The Mike Drop Moment

In this episode, I chat with Adela Hussain -- the creator of Pitch to Press, PR Hero School, and The Spotlight Salon about how speakers and entrepreneurs can get more media by learning how to create an irresistible pitch. Adela's the founder of Starts Ups & Co and is a master at helping you pitch your business to people that don't know you…yet. Adela discovered she had a talent for pitching when she first started doing PR for her own fashion tech start up and was featured in 14 publications in 12 months, including the Harvard Business Review without pitching!Known for her high energy and laser-sharp thinking,  Adela she spent 20 years as a management consultant and did cool stuff like help British Airways acquire an airline, be a on a new board for Sky and boss men around in India for tech tool launches.Her Pitch to Press programme and PR Hero School have helped hundreds of founders fall in love with PR and master their media pitching to sky rocket their sales.Find out more about AdelaIG: https://www.instagram.com/startupsandcoFB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/prheroDownload my free guide 10 steps to get your business in the media on zero budget at https://www.pitchtopress.com/ 

In this episode, Jamie Varon talks about the creative process of writing her new book, Radically Content: Being Satisfied in an Endlessly Dissatisfied World. Jamie's writing has been featured on Huffington Post, Fusion, Complex/NTRSCTN,  Medium, Thought Catalog, GOOD, Teen Vogue, The Liberty Project, and SF Weekly. She's a writer, designer, digital course creator, and consultant. Buy Radically ContentFollow Jamie on InstagramLearn more about JamieApply to work with Mike: www.mikeganino.com/apply 

On March 17, 2022, I was one of the three contestants on Wheel of Fortune.I originally did a Zoom audition way back on March 16, 2021. On this episode, I share about:the auditioning experiencewhy the WOF set is the safest place on Earth (at least during the middle of a pandemic)what Vanna White told us before we started filminghow long it takes to get the moneywhat spinning the wheel is likeand how they tape each episode

BiographyPeachez Iman Cummings is NYC's newest and Juiciest rising star. The drag daughter of renowned activist and drag legend, Marti Gould Cummings, she is focused on using her platform to highlight Black queens in the city's seemingly monochromatic nightlife scene. In addition to drag, she sits on the board of directors of HelpNYC, is passionately involved with local government and volunteers with multiple ordinations through the city. Pairing high energy performance with a clear point of view, Peachez will feed your mind, body and soul.  Connect withMerch & Web: peachez.nycInstagram: @Peachez.NYCTwitter: @PeachezNYCPressSlice, dice and slay: Two New York City drag artists turning up the heat on 'Worst Cooks in America' | amNewYorkThe Truth About Peachez Iman-Cummings From Worst Cooks In America Season 24 

