April 13, 2026 Keeping it Real Why audiences don’t want polished presentations—they want someone who’s actually done the work In retirement, I’ve unexpectedly found myself being called upon as a speaker at national industry trade shows, conferences, and expos. No one is more surprised than I am. I never took Speech in high school, never performed in a play, never presented to a boardroom full of executives. The only meetings I led were daily production meetings at my company—and even those I eventually handed off to someone better at it than me. Yet now, I’m standing in front of 30, 40, sometimes 50 industry peers who’ve…
August 11, 2017 STANDING ON THE ROOFTOP Perhaps some people enjoy getting up in front of friends, family, work associates, or even complete strangers, and speaking or performing? I’m guessing that those folks must be in the minority of the population. The majority of the rest of us, not so much, with some of us even exhibiting signs mimicking an actual heart attack at the mere thought of public speaking. Don’t be hard on yourself, though, as you appear to be in good company. Famous performers such as Adele, Barbara Streisand, Carly Simon, and even Sir Rod Stewart, all suffer some form of stage or performance anxiety….
