Standing Ovation

Latest Episodes:

Josh Linkner Mar 23, 2020

Show notes

Innovation comes in many forms, but to deliver an innovative speech about innovation is… Complicated.

But not if you’re Josh Linkner.

A serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and professional speaking coach with 3 Ring Circus, Josh is a force of nature and a delight to listen to. His years of experience and love for our profession have made him one of the most sought-after speakers on the circuit today and, as you might imagine, he’s learned some valuable lessons about making it in this business.

He’s also got a bit of a penchant for telling those stories.

Clappers, people normally pay a lot of money to hear Josh Linkner talk about his trade. For you, though, the next 45 minutes are completely free.

Find out about:

Whether you should fit your stories to your talks, or vice versa
Where some speakers go wrong before even starting their story
What ‘multi-modal’ stories are and why they’re so important
Why a great business model always trumps talent in the speaking business
Josh’s secrets to structuring great speeches

Please Support Our Show Sponsors:

This show is sponsored by Content 10x, the content repurposing experts. Content 10x have a unique service just for speakers called Talk 10x, where they transform your presentation into a suite of unique content to help spread your message. Visit content10x.com/standingovation to learn more!

If you want to get better at the business of speaking, you need to attend a 3 Ring Circus bootcamp, run by Josh Linkner and his team. Josh has created a system that will get you more gigs, more repeat gigs and increase your fees. Get $500 off by using the promo code ‘standing’ on their website.

Brand Builders Group are the best in the world at helping you find your personal brand and monetizing it. They're offering any Clappers who want to take their speaking and personal brand to the next level a free brand strategy call. Visit brandbuildersgroup.com/so to schedule your free call.

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Ron Tite Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

Ron Tite has some stories to tell about hotel rooms, but they’re a lot more wholesome than you might expect.

They’re also moving, side-splittingly hilarious, and perfectly crafted to deliver the powerful message in his talks – all with his signature effortlessness and charm.

For Ron, though, his signature story is the product of years of effort. It’s taken practice, tweaking, and questioning to get it to this stage, and he’s taking you Clappers backstage to explain the intricacies of how he developed his story and what he’s learned about speaking over the years.

Find out about:

How Ron tests new material with his “new two” method
What Ron takes from his experience of stand-up comedy to make him a better speaker
How to know if your new bits are landing well – and what to do if they’re not
Why personal stories are so special
What to do when the stage doesn’t fit your talk

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Colette Carlson Mar 09, 2020

Show notes

The best stories are all about connection. They connect with us and help us to connect the dots about something.

When Colette Carlson tells the story of her father surviving a prisoner of war camp, all thanks to an unexpected moment of connection, you can imagine how many layers pile up and drive home the power of connecting.

Colette tells beautiful stories with poise and passion – but how does she manage the prickly subject of speaking about her father’s intensely personal experience? When did she realize this story was a winner? And how has she learned to adapt it for the four different types of audiences she speaks to?

All of these questions and plenty more are answered in the latest episode of Standing Ovation, Clappers. Prepare to feel moved – and connected – by Colette Carlson’s signature story.

Find out about:

How Colette’s story is enhanced by visuals, but not dependent on them
How she gave herself permission to share a personal story
What it means to embrace the applicability of your story
Why there is a right way and wrong way to customize your story
Whether Colette intentionally picks out stories from moments or just lets them happen
What Colette thinks will help Clappers tell better stories

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David Horsager Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

As speakers, we need our audiences to trust us.

Nobody knows this better than David Horsager. But how does the world expert on trust in all kinds of relationships make his own audiences trust him when that’s the very topic he’s there to discuss?

Well, there are a lot of ways this Hall of Fame speaker does it but – at the heart of it – he thinks it comes down to authenticity.

David is my guest on Standing Ovation and I consider myself very lucky to have seen his ‘mutton busting’ signature story several times in person. To dive into its roots, its nuances, and its adaptability was a real bucket list moment for me.