[00:00:00] Mike Ganino: It all came to me in a dream. A brand new website. Most people probably don't dream of websites in the night, or actually, if you are in love with your business or, you know, you can't stop thinking about it, maybe do dream of it. But my new website came to me in a dream and it was illustrated and it had story and I knew it was time to make the change. [00:00:32] Mike Ganino: But I also had invested a lot of money building my previous website, which won a ton of awards, best public speaker website, greatest personal brand website. So why was I willing to risk it all? And why might your website be ready for you to make a change? We're going to talk about all of that on this episode of the Mike drop moment. [00:00:52] [00:01:00][00:01:40] Mike Ganino: For a long time, I've taken issue with people who are speakers on storytelling or teach storytelling, and then their websites, their content, even their speeches. Don't actually involve any stories we stand up and we say, you should use stories. You need to tell stories, stories of the best. And then we don't actually [00:02:00] use any stories in our own work. And that was one of the things that woke me up that night. [00:02:04] Mike Ganino: When I thought I want to redo my website. It was that impartially, that a few things, my business had changed my goals to change. My offers had changed. And it was time to make a change. And for me, I knew right away that I wanted to have this. Illustrated website, a website that told a story, not only with the words that were on it, not only with the way that the pages were sequenced and the journey that a website visitor. [00:02:30] Mike Ganino: Website. Of viewer of finder, whatever they're called. Would go on, but also one that ain, actual character on the page goes through. And that's when you meet Zoe. Zoe is the Fox character that is that is used throughout the brand new Mick menino.com. To tell the story of someone who has something to say it was a message to share with the world. [00:02:55] Mike Ganino: And goes on this journey towards gathering. Uh, [00:03:00] consortium gathering momentum, gathering energy behind her movement. And that was really the vision I had when I, when I woke up that day. And so I started, I went on this journey to kind of find. Someone who could illustrate the website. In the way that I wanted, because I didn't want just something kind of abstract. And like, I didn't want doodles. I wanted like a, full-on like fable storytelling website. And that's how I found the team over at Detra forum who did all of the website, all the copy, all the illustrations for me, for the site. [00:03:33] Mike Ganino: One of the things that. I think is applicable probably for you and your business as well is really knowing when is the right time to change a website because there's also. A little bit of a risk that doing a whole new website can be just a form of procrastination, of not doing the things you should be doing, putting out the content, making the sales that you should be doing because you're constantly reworking the colors and things like that. [00:03:58] Mike Ganino: I have enough friends [00:04:00] in the, in the brand and design space to, to realize that that's a real risk. And it also keeps a lot of people in business who do that kind of work. But for me, this is where it came down to. And I wonder if for some of you, it might not be the same. A lot of the public speakers that I work with in my coaching, the time comes for them to do a new website because of these reasons. Number one is that the business has changed. Maybe when you originally started your website, what you did was, you know, X, Y, and Z, and now you're doing a, B and C. [00:04:32] Mike Ganino: So has your business shifted. Are the kinds of things that people come to you for different. Should there be a new way of packaging that and telling that story? In my case, My previous website that was designed by the glorious Jamie Vera and who I believe is a retired maybe for mostly doing this work. That's what I've heard from people I've referred to her. [00:04:51] Mike Ganino: Um, she's writing what will become. A best selling book right now. Or that comes out in 2022, but [00:05:00] she designed the website. I'd gotten a ton of a ton of like fan girling because of that, because she's just so iconic. And so my previous website was gorgeous. It was a beautiful, it was designed by one of the best designers out there. I worked with my friend, Erin Lindstrom on all of the words that were most of the words that were on the website as well. So they were just so perfect for what I was doing. [00:05:24] Mike Ganino: Which was being a public speaker. I was aiming at speaking. So my website's goal was to generate public speaking leads for me on a stage teaching. I was out there talking to organizations, associations about storytelling. And. It worked beautifully. I mean, I was booked and busy for many, many years with that website, it did a beautiful job at what it was supposed to do. It also won several awards for like best speaker website, great personal brand website. [00:05:56] Mike Ganino: Uh, so many times people reached out to me and said, oh my [00:06:00] gosh, your website is exactly like meeting you in person. And that was really the goal of that site. And it did it. That's what it was supposed to do, but my business has shifted. In the last, probably two and a half years, but really significantly in the last year and a half. [00:06:15] Mike Ganino: Towards working specifically with speakers. Now, I still do a little bit of work here and there. Uh, teaching executives and sales teams, how to use storytelling and how to present. Their sales pitches and how to present at conferences and things like that. But most of my work these days is from working with people like you, individuals who are on the other end of the podcast, listening while working out or walking the dog or in the car, wherever you're going to on an airplane. [00:06:43] Mike Ganino: If you're headed somewhere. I work with people on their speeches, on their performance of their speeches. And so the website that showcased me as a speaker was no longer as relevant. So my business had changed. And that's one of the things I think for, for you [00:07:00] maybe. Is when your business changes significantly, your website needs to follow you. So that one you don't, you don't worry about giving it out to someone that someone says, oh, how can I find you? And you're like, Ooh, don't look at my website. It doesn't really do a good job of displaying what I do anymore. [00:07:15] Mike Ganino: Now that doesn't mean that if your business shifts a little bit, you need a whole new rebrand and you need to go using gorgeously illustrated images like we did for Mike adeno.com. That had a whole different point for me, but it does mean that you need to think about. Whether your website is serving the purpose, it needs to serve in supporting your business. And so that was one of the big reasons that I woke up that night and dreamed of like it's time to do a new website was my business had shifted so significantly. [00:07:47] Mike Ganino: The second thing. The second reason that you might want to rethink your website is that your clients change. Now, those two things can be inner changeable, right? That your business shifted. And so your clients did as well, but they don't have to be, they can be [00:08:00] separate. For example, if your business shifts. [00:08:03] Mike Ganino: And your still working with the same kinds of clients, then a lot of your branding on there might still work the same types of colors and feelings, the same types of words. Those might all still work. The same images might still work for you. But it might be that both have changed, which was, again, in my case, what happened? My brand had changed because I was, or my business had changed. [00:08:26] Mike Ganino: Because I was doing less speaking and more and almost exclusively coaching people on public speaking and storytelling and performance. And my clients had shifted from being mostly associations and people that were coming to my website, really, for it as a brochure of what it would be like to hire me for their event. [00:08:45] Mike Ganino: And more for people that were making the decision to work with me on their talks. So what those people needed to see my new clients really needed to see less of like Mike is wonderful on stage. You should hire him. He'll make your event amazing. He's the shot of energy for [00:09:00] your conference. And more. [00:09:02] Mike Ganino: The kinds of testimonials that are on my site now that I helped people find their story, that I helped them have the confidence to stand on stage and give it that I helped them unlock new levels of their own performance, that I helped them create the mic drop moment, standing ovation, worthy part of their speech. [00:09:19] Mike Ganino: And so my clients had shifted in, so the website needed to shift to that was really clear to me. Now the third thing for me. And maybe you, if you're thinking about redoing your content, your website, Is that my intellectual property had changed. Uh, again, I had gone from, from teaching storytelling to executives, organizations, leaders, sales teams. [00:09:40] Mike Ganino: To teaching public speakers, authors, entrepreneurs, how to use storytelling for sure onstage, but also how to become the kind of public speaker people talk about. And remember the kind of person who goes from being a. Really smart. Subject matter expert to a [00:10:00] transformational storyteller on that stage. And in that process, [00:10:03] Mike Ganino: My intellectual property around that had gotten better. My. Signature. Frameworks, I guess, in a way, how I teach rapid prototyping, which is my method of going from idea to stage ready speech. My. Uh, specific teaching around storytelling and the storyteller's journey and how, as a thought leader, we can't just get up there and say the same types of things everyone else says, but that we have to include our personal stories. [00:10:32] Mike Ganino: Our vision for what the future could look like in our work. And so as my intellectual property started getting better, the website needed to follow suit as well. And that's where you can see as you go along. If you look even on the about page, you'll see, there are specific little things that call out. [00:10:47] Mike Ganino: What do I believe? What is my methodology now? And so my intellectual property was better. It was more specific. It was more tailored. And so we weave that through this brand new website as well. Now. [00:11:00] I was talking about my website. And one of the things I wanted it specifically to do was to tell a story. And so you can see if you go to Mike and yanno.com, if you're like sitting at your computer and want to follow along. [00:11:11] Mike Ganino: You could see that from the very beginning, this is a different website. I was a little bit scared. Not react. I was scared to not scared, you know, that feeling when you're like, maybe I'm a little bit nervous to do this, but I absolutely know it's the right thing to do. I was feeling that when we designed this, because. [00:11:29] Mike Ganino: I've never seen a coach like me. Who uses an illustrated. Creature. And illustrated animal to tell a story. And that's exactly what we did with Zoe, who is the character of this Fox on the first page, who wants to come alive and ditch the template and share the world, but doesn't know how to do it. And so you see, as you scroll this first page of the website, the homepage where you introduced to her at the top, and then you scroll down and there she is in the forest, standing on a [00:12:00] soapbox. [00:12:00] Mike Ganino: Uh, telling her story, trying to raise her flag and no one's really paying attention. All the other animals in this, this forest scenar are kind of ignoring her. And you notice they're all north American forest animals. Uh, later you'll see that those shift. And as you scroll down, you'll see her kind of getting clarity, figuring out her story in a more intimate setting. And as you keep scrolling, you'll see all the creatures from that north American forest, getting excited about her message and bringing others along. Like they see themselves in it so much that they want others to follow along. [00:12:34] Mike Ganino: And then as you get to the bottom, you'll see Zoe, they're standing by a campfire. Uh, telling the story and all of these, these, these animals, these creatures out there listening and enthralled in it. And that's really the story I wanted to tell. Is that that's possible for all of us. And so for me, the illustrated bit of it was a way to really tell. [00:12:56] Mike Ganino: A story using classic storytelling [00:13:00] devices, like the animals, like the campfire, we all gather around campfire at some point. Uh, to, to tell our stories, to share lessons, to, to share what we've learned out there. And so all of this was about being able to, to really tell that story without having to use a bunch of photos of myself or stock images of people that aren't real. [00:13:19] Mike Ganino: I wanted this to, to not only be a story that it was telling, but also to play into all of the classic tomes and ideas and richness that you would find in fables and fairytales in storytelling. And even when you follow Zoe over to the VIP coaching page, which is where people can learn about working with me, one-on-one. [00:13:42] Mike Ganino: On their content on there. On their speeches, their stories, their media training. Uh, you'll see there that there's even an illustrated version of me. That's coaching Zoe. Uh, that actually came from a real photo shoot for my last website, where I had worked with, uh, there was a picture of me working with someone one-on-one and they illustrated me and [00:14:00] they, they put Zoe in as the person I was coaching. [00:14:03] Mike Ganino: And as you scroll down on that website, you'll see that at the end. Uh, she's now meeting with a bunch of people. She's done this VIP coaching, and now she's meeting with a bunch of creatures and the creatures, the animals in this one have changed to be a global audience. Now there's an elephant, there's a zebra, there's a lion, there's a monkey, there's a rhinoceros. [00:14:20] Mike Ganino: And all of those are really popped up. There's like an antelope. All of those are really popped up to be a little more visual and all those north American ones are a little more kind of stencilled or lightly illustrated in the background. Uh, sketched in if you will. And so even that was part of what I wanted. [00:14:38] Mike Ganino: The story to weave the story, to tell. And so as we crafted this, not only was. That illustrated story important, but also the words and the copy. And that's where, again, working with the team I worked with, they really helped to put this story together in a way that was truly a story that was truly someone wanting something going after it [00:15:00] stumbling along the way, and finally achieving it through. [00:15:03] Mike Ganino: Transforming themselves, which is the work I do with people as they get ready to take the stage that they want to take in their, their. You know, life and their business. And so for me, those were the reasons it was time to blow up my $20,000 website. My previous website that I had spent a ton of a ton of money, resources, time building, uh, and creating this new one. And so. [00:15:28] Mike Ganino: It also was a little bit, I don't know. A little bit of like, I'm ready for 20, 22 it's time to make the change. For so long, I was like sending people to random landing pages because they would want to come work with me on their TEDx talk, or they had a book that was coming out and we were going to work on the speech for the book, or they were just coming to me to work in general on speaking. And I would send them to a specific landing page here or there because my website wasn't built to do the job I needed it to do, which was to help people understand what it would be like working with me as a public speaking coach. [00:15:58] Mike Ganino: And so this new [00:16:00] site. Was. [00:16:03] Mike Ganino: About cleaning that up, clarifying that, but also about taking it to that very next level. I've never seen another business coach with an illustrated website like this, and I've seen very few people that sell storytelling. Whether it's through copy through spoken word. Through workshops through keynote speeches. I've seen very few of them. [00:16:25] Mike Ganino: Actually use storytelling on the sites. And I wanted something that did both of that, that night when I had that dream and I woke up in the cold sweat saying, it's time to change this. It was that, that I dreamed of, of somebody landing on this page and being taken on an experience. And that's what I hope for you too, as you're thinking about, is it time to make changes to your website or your content is, has your business shifted? That was the first question I ask. Have your clients changed along the way? [00:16:51] Mike Ganino: Has your IP advanced, uh, to a new level where you can bring more of that into your work? Uh, because that's what you know you're [00:17:00] doing. It's, it's the clarity, the specificity that I teach in storytelling, you can weave into. Into your website and ultimately. Is your website working for you? Is it telling the story it needs to tell, is it doing what it needs to do? Is it generating the leads that you need it to lead? And if you're. [00:17:17] Mike Ganino: Creating a website as a public speaker, which mine is no longer that there's a speaking page hidden on there somewhere, but then I'll send out to people specifically want to bring me in, to work with their, with their teams or their association, but. What you have to ask yourself for your speaking website is, does it do what I need it to do? [00:17:38] Mike Ganino: Clarify my IP. Really, really make it clear what my business is and drive leads to my speaking business. Then. That's a big question. We should all be asking as we head into to new years, new months, new weeks is does my website work for me? [00:17:58] [00:18:00]

