what she is displaying during the episode. Don't lose your audience to distraction, and don't be a talking head in virtual meetings. Allow your meeting attendees a chance to engage and participate, and you will see much better outcomes and productivity in your meetings and trainings! Show Notes: Check out Dayna and Melissa playing Powerpoint Karaoke here: https://youtu.be/F89_fYokQOM Video from podcast - 8 Unofficial Start Ideas For Your Virtual Meeting - https://youtu.be/kUxHWO3pqqc Video from podcast - Micro-Engagement Ideas for Better Virtual Meetings - https://youtu.be/MoUynFIswdY Melissa's website: https://creativesandbox.solutions/ Melissa's Free Guide - 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Next Virtual Event, Training or Conference - https://creativesandbox.solutions/resources/ Melissa's Virtual Learning Lab every month - https://creativesandbox.solutions/learning-lab/ Follow Melissa on LinkedIn - she posts some helpful tips and tricks for better meeting engagement! Follow Melissa on Instagram for her creative pursuits. Check out Melissa's personal website for all her creative and fun endeavors - https://melissadinwiddie.com/

Dr. Mariesa Barbara, DPT, joins Dayna and Gabe to talk about pelvic health and pelvic healing and how these issues can affect our public speaking. Mariesa helps us understand the connection that our pelvic health can have on all aspects of our health and well-being. She also demonstrates a helpful breathing exercise that speakers can do before they give their talks and presentations to relax their muscles and allow for better diaphragmatic breathing. Not going to lie, this is not Dayna's most professional episode as she gets very uncomfortable, tense, and even silly about the topic of pelvic health and the pelvic floor region. Mariesa handles it like the professional she is though, and she shows us that it's important to talk about the tough and uncomfortable topics because not many people are talking about them right now. Acknowledging that it may be uncomfortable, using the correct terms instead of calling them "weird" terms, and normalizing the subject matter can make your audience (whether one-on-one or a large group) feel more at ease with the topic and more willing to engage with you. At the end of the episode, Mariesa even helps Dayna say the correct terms and feel much more comfortable with the subject matter, and she can help you feel more comfortable about it too! Check this episode out for helpful breathing tips, how to speak about tough/uncomfortable topics, and quality information about your pelvic floor health! We use our pelvic floor muscles everyday, and it's important to be aware of our pelvic health and get help and healing when needed. Show Notes: For more information about Dr. Mariesa Barbara and her offerings, check out her website: https://mypelvichealing.com/ Check out Dr. Barbara's Meet Your Pelvic Floor Course: https://courses.mypelvichealing.com/meet-your-pelvic-floor Book a one-on-one session with Dr. Barbara (via virtual consult) for any pelvic floor issues you may be experiencing - open for all genders! Follow Mariesa on Instagram or Facebook! Speakers Alliance Announcement: You can now sign up for Private Speaker Coaching on our Speakers Alliance Website. If you have an upcoming pitch, presentation, or speech that you are working on, you can practice it with both Dayna and Gabe and get feedback and suggestions for improvement. For more details, go to https://speakersalliance.org/speaker-coaching/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Dayna and Gabe kick off Season 2 and the beginning of 2022 with a lighthearted discussion about how to find the love, joy, and fun in public speaking. Finding the fun in public speaking is much easier said than done though, so they dive deeper into how you can (not should!) find the fun in public speaking as well. This episode has a "big reframing energy" to it as they share some ways that you can reframe your negative or nervous thoughts about public speaking and think about it in a more exciting way. Also, Gabe shares some very interesting analogies to illustrate how he feels about public speaking.

Last episode of Season 1, and we go out with a bang talking about Dayna's favorite thing to do and discuss - Improvisation, or Improv for short. When you hear the word improvisation, you may think of improv used for comedic purposes, but improv is way more than just funny scenes and shows at your local neighborhood theater. The skills of improvisation are very much applicable to life and can tremendously help your public speaking as well. Improv can help you: Improve your listening skills Embrace mistakes and happy accidents Develop a "Yes, and..." mindset Boost your creativity and imagination Gain confidence in answering questions during a Q&A period And so much more! Improv has been such a gamechanger in Dayna's life over the past few years, especially during the pandemic, and it can help you too if you give it a try. It may push you way outside your comfort zone, but it's so worth it! Say "Yes, and..." and hit the play button for this episode! Show Notes: Watch Dayna and Gabe play Powerpoint Karaoke and give an improvised presentation here: https://youtu.be/wrBwqQBPFIk --> We do a pretty good job for our first attempt at this!

