Every presentation is a conversation and every conversation is an opportunity to be kind. Kind to ourselves and kind to those we are speaking with. Can you imagine the impact we would have on ourselves and our audience if we set kindness as our core intention? “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking[…]
Posts by:
Maurice Decastro
Every presentation is a conversation and an opportunity to be kind
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 22, 2018
Every presentation is a journey Imagine turning up for work as usual on Monday morning and before you even take your coat off your boss says, ‘ Don’t take your coat off we are going straight out’. Isn’t it likely that your first response may be, ‘Where are we going?’ closely followed by ‘why are[…]
Oprah Winfrey: Public Speaking at its Finest: I – Inspire
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Jan 08, 2018
Oprah Winfrey delivered a stunning speech whilst accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Golden Globes. It was a speech which touched the hearts and minds of her entire audience, bringing them all to their feet in unified applause. There is so much to learn from Oprah Winfrey during this extraordinary[…]
Do you have a bad habit when presenting?
Anxiety, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 28, 2017
Do you have a bad habit when presenting Whether it’s our style of presenting, the time we wake up each morning, or the fact that you bite your nails; a lot of what we do isn’t by conscious choice. It’s habit Even something as simple as conquering a sweet tooth can feel impossible. If you’re[…]
Your audience needs can help your growth as a presenter?
Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 19, 2017
Do you know what your audience needs are? If public speaking and the mere thought of presenting your ideas at work fills you with dread, you’re not alone. It’s the cause of sleepless nights for many of the most intelligent, creative and talented professionals all over the world. The reason it’s such a global affliction[…]
Presenting with focus is key the key to presentation success
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills Dec 10, 2017
Presenting with focus is key the key to presentation success The prerequisite to ensuring you craft and deliver a memorable presentation to any audience is focus. At Mindful Presenter we believe that the one thing we need to focus on more is; how we want our audience to feel. We’ve been presenting to each other[…]
How clear are you on your audience expectaions? A presentation, meeting or training course that doesn’t meet audience expectations can be a very disheartening experience. We live in an extremely fast paced and busy world where most of us are overwhelmed with information. When we give up some of our extremely valuable time to listen[…]
Presenting data effectivley is a significant challenge for many presenters Every presentation contains data and our greatest challenge as presenters is to share it in a way that is clear, relevant and valuable. Everything is data Numbers, facts, ideas, insights, updates, stories and information; it’s all data. Many professionals believe that data is exclusive to[…]
Connecting is the key to high impact presenting
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 11, 2017
Connecting is the key to high impact presenting Before each presentation skills training course or public speaking coaching session we run at Mindful Presenter, we ask every client one very important question. ‘What do you want your audience to feel?’ More often than not, the typical responses we hear are: informed, engaged or interested. At[…]
Presentation brevity is a must in today’s world of ‘noise’
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 04, 2017
Presentation brevity is critical in keeping our audiences attention and interest A couple of years ago I wrote and published an article called, ‘Most presentations are far too long – less really is more!’ The key message within that article was, ‘We need to cut out the superfluous noise’; I offered some insights into how[…]
Acres of diamonds is a powerful story for presenters
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Oct 28, 2017
Acres of diamonds ‘Acres of Diamonds’ is a story by Russell Conwell about an African farmer who heard tales of other farmers who had made fortunes discovering diamond mines on their own land. The story explains that the farmer sold his farm and spent the rest of his life searching unsuccessfully for diamonds across Africa.[…]
The 10 Financial Presentation Mistakes That Instantly Undermine Your Credibility
Advice, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills Oct 15, 2017
Presenting financial information or any complex data can be risky business The route to success revolves around a high level of mindfulness. When you are presenting financial information, begin with this question. What precisely does my audience really need to know and why do they need to know it? Being blinded by a sea of[…]
‘Theresa May offers the ‘British dream’ but speech turns into a nightmare’ The Guardian ‘Theresa May’s keynote speech at Tory conference descended into chaotic scenes’ The Telegraph ‘It is likely to go down as one of the most painfully agonising political speeches to watch in recent history.’ Independent As a public speaking coach I believe[…]
The presentation anxiety phenomenon – where content matters
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 23, 2017
Presentation anxiety is probably the most written about issue when it comes to public speaking Storytelling, structure and style pale into insignificance compared to requests we receive to help professionals calm their presention anxiety and nerves. Despite the ubiquity of presentation anxiety, at Mindful Presenter we have noticed an interesting phenomenon. When we ask professionals[…]
DRIVE is a series of direct interviews with Rebels : Presentation Lessons from a solicitor
Leadership Sep 16, 2017
DRIVE is a series of direct interviews with Rebels : Presentation Lessons from a solicitor Shainul Kassam, who is the founder of Fortune Law a corporate and commercial law firm in London, spoke at the launch of DRIVE, a brilliantly conceived initiative to bring founders and entrepreneurs together. Most presentation skills and public speaking[…]