Clappers, I’m very proud to be able to share this episode with you. Pull up a seat – or a sheep – and enjoy.

Find out about:

How many iterations David’s signature story has had
Why you need to use your body as an accent, not just your voice
How you can be both authentic and practiced, not one or the other
When you need to kill your darlings
Whether or not to use visuals
Whether the geographical location of your talk should change its content

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Ramon Ray Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

Entrepreneurs tend to be made by inspiring situations – a big idea, a moment of clarity, a story they tell at all the dinner parties.

They don’t tend to be made by a letter from head office telling them they’re fired.

Ramon Ray has a history of being an exception to the rule, though. And his story is fit for the stage, not for the dinner table.

After losing his job with the UN, Ramon found inspiration where others would find desperation. He used that experience to pivot to a career in speaking and now, with trademark humor and passion, that story has become his signature.

To have Ramon join me on Standing Ovation was a delight. For me, his brightness, vivacity, and mile-a-minute style makes him as entertaining as he is informative and, Clappers, I know you’re going to agree.

Grab yourself a seat at the front, you’re going to want to hear what Ramon has to say.

Find out about:

When Ramon felt able and ready to share his now-signature story
How Ramon chose his path as he was already walking it
What the key differences are between speaking for free and for payment
The approaches Ramon believes helped him become a better speaker over time
How to find the balance between your classic lines and new material
How to use your voice to great effect
What a great audience looks like to Ramon

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Tamsen Webster Feb 17, 2020

Show notes

Signature stories come from all sorts of experiences, from the ordinary and mundane to the fantastical and unbelievable.

But what if your story has nothing to do with you? What if you weren’t there or even alive when it happened?

It might go against the grain for most speakers, but it’s never been a problem for Tamsen Webster.

With a glittering career as a speaker, strategist, marketing maestro, TEDx executive producer and Weight Watchers leader, Tamsen has more than enough stories of her own to tell, but her most popular and powerful talk remains her signature story that starts 200 years ago.

She’s been telling the story of Dr Ignaz Semmelweis to rapturous applause for years and, now, she’s telling it for Standing Ovation.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did, Clappers.

Find out about:

How taking your audience’s perspective and knowing their problems will make your talk untouchable
What your audience want to know at the very start of your talk
How to find new ways to tell the same story
Why some great stories don’t have a place on stage
Why a shift in focus can give the same story a completely new perspective
What Tamsen’s process behind planning a great speech is

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Phil M Jones Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

Phil M Jones may be a bestselling author and sales and marketing specialist, but it’s his knowledge of stationery that seems to blow people away most often.

With his signature story about a humble pen, Phil is living proof that good storytelling comes from delivery, context, and simplicity – not from bright lights and overproduction.

Phil’s journey is like something out of a movie. Since cutting his teeth in business at just 14, washing cars and hiring a fleet of his friends to become something of a local legend, Phil has gone on to work for Premier League soccer clubs and grow a £240m property business.

It’s no surprise, then, that Phil has a lot of stories to tell and an incredible knack for telling them.

I’ve been listening to Phil speak for several years now and I’m always amazed at how well he can change up his story depending on where and to whom he is speaking. That’s not what I love most about Phil, though. Phil’s dedication to helping people see their worth and understand the value they bring – whether it’s to a relationship, a room, or an entire business – can be quite literally life-changing.

I hope you’ll agree, Clappers, after hearing his advice in this episode of Standing Ovation.

Find out about:

How Phil’s signature story came from a story he hated
Why adaptability and creativity are the foundations of the best stories and speakers
What comedic timing can do to maximize your impact
How being unpolished is more important than being perfect
Why giving yourself permission to play will improve your talk
How to work out your worth (and subsequently, your fee)
Why you should embrace being the bread, not the filling

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Neen James Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

What can we learn from five-year-olds?

Probably some great opinions on the best flavor Pop Tart, but would you expect to end up with a life-changing lesson and the source of your signature story?

