Transformational Speaking

1. Shatter the myths holding you back from powerful speaking.

It is time to demystify that belief along with any other myths that stand in the way of your capacity to be a transformational speaker.

Dispelling common fears. Many believe great speakers are born fearless naturals, that there's only one "right way" to speak, or that storytelling is just a technique. These myths create barriers, making public speaking seem unattainable or requiring a false persona. Fear is normal; even experienced speakers like Gloria Steinem feel it when stakes are high.

Beyond techniques. True transformational speaking isn't about mastering tricks or acting. It's about revealing your real self, standing out in your unique way, and connecting deeply from the heart. Relying solely on techniques applied prematurely can obscure your personal magic and prevent you from being truly heard.

Authenticity over performance. Forget trying to give the audience what you think they want or being a perfectly rehearsed performer. Your power comes from your genuine self, your unique perspective, and your willingness to be vulnerable. This authenticity is what truly resonates and inspires change.

2. Your unique gifts, your "original medicine," are your source of power.

Indigenous cultures call our natural attributes and abilities our “original medicine.”

Claiming your essence. Everyone possesses a singular set of gifts and talents, their "original medicine," which is essential and irreplaceable. In a society that often encourages conformity, excavating and revealing this originality is crucial for expressing personal power and standing out authentically on the speaking platform.

Identifying your medicine. Your inherent gifts come naturally and may seem "ordinary," leading you to devalue them. Ask trusted friends what they see as your innate talents, reflect on what brings you alive, and consider what you believe without equivocation. Your medicine is the core of who you are and informs your purpose.

Aligning choices. Knowing your original medicine provides a touchstone for decisions about which audiences to serve and which opportunities align with your true capacities. When you commit to making choices based on your authentic self, your speaking becomes effortless, powerful, and celebrated, allowing your true medicine to shine.

3. Mine your life journey for the compelling stories you were born to tell.

The best stories come from your life experience—your fresh, unpredictable, unplanned life experience.

Stories find you. Forget trying to find stories to fit your points; instead, work with the stories that have found you throughout your life. These original stories, especially those from challenging or unexpected moments, are the foundation of your credibility and reveal the most spellbinding speech you can make.

Excavating your gold. Your hero's journey, with its calls, challenges, and homecomings, is a rich source of material. Look for moments when you had to be your own hero, transformed wounds into power, or gained hard-won wisdom. These "small round coins" glimmering in the dark places of your life are your gold, waiting to be mined.

Sharing your truth. Telling your story is not self-absorption; it's a gift. A well-told personal story becomes universal, allowing the audience to relate and apply it to their own lives. Share your unadorned truth, even the uncomfortable parts, because it's in this vulnerability that you connect deeply and inspire others to face their own challenges.

4. Speak from your "Home Zone" for authentic emotional connection.

Beyond the comfort zone, the home zone is the place you go within yourself to find what holds meaning for you in a palpable way that will connect you emotionally to your audience.

Beyond comfort. The comfort zone is the intellectual, prepared space of facts and theories. The "Home Zone" is the deeper, personal place of emotional connection, where you touch your deepest heart and wisdom. Speaking from here makes your message memorable and can catalyze transformation on a soul level.

Reliving, not reciting. Accessing your Home Zone means reliving your stories, not just reciting facts. Engage all your senses, allow challenging emotions to surface, and connect to your feelings. If a story doesn't move you, it won't move your audience.

Embracing emotional range. Don't shy away from strong emotions like tears or anger; they fuel impact. Expressing the fullness of authentic emotion, from joy to sorrow, is enlivening for both you and the audience. It allows you to stand in your truth and power, moving beyond being a "flatliner" with a monotonous presentation.

5. Master four key disciplines to bring your speaking alive.

Finally—you get to stop the inner exploration and practice the speaking skills that count!

Practice in everyday life. These disciplines aren't just for the stage; apply them in all your communications. Think of each conversation as an opportunity to practice and expand your capacity to be heard.

The Four Disciplines:

• Vary Tempo: Use pauses, slow down for emphasis, and pick up speed to keep attention. End your sentences with periods.
• Align Tone: Match your voice tone to your message (higher for excitement, lower for concern). Avoid the apologetic "Valley Girl" tone.
• Add Verbal Punctuation: Emphasize key words, use verbal commas and exclamation marks, and match your voice to the "face" you're expressing (child, youth, elder).
• Enliven Voices: Embody the voices and body language of characters in your stories and reveal the many voices within yourself (longing, passion, outrage, etc.).

Beyond technique. While these are skills, they are most powerful when they flow naturally from your authentic self and your Home Zone. They add dimension, prevent monotony, and make your speaking captivating and memorable.

6. Connect with your audience by making your message relevant to them.

Unless something you say has their name on it, it’s all blah, blah, blah to them.

What's in it for them? Audiences are asking, "What's in it for me?" Your job is to make your words personal and universally meaningful. Meet them where they are, addressing potential objections upfront.

Understanding your audience:

• Know their challenges, expectations, and probable receptivity.
• Identify common ground and shared values.
• Anticipate unquestioned beliefs or "psychological contracts" you might challenge.
• Understand different thinking styles (objective, reflective, interpretive, decisional) and learning styles.

Beyond demographics. Don't prejudge audiences based on stereotypes (e.g., corporate vs. non-profit). Individuals within any group may be "cultural creatives" or ready for change, even if the collective seems resistant. Your role is to find those who can hear you.

Inspire, don't just inform. While facts are necessary, connect through stories and emotion (reflective level) to reach their soul (interpretive level). Give them something to say yes to and clear actions they can take (decisional level).

