A Blog Designed to Help You Become a Better Speaker

Hey Speaker Friends,

Let’s talk about something that’s hugely underestimated in public speaking: your appearance. Not in a shallow way. I’m talking about how your wardrobe and makeup choices directly affect your confidence, stage presence, and how you're perceived by clients and audiences.

I’ve had multiple meeting planners tell me they hired me in part because of how I dress. This is usually for fundraisers or dinners where they want someone funny, but they want the event to have a nice feel. They didn't want a "comedian" type look.

Fun fact: I’m kind of known for wearing pink dresses and being dressed up. It sounds obvious as a speaker, that you should dress professionally or nice. However, there are aspects that I learned from years of stage and hours with costumers that help me know what visually pops and works in my favor.

1. Your Wardrobe = Your Nonverbal First Impression

Before you say a word, your audience is making snap judgments—and so are the event organizers.

Ward...

When I used to teach acting, my most "challenging" students—the ones who overacted or couldn't quite connect—got a very specific prop from me: food.

Yep. Real food.

Why? Because you can’t fake eat.

When you’ve got a mouth full of chips or a slice of pizza in your hand, you stop performing. You just say the line. And suddenly, it's real. It's grounded. It's human.

I once had a student eat his way through an entire play. And every. Single. Line. Sounded authentic. Why? Because the prop pulled the performance out of him, not the other way around.

And this technique? It works in the speaking world too.

One of the most powerful monologues I ever saw was just a man, a pocket knife, and an apple. He slowly sliced the fruit as he spoke. No theatrics. No gestures. Just... presence.

(Okay, don’t bring a knife on stage—I’m not trying to get you tackled by TSA. 😅)

But the idea stands: A personal prop—something meaningful that connects to your message—can elevate your story instantly.

👉 ...

The number one most boring speakers are those who think they are teaching us something. They drone on with points, information, graph filled slides and zero thought to the audiences emotional journey.

In acting, there is something called, "The Moment Before". This is a question you ask your self regarding your character the moment they before they come on the stage.

If the character enters the stage and has a line, "Hey, are you in here?" the line can read VERY differently I regards to what happened the moment before.

Here are some examples: 

*They just woke up from falling asleep on the lounge chair outside.

*They just ran 10 miles to get home after their car was stolen.

*They just won the lottery.

What happens the moment before makes the same line mean VERY different things.

I like to use this analogy, because your audience has a "moment before" you walk on the stage. They way they are feeling, or what they are thinking is VERY different which means your talk will go VERY dif...