In this episode, I speak with bestselling author  and public speaking Erin King  about storytelling, building an authentic stage presence, and what it takes to to build a great brand in a digital world. Erin King is a best-selling author, 3x entrepreneur and the CEO of the Socialite Agency.  She's helped clients ranging from The Academy Awards in Hollywood to The United States Navy at the Pentagon communicate more compellingly using her award-winning PUB method. She is the author of “Digital Persuasion” and “You're Kind of a Big Deal” which both draw from her personal and professional experiences having founded three companies before the age of 40. Off-duty, you can find her either mountain biking with her husband Hartman, Facetiming with her huge, crazy Irish family, or being an annoyingly extra dog mom to a cavapoo named Betty White. 

Instagram can be a lot of fun -- and a lot of stress for entrepreneurs, public speakers, and storytellers who are trying to figure out how to use the platform to connect with their audience. From stories to reels, there's no shortage of ways for you to connect and deepen your relationship -- but how do you do it right? What really matters? And do you have to start dancing and pointing at words on your screen?I wanted to get to the bottom of it -- so I asked Tyler J. McCall to be do some Instagram myth busting on this episode of the Mike Drop Moment.We talk about: whether size mattershow to think about your audience how to streamline your content creation processand more Tyler J. McCall is a business and Instagram marketing strategist for online business owners and digital entrepreneurs. He focuses on using Instagram and social media to tell stories, build relationships, and convert followers to fans, drawing from his 10 years of experience in non-profit marketing and community organizing. Since 2015, Tyler has taught thousands of entrepreneurs how to start, grow, and scale their online businesses. He is the founder of the Follower to Fan Society - an online Instagram marketing training program - and of the Online Business Association - the first and only professional association for online business owners and digital entrepreneurs. Tyler is based in Asheville, North Carolina where he lives with his husband Eric. When he's not coaching or teaching, Tyler enjoys Target runs and road trips…that he documents on his Instagram Stories.Check out Tyler's webinar: www.tylerjmccall.com/freeInstagram | www.instagram.com/tylerjmccall 