Chloe Dolandis, a dynamic entertainer, award-winning voice actor and singer (and excellent improviser!), shares amazing advice on being vulnerable, being your true self, and finding the love and joy in what you do. Making the words on the page or script come to life with your voice is such a phenomenal skill and talent, and voiceover artists, like Chloe, make it look so effortless and easy. The skills used in voiceover can also relate to public speaking, such as pacing, vocal variety, vulnerability, and taking care of your voice and your body. Also, energy reserve is a real thing! Just like voiceover artists, public speakers must make sure they conserve their voice and energy before an upcoming talk or presentation. Listening to this episode, you can tell that Chloe is such a genuine and caring person. She shares her stories, struggles, and experiences with such grace and humility. We really could listen to her talk all day (seriously, she is so good at what she does!). It was an honor and a treat to talk with Chloe and learn from her. Chloe inspired us to accept and love our voices the way they are and use our voices for good in this world. We hope you will be inspired in many ways as well! Find out more about Chloe Dolandis: Website - https://chloedolandis.com/ Follow Chloe on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. During the interview, Chloe mentioned that she would provide some places with excellent voiceover classes for those who are interested. Here are some of her favorites: https://atlantavoiceoverstudio.com/ https://www.shutupandtalk.com/coaching/ https://www.thevodojo.com/ (their "Fight Club") --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Gabe coaches Dayna on how to best share a story about her experience with Hurricane Ida in August 2021. Dayna is struggling with the decision to even tell the story and also how to organize it and share the most important details. Dayna spins her wheels about the story and other similar stories, but Gabe helps her to realize that there is value in sharing these stories when she is ready to share them. Sharing your personal stories is a great way for people to learn more about you and your life experiences. It can also be very healing and cathartic. However, sharing tough and traumatic personal stories can be hard, especially when you are trying to figure out how to organize your stories and process what you learned from them. You may not want to share some deeply personal stories, and that's okay. But when you feel comfortable sharing particular stories, we hope you will share them with the world. Share your stories, even when they aren't perfectly ready. Start sharing them so you can see what works and what doesn't. It takes time to craft a great story, but it's worth it when you do. Show notes: Check out The A-Ha! Method Course on Udemy, which has lots of great resources to help you with organizing your stories and then preparing to share them. Dayna references a speech she did about her experience with Hurricane Katrina (yes, hurricanes are a common theme in this episode). She is still figuring out how to best tell this story and deliver it in a better way, but here is a speech she gave in 2020 for a Toastmasters Area Contest and won the contest! (This speech was given in early March 2020 before the world shut down...back when we could do speeches in person and get awesome audience participation and feedback!) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Gabe tells a funny story in the beginning about a mariachi band playing during one of his recent speeches at a conference, and then Dayna and Gabe try to make call back jokes about mariachi bands as many times as they can throughout the episode. With her long list of questions, Dayna continues part 2 of her interview with Gabe about The A-Ha! Method Course on Udemy. They discuss how to make your slides look and flow better, and Gabe also shares his method for learning his slides and material without having to memorize all of it word for word. There are some excellent tips and tricks provided throughout this episode to help you improve your presentations. The most important tip to remember when preparing for your next speech or presentation - Less is more when it comes to public speaking! More is not always more! (So true and yet we...aka Dayna...forgets that all the time!) Show notes: Check out The A-Ha! Method Course on Udemy! In the episode, we reference Dayna's blog article about the A-Ha! Method Course - check out that article here: https://speakersalliance.org/2021/07/28/the-a-ha-method-public-speaking-course/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, Dayna talks in the beginning about her first in-person presentation since March 2020 and how it felt to be in front of an audience again (spoiler alert: she got very sweaty!). Also, Dayna interviews Gabe about The A-Ha! Method Course on Udemy, and Gabe tells us all about why he developed the course and what his process was for creating the course. Gabe explains more about The A-Ha! Method and how to use it to organize your speeches and fight short attention spans. This is a great introduction to the course and a more in-depth discussion about how the course can help you achieve your public speaking goals and become a better presenter and communicator. Show notes: Check out The A-Ha! Method Course on Udemy! In the episode, we reference Johann Hari's Ted Talk from 2015 called "Everything you know about addiction is wrong." Check out that speech here. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Robert Tercek, an experienced and innovative keynote speaker, shares his advice and tips for fighting off distractions that public speakers of all levels can apply during their own presentations. Audience members are very distracted these days, and it can be difficult to look out into a room and see all of your audience looking down at their phones or computers. The key is to frame your talk in a unique way so that it keeps their attention and also not be phased if it seems your audience is not looking at you anymore -- just assume they are tweeting and making notes of all the great points you are saying! Robert is a dynamic and engaging presenter, and his passion for public speaking shines in this episode when he talks about needing to practice and know your material to make your presentation worth the audience's time. He even had Dayna clapping and applauding at one point because he was so compelling and in his element! It was a privilege