As many know, I did two dynamic talks in Berkeley and Chicago last week on two different topics I am very passionate about.

Overall, they were received very well. The only metric I can use is the people who came up to me afterwards to talk (which was new to me) and that my co-founder, who has done TED Talks, said that I was really good.

I know many people have anxiety public speaking, and I used to be very scared until I got it beaten into me at the end of my senior year of college.

In fact, I was a terrible public speaker when I did product development competitions. Though I led teams, I could not publically express myself to save my life. I kept on messing up, stuttering, misplacing my slides, I was never chosen to publicly speak when doing these competitions because I was so self-conscious about conveying the information.

In my senior year, I was forced to present at the Heart Healthy Competition because I was the most knowledgeable about the subject. What helped me present was creating aminations on the slides because when I look at a specific animation, it gives me a short burst of content I can explain. I sometimes do this to this day.

Another thing to note, is that these two presentations were not just a result of one month of prep, it took me two years reiterating the same messages I’ve posted on the My Food Job Rocks! Platform. The overwhelming passion of the topics I presented was the result of it being bottled up for years and unleashed in the world.

Here are some tips I use to make killer presentations.

Anxiety has the same neural pathways as Excitement

I have read this in many books and podcasts. Though it might not work for everyone, it works for me. Every time I prepare myself for something that causes anxiety, I say “I’m excited”.

Instead of thinking, “I’m scared that people will laugh at me”, a better way to shift your perspective is “I’m excited to share what needs to be known”.

And this is really important. Your audience does not know anything about your product, or method, or lesson and it is your duty to talk about it and break it down to a level your audience understands.

Overall, it does take a specific practice and set up before you do a talk. You will only get better at it as you get the courage to get up there. Always remember that people are spending their time listening to you, and that’s amazing.

Inform to Entertain

A standup comedian will do a better job sticking in people’s heads than a commencement speech.

I believe that making people laugh in an information presentation refreshes the crowd and makes people more alert. The new energy after hours of boring speeches makes it refreshing. Be different, be entertaining.

One example of this was when my CSO had his A-team present about our accomplishments. His gimmick was that we represented superheroes. I chose Matter-eater Lad, a character from the Legion of Super-Heroes (neeerd) and explained that it’s because I eat everything. That got a quick laugh.

Comedy is a hard skillset that even standup comedians have a hard time mastering. Will everyone laugh? What if they don’t? How embarrassing!

Here are some styles that can influence your presentation based off of standup comedy. I’ve ranked 4 tips from worst forms of comedy to best forms of comedy

Memes – memes wake people up and can make people laugh, but it is the lowest form of comedy

Depreciating yourself – “If I wasn’t in the food industry I wouldn’t be so fat”. Though works really well, use sparingly

Anecdotal – “Nobody knows what food science is, everyone I talk to about it cocks their head sideways and asks what the heck it is!”

Facial expressions and vocal impressions – changing your voice and manipulating comedic pauses while making awkward faces seem to be the best. This takes a lot of work and involves a lot of nuances, but I’ve noticed controlling the tone and body language as a performer brings the most engaging results while still delivering good information. I would say mastering tone and body language is an art in itself.

Inform to Inspire

I truly believe that to present, you have to inspire others to take action or inspire that there’s hope in the world.

In most situations, all inspirational speeches lead with a call to action or a refreshing statement on why it’s important to do something right now.

For my talk at IFT, my biggest takeaway is to start something now and then emphasize it with the benefits of how podcasting changed my life. You bring it back home saying that “I’m just an average guy, but starting something like a podcast can change where you’re going to end up. For me, it was founding a startup”.

No matter if it’s a presentation of data or telling someone your life story, all of this might circle to a moral at the end of the story, a conclusion that makes you think and you will be ready to take action.

Having this “inspire” mindset is a fun little exercise that can be input in any presentation you have. Can you make a book report inspiring, or a product development competition, or even a market research report? I think the world would be a better place if every lecture had a subtle, inspiring tone.

I truly believe if the message is more powerful than your crippling lack of self-confidence, you will do anything to convey that message.

Unorthodox tips to prepare for your next speech

(I do all of these)

• Write out the whole intended script for your speech on word
• Record this script like you’re doing a podcast
• Ask friends to edit your slides and take 50% of their advice
• Time your speech by rehearsing in your room. Aim for 2 minutes shorter, aim for 2 minutes longer, and right on time.
• Try multiple styles and words in your speech. They will eventually give you multiple pathways to communicate effectively so you don’t pause in the middle of your presentation
• Don’t memorize your speech, but rather, treat it as improv material
• Use pauses to emphasize, you can even forget your speech, but as long as you look comfortable pausing, no one will notice
• Get a $30 haircut trim in Chicago because the last photo you took, you look 10 times older
• Also, buy a razor because you can’t grow a moustache and a bad one is starting to form
• Wear your best dress. Mine is dark polo and comfortable pants
• Go to the bathroom right before your speech
• Eat a little but not a lot before your speech
• Drink a can of beer before your speech (I did this, DON’T DO THIS)
• Use animations to anchor and break down your speech, the visual cues will help you out
• Be sad how much weight you gained in some of the photos
• Start with a smile
• End with a smile