Probably about 99% of the people I meet are unhappy, anxious, or nervous about how the videos they make (or the ones they don't make because they are too scared to get started). They usually go on a self-loathing spiral about their hair, their voice, their robotic performance.  But none of that is really helpful in deciding what's working and what could use improvement. Instead, here is the three-part method I use to evaluate client videos:Watch without the audioListen without the visualFocus on the intention I share it all in this episode. To grab my storytelling guide (it's FREE): www.mikeganino.com/storycraft

How do you stand out in a crowded sea of coaches, consultants, entrepreneurs, and speakers?What does it take to dig down and find the core of your message?In this episode, I interview Creative Director Hillary Weiss to help answer those questions and explore what it takes to create your Statement Piece and Power Positioning. We discuss: The messy route to finding your distinctive place in the marketWhy you must take a stand to create a truly remarkable brandHow to use the Statement Piece Framework to weave more of you into your message, websites, and communicationThe secret to creating infinite content for page, screen, and stageWhy it's critical to be radically relevantHow writing helps you find clarityAnd when to change your business modelTo learn more about Hillary: www.hillaryweiss.comFollow Hillary on Instagram at : www.instagram.com/hcweissTo master the 5 stories ALL coaches and entrepreneurs need to be able to tell: www.mikeganino.com/storycraft

R. Eric Thomas knows a few things about going viral -- from a thirsty Facebook message about Obama, Trudeau, and Peña Nieto to writing for over 13 million daily visitors for Elle.com to becoming a national bestselling author with his book "Here For It: Or How To Save Your Soul In America."We talk about Taylor Swift's new album, folklore; how to uncover your voice as a writer and public speaker; his approach to turning the frightening news of the day into hyperbole-filled clickable content. Facts about R. Eric Thomas: bestselling author of Here For It, or How to Save Your Soul in America,  his biography of Rep. Maxine Waters, Reclaiming Her Time, co-authored with Helena Andrews-Dyer, will be published in late 2020 by Dey Street Books.he's  a playwright, the long-running host of The Moth in Philadelphia and D.C., and he is a Senior Staff Writer for Elle.com where he writes “Eric Reads the News,” a daily current events and culture column. He won the 2016 Barrymore Award for Best New Play and the 2018 Dramatists Guild Lanford Wilson Award and received a 2017/2018 National New Play Network Commission. I recommend you join R. Eric Thomas' newsletter here: https://rericthomas.substack.com/Follow him on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/ourericPre-order "Reclaiming Her Time" on Amazon. Order "Here For It" on Amazon. Check out www.rericthomas.com 

It's time to take your virtual presentations from "do I have to?" to "I can't wait to deliver this one." The same old tactics are not working like they used to when it comes to delivering a virtual talk, presentation, proposal, or pitch. I've got four quick ideas that can help you take your Zoom meeting from meh to YEAH. In this episode, I cover:  How to really get their attentionWhat to do about distractionsHow to master your vocal energy (and why this matters so much)Ideas for managing the screenI also chat a bit about wine -- and what is better for summer than Rosé? I pair this episode (and some Yellowtail Poke) with the L'Original Rose which you can grab directly from me at www.scoutandcellar.com/mikeganinoFor more information from this episode: www.mikeganino.com/themikedropmoment-28 

Caroline Goyder is one of the world's best voice coaches working with top executives, speakers, and everyday people who rely on their voice for delivering messages. Her TEDx Talk (The Surprising Secret to Speaking with Confidence) has over 7.5 million views on YouTube, and she is the author of three books, including her latest effort -- Find Your Voice: The Secret to Talking with Confidence in Any Situation. She worked for many years at London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama as a voice coach before launching her own company. She is regularly sought out by the media, and has been featured on television and in numerous national and international newspapers.In this episode, we discuss: the importance of dealing with the moment when something unexpected happenswhat Caroline learned from a stand-up comedy director for her TEDx Talkhow to properly rehearse a speech Zoom fatiguewhy theater skills are great for life in helping you remain centered, present, and listeningwhy she recommends using props in place of slides for talkshow to deal with anxiety before a presentationthe key to sounding confident on calls and video meetings 

Michelle Poler is one of the biggest stars in the public speaking world. Her brand is distinctive, unique, and stands out from the pack -- and it all happened when she stopped worrying about pleasing everyone else, and started bringing  more of herself to her work. She has a new book -- Hello, Fears -- that can help you do the same thing. In this episode, we talk about public speaking, chasing your fears, how to create a remarkable brand, and what Michelle learned about the power of being herself in front of others. In 2015, Michelle started a project called  www.100dayswithoutfear.com. Where she vlogged for 100 days as she conquered her fears from eating oysters to holding a cat, from skydiving to writing an honest letter to her parents. On the 100th day, she gave a speech at TEDxHouston which changed the trajectory of her life as she launched a huge brand and career as a speaker.  

It feels like we're all involved in an infinite scroll, whether on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, or wherever you are consuming information, there's so much to consume.If you're a thought leader and author and entrepreneur, a coach, you also know that it's a way to reach your ideal audiences. So maybe you do what everyone else does.You look and see what people doing to your left and right are and try to come up with content that works for you. And in the end, we all end up kind of sounding the same.Regardless of whether you're someone who wants to do video, wants to do infographics. We're going to talk about why that might be.  And how you can shine in the spotlight using content and delivering it in a way that works best for you.Links:www.thespotlightacademy.com/quiz

In this episode, I discuss the power of tiny projects, and I've got a couple of ideas of tiny projects that you can probably tackle in three to five days with a little bit of minimal effort and might make you feel good about getting stuff done.I need some tiny projects. I need some quick wins, some short little look at what I did this week moments.There's time just maybe to do some smaller spreads to lay off the need to be so damn productive and instead do some fun things that feel good. I also think that the whole goal right now is that maybe we should be creation and creating things.I've also got a bottle of great wine that I'm pairing with this episode from my friends at Brooks Wine in Oregon.This episode is brought to you by The Spotlight Academy's Speaking Style Personality Quiz -- check it out here. 