The Pre‑Mortem: The Most Overlooked Solution to Presentation Anxiety
Anxiety, Communication Skills, Presentation Tips Sep 10, 2017
Presentation anxiety is one of the most common sources of workplace stress. For some, the symptoms appear days before they speak; for others, the dread begins weeks or even months in advance. Many professionals will go to great lengths to avoid presenting altogether, quietly reshaping their careers around the fear of being seen. The[…]
Honouring Louise Hay: The Voice Who Taught the World How to Heal
Communication Skills, Leadership, Public Speaking Sep 02, 2017
A Life That Shifted the Inner World of Millions Louise Hay, the American author, speaker, and founder of Hay House, passed away earlier this week at the age of 90. Loved by millions, she will always be remembered as one of the pioneers of the modern self-help movement, a woman whose work helped people[…]
The Art of Presenting Data: How to Make Numbers Meaningful
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Aug 05, 2017
Presenting data doesn’t have to be as difficult as many presenters make it out to be. We’ve all been victims of the dreaded data dump, the slide crammed with charts, tables, tiny text, and the inevitable line: “You probably won’t be able to read this, so I’ll read it for you.” There’s a persistent[…]
Do You Have a Presenter’s Inner Critic? – The Voice That Arrives When We Stand to Speak
Anxiety, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Jul 29, 2017
A story about the voice that tries to stop us and the mindfulness that sets us free. The Voice That Arrives When We Stand to Speak Many presenters, no matter how seasoned or self-assured, carry a quiet companion into the room. It waits patiently until the moment we stand to speak and then, as if[…]
The Story Behind Mindful Presenter
Anxiety, Communication Skills, Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 22, 2017
How a single moment exposed a global issue and ignited a movement. A Journey Begins in the Sun Two weeks in the Cypriot sun have a way of softening the noise of life. Warm sea, quiet mornings, and the kind of stillness that lets your mind wander to places you’ve been too busy to[…]
Many people believe public speaking is a matter of confidence and that if they simply “speak from the heart,” everything else will fall into place. It’s a comforting idea, and there’s truth in it, but it’s also the reason so many presentations fall flat. Speaking from the heart is powerful only when it’s supported[…]
Most ideas don’t perish because they’re wrong; they perish because they’re presented in a manner that never allows them to flourish. In every workplace, the true differentiator isn’t intelligence, experience, or even creativity. It’s whether you can make another person feel the importance of what you’re saying, at the moment you’re saying it. We[…]
Why Presenting Is the Most Human and Most Misunderstood Skill at Work
Advice, Presentating training, Presentation Skills Jul 04, 2017
There is a moment in every working day when something far more significant than we admit takes place: someone steps forward and tries to make their thinking land in someone else’s mind. Someone presents in the doorway before a meeting starts, in a rushed Teams call between tasks, in a high‑stakes boardroom, or in a[…]
Do You Have the Leadership Presentation Skills Your Team Truly Needs?
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills Jun 24, 2017
For years, organisations have dismissed presentation skills as a “soft skill.” At Mindful Presenter, we believe that the label is not only misleading but also dangerous. There is nothing soft about communication; it is the hardest, most consequential skill a leader uses every single day. Whether you look to Maslow’s hierarchy or Tony Robbins’[…]
Would You Like to Be a Better Public Speaker?
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jun 18, 2017
Have you ever felt that flicker inside, the quiet belief that you could be a far more confident, compelling, and influential speaker than you are today? Many people feel it. They sense there’s another version of themselves waiting to step forward… but something keeps it just out of reach. At Mindful Presenter, we believe[…]
Mindful Presenting: The Skill That Separates Ordinary Communicators from Extraordinary Leaders
Communication Skills, Mindfulness, Public Speaking Jun 11, 2017
Imagine the scene. It’s Friday morning. It’s been a long, relentless week, the kind that drains your energy in slow, invisible increments. The only thing keeping you going is the thought of sinking into your sofa in a few hours, away from the noise, the pressure, the sameness. You’re halfway through that soothing image when[…]
How Do You Really Feel When You’re Asked to Speak in Public?
Image Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking May 12, 2017
For most people, public speaking doesn’t sit neatly at the top of their personal or professional development list. In fact, many would genuinely rather learn to tame a lion than stand in front of a room and speak for five minutes. For some, even the thought of speaking in public is enough to trigger a[…]
Millennials. Centennials. Generation Z. Call them what you like, but let’s be honest about one thing: they are the future, and the future will rise or fall on the quality of leadership they receive today. Last night, I had the pleasure of hearing Simon Sinek in conversation with Reggie Yates at Union Chapel in London.[…]
Mindfulness in today’s hectic world – is it boring, impossible or critical?
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 28, 2017
Mindfulness isn’t a recent trend, nor is it fashionable, and it isn’t a passing fad. People have been practising it for over two and a half thousand years, long before smartphones, deadlines, and inboxes began vying for every second of our attention. It has endured because it works. Today, many of the world’s most[…]
What TV Adverts Understand About Storytelling That Presenters Forget
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Apr 17, 2017
When did a business presentation last make you sit up and pay attention? Many presentations feel less like conversations and more like lectures; dense, data-heavy, and emotionally flat. Yet every day, in the background of our lives, we’re exposed to some of the most compelling storytelling on the planet. Great TV adverts In just[…]