and a pleasure to speak with Robert. He left us feeling motivated and inspired to be better speakers for our audience, and we hope you will feel that way as well after listening! Find out more about Robert Tercek: Website - https://roberttercek.com/ Robert's Vaporized Book - https://roberttercek.com/book/ Robert's Tedx Marin speech - https://roberttercek.com/videos/tedx-marin/ Videos of Robert's speeches - https://vimeo.com/tercek --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Nitya Kirat, Founder and CEO of YOSD Consulting, joins us to discuss how to improve virtual sales meetings and how public speaking can help improve your sales skills, even if you aren't a salesperson by trade. We talk with Nitya about some of the techniques and tips he provides in his recently published book Winning Virtually: 10 Tiny Habits For Big Virtual Selling Success. Nitya has a great mindset and approach to sales, and he even used some of the techniques in his book to answer Gabe's tough questions about sales, which was very impressive! Not being scared of sales is the first step to improving your relationship with sales and then improving your techniques and processes can take your professional and personal sales transactions to a new level, so that all parties involved feel like they are winning! Check out Nitya's Winning Virtually book at https://www.winningvirtually.com/. YOSD Consulting: https://www.yosdconsulting.com/ Follow Nitya on LinkedIn. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, we have special guest Jeremy Au join us to talk about public speaking. Jeremy goes beyond the traditional discussion about public speaking and expands on many creative elements and uses of public speaking through storytelling, improv, and even stand-up comedy. Jeremy initially did not like public speaking as a kid and even shares an embarrassing story from middle school that haunted him for years. Then he grew to love it in college and finds himself using public speaking skills every day. He has given many start-up pitches and presentations and watched many business pitches as an investor and venture capitalist (VC), and he provides some insightful tips for new founders getting started with their pitches. Jeremy shares his love for storytelling and using storytelling techniques to evoke emotions from your audience. He also discusses his improv journey and how it has helped him along the way. Jeremy Au (区汉辉) is a VC at Monk's Hill Ventures who invests in fellow founders who will transform millions of lives. He also spearheads MHV's key initiatives from venture scouts to thought leadership. Jeremy hosts the BRAVE podcast and interviews trailblazing founders, investors and rising stars in Southeast Asia tech. His mission is to inspire thousands to build the future, learn from our past and stay human in between. He is also an angel investor in multiple startups across USA and Southeast Asia. Jeremy is a public speaker and panelist on entrepreneurship, leadership and community engagement. He has spoken for thousands across Harvard, Deutsche Bank, Singapore Global Tech Network, Boston SPARK Council, Institute of Policy Studies, Civil Service College and many others. Recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 and Prestige 40 Under 40. MBA from Harvard Business School and double honor degrees in Economics & Business Administration from UC Berkeley. Jeremy enjoys science fiction, improv, hiking, tea and being a dad with his family. He enjoys hearing from authentic founders, receiving podcast guest recommendations and new speaking opportunities. Learn more about Jeremy Au here: https://www.jeremyau.com/. The Brave with Jeremy Au Podcast is available on Spotify, Google, Apple Podcasts, Amazon, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, Stitcher and others. Follow Jeremy on LinkedIn, Instagram (jeremyauz) and Twitter (@JeremyAu). --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Most public speakers focus only on the time they're up on stage, presenting. But the 24 hours before your speech are just as - if not more - important than the 20 minutes itself. Find out what you can do to keep your speaking hygiene 100 and maximize your chances of getting invited back again and again. Join hosts Dayna Gowan and Gabe Zichermann of the Speakers Alliance for another in-depth conversation about public speaking. More info about the Speakers Alliance Here Read the companion article here for more details on speaker hygiene. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We all use filler words, and public speaking educators hate these ummm, ahhh, yeahs. But how big of a problem are they, really - and what can we do to minimize their impact? Join hosts Dayna Gowan and Gabe Zichermann of the Speakers Alliance for another in-depth conversation about public speaking. More info about the Speakers Alliance Here --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Social speeches are often our first - and most important - moments for public speaking. Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, funerals - they all require good speeches and often are what prompts us to improve our speaking in the first place. Join Gabe Zichermann and Dayna Gowan for an exciting episode in which we discuss the opportunities and pitfalls of the social speech, and how to master it on your first go around. More info: https://speakersalliance.org --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Getting sweaty comes with the territory of being a public speaker. But when the deluge starts, how do you keep yourself in a state of flow? On this episode, hosts Gabe Zichermann and Dayna Gowan talk about the tricks, tips and hacks for making yourself less self-conscious and more in charge of your sweatiness. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Getting and keeping people's attention is harder than ever as a public speaker. In this episode, hosts Gabe Zichermann and Dayna Gowan explore the techniques that public speakers use to practice and develop their work, and how this helps build confidence. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this introduction to, and first episode of The A-Ha! Method Podcast, hosts Gabe Zichermann and Dayna Gowan talk through their own different paths to public speaking and the challenges they faced along the way. We'll also look at why public speaking can be so hard for people - even those who are exceptionally good at other kinds of communication. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app