I met Anthony Giglio five years ago through our mutual friends at Brooks Winery. While this isn't a wine and wisdom episode where I pair with wine, I say, why not order up or grab a bottle of Brooks Wine if you can.Otherwise, grab some Pinot or Riesling or just grab whatever you've got -- and turn up the volume. If you have a chance to grab some Brooks Wine, located in Oregon and they make great Pino and Riesling. I'm a huge fan and we love them over there. I am a wine geek but Anthony, he beats me. He's freaking funny. He is a writer and educator, a business person and ultimately a storyteller, which is why I wanted to bring him on the show.He has written for food and wine. He is the wine director of the Uber swanky Centurion lounge, which are the super fancy Amex lounges and a bunch of airports. He heads up the wine program there. He's the writer of 11 books and has been featured in Esquire magazine, details, the Robb Report, the New York Times. He's been on The Today Show and Food Network.  He's a two-time  speaker at The Moth  where  he took audiences on an emotional journey through the relationships between fathers and sons. Links:www.anthonygiglio.comwww.instagram.com/anthonygiglioListen Here, Fancy Pants from The MothBrooks Winery

We are going to have some fun in this episode. This is one of those where I get to have a conversation with one of my very, very good friends.It's not just about a pretty logo and the right colors. It's about having a perspective, having a point of view. I thought that would be an interesting thing to talk about on this episode of the mic drop moment and when I think about brand identities and creating them, there's no one better than my friend Joanna Galvao.She is the co-founder of GIF Design Studios. It's an award-winning design agency that specializes in brand identities. They're based in Porto, Portugal. They help entrepreneurs and industry leaders in over 17 countries and counting. And their goal is to help people elevate their brands through beautiful and conversion driven design.We talk about that a lot in this episode. How it's not just about having a pretty website or a pretty slide deck, how it's about understanding what you want your audience to do and then guiding them through that via design. Joanna's also one of my favorite public speakers, she teaches in this way that is engaging, fun and elegant and you walk away learning so much.Links mentioned:For more information about Joanna got to https://wedesignbrandidentities.com/

Oprah's 2020Vision Tour came to LA this week. For Christmas, I bought tickets for my mom and Phil and me to go see the show.I remember since I was six years old watching Oprah Winfrey show. My mom was a huge fan and so I was a huge fan.So it was really special last year when Oprah Winfrey announced that part of her partnership extension with WW, formerly known as weight Watchers, was going to be a tour.The show this weekend included Julianne Hough getting us whipped up into a frenzy with her dance moves and musical stylings. It also included Oprah being well -- Oprah -- and a workbook with Oprah helping us figure out what our own 2020 vision was. And the guest in Los Angeles was Jennifer Lopez fresh off of her big stint on the world's biggest stage at the Pepsi Halftime Show.I thought for this episode it would be fun to just talk about what happened, what did we see in ourselves, and what was the day like.And also a call to action for Oprah toward the end. 

In this episode, I wanted to take a little bit of a shift and talk about visibility. Why telling your story, being honest, while creating a brand that is true to who you are. Also true to who you work with matters.Being on stage and being ourselves is important. That doesn't mean we need to walk across stage and come out with whatever thing we need to come out with. But it does mean that we can bring our energy and our realness to the different places.We show up in presentations and board rooms, on stages, on podcasts. We have the chance to stand up and be heard. And I realized that to some extent, this is a privilege. I have the privilege of being a white gay male living in the United States and living in probably the most progressive of States in these United States.I realize all of the privilege that comes along with that and I am thankful that that I have the ability to do that.It isn't right for everybody, but if it is, then this episode is for you. Links mentioned:Mercury WinesPete Buttigieg with Zachary RoMike's Medium Article on Visibility 

Brant Menswar is one of the country's top 10 motivational speakers. He is an author and award-winning musician, a podcast host of a podcast called thoughts that rock would.He's the CEO and founder of rock star impact, a boutique agency that teaches people and organizations how to cultivate values based leadership.We also talk about his brand new book, Black Sheep: Unleash the Extraordinary, Awe-Inspiring, Undiscovered You. That comes out September 29th, 2020 it's called black sheep unleashed the extraordinary awe inspiring, undiscovered you. He takes us down that journey a little bit in this episode. So we can get a jump on  figuring out our own black sheep. Links mentioned on the episode:Brant's WebsitePre-Order Brant's New Book: Black SheepThoughts That Rock Podcast with Brant Menswar and Jim Knight 

There are about a million things we can do to become better public speakers, better storytellers, better share what I'm thinking in my brain with other people out loud and there's no shortage of places to find them. You maybe can work on managing your anxiety, meditate, and find ways to be grounded so that in the moment you're able to connect. You can work on your actual performance. How do you move, sound, and work the stage or the space you're in.There's one thing that I think is at the core of all of it and it's getting really, really clear on what you have to say and honestly, there's no better way to do that than to become a much better writer.On this episode we'll discuss why it's important to develop a writing habit, how it helps you actually clarify, distill and amplify your voice and what you want to say in the world.And it's a wine in wisdom Wednesday. Today I have a very cool wine that's going to have a little bit of a history lesson for you. To get more information check out the following:The Power of Managing Ourselves by Ari WeinzweigImprov for Writers BookBurn After Writing (Writing Prompts)111 Journaling Prompts (Writing Prompts)Writer's Emergency Kit (Writing Tips)The Writer's Block (Writing Prompts)Cosentino Winery: The Poet -- Red BlendCosentino Winery: The Novelist -- White Blend

Grant Baldwin is the founder of The Speaker Lab, a training company that helps public speakers learn how to find and book speaking gigs. Through his popular podcast The Speaker Lab and flagship coaching program Booked and Paid to Speak he has coached and worked with thousands of presentations to over 500,000 people in 47 states and speakers. As a keynote speaker, Grant has delivered nearly one thousand has keynoted events for audiences as large as 13,000. Grant has also been featured in national media including Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and Huffington Post. To get more information check out the following:The Successful Speaker BookTell Your Story So It Sti cks GuideThe Speaker Lab