7. Craft a flexible structure, not a rigid script, for spontaneity.

You can’t script spontaneity any more than you can fake sincerity.

Liberate yourself. Stop writing out speeches word-for-word or memorizing text. You know your material, your stories, and your core message. A script prevents you from being present and connecting authentically with your audience in the moment.

Organize with a storyboard. Use sticky notes on a large surface to map out your core message, key ideas, and stories. This allows you to see the flow, group related thoughts, and easily rearrange elements as your presentation takes shape.

Key elements to structure:

• An intriguing opening from your Home Zone (story, question, quote).
• Your signature story that conveys your core message.
• 2-4 key points supported by spellbinding stories and compelling information.
• A memorable signature statement reinforcing your core message.
• A "better story" that inspires new possibilities.
• Opportunities for audience involvement (pair shares, Q&A).
• A clear call to action.
• An inspirational closing.

Rehearse, don't memorize. Practice your talk aloud using your storyboard or outline. Get feedback from trusted friends with diverse perspectives. This "rough draft" rehearsal helps you refine the structure while keeping the delivery fresh and spontaneous.

8. Prepare your speaking environment, both outer and inner.

All presenters—but transformational speakers especially—require a clear picture of the overall program and the venue so they can ask for what they need well in advance.

Attend to outer space. Don't just show up; understand and negotiate the program schedule, venue setup, and equipment. Request servers stay off the floor during your talk, ensure appropriate seating arrangements (circles for intimacy, close to the stage), manage the "looming lectern," and confirm all A/V equipment is working.

Manage dead space. Avoid cavernous rooms or large empty spaces between you and the audience; they kill energy. Request seating be moved closer or invite people to move up front. A full room, even if small, is more energetic than a half-empty large one.

Cultivate inner space. Before taking the stage, take a moment to calm, center, and prepare yourself internally.

• Prayer: Ask for support from Spirit or your higher power.
• Breath: Use techniques like tension-relaxation, square breathing, or multiple exhalations to manage nervous energy and gain focus.
• Grounding: Send your awareness into your feet and connect to the earth's strength to stay present and balanced.

Write your introduction. Don't leave your introduction to chance. Write it yourself, make it short, sweet, and aligned with the mood you want to create. Ask the organizer to read it exactly as written.

9. Become aware of and manage subtle energetic dynamics.

As a speaker, your understanding of the dynamics of energy can provide a vital pillar of support for your physical and emotional well-being and your experience of speaking.

Invisible forces. Every thought, communication, and interaction has an unseen energetic dynamic. You walk into a room and sense its energy (enthusiasm, conflict, negativity). As a speaker, you step into different energy fields that can impact you profoundly.

Personal energy protection. Highly sensitive people or intuitive empaths are particularly susceptible to absorbing external energy. Learn practices to maintain your power and avoid depletion:

• Keep your energy high through nature, conscious breathing, movement, and chanting.
• Shield yourself with protective light or visualize a rose absorbing negative energy.
• Practice chakra clearing to remove stuck energy.

Energy psychology. Techniques like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can help reprogram your energy system and neurochemistry to alleviate fear or anxiety. By tapping specific points while stating the truth of your fear ("Even though I am terrified... I deeply love and accept myself"), you create new neural pathways.

Conscious awareness. Discerning and addressing energy dynamics is a skill. By increasing your capacity to recognize these invisible components, you can track their impact, respond mindfully, and maintain a clean and clear energy field, supporting your health and presence.

10. Choose "Power" (resonance) over "Force" (resistance) for change.

Remind yourself to use the power of higher values with people who can hear you rather than the force of argument with those who can’t.

Vibration matters. Every emotional state and group carries a vibration. Higher vibrations (love, peace, joy) are more powerful and transformative than lower ones (fear, anger, shame). Your state of consciousness attracts similar experiences and people.

Work with resonance. Change happens most efficiently when you connect with people who resonate with your message and are ready to act ("early adopters"). Trying to convince those who are resistant ("force") is depleting and less effective.

The amoeba model. Like an amoeba slowly extending towards food, new ideas spread gradually. Promote your message to those ready to "get it" first. When enough people resonate, a "critical mass" or "tipping point" is reached, and the idea spreads rapidly.

Outrage vs. anger. While aligning with resonance is key, there's a place for expressing outrage at injustice. Outrage, unlike victimizing anger, comes from essence and motivates loving action. Speak your truth, even if it's uncomfortable for others.

11. Inspire the impossible by telling a better story.

Telling a better story and knowing people will be inspired to find a way to contribute that reflects their own original medicine requires faith, hope, and trust...

Dreaming new possibilities. Challenge old stories and limiting beliefs. Like Alice believing six impossible things before breakfast, practice envisioning new possibilities. Your speaking can introduce a "better story" that inspires others to reach for what was previously unimaginable.

Alchemy of change. We are living on the edge of chaos, but this edge holds immense creative energy. Embrace the disruption as a monumental birth process for a new kind of humanity. Face heartbreak, drop the veil of separation, and surrender to the transformation.

Be the change. The Hopi prophecy reminds us, "We are the ones we have been waiting for." Your individual call is to express your original medicine, stay awake to the world, and grow in your power to live and tell a better story.

Faith, hope, and trust. Believe you are where you need to be, that collective change is possible, and that revealing your authentic self will connect you with your soul family to create a new reality. Your story, like Scheherazade's, can save the kingdom by returning others to their true nature.

Last updated: May 19, 2025