That’s what happened when Neen James, my guest on this episode of Standing Ovation, was trying to have a cup of coffee in her friend’s house.

It seems some of the best stories come from the most innocuous situations, but Neen’s story is far from ordinary. Neen has had an illustrious career in the boardroom and on the stage and her personal story spans several industries and borders.

Now an attention and productivity coach, Neen knows all the tricks when it comes to capturing and keeping attention… Probably because she wrote the book on it!

All the way from humdrum Sydney, Australia to the bright lights of Doylestown, PA, it’s my absolute pleasure to welcome Neen to Standing Ovation.

Find out about:

How a five-year-old taught Neen what it means to really pay attention
Why relatability is at the heart of every good story
Whether you should change the details throughout a story’s life cycle
Why the first two minutes on stage matter most
Why mentors are so important, and coaches are worth paying for
How to get started in speaking and business
Why speaking is all about playing the long game

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For more information and to explore the show, click here.

Shep Hyken Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

A cab ride to the airport is a pretty uneventful experience for most people.

Shep Hyken isn’t most people.

Clappers, what should have been an innocuous cab ride became one of Shep’s finest stories – and it’s the one he brings to this episode of Standing Ovation.

With over a 30+ year career in public speaking, Shep Hyken has seen and done it all, from being inducted to the NSA Hall of Fame, to breaking his own speaking rules to this very day. Shep is a whirlwind of energy and enthusiasm, and his eye-opening conversation has helped hundreds of clients deliver moments of magic through their customer service. And, he does it all through creative storytelling.

Strap yourselves in and get a pen and paper. This episode of Standing Ovation is an amazing journey of storytelling and speaking, but it all starts with a simple cab ride.

Find out about:

How to find stories in real life and bring them to the stage
The ways Shep’s trademark story has evolved over time
Why you need to record and listen to your best (and worst) deliveries
Whether silence and fewer words can really make a better talk
Why specificity is the most important tool in a speaker’s arsenal
Two brilliant tactics for testing out new content and acing Q&As
Shep’s take on the infamous ‘slides or no slides’ question

Please Support Our Show Sponsors:

Content 10x

3 Ring Circus

Brand Builders Group

For more information and to explore the show, click here.

Kindra Hall Jan 20, 2020

Show notes

How do you tell the perfect story?

It’s a question that’s plagued me and many Clappers for years. It’s also been renowned keynote speaker, Kindra Hall’s focus since she first started telling stories at 11 years old. Now, with a lifetime of experience and practice under her belt, she’s ready to share what she believes makes truly great storytelling.

There is no secret formula or magic pill for being a great storyteller, but there are some universal truths that sit behind every good story.

As President and Chief Storytelling Officer at Steller Collective, Kindra has spent years teaching people and businesses how to use storytelling to overcome their communication challenges. From working with Facebook and Berkshire Hathaway to delivering in-house training and being keynote speaker at global conferences, Kindra has helped countless people tell their story better.

I’ve been listening to Kindra’s talks for years and we’ve been bouncing ideas off each other since we first met. To have her join me on Standing Ovation is a real honor and I hope you come away feeling empowered to tell your own story. Like Kindra, it could even put a ring on your finger!

Find out about:

How Kindra enlisted Kylie Minogue to win her husband’s heart, and how that story helped her teach sell-out spin classes in Phoenix, AZ.
Kindra’s genius idea for testing out new stories
Why you have to bring your own energy, not rely on your audience for it
How choosing the right details will make your story unforgettable
How minimal slides will make your words last longer
Why you don’t want your audience to listen – instead you want them to co-create
How to tell a better story from beginning to end

Please Support Our Show Sponsors:

The sponsor of this episode is Content 10x, the content repurposing experts who have a unique service just for speakers called Talk 10x, where they transform your presentation into a suite of unique content to help spread your message.

For more information and to explore the show, click here.

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