People are obsessed with these short, quippy, helpful, informative talks from watching them to making them. We are obsessed with TED-style talks.The TED organization has been around since 1984 but it's really since the year 2000 with the help of the internet and then in 2005 with the creation of YouTube that we've seen a huge growth in the TED and TEDx speeches that have made so many people really, really popular in the world, and so what does it take to do it? Why do we love them? What's going on and how do we have a shot of creating them?And why are we so obsessed with them as a public? Why are we so obsessed with giving them and how do we even start thinking about what it takes to put it together?Well, this is the second part of a two part series. We started this conversation back in episode 14 with my friend Chloe DiVita from Perceptive presence in episode 14. We covered why are we obsessed with them, why do we keep giving them?And now in episode 16 this is part two we're going to talk about how to memorize your talk. We're going to talk about stories and data and what to put into it and then what to do after the talk.And also in this episode, don't forget, it's a wine and wisdom Wednesday episode. So I have a really fun kind of appropriately named wine to share with you.Notes:Learn more about Chloe DiVitawww.mikeganino.com/storycraftFull show on YouTubeWine featured in this episode: Rockin' TED

I can't believe the conversation I get to bring to you with a woman who has been called, “the most memorable on the Internet,” “original in a world with too little of it,” “not safe for work at all,” and also, “really kinda sweary,” and that last one is also how'd I'd describe this episode -- so be warned.Ash Ambirge is one of the internet's favorite voices -- and with her new book "The Middle Finger Project" -- I think she is about to become the favorite voice of an entire generation of entrepreneurs.In this episode, we talk about creativity, ignoring the haters, growing up in a trailer, Roseanne Barr, and how to craft radical self-reliance so that you can create the life that makes you happy.You learn more about Ash Ambirge at The Middle Finger Project.You can buy her new book, The Middle Finger Project, here.

People are obsessed with these short, quippy, helpful, informative talks from watching them to making them. We are obsessed with TED-style talks.The TED organization has been around since 1984 but it's really since the year 2000 with the help of the internet and then in 2005 with the creation of YouTube that we've seen a huge growth in the TED and  TEDx speeches that have made so many people really, really popular in the world, and so what does it take to do it? Why do we love them? What's going on and how do we have a shot of creating them?And why are we so obsessed with them as a public? Why are we so obsessed with giving them and how do we even start thinking about what it takes to put it together?Well, this is the first part of a two part series. I dive into this with my frequent co-conspirator and partner in crime Chloe DiVita from perceptive presence. We dive deep on this, breaking it down and looking at it and we'll be back with part two and episode 16 of the mic drop moment. Where will dive deeper.And also in this episode, don't forget, it's a wine and wisdom Wednesday episode. So I have a really fun kind of appropriately named wine to share with you.Notes:Learn more about Chloe DiVitawww.mikeganino.com/storycraftFull show on YouTube

Eric Himan has opened for people like Ani DiFranco, Patty Griffin, Edwin McCain. He has put out 10 studio albums with an 11th album on the way.He's toured around the country up and down North America and the world.We get into that in this episode. We talk about music. We talk about creative writing. We talk about the power of writing and creating from your own truth and how to find your truth or the truth in other people. When you want to talk about their stories, we go deep on, when do you stop worrying about being good enough and how to look for the micro stories all around you.We also talk about finding new ways to encourage your creativity. Eric has done this as a musician, plays guitar, writes his own songs, but he also had a cooking show.He is a standup comedian these day,s and he's always really innovative. I'm so excited to introduce you if you haven't met him before or to reintroduce you to him in a whole new way.To get more information check out the following:https://www.facebook.com/EricHimanMusic/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFGZPwIlbWUsijNcLtG8SVghttps://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/eric-himan/5095743?ign-gact=3&ls=1 

Public speaking looks like a lucrative career when you view it from the outside -- you travel to exotic locations like Des Moines, IA, you stay in fancy conference hotels, you get a nice check for being on stage for an hour, and ALL the applause from the audience. Except a lot of speakers are missing out on the check part. I have clients who come to me frequently worried that they are not great on stage because they aren't getting booked more or they aren't booking business from their speech. And while there are usually some performance tweaks we can make -- there is almost always a business model issues and a talk design issue for us to fix. Let's say you speak to owners of spas. The average person in the audience owns one location with 15 employees. Your audience is full of these people. If you travel to the conference and speak for free to this audience to build momentum, you can't be upset if they book you for a speech. You see the owners of these locations don't hire keynote speakers -- so if your talk, your bio, you description all lends themselves towards you being a keynote speaker only -- then you've blown your chance of making money at the event. 

I know so many of the people listening to this show are interested in becoming online course creators.Dr. Lindsay Padialla is on today's show to talk about online courses. Not just about the online marketing side, but about how to become an actual teacher.She has a big mission of teaching teachers how to be entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs, how to be better teachers.We talk about online courses, being a good teacher and everything that it takes to really engage your students in this episode.I was taking notes the entire time because I have a new online course and group coaching program I'm working on and I wanted to get it right, so I was excited about this interview.To get more information check out the following:Lindsay's Website: https://lindsaympadilla.com/Lindsay's Special Freebie for The Mike Drop Moment Listeners: The Profitable Course FormulaFollow Lindsay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlindsaypadilla/

So often as public speakers, storytellers, and entrepreneurs we ruin our stories by cutting to the ending too soon. We don't bring our audience into our story.In this episode of the were going to talk about why you need to show your audience the full monty.Also, I've got a wine pairing this week that's sure to make you perk up for this episode of Wine+Wisdom Wednesday.So not only are we going to talk about getting familiar with your audience and helping get your audience familiar with your story. I'm pairing it with a really cool wine you've probably never heard of.This week's wine is from Dirty and Rowdy Winery from California. I'm drinking the Familiar Mourvedre -- which pairs nicely with making your audience familiar with your characters. 

Christina Blacken is the Chief story strategist and founder of The New Qou a culture and communications consultancy group that helps leaders rebrand and rewrite their unique voice to navigate, change and create status quo breaking communications.She has spent the last 10 years using story to drive action. In this episode, we deliver a ton of mic drop moments. We talk about the danger in our assumptions where satire begins and ends and sometimes where it doesn't even start in the first place.I talk about my own coming out story and the narratives that impacted the way that I felt in the world.I love this one and I can't wait for you to dive in.To get more information checkout the following:www.thenewquo.comwww.instragram.com/christinablackenSway them in color podcast

It seems like today there are more opportunities to get on a stage. If you know how to position yourself. But that also means that there are a lot of speakers. Just type in speaker on Linkedin. The opportunity is huge but so is the competition.In this episode we talk about how you can surprise your audience and stand out from the competition.I've  got a surprise wine pairing for this episode of Wine +Wisdom Wednesday also.  

Jane Wilson is the founder of  The Up to No Good Club.  An online community dedicated to help more people design their lives with strength and swagger.Host of the Reclaim Your Spark Podcast.In this episode we discuss the change that happens when you stop seeing your self as small and weak.  Embracing not only who you want to be, but who you are today.Jane's transition from fitness pole entrepreneur to public speaker.  The power of putting yourself higher on the list and what she learned by working with over 10,000 people in tens years about the art of reinvention.To get more information about Jane head over to her instagram @thejanewilson. 

D'Arcy Webb – a.k.a the Speech Diva – is the head of voice training for Heroic Public Speaking Worldwide. For more than two decades, she's helped actors, performers, corporate executives, authors and speakers use their voices to connect with audiences around the world with power, eloquence and heart.​As a member of the voice and speech faculty at the University of Arts in Philadelphia and Drexel University, D'Arcy works with hundreds of new and seasoned performers to make their words resonate with clarity, precision and confidence. Keynote speaker and retired TEDx Cambridge Executive Producer, Tamsen Webster, calls D'Arcy's work “magic.” “She produces instantaneous yet lasting effects,” Tamsen says, “All while being the kind of person you want to hug (and do) or could cry in front of (and do).”D'Arcy's love of language is contagious. She believes every word is a story in itself. Her favorite words are diaphanous, ephemeral and squat. After just one session with D'Arcy, clients and students discover a passion for the power of the spoken word they never thought possible.

It's a lie. We've been told that we need to find our voice -- but where did it go? An all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean? But we didn't "lose" our voice -- we just haven't developed it yet. As a public speaker, expert, entrepreneur, or influencer -- our job is to develop our voice. So why don't we? What holds us back? And what happens when we do?  2:20 -- My failed attempt at having Barry White bass in a recording studio. 4:50 -- How our brainy skull impacts our voice6:25 -- The reason we think we need to "find our voice"7:47 -- Having an interesting perspective makes you standout8:10 -- What is your voice trying to say? 9:09 -- What does "resonance" really mean? 9:40 -- Why it's important for speakers to be resonant10:10 -- What I learned about going viral from JP Sears12:00 -- Resonance Pinot Noir is this week's wine pairing15:55 -- Why is developing your voice so important? 16:55 -- Resonant voices stand out17:26 -- Developing your voice allows you to be specific and interesting18:40 -- What Alanis Morissette teaches us about being original20:20 -- We want a public speaker who is like no other22:15 -- Lady Gaga is celebrating for being different22:50 -- We have been misled into being bland 25:25 -- Lisa2 gives The Mike Drop Moment some love27:00 -- Tips for developing your unique voice    

Jen Oleniczak Brown is the author of Think On Your Feet: Tips and Tricks To Improve Your Impromptu Communication Skills On The Job, the founder of The Engaging Educator, a multi-TEDx speaker, and former actress.     

2:25 -- How people see the speaking industry2:50 -- Why people get it wrong when starting a speaking business3:30  -- The big reason I (and you) weren't getting booked4:15 -- The Big Keynote Speaking Epiphany 4:58 -- Thoughts on speaking for fee5:20 -- The 3 B's of speaking for free7:00 -- Thinking about the backend of speaking for free7:19 -- The moment that lead to me getting booked to speak for 5-figures8:00 -- The danger of being seen as "big fee" keynote speaker9:00 -- How to barter for value when speaking for free or low fee10:45 -- Speak for yourself12:00 -- The Speaker Conundrum12:40 -- Conundrum Red Wine Tasting Profile and Pairing Notes14:00 -- How the Conundrum Red Wine paired with In&Out Burgers16:45 -- The power of thinking of your audience in character19:06 -- Why you have to speak your buyer's language20:56 -- Boring topics won't get you booked  

In this episode, we discuss: (5:07) Writing a book about Lady Gaga (9:04) The power of looking outside of your industry for innovation(11:55) Why it's critical to talk about things you find interesting(15:07) How we often create the things we need (16:30) RuPaul'd Drag Race helps Jackie reinvent and find become fierce(19:00) Jackie talks about doing drag at TEDx Vancouver(26:00) Jackie's drag mom schools us in confidence (29:40) The powerful thing that Jackie learned in writing Fiercely You (and my first OPRAH moment on The Mike Drop Moment)(33:30) Telling your critics to "Sashay Away" with Trixie Mattel (36:00) Jackie answers the call to create Drag Out the Vote(46:00) How Drag Out the Vote is helping with vote registeration Check out: Drag Out the VoteFollow Drag Out the Vote on InstagramLearn more about Jackie Huba

Learn more about Laura Gassner Otting at https://lauragassnerotting.com/Buy a copy of Laura's book, Limitless, at Amazon.Follow Laura on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter.Check out Laura's TEDxCambridge speech here. 

Speaker 1: (00:00)There's a better life and you dream about it, don't ya? You probably recognize those as lyrics from Dolly Parton's 1980 hit nine to five it was the theme song from the movie nine to five and went on to spawn a Broadway musical called nine to five and for Dolly Parton in 1980 it gained her an Academy award nomination, a golden globe award nomination for Grammy award nominations to Grammy award wins. It hit the number one spot on billboards, hot 100 and adult contemporary lists the first time in ms Parton's career that that happened and it's one of the few songs to so prominently and epically feature this,Speaker 1: (00:43)the sound of a typewriter, nine to five is one of the many Mike Drop Moments and Dolly Parton's long career. Her fans love to sing the song artists love to cover it and I think there's a very long list of people waiting to duet with her at the next award show where she's going to win. I don't know, some iconic award or hall of fame or basically like queen of all things awards the Dolly gets. But what about you? What about your stories? What about your moments? What about you standing up and getting noticed? That's what this podcast is all about.Speaker 1: (01:16)How do you tell your story? How do you own the stage? How do you own the boardroom or just even the PTA meeting? How do you give a killer speech, deliver a killer message that captivates your audience? How do you use the power of your voice to boost your brand, boost your message and captivate people? These are the kinds of questions that we will be addressing right here on the Mike Drop Moment. The Mike Drop Moment is that space where you show up unapologetically you and you say the exact thing that the audience needs to hear so they can have an aha moment. It's that moment when everyone is an awe of your authenticity. It's that moment that every public speaker, storyteller and entrepreneur craves when they hit the stage. I'm going to bring you bold conversations with public speaking, powerhouses, expert advice from personal development leaders and so many little public speaking and storytelling masterclasses to help give you real life valuable takeaways so you can craft a speech, a story, a message, a movement, a business, and a life that the world can't stop talking about. So your audience is waiting, isn't it time you found your Mike Drop MomentSpeaker 1: (02:29)over the course of the show? Not only will I be bringing in experts, I'll also be answering questions from all of you and teaching lessons on it. Questions like the one I got from Kyle Cook who works in the veterinary business, who said, how do I tell the story of pets given that we don't always know what's going to happen and we can't always record everything, we're going to deal with that on an upcoming episode. Or maybe it's a question from someone like Yvonne DaVita who says, how do I teach storytelling? So people don't think it's just fluff that they don't think it's just based on the last great fiction book they read. Or a question from Alex Ehrhardt who says, how do you show up on panels? Rachel K. Albert is asked questions about the business side of things. How do you price your speaking? How do you get the attention of event organizers and how do you organize a day long workshop?Speaker 1: (03:12)We're going to address all of that in an upcoming episode. Or how about from Kristen Westcott who said, how do you find smaller gigs? We all know the big, big conferences, but how do you find those smaller retreats and mastermind events looking for speakers? How do you find the smaller stories to tell besides just our origin story? How do you find just normal stories in life? We're gonna address that. Kristen, on an upcoming episode too. Jan sugar asked how much time should be spent building, developing and rehearsing a speech. Or maybe it's a question that Chris Miller asked me, how do you speak to get more gigs? So how do I show up and do a free gig that might lead to a paid gig or maybe it's questions like what Jane Wilson asked me. How do I tell an inspirational story that's not just sappy and manipulative or how do I show up more improvisationally every day in my life and live a little bit more? Yes, and also I'm going to be giving some wine recommendations, uncertain episodes. She also asked about those. Jennifer Murad asked questions about using story and speaking to get a successful project started and Veronica Romney ask them business questions as well. How do I use a keynote to help create content for a book? How do I use a keynote to test book ideas? How do you book your first 10 gigs and how do you double your feet? We're going to be taking audience questions like those and answering them in episodes coming up, so don't miss out.Speaker 2: (04:33)Thanks for listening. If you like what you're hearing, hit subscribe and join us every week. You might be thinking,Speaker 1: (04:39)slow down. Mr. who are you to come and teach us all of this? Well, I'm a guy who believes there are three types of stories we tell. There's the ones we tell ourselves, the ones we share with our audiences and the ones that our audience remember. And those are the Mike Drop Moment ones. The stories that we share have the power to transmit more than just information. When you tell a good story, it's an energetic exchange that leaves the audience forever changed. Maybe they learn something new, maybe they're inspired. Maybe you just shown them a new way of being that will stick with them forever. But in order to create those magical moments, you have to know how to tell a good story. And yet, you know what? Some stories aren't good. Not all stories are great. And what I'm talking about here is more than just structure. See in my book, a good story means being able to captivate an audience, whether we're talking about Instagram stories, a Ted talk, a board room, a PTA meeting, a big stage in the bright light, or simply just a chance to get in front of people and talk about what's going on. The good part of the story. The good part of your story comes from you and your ability to tell it to truly have your story heard. You've got to be confident, you've got to be present, and you have to be unapologetically youSpeaker 2: (05:56)[inaudible].Speaker 1: (06:00)Hi, I'm Mike Menino and chances are you're here for one of a couple of reasons. One, you just wanted help crafting a story or a speech that keeps your audience loyal on their feet and ready for change. Or maybe you came here because you realize there's more that you could be saying in the world, but you just don't know how. Maybe you here for business advice on how to build a great speaker brand, or maybe you're just like me. I mean, maybe you're someone who's on my email list or one of my friends or my mom who came here to listen to the show and regardless of why you're here, thanks for being here. I know you have a lot of choices and my job is to make sure that this is worth your time, that this is commute worthy, listening, that this is walk the dog worth the listening, that this is on the treadmill or Peloton worthy listening and I'm committed to making sure the show does that for you.Speaker 1: (06:49)My job is to help people get to the core of their story and to share it in a way that creates change. I don't want you to just go out there and tell cool stories. I want your audience to be profoundly impacted by your words. When that happens, that's when you create a Mike Drop Moment. It's these moments that a powerful shift occurs. Sometimes they're for you, sometimes they're for your audience. Either way, somebody becomes more unapologetically themselves. That's how stories create transformation. So how did I end up here telling you all of this? Well, I'm glad you asked more than just naming the show after myself. I've spent the last 20 years working with high growth, experienced, driven organizations from airlines to hotels, from restaurants to wine companies and from tech startups to real estate brokers. I've worked with some of the top public speakers, authors, thought leaders in business, entrepreneurs all in the effort to help them craft and tell the kinds of stories that create real results that get audiences on their feet and they create movements.Speaker 1: (07:53)I've also trained with some of the country's most famous improvisational schools like second city, upright citizens brigade, improv Olympics, and the Groundlings, and this blend of entertainment and business gives me unique perspective on how we show up and actually get things done. This isn't just about giving a cool talk, it's about really changing other people. I've also written a book. I've been named a top 30 global guru, which still kind of makes me laugh and I'm the executive producer of TEDx Cambridge, the longest running independently organized TEDx event. I've written a book. I've been named a top 30 global guru. I didn't really know how they decide that. Anyway, but thanks for the honor everybody, and I'm the executive producer. For TEDx Cambridge, the longest running independently organized Ted event. And these days I focus on what I love. I work with people just like you to help them find, tell and leverage the kinds of stories that create a movement.Speaker 1: (08:49)Last but not least, I live in LA. I love wine. I travel a lot and I'm really into coffee. So anyway, enough about me. Back to you. You have stories to share, you have an impact to make, and you've got a world waiting to hear from you. Thanks to everybody who's already subscribed to the Mike Drop Moment. And if you haven't subscribed, well I'd sure be honored if you did. So it's time to dial up the volume on your voice. Use your story, wake up the world and find your Mike Drop Moment. Let's get started.